Starcross Manor: Feel-good summer 2020 romantic fiction from the bestselling author of Love Heart Lane (Love Heart Lane Series, Book 4)

by Christie Barlow

  Julia nodded and headed towards the reception to pay, paid, then stepped outside. She rubbed her numb jaw and took a deep breath, gulping in the fresh country air. The weather was changing and dark clouds were beginning to gather in the sky, a far cry from the beautiful sunshine yesterday. As huge drops of water began to fall, Julia pulled out the umbrella from her bag and hurried towards the car. Feeling sorry for herself, all she wanted to do was to go home, curl up with a blanket and dribble in peace.

  By the time she’d driven across the bridge into Heartcross, the rain had worsened. The radio was playing one of her favourite tunes but was drowned out by the frantic swish of the wipers. She flicked the indicator to turn left and saw a flurry of villagers racing along the High Street with their coats over their heads towards the pub, trying to keep the drenching to a minimum. Julia slowed the car down and swerved around the puddle at the edge of the kerb, then glanced to the right. That’s when she spotted Flynn sheltering under the jutted-out roof of Hamish’s shop doorway. He waved at her and she waved back – it was the polite thing to do.

  But as soon as she got back to the B&B she threw her car keys down on the table and pulled the magazine out of her bag. Woody was fussing around her legs as she sat down on the kitchen sofa and re-read the article.

  ‘All the beds are changed, fresh towels in every room, and I’ve emptied the bins and cleaned the bathrooms.’ Eleni breezed into the kitchen and balanced the mop and bucket against the kitchen table, then looked towards Julia. ‘You don’t look too good. You okay?’ She balanced on the arm of the sofa.

  Julia whirled her finger near her mouth. ‘One tooth extracted, I’ve got antibiotics and I can’t feel my lips.’

  ‘You poor thing, you won’t want a cup of tea then?’

  Julia shook her head. ‘No thanks, I’d need a bib.’ She touched her lips; even though they felt like they were inflated, she still couldn’t feel a thing.

  ‘And what have you got there?’ Eleni pointed towards the magazine before handing Julia a tissue. ‘You’re dribbling.’

  ‘Thanks,’ she said, gratefully accepting the tissue and dabbing it against her lips. ‘Take a look.’

  Julia watched as Eleni slid into the armchair and began to read the article. She watched Eleni’s expression as she raised an eyebrow and blew out a breath. As soon as she finished she locked eyes with Julia.

  ‘I thought you said he was the one doing the jilting, not the actual jilted?’

  Julia tapped the article. ‘That just isn’t what happened, and I’m perplexed why Flynn would twist the story like this.’ She glanced towards the article again. ‘Maybe, it is just a publicity stunt. All those people reading this, feeling sorry for him… the wedding he didn’t have, but again that doesn’t make any sense either. Flynn is a wealthy businessman, he doesn’t need to put a spin on anything, his hotels will book because they are exquisite five-star hotels. It’s just so strange.’

  Once again Julia thought back to the day, wondering whether she’d remembered it all wrong, but after going over it in her mind she knew her memory wasn’t failing.

  ‘He seemed such a genuine man, sitting in the pub garden with us yesterday. I couldn’t imagine him being this underhand. He doesn’t need to lie,’ added Eleni.

  Julia knew that Eleni was right, that’s why it was all so weird. ‘However,’ she replied thinking about her grandfather’s house, ‘he did take advantage of me over my grandfather’s property, knowing the property market had crashed so he could use it to his advantage.’

  ‘But I suppose that’s business. Wouldn’t we all try and get something for the best price we could?’ replied Eleni.

  ‘The more I think about it, the more I feel confused,’ admitted Julia, still turning it all over in her mind. ‘But the fact is, Starcross Manor is going to be a hotel and I think the villagers should be aware of the impact this may have on their very own businesses.’

  Eleni agreed, ‘Yes, they do need to know.’

  ‘A village meeting it is. Here, or over at Bonnie’s teashop?’

  ‘We have guests milling around here and we don’t really want them getting wind there’s a brand-new five-star hotel opening up in Heartcross. Ask Rona and Felicity, I’m sure they’ll let you use the teashop after opening hours.’

  Eleni was right. Julia began to text Rona to ask whether the teashop was available. Almost instantly the reply came back. ‘It’s free tomorrow night.’ Julia tilted her phone towards Eleni.

  ‘Perfect.’

  Immediately, Julia posted the details of the meeting in the community group on Facebook and sent out the same post in the village WhatsApp group. ‘Hopefully most people will be able to attend. Maybe I’m worrying over nothing but I’m feeling a little tearful,’ admitted Julia, leaning across and placing the phone on the coffee table.

  ‘Of course you’re feeling emotional, this place is your life, and you’ve poured your heart and soul into it. You need clarity: will the hotel have an effect on your business? Is it worth parting with your money into the extension?’

  Julia blew out a breath. ‘That’s exactly what I’m thinking. I just need to know what everyone else thinks and we can take it from there. Maybe I’m worrying about nothing.’ Julia dabbed the dribble from her lips once more. ‘But what I need right now is to sleep this off, I’m not feeling the best at the moment.’

  ‘You snuggle up there, everything is in order and there’s no new guests arriving until tomorrow. I’ll pop back later and check in on you.’

  ‘Thanks Eleni, you are a superstar.’

  Once Eleni had left, Julia laid her head on the cushion and pulled the grey velvet throw over her and snuggled down. Woody jumped onto the sofa next to her and rested his head on her thigh. Feeling wary of Flynn’s motives, Julia closed her eyes. She knew once the villagers knew about the hotel she’d feel like she had some support, but she also knew it would be difficult to compete with the likes of Flynn. He had money and clout; all Julia had was a small business, although with a good reputation.

  A few hours later, Julia woke up to muffled shouting filtering from the hallway. She stretched and glanced at the clock; she’d been dozing for the whole afternoon. Eleni bounded into the kitchen and plonked herself down on the chair opposite. ‘I’ve just shouted you, have you been asleep all this time?’ she asked grinning. ‘How’s the mouth feeling?’

  ‘Gappy,’ Julia replied, sitting up and stretching out her arms. Woody opened an eye, but he wasn’t for moving anytime soon. ‘There’s a big hole in the back of my mouth, but my lips seem to be back to normal,’ she replied, prodding them with her finger.

  ‘Are you hungry?’ asked Eleni, looking over towards the crusty bread on the side.

  ‘Not really, but I could do with a cup of tea. I think I’ll be able to manage one now.’

  ‘Do you mind if I grab some bread? I’ve worked up an appetite.’

  ‘Mmm, I was just about to ask what’s with the attire,’ said Julia, noticing Eleni was overdressed for a normal weekday afternoon in a velour tracksuit with a push-up bra underneath the hoody which was zipped down dangerously low.

  ‘A lunch date,’ she said with wink. ‘I think I’m in love.’ Eleni made a heart sign with her hands and grinned.

  Julia’s eyes shot up. ‘Sounds intriguing! You are seriously a fast worker. Who’s the victim? I mean the new love of your life.’ She gave a little chuckle.

  ‘Don’t be cheeky! It’s Jack… Jack Langdon.’

  ‘Blimey! Builder Jack? That is fast work. How did that come about? You didn’t even know him yesterday.’

  ‘That’s the joys of social media. I slid into his DMs. I have no shame.’

  ‘I’m in no doubt looking at that outfit,’ joked Julia. ‘Switch on that kettle will you.’

  Eleni did as she was asked then sliced off a piece of bread and smothered it in butter and strawberry jam.

  ‘And where have you been on this date?’

  ‘The matinee at the cinema.’


  ‘And how was the film?’

  Eleni shrugged, Julia cocked an eyebrow and they both burst out laughing.

  ‘Don’t look at me like that. You have to admit he’s hot.’

  ‘What I want to know is, why Jack Langdon is sneaking off to the cinema with you? Why isn’t he working?’

  ‘Blame the weather,’ replied Eleni, handing Julia a cup of tea. ‘It was too dangerous on site due to the storm, so I took full advantage. It wasn’t all pleasure you know, for a short time I was playing the detective.’

  ‘Come again?’ Julia couldn’t help but notice that Eleni was looking rather pleased with herself. ‘Detective?’ she asked, giving a little wave to get her attention as Eleni sat up and began rummaging around in her bag.

  Eleni plonked herself down in the chair and slid her legs over the arm of the chair as she tucked into her bread. ‘I’ve got this from Jack’s van and sneaked it into my bag. Something you might be interested in.’ Eleni placed a leaflet in Julia’s outstretched hand.

  Julia pulled in a breath. ‘A brochure for Starcross Manor.’ The colour drained from Julia’s face.

  ‘Jack said the west wing is finished, but there’s still a lot to do. Flynn is looking to open in the next couple of months. Jack confirmed he’s been working up there for months already.’

  ‘Starcross Manor, Spa Resort, Heartcross. No Reservation Costs. 24/7 Customer Service. Great Availability. Low Rates,’ Julia read out loud. She opened up the pamphlet. ‘State-of-the-art gym facilities at Starcross Manor will impress you from the moment you arrive…’

  ‘Luckily for us our guests are hikers and businesspeople, they won’t have time to spend in the gym,’ Eleni was trying to smooth the way a little but Julia read on.

  ‘Personal training accompanied by guidance can be enjoyed in the always-friendly, relaxed atmosphere.’

  ‘Who books a weekend break to spend it with a personal trainer?’ Eleni was doing her best to be positive.

  ‘Spa days… an extensive range of gorgeous treatments followed by a swim in the tranquil pools and exquisite sensory showers,’ continued Julia.

  ‘Okay, we could get a hot tub in the back garden,’ suggested Eleni with a shrug.

  Julia rolled her eyes. ‘Oh and there’s a wonderful choice of dining options too, the sumptuous evening meals served in the stunning ballroom. Innovative dishes prepared by world-famous chefs with ingredients sourced from all over the world, or you could try the Starcross Gallery which offers a superb selection of lighter bites – but be sure to leave room for a traditional Afternoon Tea. Starcross Manor provides the most elegant backdrop of all.’ Julia paused for breath.

  ‘Well, we support our community, we’ve always sourced our meat and dairy from Foxglove Farm,’ promoted Eleni proudly.

  ‘They hire out function rooms that could have a big impact on the village hall, too.’ Feeling worried, Julia put the brochure on the table. She knew she couldn’t compete with any of that. ‘I’m actually doomed.’

  ‘Let’s not panic, let’s see what the others think at the meeting.’

  Julia took a breath. ‘Did you tell Jack about the meeting?’

  ‘Of course not, I know where my loyalties lie, but he did speak about Flynn in the highest regard. Said Flynn was a decent, genuine bloke, always goes out on a limb for the workers, in fact the best bloke he’s ever worked for.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Really. Jack said one of the scaffolders recently had an accident and Flynn took care of everything through some sort of private medical care, and even though he was self-employed, Flynn paid his wages in full.’

  Julia couldn’t help but think that was the decent thing to do, not many people would have gone to those lengths. ‘Are you seeing Jack again?’ quizzed Julia, thinking it would be good to have someone on the inside who was working up at Starcross Manor.

  ‘I know exactly what you are thinking,’ Eleni cocked an eyebrow. ‘And the answer is no!’ Eleni reached forward and took the brochure from Julia. ‘I shouldn’t have even taken this from his van. If he finds out…’

  ‘Yes, you’re right. Sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight.’ Julia knew that, even though it was very early days, she didn’t want to rock the boat for Eleni if she really saw potential in Jack; she deserved happiness after her last disastrous relationship hadn’t ended well.

  Standing up and rubbing her jaw, Julia was relieved to have full feeling back in her lips, even though there was still a dull ache coming from the inside of her mouth. She poured a glass of water and swilled down another painkiller. ‘Your phone just pinged,’ she pointed out to Eleni, who was oblivious, taking another look over the brochure.

  A wide smiled hitched on Eleni’s face. ‘It’s Jack, inviting me to the pub tonight.’

  ‘Two dates in one day, he must be keen. It’s alright for some.’

  Julia relished her independence after one disastrous relationship after another, and often she was the envy of her friends, who indicated they’d love to be in her situation, with no ties. Julia loved her own company, she could do what she wanted when she wanted, but sometimes she missed that special someone to share the exciting things in life with.

  ‘Come to the pub with us? Isla and Allie are bound to be about, and no doubt a few others will be in there.’

  ‘Thanks for the offer but I’m going to have an early night. Boring, I know.’

  ‘You have an early night and things will look clearer in the morning,’ said Eleni brightly, picking up her bag and ruffling the top of Woody’s head. ‘See you tomorrow, bright and early.’

  Julia stood in the doorway and watched Eleni wheel her bike down the path. As soon as she disappeared out of sight, Julia stepped back inside and stretched her mouth like a hungry baby bird. Her stomach began rumbling as she opened the cupboard, looking for food.

  All she could manage was a can of soup, and as she began to eat Julia checked her phone. So far, the majority of the villagers had responded and were intrigued to know what the meeting was about. Reaching over to the far side of the table, she pulled her notepad from the side of her laptop bag and began noting down points she wanted the community to think about. She was thankful she was able to share her concerns with her friends; Heartcross was the best community and they always had each other, and no matter what, Julia would fight for her B&B. Her little business was her life, and she wasn’t going to let it go under anytime soon.

  Chapter Five

  The next morning, Julia lay on her bed with her laptop open, with thirty minutes to spare before she needed to get up and head downstairs. She’d been playing around with interior design software for the new extension, but as her mind wandered she began to check her emails. There wasn’t much of interest, but she did have a few booking enquiries for spring next year, which she was going to jump on as soon as the breakfast rush was over. Any secure bookings with the uncertainty hanging over her head were an added bonus, but thankfully after tonight’s meeting she would have everyone’s point of view, which would help to settle her anxieties about the situation. Next Julia moved on to Facebook and scrolled through her home page. As usual it portrayed a portfolio of happy marriages, talented children and wonderful-looking holidays. She noticed Anais had uploaded an album of photographs of her latest family holiday in Dubai. She looked stunning, holding a glass of wine, wearing the perfect smile, photographed alongside her children and husband. Julia was thankful she hadn’t contacted Anais with the news Flynn had rocked up in her tiny village. It wasn’t going to achieve anything.

  The next post she saw was from her cousin, Callie. Callie was two years younger than Julia and lived in Devon with the love of her life, Dan, who was a surf dude. Their carefree life looked fantastic and Callie often posted photos of her and Dan riding the waves on their surfboards, followed by cream teas in the quaint coffee houses. Julia missed Callie, but now with Eleni’s extra hands helping out at the B&B she was determined to make a firm plan to visit her soon. And she had everything cr
ossed that Callie would be able to get some time off work to visit Julia for her upcoming fortieth birthday celebrations.

  Julia continued to scroll through the latest updates on her homepage when curiosity got the better of her. She typed in Flynn Carter’s name and hit search. Immediately, his photo appeared, taking her by surprise. Either he’d resurrected his old account or he’d created a new one after the wedding fiasco. Immediately Julia was drawn to his profile photo. There was no denying he sailed the fine line between handsome and downright sexy. His privacy settings were tight, his photos locked down, his friends list hidden. There was nothing Julia could find out about his personal life at all.

  ‘Damn, damn, damn,’ Julia exclaimed. With just one slip Julia had only gone and sent Flynn Carter a friend request on Facebook. ‘Oh my God.’ With her heart hammering against her chest and a shaky hand it took only a matter of seconds to delete the request. For one thing she didn’t want him thinking she’d gone looking for him, and secondly if Anais spotted him in her friends list, she didn’t want her to think she’d been disloyal. Hopefully Flynn wouldn’t notice if she’d managed to delete it so quickly.

  Her panicky thoughts were interrupted by Eleni shouting up the stairs. ‘Are you awake? I’m here!’

  ‘Coming!’ hollered Julia, jumping off the bed and quickly grabbing a bobble to tie up her hair.

  When Julia appeared downstairs, Eleni was already setting out the tables in the dining room: the crisp pristine white linen cloths, shiny cutlery laid, and a jug of fresh orange juice stood in the middle of each table. ‘How are you feeling this morning? Is that toothache of yours any better?’ asked Eleni, spinning round to see Julia standing in the doorway with Woody dancing on his paws waiting to be let out in the garden.

  ‘It must be, because I haven’t given it a thought,’ replied Julia, feeling relieved that the pain had finally subsided. ‘I’ll just let Woody out then I’ll check what arrivals we have today. I think the guests in bedroom four are due to leave by 10am.’