LITMIR.BIZ

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as possible. It was dirty and bedraggled, quite disgusting looking really, but the child loved it so much, clung to it, never let it out of her sight. Tessa had long realized it was like a security blanket to Adele, but it did need washing, by hand, of course, so that it would not fall apart. Tonight, she thought, I’ll wash it tonight if I can get it away from her.

      She was enjoying being here in Yorkshire with Adele, her first bit of peace since leaving her husband, Mark Longden.

      Bending down, Tessa smoothed her hand over her child’s silky, silvery-blonde hair, and murmured, ‘I’ll be in the library working, sweetheart, if you need me.’

      Adele nodded, and said in a solemn voice, ‘At your computer, Mumma.’

      ‘That’s right.’ Tessa’s heart overflowed with love for this extraordinarily beautiful child, so precious to her, the one person she loved the most in this world. Leaning over her, she kissed the top of her head, lingering for a moment longer on the terrace; but after a second or two she finally drew herself up, took a deep breath and walked briskly into the library, sitting down at the table she had pulled over to the French windows.

      It was Elvira’s day off, and the nanny had gone into Leeds, leaving Adele in her care. Tessa had toyed with the idea of taking Adele with her to the Harrogate store, but in the end she had changed her mind, had decided not to go after all. It was such a beautiful morning it seemed almost criminal to keep the child cooped up in an office; she could just as easily work here at Pennistone Royal on the plans for remodelling the Harrogate store, while Adele enjoyed the sunshine and the fresh air, playing outdoors on the long terrace at the back of the house.

      Tessa had decided long ago that the library was the ideal place for her to work when she was here at Pennistone Royal. It was a long, spacious, airy room with a high-flung ceiling and walls panelled in light-coloured pine. Tranquil, a peaceful spot, it was well insulated with its many floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with leather-bound books.

      Earlier this morning she had set herself up at the far end of the library, near the French windows. These opened onto the terrace where Adele could play happily until lunchtime. Tessa had pulled the library table over to the glass doors, creating a makeshift desk out of it. Adele was now in her direct line of vision; she could even hear the child chattering away to the teddy bear. Apart from being able to keep an eye on her daughter, she was readily available if the child needed her for any reason.

      Tessa worked steadily at her computer for the next twenty minutes, glancing up from time to time, smiling to herself, thinking of how well Adele played alone, treating her dolls and the bear like real playmates, talking to them in the most natural way, as if they were alive.

      Adele was a clever, inventive and imaginative little girl, and she could already read simple books even though she was not yet four. Tessa had come to understand that her daughter enjoyed learning new things, and she was extremely intelligent for her age, and in some ways rather precocious, at least when it came to learning. Not precocious in an irritating way, like some children were; Adele was sweet by nature, and a rather endearing child with her fey and somewhat whimsical traits and mannerisms.

      Unexpectedly, Adele turned around and saw Tessa staring at her through the open glass doors, and she laughed, waved to her mother.

      Tessa waved back before returning to her work. She concentrated hard, trying to pull together all of her ideas for the much-needed changes at the Harrogate store. This was her special project at the moment; her half-sister Linnet and her cousin India had been given the task of creating a new look for the Leeds store, along with Evan Hughes. Harte’s were revamping everywhere.

      The loud ringing of the phone brought Tessa’s head up with a start. When it continued to shrill she wondered why no one was picking it up, and then remembered she was alone in the house at the moment. Elvira had already left for Leeds; Margaret had gone to do the marketing in Ripon, and she had seen Evan Hughes drive off well over an hour ago. As for Emsie and Desmond, her O’Neill sister and brother were off riding on the moors.

      Jumping up, Tessa hurried across to the Georgian desk next to the sofa, and grabbed the phone. ‘Pennistone Royal. Hello?’ There was a great deal of static, and faintly, far away in the distance she heard a man’s voice saying, ‘Tessa –. Is Tess –’ and then the voice faded out completely.

      It’s Toby, she thought; my cousin’s calling me from LA. Holding the receiver tighter, she exclaimed, ‘This is Tessa Longden! Who is it?’ Much to her annoyance, the phone now went completely dead. She listened for a moment, said hello several times and then hung up in exasperation.

      She had barely taken a few steps towards the makeshift desk when the phone began to ring once more. Snatching the receiver from the cradle, she said in a distinct tone, ‘This is Tessa Longden. Who’s calling?’ There was no response, no voice at all, only static and sounds like lapping waves. ‘Hello? Hello? I can’t hear you! Who’s calling?’

      Her frustration echoed in her voice; she was positive it was her cousin, who had gone to Los Angeles to see his wife. He had promised to be in touch and no doubt this was Toby. On his mobile. The connection suddenly cut off, and with an impatient shrug she banged down the phone and headed back to her computer. No sooner had she turned away from the phone than its insistent shrilling brought her back to it, and she answered for a third time. ‘This is Tessa. Who is it?’

      ‘Tess –’ The voice broke up before the completion of her name, and then she was hearing only static and half a word here and there. She said ‘Hello’ several times, but whoever it was at the other end was not making himself understood.

      She stood there with the phone glued to her ear for a few more minutes, and then with great irritation she hung up, mildly cursing Toby under her breath. Why use his mobile? Couldn’t he have picked up a land line?

      It suddenly occurred to her that perhaps Toby had tried to reach her at the London store first, and so she dialled her new assistant’s private line. It was answered immediately.

      ‘It’s me, Patsy,’ she said at once. ‘I think Toby Harte might be trying to get hold of me. From the States. Using his mobile. But it’s not working, he keeps breaking up. Have you heard from him this morning? Has he been trying to get me?’

      ‘No, he hasn’t,’ Patsy answered. ‘In fact, you’ve had very few phone calls so far today. Only Jess Lister about a dress you ordered. It’s ready. She’s bringing it over. And Anita Moore. She called to say she wants to come in and see you, show you her new line of cosmetics and body products. I said you’d be in touch with her early next week.’

      ‘Good. Well, look, if Toby does ring me from the States please ask him to phone me on a land line. I’ll be here at Pennistone Royal all day, and this evening, too. I’m not going out. That’ll be much easier.’

      ‘I’ll tell him. Talk to you later, Tessa.’

      Tessa walked back to the library table and automatically glanced out at the terrace before resuming her work. And she caught her breath in surprise. Adele was no longer sitting at the tea-table.

      Oh God, where is she? Tessa rushed through the French windows and out onto the terrace, looking up and down. Her daughter was nowhere in sight. And yet she was not in the habit of wandering off. Adele was an obedient child.

      Instantly her hackles rose and alarm shot through her. She swung around, glanced down at the tea-table as if seeking a clue, and immediately noticed that the rag doll was missing.

      Where had Adele gone? Down to the old oak, perhaps? As this thought flew into her head Tessa ran over to the stone balustrade and looked out towards the dell at the bottom of the sloping lawns. Here an ancient oak spread its wide branches over a garden seat where Adele often went to play. But there was no sign of her there today.

      How did she manage to get down the steps? Tessa now asked herself, and her alarm intensified as she raced along the terrace to the flight of steps. She dreaded what she might find; she fully expected to see her three-year-old child crumpled in a heap at the bottom of them. But Adele was not there either.

      Panic

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