One Summer in Cornwall by Karen King (best books to read for success .TXT) 📕

‘Marcus. We’ve been waiting for you.’ Her eyes rested warmly on Marcus, then moved to Hattie, and her face broke into a welcoming smile. ‘And who is this stunning woman?’

‘Lady Thomwell, this is Hattie, my girlfriend.’

Hattie smiled as Marcus introduced her. ‘Pleased to meet you, Lady Thomwell,’ she said. ‘Lovely place you have here,’ she added, looking around admiringly.

Thomwell Manor looked like one of the stately homes she had sometimes visited with her mum on a Sunday. A very green, very well-looked-after lawn was at the front of the house, with a half-moon of steps leading up to the manor itself, and white lion sculptures each side of the door. There were a hundred or more people on the lawn, all dressed in their finery. There was a long table on one side of the garden, laden with sandwiches, cakes and drinks, and a few members of staff were standing behind it. More staff were walking around carrying silver trays with what looked like glasses of champagne on them, and handing them out to the guests. Very impressive. She wished she’d brought her camera with her; she could have got some great shots. She was tempted to use the camera on her mobile phone, but decided it was best not to.

‘Rupert is due back very soon.’ Lady Thomwell turned to Hattie and said conspiratorially, ‘This whole thing is a surprise for his birthday. We’re going to unveil the picture when he arrives. I must say that Marcus has done a wonderful job.’ Hattie looked at the easel covered with a cloth in the middle of the lawn and guessed that was the painting. She couldn’t wait to see it.

‘That’s very kind of you,’ Marcus said, leaning forward to kiss Lady Thomwell, first one cheek and then the other.

‘Do come and join us. Everyone is dying to meet you,’ Lady Thomwell said.

Marcus smiled at Hattie and they both followed Lady Thomwell over the lawn.

‘Marcus, there you are.’ The blond-haired woman Hattie had seen driving the sports car the other night held up her hand and waved. She was wearing a white off-the-shoulder designer dress, that buttoned down the front and stopped just above the knees, to reveal long, slender legs. The white accentuated her golden tan, and the gold necklace, earrings and bracelet she was wearing sparkled in the sun.

‘Estelle.’ Marcus smiled at her, then reached out for Hattie’s hand. ‘Meet my girlfriend, Hattie.’

Estelle looked Hattie up and down languidly, her sharp eyes taking in the bike leathers, Hattie had now unzipped the jacket to reveal a black lacy vest. She gave Estelle a little finger wave. ‘Hi there, Marcus has told me all about you,’ she said sweetly.

‘Not everything I hope, you rogue,’ Estelle replied, pouting seductively at Marcus. ‘Good to meet you, Hattie, you’re not at all as I imagined.’

She made it sound like an insult but Hattie merely arched her eyebrows. ‘Really? Now you’re exactly how I thought you’d be.’

Estelle fixed her with a stony stare then slipped her hand through Marcus’s arm. ‘Now come along, Marcus, there are so many people waiting to meet you. Let me introduce you to everyone.’ She led him off, leaving Hattie standing by herself on the lawn with the choice of whether to traipse behind them or find someone else to talk to. Well, she could see why Marcus felt uncomfortable with Estelle, but he was big enough to stick up for himself. She wasn’t running after them, she decided. If Marcus wanted her to pretend to be his girlfriend, he needed to start acting like her boyfriend.

‘Hello, dear. Are you a friend of Estelle’s?’ an elderly man asked her.

She turned to him with a smile. ‘No, a friend of Marcus, the artist.’ Her gaze scanned the gardens admiringly. ‘This is a beautiful place isn’t it?’

‘It is indeed. It’s been in the Thomwell family for centuries. It was actually quite dilapidated when Rupert took over but he and Felicity have put a lot of money and hard work into it, and over the years have transformed the place.’

‘Are you family?’ Hattie asked him.

‘Lifelong friends – ah, here’s my son,’ the man said as a tall, good-looking fair-haired man joined them. ‘Jake, this is . . .’ He paused as if realising that he didn’t know Hattie’s name.

‘Hattie.’ She held out her hand.

Jake smoothly lifted it to his lips and kissed it.

‘Ah, the delightful photographer at Reece and Ellie’s wedding yesterday. I attended the ceremony but had to leave early, I’m afraid. Business to see to.’

Fancies himself as a charmer, she thought.

‘You’re a photographer? And Marcus is a painter. How interesting. Do you both find the same subjects appealing, I wonder?’ his father asked.

She had no idea what subjects Marcus found appealing. She’d only seen the painting of the ship in the storm.

‘Sometimes, although I prefer to paint nature and Hattie loves photographing people, don’t you?’ She turned to see Marcus standing behind her. ‘Sorry to interrupt but there’s some people I want you to meet, Hattie,’ he said.

So he’d managed to escape Estelle’s clutches, then.

‘I thought you were following us, but when I looked around, you’d gone,’ he whispered.

‘I don’t follow,’ Hattie told him with a smile.

For a moment their gaze locked, his hazel-with-a-hint-of-green eyes staring into hers, making her heart flutter. The chemistry between them was almost tangible; it was all she could do to stop herself from reaching out and touching his face.

‘Then walk with me,’ he said and held out his hand.

She took it, and they walked over the grass, hand in hand, just as a black limousine pulled up outside the manor.

Chapter Twenty-One

‘It’s Lord Thomwell. Now the ceremony can take place, and then after that we can make our excuses and go home,’ Marcus said. ‘If you want to, that is.’

‘I’d prefer not to stay too long. This is not my kind of party, although it’s a beautiful place,’ Hattie told him.

‘Marcus!’ Lady Felicity was waving to him. Lord Rupert had