Page 38 of A French Inheritance
‘You’ve been offered a TV follow-up to the programme that?—’
‘The programme that ruined my life in England?’ Elliot interrupted. ‘That programme? The one I have no intention of being involved with? Which, incidentally, the producer already knows.’
Robyn gave a brief nod. ‘Yes. That one.’
‘So, again – why are you here?’
‘To persuade you to accept the job. I asked if I could be considered for the presenter’s job and the producer said yes – with one condition.
You have to accept the job. He thinks that the two of us working together would give the programme, what he called, “an extra dynamic”.
So full disclosure here. If you don’t accept the job, I don’t get mine either. ’
Elliot gave a short cynical laugh. ‘Work with you? Are you for real?’ He shook his head. ‘No. Never. You are wasting your time even thinking that you can get me to change my mind.’
‘You’re being offered the chance to clear your name once and for all. Get rid of the “guilty by association” tag that you acquired.’
Elliot shook his head. ‘The people that matter know the truth. And I’ve made a new start away from all the lies that were bandied about. I have no intention of dragging them into the light again.’
‘But you?—’
Elliot held up his hand. ‘No. You’ve asked. I’ve refused. Your five minutes are up – you can leave. I’ll walk you to your car.’ Elliot turned away from her, but Robyn made no attempt to move.
‘If you don’t take the job, I…’ She paused and Elliot turned to look at her.
‘You what?’
‘I lose my chance to present another TV documentary. I’ve been blacklisted by every other company.’
‘You expect me to be sorry about that after what happened to me with your last documentary where you failed to tell me the truth about what you were actually doing?’
‘No, I don’t need you to be sorry, but we were happy together once and I was hoping that perhaps, for old times’ sake, you’d help me.’ Robyn sighed. ‘I need the job. I’ve run out of money and I seem to be unemployable in the world of TV production.’
‘Let’s be honest here. Us being happy together didn’t last long enough for me to feel nostalgic about those few years. Especially after the decision you made regarding our baby,’ Elliot said. ‘If things are that bad work-wise, maybe you should think about a change of career?’
‘I loved being a TV presenter, but I guess I could go back to being just a freelance journalist,’ Robyn said.
‘I’d advise you to find a pen name if you do that,’ Elliot said, staring at her. ‘Time to go.’ This time when he moved to open the front door, a subdued Robyn followed him.
By the time they’d walked across the farmyard and Elliot had opened the car door for Robyn, he could tell that she’d pulled herself together and the successful, confident act she presented to the world was firmly back in place.
Robyn slid onto the driver’s seat, switched the engine on and lowered the window after Elliot closed the door.
‘Goodbye, Robyn, I hope you manage to sort out your life,’ he said. ‘Mine is good now and I wish you the same, although somehow I doubt you’ll ever be truly happy.’ He turned to walk away when Robyn called out.
‘Elliot – you know that abortion I had that upset you so much? You shouldn’t have been – it wasn’t your baby anyway.’
* * *
When Elliot and Robyn had disappeared into the Corn House, Briony had joined Lucy and Adam keeping an eye out through the farmhouse window.
‘I wish she’d hurry up and leave,’ Adam muttered. ‘The longer she’s here, the more I worry.’
‘I’m trying to work out why she’s here,’ Lucy said. ‘The only thing I can think of is that somehow it’s connected to that letter Elliot received, wanting him to get involved with some TV programme or other.’
‘The door of the cottage is opening,’ Briony said quietly.
The three of them watched as Elliot escorted Robyn to her car, opened the door for her, waited while she got in and closed the door.
‘He just said something to her,’ Adam said. ‘I hope to hell it was along the lines of never contact me again . At last he’s walking away.’
‘Hang on,’ Lucy said. ‘She’s determined to have the last word. Now she’s off.’ They all watched silently as Robyn drove out of the yard and disappeared.
‘I don’t like Elliot’s body language,’ Adam said, sighing. ‘He looks absolutely shattered. What the hell has that bloody woman done to him now?’
Briony watched as Elliot began to slowly walk towards the farmhouse. As much as she wanted to help, to comfort him, she knew it wasn’t her place. Elliot needed his brother and his family around him.
Briony gave Lucy a quick look. ‘I’m sure Elliot would appreciate some private time with you two. I’ll disappear for a bit. See you later.’
She was already on her way to the door when Elliot walked in visibly upset. Briony gave Elliot a gentle smile as he walked in and closed the door behind her.
* * *
Briony left Jeannie sitting in the garden with Meg when she walked up to the farm for the Saturday evening welcome aperitifs for the guests. ‘I shouldn’t be more than an hour,’ she said. ‘Pizza and a glass of wine on the terrace when I get back?’
‘Sounds like a plan,’ Jeannie said.
As Briony got close to the farm, she could hear the quiet hum of conversation out on the terrace.
Lucy and Adam were talking to the couple staying in the Cider House and the Dunkling family arrived at the same time as she did.
Briony quickly went into work mode pouring drinks, as Lucy made her way over to introduce the Dunklings to the other couple.
There was no sign of the family who were staying in No.
1 The Stables. There was also no sign of Elliot or the girls.
Briony helped herself to a glass of lemonade from the jug on the drinks trolley Lucy had placed near the table and walked over to Adam. ‘No Elliot?’ she said quietly.
Adam shook his head. ‘Debs and Hannah have taken him to Cannes to cheer him up. He was in a bit of a state.’ He glanced at Briony. ‘My money is on them not succeeding after what she told him. Bloody Robyn and her antics.’
Before Briony could comment, the family from No.
1 appeared and whilst Lucy poured them drinks, she started to hand around the nibbles that were on the table, but her mind was far away, thinking about Elliot.
She couldn’t help but feel that he would need more than an evening out on the town with his god-daughters to regain his peace of mind after Robyn’s visit.
The numb, closed-off look on his face earlier when he’d walked into the farmhouse had told Briony just how much he was hurting.
She knew there was nothing she could do to help him but her heart ached for him in a way that surprised her.
She longed to simply reach out, put her arms around him and hold him tight.
Impossible, of course, they were just friends.