Susanne James - The Master of Highbridge Manor

For some reason, Jasper felt strangely restless. Perhaps he’d go home tonight, rather than wait until the weekend as he’d intended. His beautiful old cottage in the countryside frequently enticed him back, and today was one of those days. Besides, he might not be able to be there very much during the frantically busy summer term ahead—the end-of-year examinations, and the end of his tenure. Speech day, final cricket matches and the tennis tournament to arrange…School-leavers’ functions and presentations. It all added up to a mass of organization which must be sorted by him. It was obvious he wouldn’t have much time for himself, so he’d better escape for a few days now, while he had the chance.

After telling the caretaker that he was about to leave, he made his way over to the car park. Allowing for traffic, he’d be home in time for supper. He’d phone Debra and tell her he was coming. He knew she didn’t like it when he was away for too long at a time.

Ria and Hannah left the cosy trattoria where they’d spent the evening and strolled along the streets of the town, gazing in at the brightly lit shop windows.

‘I feel really lucky getting that job,’ Ria said, ‘because I need the money to top up my resources for next year. Not to mention having somewhere to live! Couldn’t be more convenient.’

‘I think they’re lucky to get you,’ Hannah said, ‘and don’t forget—you’re always welcome to stay at mine again, if things don’t turn out right. Although,’ she added mischievously, ‘from your description of Mr Headmaster, I doubt whether you’ll give up on the place—or on him—very quickly.’

‘It will certainly be in my interests not to give up,’ Ria said firmly, ‘however bad or difficult things turn out to be. Anyway, it’s to be for such a short time.’ They waited for some cars to pass before crossing the road. ‘And, by the way, Hannah, please don’t let your romantic imagination run away with you, please. You know very well what my feelings are in that direction.’

Hannah stopped and took hold of Ria’s arm for a second. ‘When are you going to give yourself a break and get back to normal, Ria?’ she asked seriously. ‘This state of affairs isn’t right. You’ve got to start believing in yourself again, and get rid of all that guilt you’re carrying around with you. You deserve to find happiness with someone else.’

‘If you say so, Hannah,’ Ria replied listlessly, ‘but at the moment all I require, all I care about, is a job and somewhere of my own to rest my head. And, thanks to Mr Jasper Trent, I’ve got both.’

ON THE following Tuesday afternoon, Ria stood in the centre of her new bedroom and looked around. With her own duvet and pillows cosily in place and her make-up, travel clock and other personal belongings neatly arranged on the small table by her bed, it was already beginning to feel like home.

Ria always managed to travel fairly light, her clothes packed into two suitcases, with a couple of large holdalls coping with other bulkier stuff, and it hadn’t taken her long to unpack. The one wardrobe and chest of drawers were perfectly adequate to hold the modest amount of clothing she’d brought with her—which mostly consisted of simple things suitable for the classroom.

Going into the bathroom, she swilled her hands and face and released her hair from its ponytail, feeling the need to relax for a few moments. She wouldn’t mind having a quick nap, she thought wryly—she and Hannah had stayed up very late last night, talking, but apart from that Ria recognized the tremor of apprehension she always experienced in new situations. Surely she should be growing out of that by now? she scolded herself. She bit her lip thoughtfully. Her anticipated year of travelling was going to clinch it, once and for all, she thought.

Outside her room, Jasper Trent hesitated for a few seconds before knocking on the door. He’d been told that she’d arrived but had deliberately not bothered to seek her out or make a particular point of welcoming her. Anyway, Helen would have taken care of her, taken care of everything.

Ever since he’d appointed Ria, he’d asked himself over and over again what on earth had made him do it. But then he’d been getting desperate about filling the post, he’d reasoned, and she had impressed him—on so many counts. Although she was much younger than he’d have liked, she was direct in conversation, with no fluffy beating about the bush or being tongue-tied, and he had the feeling that she could state her case with no difficulty. Could take care of herself. Just as well, he thought, if she intended travelling alone in the not-toodistant future. Then he shrugged. That was a long way off and none of his concern. His only responsibility was in seeing that she did the job he’d be paying her for—and that she behaved herself. His expression hardened. He’d learned a strong lesson this year, learned it in spades. He’d be relieved when Carl took over again, he thought—the difficulties of the business world could be tricky enough, but running a large boarding school was in a category all of its own.

Now, he gave two short raps on Ria’s door and, after a few moments, she opened it and stood aside at once for him to come in.

‘Hi, there,’ he said casually, glancing around him briefly. ‘Just checking that you’re here, and that everything’s OK.’

She smiled up at him quickly. ‘I am here, and everything’s perfectly OK,’ she said brightly. He was formally dressed as before, but he seemed even taller in the confined space of her small flat, and she was intensely conscious of his eyes searching her out as he gazed down. ‘Helen gave me my key,’ she said, ‘and she also introduced me to Tim Robbinson.’

‘Ah, yes, good…Tim is a very able head of department. I’m sure you’ll get on well. And if there are any problems don’t be afraid to ask him.’ He paused. ‘Or me, for that matter,’ he added as an afterthought. ‘I don’t want there to be any unfinished business left for my brother to sort out when he returns, and I naturally rely on all the staff to support me in that aim.’ He paused. ‘What I don’t know about, I can’t deal with,’ he added.

Ria felt slightly confused for a moment. His attitude was strangely cool today, she thought, lacking the easy familiarity there’d been before. Still, what did she expect? That was then, this was now. He was the boss—and she shouldn’t forget it.

He stared down at her. The jeans and white T-shirt she was wearing made her look younger, more vulnerable than when she’d presented herself as the brisk, archetypal interviewee, and her hair, loose like that around her shoulders, added to the unsophisticated impression, to her appeal.

He cleared his throat. ‘It’s been bedlam here all day, of course, with the boarders returning,’ he said, ‘and it won’t be much better tomorrow when the day boys come back.’ He went over to look out of the window for a second. ‘But, by Thursday, some work should be in progress and a modicum of sanity restored.’

‘Oh—I thought all the pupils were boarders,’ Ria said, and he interrupted.

‘No, only about half of them. Their quarters are in the residential block over there—you can see it from this window—while we, the staff, live here in the old, original building.’ He turned to look at her again, and Ria’s heart missed a beat or two. He had to be about the most gorgeous headmaster this side of the equator, she thought. Good job he didn’t run a girls’ school. They’d make his life impossible.

‘I…I…um…would offer you a cup of tea,’ she began, ‘but I haven’t been to the shops yet, or sorted out my kitchen…’