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

“I hope you’re proud of yourself,” said Charles grimly, striding through the door towards the cocktail cabinet and pouring a liberal amount of whisky into a glass.  “I consider your behaviour absolutely despicable.  Victoria has done nothing whatsoever to deserve this.  I can’t believe you could do such a thing.  It defies all common decency.”

“I agree wholeheartedly,” announced Richard, joining his father.  With an empty glass in one hand and the brandy decanter in the other, he looked at Delia.

“What has gotten into you?  We know and appreciate how upset you are over Philip but that’s no reason to ride roughshod over the family.  Especially Vicky.  God damn you, Delia, you know how ill she was.  Something like this could send her spiralling back into anorexia if we’re not careful.  She was so happy, bless her.  She really had something to live for and you smashed everything with one blow.  Barrie probably isn’t the best person in the world for her but left to themselves the romance would no doubt have died a natural death, without all this entirely unnecessary trauma.”

“I know.  I know … and I’m sorry … and I’ll try and make it up to her, I promise.”

Delia walked round to the rear of the sofa to the left of the fireplace and looked up at her Granny’s portrait.  How she wished she were here and could advise her on what to do.  Delia really needed her wise wisdom now.  She placed her hands on the back of the sofa and stared at the black diamond ring, thinking rapidly.  Should she or should she not broach the subject of the estate now and take their minds off Vicky?  If she let them dwell for long on what had occurred this afternoon, they might be totally against her in the morning.  They probably were now but it was a risk she had to take.  She drew in her breath sharply.

“Please.  I have something far more important to discuss with you.  Can we forget this for a while?”

“What can be more important than your sister’s health and happiness?” demanded Charles, seething with hostility towards his eldest daughter and her apparent disregard for respectful conduct.

“The estate,” announced Delia blithely.  “And what’s going to happen to it when Dick retires shortly.”

Charles and Richard exchanged a puzzled look.

“I don’t see what concern that is of yours,” said Charles impatiently and with some surprise.

“Well, as it happens it is.  I want you to give the job to me.”

Charles and Richard looked at her with shock.  “You?” they chorused.

Her ruse was working.  They had both forgotten Vicky.

“Yes.  Who could be better?  Father …,” said Delia quickly, knowing this was her only chance and she had to be totally convincing, “you know how hard I’ve worked at college for the last three years.  I’ve learnt everything there is to know about running an estate of this size.  I have been out and about with Dick since I was young.  I know every inch of our land.  I know all the tenant farmers.  I have plans for making the house and grounds more profitable.  We could hold many events, perhaps three-day eventing like Badminton, Burley and Bramham; pop concerts, classical concerts, charity auctions, craft fairs.  We could open up the grounds to the public occasionally, even maybe parts of the house.  We could do tours of the house … we could hold exhibitions ….”

“Whoa, whoa,” said Charles, holding his hand up.  “I let you do that course because you were going to marry Philip.  It was to help you both with the land there … not Canleigh.”

“Yes, and it would have been useful but we all know that’s not going to happen … for a while at least,” she added, noting the dismayed look Richard gave Charles.  He still didn’t believe Philip would come back to her.  “But come on, both of you, while you have been occupied elsewhere I’ve been here … on the estate … and that is just what the place needs … a real, full-time commitment by a member of the family.  You must see this is the best possible outcome.  I promise I will work so hard and make a real success of it.”

Father and son looked at each other again but it was Richard who spoke first, breaking the tense silence as Delia stood, biting her lip, and twirling the black diamond ring round her finger.  All he could think of was that damned piece of paper signed all those years ago … and he didn’t like to think how she was going to react at what he and their father had to tell her now.

“It’s just not possible, Delia.  I am so sorry,” he said pityingly.

“Why?  Why isn’t it possible?  Of course it is.  Dick retires in a month’s time and I can take over.  Until then he can take me through anything that needs looking at.”

Richard shifted uneasily on his feet while Charles walked over to the French windows and wished he were sitting by the lake, reading a book.  What a tranquil thought.

Richard cleared his throat.  “Father and I have been in contact for quite a while, discussing what to do when Dick leaves us.”

“Oh, … and what have you decided?” asked Delia coldly, her heart turning over with despair.  No, please no.  She couldn’t bear it if she wasn’t allowed to take over.  It was what she had been working for for years.  It was unthinkable it wouldn’t happen.

Charles turned to Delia and looked her in the eye.  “I’m signing over the estate to Richard … mainly for tax purposes … in fact I have an appointment with the solicitors on Monday to ask them to draw up the papers.”

“But that’s not a problem,” said