An Eligible Bachelor Read Free Page B

curtains and furniture specially commissioned for the drama. The existing curtains were far too dull and faded and wouldn’t show up well on television, so sumptuous, rich drapes were hung, and fat, velvet-covered sofas brought in. Meanwhile, six of the bedrooms upstairs were repainted – in some cases replastered – and thick, luxurious carpet was laid in a tawny, old gold the colour of a lion’s mane. A joiner fitted wardrobes into awkward nooks and crannies along with discreet cabinets – televisions, DVDs and sound systems with hidden speakers were essential if she was going to get the price she was planning on charging.
    Thank God Guy had come back in the middle of it. She loved her son dearly, but he exasperated her. He was always off on some madcap adventure, subsidizing his travels by writing articles for newspapers and magazinesabout his experiences, as bonkers and irresponsible as his father had once been. She’d finally mastered the computer in Tony’s study, sending Guy subtle emails via his Hotmail account that hinted he was neglecting his filial duty; his two sisters had homes and families of their own to run, and couldn’t really be expected to pitch in. He’d reappeared eventually, deeply tanned and dishevelled, and together with Malachi, her gardener-cum-handyman, he’d been bringing the house and grounds up to scratch. It was incredible how quickly things deteriorated without a man about the place.
    Madeleine drew on her dressing gown and went out into her little kitchen to make tea. When she’d first moved into the flat above the coach house, she’d thought she would hate it, and assumed she would move straight back into the main house as soon as the production team moved out. But now she’d decided she’d stay. The flat was warm and cosy and, above all, manageable, and she could keep an eye on proceedings while having her own space.
    She realized she was feeling quite excited. Filming was finished; the production team were going to spend the next couple of days restoring order and then the Portias family would have Eversleigh to themselves. They then had a week to kick things into touch before the first of their weekends took place. Madeleine had scarcely needed to advertise. The success of Lady Jane Investigates had taken care of that – there had been no less than six articles in the weekend papers which meant they had a raft of bookings already between now and next April, when the film crew was provisionally scheduled to film another series.
    Madeleine was under no illusion that the next few months were going to be anything other than jolly hard work. But that had been the whole point of the project – to have something to throw herself into. Anyway, she wasn’t afraid of getting her hands dirty. She did, however, need Guy’s full attention. He’d been somewhat distracted lately by that girl. Madeleine thought Richenda was perfectly sweet, but was glad that after today they’d be seeing the back of her.
    She poured herself a mug of strong tea and began to write a list.
    A squeaking floorboard in the corridor outside alerted Richenda to Guy’s return, and she snuggled back down under the covers, spreading her long, dark hair out on the pillow around her head and shutting her eyes.
    He came in behind an enormous bouquet.
    ‘Darling, you shouldn’t have.’
    ‘I didn’t,’ he replied. ‘They’re from Cindy Marks.’
    Richenda sat up, batting her lashes in bewilderment as she read the tag.
    ‘However did she find out?’
    Guy sighed.
    ‘I don’t know,’ he answered. ‘I would have liked a couple of days to get used to the idea myself.’
    Richenda buried her nose in the roses, hoping that the greenery would hide any hint of a blush on her cheeks. She might be an actress, but she wasn’t all that used to deception. She’d already deleted any evidence of the call she’d made to Cindy at four o’clock that morning from the confines of the bathroom. Not that Guy had