Free Party Games by Jo Carnegie Page B

have no options but to start legal proceedings against you. Or else …’
    ‘Or what?’ Fleur whispered.
    Her dad’s voice dropped to an unnerving calm. ‘They’ll take Blackwater Farm off us, that’s what.’
    ‘Dad …’ Fleur was struggling to find the words. ‘How could you take out a loan without telling me?’
    Father and daughter faced each other across the table. Mr Stanley had talked in financial jargon, but she understood the gist of it. To get the loan her fatherhad had to secure the farm against it. If they couldn’t start paying it back, the bank could force them to sell to recoup their money.
    ‘It’s none of your concern.’
    ‘Of course it is, Dad! We’re meant to be a team!’
    ‘You’ve got enough on your plate.’
    Fleur was trying so hard to stay calm. ‘What about the money we got from Beau Rainford?’ I can’t believe you went behind my back again , she wanted to scream at him.
    ‘It’s all gone.’ Robert saw his daughter’s face and gave a derisive laugh. ‘Open your eyes, lass, we’ve been going under for years.’
    ‘I wonder why,’ she muttered.
    ‘What did you say?’ he said sharply.
    She dropped her eyes. ‘Nothing.’
    They sat there in an awful silence. ‘How are we going to pay it back?’ Fleur asked. ‘Three hundred thousand pounds. It’s a huge amount of money!’
    ‘Thank you for pointing that out,’ he said tightly. ‘We’ll find a way.’
    ‘What way? We’re struggling as it is.’
    ‘It’s not your concern.’
    ‘Don’t treat me like a child. I’m not stupid!’
    ‘And I’m your father,’ he roared. ‘So stop challenging me!’
    Tears sprang into her eyes and a look of anguish flashed across Robert Blackwater’s face. He got up and walked out, leaving his daughter alone at the table.

Chapter 15
    ‘Thanks so much for seeing me, Felix. I didn’t know who else to call.’
    Fleur sat nervously on the hard-backed chair and glanced round. Chamberlains & Co. wasn’t a big office, with the low roof and uneven floor of an old building. A SNOW poster was tacked up in the front window, while sepia photographs of a bygone Beeversham were framed on the wall.
    His secretary’s desk was at the front of the office, while Felix’s more superior one was down the far end. A photo of Ginny in a summery dress stood next to graduation pictures of a young blond man and woman. The woman had Ginny’s sweet smile and Fleur guessed they must be Felix’s children.
    Felix sat back in his chair. ‘Do you want to fill me in on what’s been going on?’
    She told him what had happened the previous day, omitting the part where her dad had passed out later on drunk in his study. Felix listened and took notes, interrupting Fleur occasionally to clarify somethingshe’d said. At the end he laid his fountain pen down.
    ‘And you say the loan is three hundred thousand pounds.’
    ‘Yes.’ Hearing the amount again made Fleur feel sick. ‘They can’t take the farm off us, can they?’ she asked anxiously.
    ‘The general principle is that if you take a loan out, you have to pay it back,’ Felix said gently.
    ‘I didn’t realize how bad things have got. I should have done something sooner.’
    ‘I would imagine you’ve got quite enough to worry about, Fleur.’
    She was horrified to feel her eyes filling up. He handed her a tissue from the box on the desk. ‘Here. I always keep these here for emergencies.’
    ‘I didn’t mean to come in and start blubbing,’ she sobbed.
    ‘It’s all right, Fleur, I’m quite used to it.’ He gave her a wink.
    She managed a small smile back. ‘Couldn’t we just sell the farm and buy back what we could afford? It has to be worth five times what our loan is.’
    ‘It’s not that simple, I’m afraid. The bank could insist on what’s called a “forced sale”. The property goes to auction and is usually sold at a fraction of its value.’ Felix looked concerned. ‘Mr Stanley is saying it’s not just the amount you