Page 203 of Guilty Pleasures

‘In that case my driver can take you. Just let me give my husband a big snog and then I’ll get him.’

Emma looked at her desk clock. It was 10 p.m. and she was alone in the office. In fact, the whole factory was dark and silent. Emma couldn’t sit still at home though, not when there was so much to do. She knew she had promised Rob that she would ease herself back into work gently, but these days she found herself driven by some sort of strange nervous energy. It was as if her mind was struggling to work something out. Regain authority at work? Fix her relationship worries? Deal with the whole Julia situation? God knows there’s enough to sort out, she thought. She turned back to her computer and clicked through complicated spreadsheets – profit and loss, cash flow, product orders and production schedules – none of it seemed to be able to hold her attention.

She heard footsteps in the corridor and looked up in surprise to see Rebecca. Her hair looked freshly blow-dried; she was wearing jeans and an expensive looking cashmere overcoat.

‘Hello Rebecca,’ she said curiously. ‘What are you doing here? Looking for Roger?’

Cassandra had asked Astrid’s driver to make the twelve-mile journey to Chilcot. Before descending on Winterfold, she had wanted to call ahead to Emma, but realizing she didn’t have her cousin’s number in her phone phoned Rob Holland instead.

‘Cassandra?’ he said as he answered. ‘Listen I’m a bit busy …’

‘I was just wondering if Emma was with you?’ she interrupted.

‘No, I’m just on my way back to Winterfold. I spoke to her half an hour ago. I think she’s still at the office. Why? Is everything all right?’

‘Rebecca and Ruan are having an affair. Is it me or is it too bloody suspicious?’

‘Suspicious?’

‘I have a theory,’ said Cassandra flatly. ‘I’ll meet you both at Winterfold and do me a favour and hear me out.’

Rob felt a sudden fear and didn’t want Emma to be alone.

‘How about I meet you at the Milford offices?’

‘Very well,’ said Cassandra. ‘I should be there in ten minutes.

’

Rebecca looked at Emma and there was something in her eyes that instantly put her on edge. Rebecca moved into Emma’s office and carefully closed the door behind her.

‘Rebecca?’ asked Emma, now unnerved.

‘I heard all about Julia,’ said Rebecca, walking slowly towards Emma, ‘and it’s all worked out nicely for you, hasn’t it? You’ve managed to wriggle off the hook yet again.’

Emma just stared at her, unsure what she expected her to say.

‘Rebecca, what are you saying?’ she said, all her instincts telling her something was wrong.

‘I suppose this means you’ll be CEO again,’ said Rebecca, staring straight at Emma. ‘Putting Ruan to one side yet again. You do know that without him this company would have been bankrupt under Saul?’ Her expression turned to a sneer. ‘And without him, you wouldn’t have had a clue where to begin, would you?’

‘We all value Ruan in this company,’ said Emma slowly, moving to one side of her desk, but Rebecca closed her exit off.

Ruan? she thought desperately. What does Rebecca have to do with Ruan?

‘We tried to make it easy for you, you know,’ she said. ‘We didn’t want you dead. At least, he didn’t.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I actually think Ruan cares for you in some small way. That’s why I have had to come here alone tonight, to finish this. But he doesn’t care for you as much as he loves me – how could he? He has been head over heels in love with me since he was fourteen. He’ll do anything for me, you know.’

Emma’s heart was beginning to race now. The offices were empty. She knew Ruan had still been in the adjoining factory an hour ago and usually said goodnight before he went home. But like he’d help her.

She looked around her, desperate to find a way out. Finding none, she lunged forward, trying to barge past Rebecca.

‘Sit back down!’ commanded Rebecca. She had pulled a gun from her coat and was pointing it at Emma’s chest. It looked old, but sleek and definitely lethal.

‘Rebecca, don’t be so stupid,’ said Emma, her voice tight.