Rejection Runs Deep (The Canleigh Series, book 1: A chilling psychological family drama) by Carole Williams (uplifting novels TXT) 📕

Delia had tied Demon to the railings when arriving at the pub and they had been disturbed by his impatient prancing and whinnying.

They rode back to the stables in silence, their earlier care-free mood having evaporated.  Richard had never been so angry and Ruth, with the warmth of the day, the unusual amount of exercise, the generous lunch and the wine, was becoming sleepy and in need of a long nap in her gorgeously comfortable bed.  Demon’s stall was still empty, indicating Delia was still out and about but Ruth couldn’t help noticing the severely damaged steel plate on the open door.  She shivered.  What would happen if the horse managed to get out when he was enraged?  Perkins was obviously concerned about him and he knew what he was talking about where horses were concerned but even she could see, with so little experience of the creatures, how it wouldn’t be a great experience to be too close to Demon when he was being difficult and angry.  It was too dreadful to contemplate and Ruth didn’t feel secure until safely back inside Canleigh Hall.

CHAPTER 19 CANLEIGH – JUNE 1972

Delia rode away from the Canleigh Arms and headed Demon towards open countryside, pressing him on, faster and faster in an effort to dispel the savage fury that seemed to be making a frequently nasty habit of engulfing her of late.

That bloody, bloody woman!  Delia couldn’t abide her; the pathetic creature.  Making up to Richard, pretending to be all coy and innocent and it was obvious Richard was smitten and might, just might contemplate marriage with the silly little ninny.  It would be a disaster.  She wasn’t of their class or background, wouldn’t stand a chance of integrating and was incredibly naïve if she thought otherwise but if, just if, there was a union between Richard and this … this woman.  Delia groaned.  The last thing she wanted was for Richard to return to Canleigh for a very long time, which he very well might if he had a wife in tow as she couldn’t imagine a new Marchioness would want to live away from the estate.  She would want to make her mark and no doubt be another thorn in Delia’s side and even more gallingly, as Richard’s wife, would take precedence over her.

The only glimmer of consolation now that Philip had deserted her and her life with him at Tangles was on temporary hold, had been the knowledge that with Father spending more and more time in Scotland, she would still be able to rule the roost at Canleigh without any interference.  After all, she had been the only member of Canleigh in permanent residence since she was eighteen years old so Hardy and the staff were used to doing her bidding ...and she would have even more power as estate manager.

However, if Richard contemplated returning home after graduating and taking up the reins which were rightfully his, and which Father had long wanted him to, it would make life distinctly difficult.  She didn’t want Richard overseeing her every move as it was rare they saw eye to eye.  He would interfere and question everything.  No, Delia wanted Richard to remain in Oxford … or another part of the country as his career progressed.  She certainly didn’t want him coming back and working in one of the Leeds hospitals.  That would be too close for comfort.  It would be far easier to gain his agreement to any plans she wanted to implement over the telephone rather than in person but if he was married, and his wife wanted them to live at Canleigh, it could be a very different story.  Delia thought about the possibility of Ruth becoming the Marchioness.  Could she be licked into shape and intimidated?  Then Delia remembered the way in which the woman had defended herself last night.  It might not be that easy when push came to shove.

Delia’s head was all over the place.  She couldn’t seem to think clearly.  “Oh, God.  Why the hell are you doing this to me?” she cried, turning her face to the sky.

She so badly wanted to talk to Philip but knowing for the first time in her life she couldn’t, another horrendous pain of deep loss shot through her.  It was as if a huge chunk of her very being had been ripped away.  She wasn’t whole or complete without him and she was lost … in a dream … a terrifically bad one.  She just couldn’t come to terms with what had happened.  How could he have dumped her, she asked herself for the umpteenth time.  What had she done wrong?  She felt so utterly lonely and alone.

Then there was the humiliation, knowing everyone would know she had been dumped, virtually on the eve of her wedding.  Why had Philip rung her father?  Why couldn’t he have left it to her?  Now they all knew apparently, even the people in the pub from the way she received sympathetic looks.

Delia attempted to turn Demon towards Canleigh.  It was warm and she wanted a cool shower but had a fight on her hands to prevent him turning for Tangles.  The power struggle lasted a good five minutes in which he pranced and snorted at the fork in the lane, determined to get his own way but Delia eventually won and had him trotting meekly in the opposite direction back to the stable block at Canleigh.

“Sorry, darling but we’re going to have to get used to this,” she said softly.  “Tangles is no longer our future home … but time will tell.  Philip will see the error of his ways eventually and want us back. So, in the meantime what we have to do is focus on Canleigh … that’s what’s important now.”

And she hadn’t much time.  Richard would be returning to Oxford tomorrow so she would have to talk to him and Father tonight, if it was