Starcross Manor

by Christie Barlow

  ‘Why?’ asked Julia, but her gut feeling knew exactly what Flynn was going to say.

  ‘The contractors providing all the materials for the ballroom pulled out this morning, Jack and the lads should have been working on that for the next two weeks ready for the grand opening, followed by the wedding the week after. I just don’t understand it. I’ve been on the phone all morning trying to get answers, but no one is telling me why they’ve cancelled. It’s like some sort of weird conspiracy.’ Flynn was talking fast, his words tripping over each other. ‘And now I really don’t know what to do. I’ve been ringing around trying to get other suppliers, but they are already booked up and some haven’t even returned my call. The ballroom was going to be magnificent, some of the walls cladded with gold. The design of that room took nearly eight months to complete and now…’ he threw his hands up and leant back on his chair. ‘It feels like someone is out to sabotage me, but I really have no idea why. I’m probably just over-thinking it.’ He took a sip of his drink and looked straight at Julia. ‘I am going to have to phone the happy couple and let them know we’ve hit a problem. It’s not a phone call I’m looking forward to. They had their heart set on everything just being perfect.’

  Julia was rendered speechless, her mind in overdrive. Flynn looked worried sick, and all she could think about was last night’s meeting and that this was something to do with her. She knew she was worried about her little business going under, but she wouldn’t deliberately go out to sabotage anyone’s business or weddings, she wasn’t a monster.

  ‘Julia, I just don’t know what to do. It just seems strange,’ carried on Flynn. For a second he tapped frantically on his computer then turned back towards her. ‘First thing this morning…’ he took a breath to steady his shaky voice. ‘I nipped to the teashop, and I brushed it off at the time, but if I’m being honest they didn’t seem as friendly towards me as usual. And then I walked into the village shop and, Hamish is it? He seemed very standoffish. Maybe it’s just my imagination but something doesn’t feel right. You’ve lived here a long time, do you know anything?’ Flynn’s eyes went to hers.

  Julia could see Flynn was desperate for answers, but Julia didn’t know what to say. Surely the villagers hadn’t taken matters into their own hands in just a matter of hours? This was the perfect opportunity to come clean and tell Flynn about the meeting and the villagers’ concerns but she didn’t want to add more fuel to the fire. Her first thoughts were to uncover if anyone had deliberately gone out of their way to put a spanner in the works.

  Julia swerved the question but seeing Flynn this way, she wanted to help. ‘I know Alfie deals with a lot of contractors in this area, he knows everyone in the industry. Let me check with him, if he knows anything.’

  ‘Would you?’ Flynn’s voice lifted. ‘My gut is telling me something isn’t quite right, but I can’t put my finger on it.’ He picked up the file on his desk. ‘Over 300 guests at this wedding, it’s not going to be the same if they have to get married in the bar.’ Looking deflated, he placed the file back on his desk. ‘It’s just a disaster. And why are you here?’ he asked.

  Julia thought quickly. ‘I just needed a quick word with Jack,’ she replied.

  He nodded. ‘And Julia, thanks for listening,’ he said sincerely.

  Julia stood up. ‘I’ll check to see if Alfie knows anything and I’ll get back to you.’

  As soon as Julia left the office, once more she could hear Flynn frantically on the phone searching for answers. Her gut feeling suggested her meeting last night was most probably behind all this. She wished now that she’d come to chat with Flynn first about the impact of the hotel so that she had answers for the villagers, but she couldn’t think who would have taken matters into their own hands. Now, everything seemed to be spiralling out of control. Julia didn’t want anyone’s wedding cancelled or postponed – that would cause so much upset. She felt so guilty, but all she could do was get back to the village and see if anyone knew what was going on up at Starcross Manor.

  Chapter Eight

  Later that evening Julia and Eleni walked along the High Street towards the pub. The heat of the day had ebbed to a comforting warmth and the village was alive with dog walkers, children playing on the green and the straggling hikers heading down from the mountain top. The tables outside the pub were already littered with thirsty revellers, and as they stepped inside the Grouse and Haggis it was packed to the rafters. There was an excitement about the place, a buzz in the air. Tonight was the night Rory’s TV show would be aired to the nation. Julia noticed the tables in the dining area had been pushed to one side and the chairs lined up in rows in front of the TV screen. Over in the far corner there was a magnificent-looking buffet laid out, too. Julia tried to see past the bobbing heads, the bar was three deep and already she was engulfed by the sweltering heat. ‘My God, it’s warm in here,’ she muttered under her breath.

  ‘Apparently, according to the news, tomorrow is going to be the hottest day on record,’ shared Eleni.

  ‘I’ll look forward to that when we are stripping down beds and cleaning rooms. Today felt like a killer, it’s going to be worse tomorrow,’ replied Julia, waving across the room at Felicity and Isla who’d found a spot on the other side of the pub.

  ‘What would you like to drink?’ asked Eleni, confidently pushing her way to the bar.

  ‘Gin and tonic, thanks. I’ll go and grab a seat with the girls,’ Julia began to weave her way over towards Felicity and Isla who were flicking through Rory’s latest Instagram posts. The photos were magnificent. Rory and Zach were currently working within the rehabilitation centre and Rory was caring for the sick, injured, abandoned, and orphaned lions alongside a professional veterinary team.

  ‘Rory looks like he’s having an amazing time,’ Isla swung the phone towards Julia as she pulled out a chair. ‘I wonder if he gets to watch the programme tonight on TV?’

  ‘I believe Stuart was the star of show, always interrupting Rory, that’s what Allie was saying,’ Felicity gave a little chuckle. ‘And where is Allie? It’s going to be funny not having her around.’

  ‘I’ve not seen her yet tonight, maybe she’s still packing,’ answered Isla, looking up as Jack approached the table.

  ‘Hi Julia, is Eleni with you?’ he asked, giving Julia a warm smile.

  Julia nodded towards the bar. ‘She’s over at the bar.’

  ‘Thank you,’ he replied, and headed off in her direction.

  ‘Are they dating?’ remarked Isla, as soon as Jack was out of earshot. ‘Mmm, now he’s a catch and a half.’

  ‘A couple of dates,’ replied Julia, thinking they did make a stunning-looking couple.

  They watched as Jack slipped his arms around Eleni’s waist causing her to jump. She immediately looked over her shoulder and kissed him on the lips.

  ‘Love’s young dream,’ continued Isla, bringing her hand up to her heart. ‘Remember those days? The first flush of love is so romantic, then it becomes all mundane, the washing of dirty socks and the sweeping of cut toenails from the bathroom floor.’

  ‘Eww, haven’t you just killed the mood,’ chuckled Felicity, taking a swig of her drink.

  After Eleni had bought the drinks, Jack had pulled her over to one side. He was leaning in close talking to her. Looking slightly troubled, he kept glancing towards the door of the pub.

  ‘That suddenly looks all very serious,’ remarked Isla. ‘I wonder what that’s all about?’

  Julia suspected she knew exactly what it was about. She’d tried to reach Alfie all afternoon and left numerous messages but he’d been tied up in meetings. There was no getting away from her worries that the hotel was going to cause her business to go under, but she couldn’t live with herself if people’s weddings were cancelled after so much planning and expense.

  As soon as the conversation was over, Jack pressed a kiss to Eleni’s cheek and she walked over to join them at the table.

  ‘That all looked very cloak and dagger,’ pro
mpted Julia, wanting to know if it was about Flynn as she suspected.

  ‘That was an interesting conversation to say the least. Wait until I tell you this,’ her eyes were wide, and she took a swift glance over her shoulder to make sure no one was in earshot. All the girls leaned inwards waiting for Eleni to spill the beans.

  ‘Flynn Carter is having a few problems up at Starcross Manor, apparently some of his building suppliers cancelled on him today and people in the village are giving him the cold shoulder.’

  Julia looked round at everyone and divulged that she’d gone to visit him late morning to share their worries about the hotel and she’d found him in a state.

  ‘Really, that’s awful isn’t it?’ said Felicity, looking directly at Isla.

  ‘Yes, awful,’ echoed Isla.

  ‘Awful,’ repeated Felicity.

  Julia clocked the look between them. ‘Hmm, what do you know about this?’ Julia kept her voice low. ‘What have you done?’

  ‘Me, I know nothing,’ Felicity replied, in a spy-like voice and brought her hand up to her chest in mock protest. ‘However…’ she took another look to see who was in close proximity before leaning forward once more. ‘Last night after you left the teashop, conversation regarding Flynn Carter carried on. Hamish is out for blood. The village shop has been his livelihood for years and he’s not about to be forced into retirement before he’s ready.’

  ‘To be honest, Mum isn’t too happy either,’ admitted Felicity. ‘Afternoon teas are a big part of our income. And we agree with you that your B&B will most probably be affected. And think about this place – having a celebrity chef up at the manor, who is going to want to eat in the pub when they can get their food prepared by Andrew Glossop?’

  ‘What have you all done?’ asked Julia.

  ‘Nothing directly, but Hamish hinted Flynn may hit a few problems with his suppliers.’ Felicity was suddenly a little shifty.

  ‘Come on, this isn’t like us, we need to play fair and keep our dignity. I thought the plan was I’d speak to Flynn and we can see how the land lies.’

  ‘This man may put your B&B out of business, and you want to play fair?’ Isla raised an eyebrow. Julia was surprised by Isla’s reaction, knowing she was always the level-headed one. ‘We know he’s untrustworthy – look at the way he swindled you out of some of your grandfather’s inheritance,’ carried on Isla.

  Julia knew that Isla had a point and she was still wary of Flynn, but since he’d arrived, he seemed like a down-to-earth, genuine bloke, despite his millions in the bank.

  ‘He was frantic this morning, the contractors didn’t deliver the materials for the ballroom, which means if that’s not finished on time, he will need to cancel the first wedding at Starcross. It doesn’t sit with me that someone’s special day is going to be ruined because we’ve interfered.’

  ‘He ruined your friend’s wedding day,’ Eleni cocked an eyebrow.

  ‘Two wrongs don’t make a right, though, do they?’ said Julia, giving food for thought. They all sat quietly for a moment before Julia broke the silence. ‘And anyway surely Hamish doesn’t hold that much clout that he can go cancelling contractors. They need to earn a living too.’

  Isla and Felicity looked at each other again.

  ‘Now what aren’t you telling me?’ urged Julia.

  ‘Hamish did some digging, and it turns out his godson is the main contractor. Of course, he’s going to put Hamish first.’

  ‘What did you say to Jack?’ probed Julia, looking towards Eleni.

  ‘I didn’t tell him anything because I’ve only just discovered all this, just like you,’ she replied, before taking a sip of her drink.

  Julia knew it wouldn’t be long before Flynn began to discover what was going on too. Even though the community weren’t happy, she needed to talk to him and explain what was going on. She didn’t like the fact the hotel threatened her business, but there was a right way to go about things.

  Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of applause. They looked over to see Allie walking into the pub from the living quarters.

  ‘Glasgow! What a fabulous opportunity for her,’ exclaimed Julia, joining in the applause.

  ‘Allie!’ Felicity beckoned her over.

  Allie was wearing a huge smile as she weaved her way towards them. ‘Can you believe this is my last night in Heartcross, well for a while anyway… little old me is venturing out in the big wide world.’

  No one could quite believe that Allie had accepted the job on a newspaper 173 miles from home, as Allie had always been a home bird, but when Rory wanted to follow his dream of working in Africa, it began to make her think about her own passions for life.

  Immediately, Isla and Felicity stood up and squealed. They both wrapped their arms around their oldest friend and hugged Allie as tightly as they could. ‘Let me breathe,’ she laughed. ‘Please let me breathe!’

  Felicity stood back and held Allie’s hands. ‘We will miss you!’ Felicity came over all emotional whilst Isla blinked back the tears.

  ‘Don’t cry, I’ll be back before you know it.’

  ‘That’s why we’re crying!’ teased Isla, pulling Allie in for another hug.

  ‘Cheeky!’ Allie swiped Isla playfully. ‘And I’ll be back soon as there’s a special birthday coming up, I wouldn’t miss the odd cocktail or two for the world.’ Allie looked towards Julia.

  ‘And what’s all this I heard on the grapevine, the village has taken matters into their own hands? Hamish mentioned something this morning in the village shop then Flynn popped in to see Mum.’ Allie looked around the table.

  ‘What do you mean?’ asked Julia, wondering what he would want with Meredith.

  ‘Apparently the Boathouse is due to open in a couple of weeks and the supplier for all the food and beverages has cancelled on him. He was asking Mum could we possibly help him out with the drinks.’ Allie raised an eyebrow. ‘People aren’t happy he’s taking over the community.’

  Julia knew this was getting out of hand. Flynn Carter was an influential man, a millionaire. If the villagers began taking matters into their own hands, Julia knew that in the long run they surely would come off worse. The sooner she could have a chat with him the better.

  Julia snagged a glance around the room, but she couldn’t see Flynn. Maybe, after the day he’d had, he’d decided to stay away. ‘It’s absolutely heaving in here now,’ she said, noticing Hamish looking quite riled in the corner of the room with his animated body language, in discussion with Drew. Perhaps in a minute she’d slip over to him and have a chat about what was going on, and what Hamish was trying to achieve, because Julia had a feeling that World War Three could erupt anytime, and that wasn’t going to help anyone.

  ‘The pub is packed, because we are all making sure we get rid of Allie!’ teased Felicity, tipping Allie a wink.

  ‘Don’t wind me up! Honestly, one second, I’m excited, the next I’m teary, then scared. I don’t want to leave Mum and Dad, and this place is my home, not to mention it feels weird not to have Rory by my side. I’m doing it all by myself. I feel like a proper grown-up now.’

  ‘Breathe!’ everyone said in unison then laughed.

  ‘I know, I know! But look at this place, it’s busy all the time.’ Allie nodded towards her mum and dad who had their work cut out behind the bar.

  ‘I’ve noticed the whole village seems busier this summer. Heart Mountain is attracting thousands more tourists since the bridge collapse, and with Rory’s TV show I bet Stuart has had a new influx of clients,’ chipped in Felicity.

  ‘You shouldn’t joke about that, Stuart told Mum that people just randomly walk past the surgery and take photos, the clients on their books have tripled and he’s counting the days until Rory’s return. He’s finding all this fame stuff very bizarre, and my guess is when this TV show airs tonight Stuart is going to be famous in his own right. Remember, I watched it being filmed, and he was hilarious,’ reported Allie with a grin.

  ‘We wer
e just looking at Rory’s Instagram, it’s amazing. Every morning I check,’ admitted Isla. ‘And how’s the renovations going up at Clover Cottage? Will the new surgery be ready to open by the time Rory comes back?’

  Allie shook her head. ‘We are looking at approximately six months, Stuart would like the original surgery closed by Christmas. There’s going to be a short crossover period I think. We are definitely going to need a bigger surgery with Rory’s new-found fame, not to mention more staff, especially with the animal hospital too.’

  ‘It all sounds amazing, you’ve got so much to look forward to,’ exclaimed Julia, feeling a little jealous that her expansion of her own little business empire may have to be put on hold until she knew the state of play with future bookings.

  ‘I know, and with the new job my whole world is going to be so much different, and when I get back I’ll be opening up the new photography centre, too, for the disadvantaged kids. In fact the raffle is being drawn tonight, we’ve already raised a good sum of money to put towards the new equipment.’

  ‘I’ve donated an overnight stay in one of my vans… take an alpaca for a walk and free fresh eggs for a month,’ declared Isla.

  ‘And we’ve donated a free cream tea plus guest,’ added Felicity.

  ‘I can add a free overnight at the B&B if that helps?’ said Julia, thinking aloud.

  ‘And I could donate one of my sketches,’ chipped in Eleni.

  ‘Sketches?’ queried Allie.

  ‘You should see Eleni’s sketches, they are amazing! One day this girl will have those sketches in art galleries all around the world – and before you become famous, I best take one off your hands,’ exclaimed Julia, ‘or else!’

  ‘I can’t wait to see them,’ chirped Allie, who looked over towards her mum. ‘I’m needed behind the bar. I best help out before I get sacked,’ she gave a little chuckle. ‘The raffle ticket books are doing the rounds. The draw will take place just after the TV programme,’ informed Allie. ‘I’m coming!’ she shouted towards her mum who was giving her that look to get back behind the bar pronto.