left Kent?’
‘Oh.’ Sarah took a few moments to organise her thoughts. ‘Well, I finished university, got a job, got a better job, then got a career. I travel a bit; when I’m here I try to support the Park. That’s about it.’
‘What about your friends? Family? Your sex life?’
‘My friends are mostly here in Harford although there’s a few dotted around overseas. My family is in Wales. I have one older sister, married with kids. I go to visit them a few times a year and for Christmas. My sex life is my own business but I’m single and intend staying that way –’
‘Why?’ he interrupted.
‘Because I’ve not met anyone. My parents’ relationship is so special: they’re so close and in love still. I can’t see that happening to me.’ She faced him completely. ‘That’s all there is. What about you?’
Tom took a deep breath. ‘I played rugby for a couple of years, then started the businesses. My family’s in Scotland. I have a younger brother who’s just settling down with his wife.’
‘A younger brother? That explains why you’re so bossy.’
‘Ha. Yeah, I had to keep him out of trouble when he was younger. He’s actually my half-brother but we grew up together and are as close as full brothers, especially since our mother passed away.’
Sarah went to touch him sympathetically but pulled her hand back. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t worry, it was years ago now.’ Tom dismissed it with a shake of his head. ‘Where was I? Friends? I have friends … dotted around and I’ve not settled down.
‘What about your businesses? Who looks after them?’
‘I have some excellent staff and I can work from home before and after training. We’re not far from London and I can fly up to Scotland easily enough. My … father has an interest in the property side of things.’
‘Your father? Is he the titled one?’
Tom looked away and stopped caressing her. ‘I’ve only known of him for four years, Sarah, it’s a bit difficult to explain. My brother and I, we only found out after our mother passed that we had different fathers. I traced my blood father to a Scottish estate; my mother had an affair with him when she worked there one summer. He wouldn’t or couldn’t leave his wife, so she left and fell in love with Dad. My father, he lost his wife and they never had children, so I’m his heir. I’m lucky; we get on really well. He’s taken an interest in what I do and it’s given him a new lease of life. So much so that he encouraged me to start playing again a couple of years ago – and here I am.’
Sarah took a while to absorb this, surprised he had told her chapter and verse. ‘Was it just his encouragement which made you return to rugby? Why did you give it up in the first place?’
‘My knee.’ He lifted it up and showed her the scars around his kneecap. ‘I had damaged it badly when I was 16, in a car accident. I had an operation but it didn’t stand up to professional rugby. A couple of years ago, I saw a new surgeon who operated again. He said I could start playing again and I did. I always felt there was a part of me missing when I wasn’t out on the pitch or at least involved in rugby.’
Sarah nodded and agreed; she’d felt the same.
‘Why don’t you still play?’ He brushed the hair back from her face. ‘You’re still fit, you were a natural – you could easily walk into the women’s team.’
She was quiet for a while. ‘I just don’t have the time. I can spend a lot of my week travelling, going to see properties or people. And if I turned up with a black eye, I don’t think it’d make the best impression.’ They both laughed. ‘I notice you’ve had your nose broken a couple of times in the last ten years.’
‘Occupational hazard. Just after uni and as soon as I started playing again.’
‘Does it hurt?’ She gently traced the bump on the bridge of his nose with an index finger, and followed a pale scar from his eyebrow to his
‘Oh.’ Sarah took a few moments to organise her thoughts. ‘Well, I finished university, got a job, got a better job, then got a career. I travel a bit; when I’m here I try to support the Park. That’s about it.’
‘What about your friends? Family? Your sex life?’
‘My friends are mostly here in Harford although there’s a few dotted around overseas. My family is in Wales. I have one older sister, married with kids. I go to visit them a few times a year and for Christmas. My sex life is my own business but I’m single and intend staying that way –’
‘Why?’ he interrupted.
‘Because I’ve not met anyone. My parents’ relationship is so special: they’re so close and in love still. I can’t see that happening to me.’ She faced him completely. ‘That’s all there is. What about you?’
Tom took a deep breath. ‘I played rugby for a couple of years, then started the businesses. My family’s in Scotland. I have a younger brother who’s just settling down with his wife.’
‘A younger brother? That explains why you’re so bossy.’
‘Ha. Yeah, I had to keep him out of trouble when he was younger. He’s actually my half-brother but we grew up together and are as close as full brothers, especially since our mother passed away.’
Sarah went to touch him sympathetically but pulled her hand back. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t worry, it was years ago now.’ Tom dismissed it with a shake of his head. ‘Where was I? Friends? I have friends … dotted around and I’ve not settled down.
‘What about your businesses? Who looks after them?’
‘I have some excellent staff and I can work from home before and after training. We’re not far from London and I can fly up to Scotland easily enough. My … father has an interest in the property side of things.’
‘Your father? Is he the titled one?’
Tom looked away and stopped caressing her. ‘I’ve only known of him for four years, Sarah, it’s a bit difficult to explain. My brother and I, we only found out after our mother passed that we had different fathers. I traced my blood father to a Scottish estate; my mother had an affair with him when she worked there one summer. He wouldn’t or couldn’t leave his wife, so she left and fell in love with Dad. My father, he lost his wife and they never had children, so I’m his heir. I’m lucky; we get on really well. He’s taken an interest in what I do and it’s given him a new lease of life. So much so that he encouraged me to start playing again a couple of years ago – and here I am.’
Sarah took a while to absorb this, surprised he had told her chapter and verse. ‘Was it just his encouragement which made you return to rugby? Why did you give it up in the first place?’
‘My knee.’ He lifted it up and showed her the scars around his kneecap. ‘I had damaged it badly when I was 16, in a car accident. I had an operation but it didn’t stand up to professional rugby. A couple of years ago, I saw a new surgeon who operated again. He said I could start playing again and I did. I always felt there was a part of me missing when I wasn’t out on the pitch or at least involved in rugby.’
Sarah nodded and agreed; she’d felt the same.
‘Why don’t you still play?’ He brushed the hair back from her face. ‘You’re still fit, you were a natural – you could easily walk into the women’s team.’
She was quiet for a while. ‘I just don’t have the time. I can spend a lot of my week travelling, going to see properties or people. And if I turned up with a black eye, I don’t think it’d make the best impression.’ They both laughed. ‘I notice you’ve had your nose broken a couple of times in the last ten years.’
‘Occupational hazard. Just after uni and as soon as I started playing again.’
‘Does it hurt?’ She gently traced the bump on the bridge of his nose with an index finger, and followed a pale scar from his eyebrow to his
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