Page 8 of A Little Love Song in Seabury (Seabury #16)

LEAH

L eah pulled the little hire car to a halt outside Seabury House and killed the engine. She still wasn’t sure this was such a great idea, but after the day she’d just had, the last thing she needed was to spend all evening in her own company, moping. She’d done enough of that already today.

Pulling down the sun visor, Leah checked her face in the mirror. Good – she could no longer see the signs of the hours she’d spent crying. Her concealer was working overtime, and the whites of her eyes had finally lost their tell-tale pinkness.

‘What a mess,’ she sighed.

After such a lovely start to the day, it was a shame it had unravelled so quickly.

Still, at least watching Will leave the café like that, just because she’d joined him and his family for breakfast, had made her decision easier.

Okay, maybe easier was the wrong word, but it had made her choice more obvious.

Leah was definitely going to hand in her notice before the holiday was up.

Leah now had to face facts. She was in love with a man who saw her as part of his professional life, and nothing more.

Of course, she couldn’t hold that against him.

It was the way it should be. Will was being completely professional.

It was her who’d managed to blur the boundaries by falling for a man she couldn’t possibly have.

Having the audacity to follow him on holiday and spend time with his family was simply the nail in the coffin.

It was such a shame, though! Day one of her holiday, and it was already ruined.

Day one, and instead of reading her book, drinking coffee, eating cake, wandering the beaches and visiting the wool shop, she’d hidden away in her flat, working her backside off on a hefty manual that she’d eventually hand over to her replacement.

‘Come on, Leah, you’ve got some apologising to do,’ she muttered, heaving herself out of the car.

She’d sent Connie a text earlier to tell her she was keeping herself to herself for the day because she’d developed a headache.

It was the same excuse she’d used on Matt and Rosie when she’d bowed out of the café just ten minutes after Will had made a break for it.

She simply hadn’t been able to keep it together any longer.

The look he’d thrown at her, along with his disdainful " hey, you’re here then? " had practically broken her heart.

Squaring her shoulders, Leah crunched her way towards the front door of Seabury House.

In the late evening sunshine, the flower beds were bright and beautiful.

This place really was remarkable. She knew why Will didn’t want to stay there, but if this place belonged to her , Leah would stay there as often as she could!

Grabbing the heavy knocker, Leah pounded on the door before she could chicken out.

She could only imagine Will’s reaction if he found out that she was spending the evening at his childhood home.

His frosty greeting in the café had almost made her cancel…

but after thinking about it, she’d decided she owed it to Connie and Rosie to turn up.

After all, this would probably be one of her last chances to hang out with them.

‘Don’t think about that now,’ she sighed, her heart sinking even as she listened to the sound of the knocker echoing through the house.

Both women had texted her during the day, offering everything from coffee deliveries to paracetamol runs.

Rosie had even suggested a welfare check by her very own Dr Pepper.

Leah had been grateful for their concern and felt thoroughly guilty for making them worry about a headache that didn’t even exist… at least to start with.

After hours of crying and staring at her William Pepper Handover Manual , she’d developed a corker of a tension headache. She could still just feel it now, lurking at the base of her skull, threatening to rear back up at the slightest provocation.

‘Hey!’ said Rosie, her face breaking into a smile as she flung the door open. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Loads better,’ said Leah, accepting a hug, though she instantly had to bite her lip and scrunch her eyes together as they started to tingle.

‘Good. We were worried!’

‘Sorry,’ said Leah as the guilt hit her again.

‘Don’t be daft,’ laughed Rosie. ‘It’s not like you asked for a headache! Anyway, come on in. Feel free to leave your bag there, if you want—it’ll be completely safe.’

Leah nodded, slipping her handbag from her shoulder and dumping it onto the glossy wooden bench just inside the door. It would be nice to have a bit of space between her and her diary for a few hours!

‘There she is!’ said Connie the minute Leah entered the vast kitchen. Connie was ensconced in a chair near the fire, a pair of knitting needles in her hands. ‘How’s your head?’

‘Loads better,’ said Leah again. ‘Thanks for your messages earlier.’

‘No worries!’ said Connie. ‘It sucks when you feel ill somewhere you don’t know very well.’

‘Are you sure you’re okay?’ said Rosie. ‘Your eyes still look a bit pink.’

Damn. She’d thought those drops, followed by cucumber slices from the fridge, had sorted that out!

‘I’m fine,’ she said. ‘Seriously. I reckon it was just the stress of the last few months making its way out of my system.’

‘Blimey, is Will that hard to handle?’ chuckled Connie, stashing her knitting in a patchwork bag and stretching her arms over her head.

‘Hardly!’ said Leah quickly. ‘If I’m honest, he’s a dream to work for.’

It was true. She wasn’t just blowing smoke because they were his family. Will might be a bit dithery and too wrapped up in his music to pay much attention to everyday details, but he was a good boss. He was kind, and he didn’t have an ego the size of a planet despite his mad amount of talent.

‘Seriously,’ she said with a gentle smile. ‘Working with Will has been the highlight of my career. He’s kind and fun to be around… when he actually remembers I’m there.’

‘Can I ask you something?’ said Rosie, glancing at Connie and then back at Leah.

‘Let the poor girl sit down first!’ tutted Connie.

Leah perched nervously at the kitchen table, wondering what was about to happen. If they asked her directly about her feelings for Will, she wasn’t sure she had the energy to lie.

‘It’s just… do you think Will’s been a bit distant recently?’ said Rosie.

‘Distant?’ said Leah in surprise.

Rosie nodded. ‘I mean, I know he’s always been away with the fairies… but he used to be larger than life, too. Bouncy and a little bit cocky, you know? Sort of full of himself in an endearing way. But these last few months, he’s gone a bit quiet. The boys have noticed it too.’

Leah nodded slowly. So, it wasn’t just her imagination, then? She’d thought the same several times over the last few weeks. It was like Will had shrunken, somehow. Like he’d started to turn inwards.

‘You have noticed, haven’t you?!’ said Connie, who was watching her closely.

Leah bit her lip, wondering how much she should say. After all, wasn’t something like this covered by a confidentiality clause in her contract?

That said, if everything went to plan, she wouldn’t be working for Will much longer. If there was something wrong, surely it was better if his family knew so that they could help.

Leah nodded slowly. ‘There have been a few times I’ve thought he’s not quite himself.’

Rosie raised an eyebrow.

‘Do you mean on or off the stage?’ said Connie, curiously.

‘He’s still impressive on stage. His usual, amazing self,’ said Leah. ‘But…’

‘But?’

‘I’m not sure I should be talking about this,’ muttered Leah, suddenly uncomfortable.

‘Spill,’ said Rosie.

Connie nodded. ‘Too late now!’

‘Okay, fine,’ she let out a long sigh, wondering where to start.

‘Now that the tour’s over, Will hasn’t got anything in the diary.

I’ve got venues, festivals, and event coordinators calling and emailing me every five minutes wanting to book him.

I could fill the diary for the next three years in the space of just a few hours if he’d let me. ’

‘And he’s not agreeing to anything?’ said Connie, looking worried.

‘He doesn’t even want to know about the enquiries,’ said Leah, frowning as her headache banged a warning drum at the base of her skull. ‘I mean, I’m keeping a list, and I’m being as vague as possible to keep as many of the opportunities open for him for as long as I can, but?—’

‘What’s his agent got to say about all this?’ said Rosie.

Leah paused. She knew she definitely shouldn’t say anything about that… but it was too late to stop now.

‘Will fired her a couple of weeks before the end of the tour.’

‘Why?!’ gasped Connie.

‘I’m… actually not sure,’ said Leah. ‘I know she was pushing him for more—more bookings, more money—and he just… put a stop to it. If I’m honest, I’ve got a feeling there was more to it than that, though.’

‘An affair, maybe?’ said Rosie.

The idea made Leah feel physically sick, even though she knew there wasn’t even the remotest chance it could be true.

‘Nah. They barely ever saw each other. Everything was done by phone and email, and most of it was through me. Apart from when he sacked her. He did that himself and only told me about it afterwards.’

‘Blimey!’ said Rosie. ‘Well, no wonder he’s been a bit off his game.’

Leah nodded. Sure, she’d agree that something as monumental as parting company with his agent might be enough to cause the weird shift in his behaviour… but that had started months before he’d sacked her.

‘Well, we’ll just have to get to the bottom of it while he’s here,’ said Rosie.

‘Absolutely!’ said Connie with a decisive nod. ‘Can’t have our superstar wandering around the globe in a daze, even when he’s got you to look after him.’

Leah did her best to smile, even as a fresh wave of guilt crashed over her. She wouldn’t be there for him, would she? As much as Leah loved William Pepper, it was time to focus on her own happiness for a change.

Well, maybe happiness was the wrong word… but she’d settle for focusing on her own sanity to start with!

‘Erm… Will’s definitely not going to turn up and find me here, is he?!’ she said, glancing between the girls.

‘Nope,’ said Connie, hauling herself out of the chair. ‘Matt’s already gone down to the hotel to meet him, and Ewan should be arriving back any moment, and he’s going straight down to join them. I reckon we’ve got a good couple of hours while the three of them gorge themselves on Hattie’s cooking.’

‘I’ve heard good things!’ said Leah, letting out a sigh of relief.

‘You heard right,’ said Rosie. ‘And don’t worry, we’ll treat you too before you disappear off around the world again. But tonight, you’re going to have to put up with pasta, pesto, salad from the allotments and a bunch of random stuff from the fridge.’

‘My favourite!’ Leah grinned.

‘And Ewan made fresh bread this morning before he left,’ said Connie.

‘Blimey, you’ve got him well trained!’ said Leah.

‘He came like that,’ said Connie. ‘I can’t take the credit.’

‘To be fair, you totally can,’ said Rosie. ‘That boy was in bits before you got your hands on him. You put him back together again.’

‘Awwww!’ said Leah. ‘I’ve got to say, the pair of you are total couples goals.’

Rosie and Connie grinned at her.

‘How about you?’ said Connie. ‘Anyone interesting on the horizon?’

‘What, while organising Will’s way around the world?’ said Leah, her heart giving a little squeeze. ‘I don’t think so.’

‘Mm…’ said Rosie. ‘Maybe you’re just not looking hard enough.’

Leah forced a smile at that. She didn’t need to look. She’d already found the person she wanted to spend her life with… it was just a shame he didn’t feel the same way about her.

‘So,’ said Connie, clearly taking pity on her. ‘What are your plans while you’re in town?’

‘Actually, I’ve got a bit of a bucket list,’ said Leah, glad to get off the subject of men and relationships for a few minutes.

‘Oh, I love me a bucket list,’ said Rosie. ‘Let’s hear it!’

‘It’s nothing fancy,’ said Leah. ‘I’ve already ticked off sea swim thanks to you guys.

Then there’s a picnic on the beach, I want to go strawberry picking, I’d like to try Hattie’s food…

’ She paused, thinking hard. She was sure there was something else.

‘Oh yeah, and I want to indulge in an afternoon nap.’

‘Now you’re talking,’ said Connie. ‘That’s definitely my kind of list!’

Rosie nodded enthusiastically. ‘Now then, how about a tour of the house? Then we can raid the fridge and eat in the garden.’

Leah nodded. ‘Sounds perfect.’