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

Philip could hear the despair in her voice.  He hugged her tight.  “Not anymore I’m not.”

She shook herself free from his arms and sat up abruptly.  “Are you sure?”

Philip took her hand and kissed it.   “After last night?  How could I?”

He looked her straight in the eyes.  “Sue, I love you.  I really love you.  There is no way on earth I could marry Delia now.”

“But …,”

“No, Sue.  I mean it.  I thought I loved Delia … I still do in a way but more as friends than lovers.  We’ve been close for a very long time, since we were young kids, and I helped her when her mother left and her grandmother died and she helped me when I was left all alone.  We’ve been through a lot together, supported and been there for each other but there’s always been something lacking … it’s not been quite right … and to be honest, I’ve been having doubts lately as to whether it is wise to go through with marrying her and now ….”

“But it’s so close to the wedding … all the arrangements.”

“Better to stop it all now rather than wait for later.”

“Delia will be devastated.”

“Yes,” said Philip quietly.  “She probably will and I don’t relish telling her either.  She’s always been the one pushing for marriage.  In fact, she was so fed up with me dragging my heels, she actually asked me to marry her.”

“Oh, goodness.”

“I was happy to go along with it.  We work well together, talk the same language …but underneath I’ve always known something was missing.  I do love her … but like a sister … a best friend.”  He stroked Sue’s hair.  “Not like this.  Never, never like this.”

Their kiss was long and tender and it was a while before they spoke again.  Philip wrapped his arms around Sue and frowned.

“I’ll have to go and tell her … and as soon as possible.  It would be horrendous for her if she gets to hear any gossip from last night.  Lots of people saw us leave together.”

“Gosh.  I feel dreadful.  I’m to blame for all of this,” Sue declared “but I couldn’t help myself last night … it was just so perfect … as if it was meant to be.”

Philip smiled down at her and hugged her tighter.  “No, my love, you’re not to blame.  You’ve saved me from making a huge mistake.  The wedding will have to be cancelled and that’s that.  Anyway, if you’ll have me, I want to marry you.”

Sue’s lovely eyes widened with disbelief.  “But we’ve only just got together!”

He turned to her excitedly.  “Sue, we’ve known each other for years.  We’ve been friends for years and I love you.  I really love you … and I know you feel the same.  Please.  As soon as I’ve disentangled myself from Delia, will you marry me?”

She laughed with untold relief and stroked his face, bristly now as he hadn’t shaved.  She would have died of shame if this had just been a one-night stand and would have been utterly heartbroken if, after the magic of last night, she had to watch him walk down the aisle with Delia.

“Don’t you think we should have some sort of courtship?  It’s all so quick … so sudden.  I can’t take it all in.”

“We’ll take as long as you like … but in the end, you’ll marry me, won’t you,” he stated.

She nodded and buried her head in his shoulder.   “Yes.  Definitely.  I love you so much … I have from the moment you walked into the infants’ school all those years ago, sat down next to me, and smiled.  I was smitten … I still am … and I think this is the happiest moment of my life.”

*   *   *

Delia slept like a log and awoke refreshed; nausea, headache, and sniffles completely vanished.  She washed and dressed quickly, throwing on her old riding jeans and a clean t-shirt, eager to get down to the stables, positive that a good gallop in the clean fresh air of the Yorkshire countryside would clear up any remaining germs.

Having fetched his tack, she made her way down to the paddock where Demon was already standing by the gate waiting for her.  He was particularly frisky, moving restlessly as she saddled him up and mounted, eager to be off and impatiently pawing the ground as Delia tried to shut the gate behind them.

“Stand!” she said firmly, knowing how it was torment for him to be still but she had trained him well and he always responded to her voice.

As soon as the gate was shut behind them, she gave him a soft touch with her feet and he was off, streaking down the lane and then into open countryside at such a tremendous speed it was virtually impossible for Delia to breathe.  She let him have his head until they reached the final field belonging to Canleigh when he was beginning to tire.  They trotted through the woods edging the estate to her favourite view of Canleigh from beneath the copper beech tree.

Dismounting, she threw his reins over the saddle and let him graze.  He was puffed but still ready for much more but for now she wanted to gaze on her home and think.  She sat on a log and let her eyes wander over the view before her; the Hall, the lake, the grounds.  Her empire.  Or at least it soon would be.

She twisted the diamond and sapphire ring on her finger and thought about the coming few days with pleasure.  Soon, soon she would have everything she ever wanted.  She already had Demon of course, in two short weeks she would have Philip … and then … the icing on the cake … Canleigh!  She smiled, thinking of the agreement she and Richard had come to,