Susanne James - The Master of Highbridge Manor

Moving away from him slightly, she blew her nose.

‘So, then, won’t you be sorry to leave all this when your brother comes back?’ she asked.

‘Oh…sort of…I suppose,’ he said non-committally. ‘But Carl is the one for this job, not me—not really. No, he is the headmaster par excellence.’

Something in the faintly sardonic tone of Jasper’s voice as he said that made Ria frown briefly. She was in no doubt that Jasper Trent had fulfilled his obligations to perfection during the short time he’d been in office. In fact, Tim had said as much, earlier. ‘Jasper has been terrific,’ he’d said, ‘and great to work with, so long as you watch your Ps and Qs…though he doesn’t suffer fools gladly. Which is why he’s so successful with the manufacturing business he owns in Somerset, I suppose,’ he’d added. ‘Everyone certainly knows exactly where they stand with him.’

Now, not really wanting to leave this spot, yet realizing that it was getting late, Ria turned to leave. ‘I suppose I should go back—and have a good night’s sleep,’ she said, glancing up and forcing herself to smile quickly at Jasper as he fell into step beside her.

He looked down at her thoughtfully. As soon as he’d reached her a few minutes ago, he’d known only too well that she was upset about something. And it had been nothing at all to do with hay fever, either. That season had not arrived yet. No, he sensed Ria Davidson to be far more vulnerable than the impression she liked to give—perhaps partly explained by the fact that she had spent so much of her childhood away from her family, he thought. She had also mentioned her stepmother briefly, hadn’t she. Perhaps they had never got on, and she still nurtured bad memories. But all that was unlikely to be the cause of her distress tonight, he reasoned. He hoped she wasn’t regretting accepting the post, regretting being here. Yet he knew that wasn’t the case. She had been so obviously grateful to have her own flat, and to earn the money which would help her get started on her travels, and during dinner she’d been lively and quite obviously feeling happy.

He shrugged inwardly. Keeping the staff contented with their lot, sorting out emotional and practical problems with everyone from time to time, had been one of the most difficult aspects of the job and Carl was welcome to have it back, he thought.

They walked back together in comparative—but surprisingly easy—silence, and by now it was almost pitch-black. But the security lights everywhere were more than sufficient to light up their path as they returned to the school building.

‘I’m just going back to my car for a moment,’ Ria said. ‘Something I’ve forgotten.’

‘I’ve forgotten something, too,’ he said, looking down and smiling briefly.

They made their way to the far side of the building towards the car park, Ria hugging her bare arms because, despite the warmth of the day, the night air had a distinctly chilly feel about it. Opening her car door, she reached over to the glovebox where she’d left the novel she was presently reading. It was by one of her favourite authors and Ria was glad that she’d remembered she’d left it behind. A few chapters later would relax her and give her what she hoped would be a restful night.

As she walked back slowly, Jasper was slamming his door and he looked up as she came up to him.

‘I’d forgotten my book,’ Ria said, trying to hide it under her arm. She didn’t imagine that her current choice of bedtime reading would meet with the headmaster’s approval!

‘And I’d forgotten my jacket,’ he remarked, slinging it casually over one shoulder.

‘Well, I wish I’d remembered to bring mine because it’s not quite summer yet, is it?’ she began and, before she could think—or say—another word, she found her shoulders being covered by Jasper’s jacket as he wrapped it around her.

‘There—that had to be the reason why I forgot to take this with me earlier,’ he said, and at his touch Ria’s whole body trembled—with what? she asked herself desperately. Not with desire, surely! Her tongue went dry at the thought. Hadn’t desire, as far as she was concerned, been extinguished for ever? And, if it hadn’t, would she ever let it put her at risk again? She quickened her step, going slightly ahead of him for a second, wanting to put space between them.

‘Well, that was lucky for me, then,’ she said, needing to get back to the sanctity and privacy of her room. ‘Thank you…Jasper.’ Did her voice sound as tremulous to him as it did to her?

They returned to the building and Jasper paused for a moment, looking down at her. ‘Well, then…classes start in earnest on Thursday,’ he said. ‘Tim will be looking after you.’

‘Yes, thanks—he’s already spoken to me about the last bit of the course we’ve got to cover,’ Ria said, turning away. ‘Goodnight, then…’

‘Goodnight, Ria,’ he said slowly. ‘By the way,’ he began, and there was a pause as she glanced back at him questioningly. ‘Um…my jacket?’ he suggested mildly, and Ria gasped, slipping it from her shoulders.

‘Of course! I’m so sorry…I’d forgotten about it—it felt so…cosy,’ she said, blushing. How could she have forgotten she had on something that was about ten sizes too big for her?

As he took it from her, her book fell to the floor and he immediately stooped to retrieve it. He glanced at the cover before handing it back to her without comment, and Ria’s heart sank. Why couldn’t it have been her copy of War and Peace instead of the colourful romantic novel she was enjoying?

They parted company and, after making his normal, latenight check-up and speaking to the caretaker, Jasper went back to his own flat, which was four away from the one Ria was occupying. As he passed her door, he imagined her slipping out of her clothes, perhaps already soaping her delectable figure under the shower, letting the water caress her creamy skin…

As he shut his door—with an unnecessarily firm bang—he cursed himself volubly. He was a hopeless case, he told himself grimly, because he knew he was in danger of being emotionally trapped yet again—big time. He had enjoyed the company of too many beautiful women in his life, admitting that he’d taken his time in choosing the one he would eventually select as his wife…and what a bloody nose she’d given him! Why wasn’t he more like Carl, who never seemed to need a woman? Carl seemed happy and content to focus entirely on his career, on this school and its continuing status and success.

Jasper stared moodily in the mirror, his eyes gleaming with dark intensity as his thoughts ran on. Then he turned resolutely. This latest female to stir his masculine propensities would be gone out of his sight for ever in a matter of months—and, until then, he’d make sure he had as little to do with her as was humanly possible. It was imperative—vital—for him to keep his mind, his thoughts, fixed on his responsibilities here, for this final term. Surely he could manage that.

As he went to hang up his jacket, the faintest drift of Ria’s perfume, still lingering in the fabric, reached his nostrils and he clicked his tongue in annoyance. That didn’t help! Next time—perhaps every time—that he wore it, she would be right there close to him, taunting him, teasing him, without even realizing it.

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