THE STORY SO FAR
Violet has landed her dream job as marketing officer at stately home Meldrake House, home to Lord Reggie Meldrake and his second, much younger, wife Cynthia. The Meldrakes have only recently returned from their honeymoon after a whirlwind romance and marriage. Tasked with generating new ideas to market the house, Violet gets the go-ahead to arrange for famous artist Daryl Hinds to use the banqueting hall for his next exhibition. However, it’s not all plain sailing, because Cynthia is coldly dismissive towards Violet. On top of that, Violet has blurted out her unflattering thoughts about ‘Madame Cyn’ to a handsome gardener in the grounds – only to discover that he is none other than Ian Meldrake, Reggie’s heir and Cynthia’s stepson, recently returned from America.
Aghast at her indiscretion, Violet stood rooted to the spot that Ian Meldrake had just vacated. Why on earth had she mentioned her nickname for Lady M? Ian must surely see her as unprofessional.
Should she pursue him and plead for his understanding?
She paced the spring-green grounds, serenaded by a robin, and tried to calm down. She was probably overreacting because of Cynthia’s coldness – which begged the question of what lay behind it. Did Cynthia resent another woman on her ‘turf’?
Eventually, Violet sloped dispiritedly back into the house, skulking in her office for the rest of the day.
When Peter, Lord Reggie’s PA, came knocking in the afternoon, Violet said she was ‘getting up to speed’ with paperwork.
‘I… er… bumped into Ian Meldrake
