Free Heiress on the Run (Harlequin Romance) by Sophie Pembroke Page A

work. You do realise I do this for paying customers every day.’
    It showed, Dominic thought. When they’d first opened the tea rooms in the old stables, he’d been doubtful. They already had the restaurant, over in the Orangery, offering fine dining to the visitors, and the café over on the other side of the yard, serving sandwiches and drinks. A third eating area seemed like overkill.
    But Sylvia had wanted it. Sylvia, who never really asked for anything, only went along with his plans and said, ‘If that’s what we need to do.’ So when she’d said, ‘No, Dominic. You’re wrong. This will be a really good thing,’ he’d listened.
    He was glad he had, now. Sylvia had taken on all the planning and running of the tea rooms, picking out the perfect curtains and matching tablecloths, light and airy without being too chintzy. She’d tasted every baker’s cakes from Beresford to London, and finally hired a young man called Russell to bake the scones, cakes and biscuits for the afternoon teas. People flocked to them—not just the senior citizens on their day trips, which he’d sort of expected, but everyone. Hard-nosed businessmen on a break from their conference schedule over at the events suite. Lovers checking out the Hall as a possible wedding venue. Hungover stag parties. Everyone.
    For once, Dominic was actually pleased to be proved wrong.
    The Americans certainly seemed to be enjoying it, too. He’d originally asked Sylvia to find them a private room somewhere, but she’d refused, saying half the charm of the tea rooms was the atmosphere. And she’d been right again. They were chatting away with the tourists on the next table, exclaiming over the scones and clotted cream and the cucumber sandwiches.
    Even Faith looked as if she might be enjoying herself for the first time that day.
    ‘You’re staring at her again,’ Sylvia commented, and he could hear the smirk in her voice.
    Diverting his gaze towards the tower of cakes on the counter, Dominic said, ‘Staring at whom?’
    ‘Your event planner. Tour guide. Kat’s replacement. Whoever she is.’
    ‘Merely a last-minute employee for the week,’ Dominic said, ignoring the tiny part of his brain that screamed at him that she should be more. ‘Kat cancelled on us.’
    ‘Understandably.’ She gave him a sideways look. ‘After that video.’
    Just hearing the words made the shame rise up again, stinging in his throat. The memory of the moment he’d first seen it sharp and constant in his brain. And the swift realisation that what hurt most wasn’t the personal betrayal, wasn’t the fact that Kat had slept with another man. It was the humiliation. The way it sent him right back to his childhood, and those unbearable days after his mother left, when all anybody seemed able to talk or write or think about was his family’s shame.
    He’d promised himself he’d never be in that position again, and Kat had made him break that promise. Maybe he couldn’t have changed what happened with his mother, but he should have been able to control Kat. And he could sure as hell make sure it never happened again. Which meant finding out what Faith was hiding.
    Sylvia was still watching him carefully, as if waiting to see if he might explode at the very mention of the video. Dominic closed his eyes and wished very hard he’d never heard of YouTube. ‘Just tell me you haven’t watched it.’
    ‘I don’t think there’s a person we know that hasn’t seen at least a glimpse of it.’ Sylvia shook her head. ‘You think you know a person.’
    ‘It’s wildly unsuitable and inappropriate for you to even mention it.’
    ‘I don’t know why you’re so bothered. It’s not like you’re in it.’ Dominic looked at her, and she winced. ‘Of course, I suppose that might not actually make things any better.’
    ‘I’d like to stop talking about this now, please.’
    Sylvia gave a quick nod. ‘Absolutely. Good idea. You can tell me about your latest employee