‘Miserable cow.’
‘To be fair I did pretty much ask her to leave, but I’m surprised she didn’t mention being with him at the ball when she had the ideal opportunity to do so.’
Olly held out a bag she knew would contain her favourite chocolate croissants. ‘Enough of her. Look, I came prepared,’ he said.
‘And this is why you’re my best friend.’ Paige winked at him, taking the bag from him without speaking. It was good having someone around who always knew exactly how to cheer her up. She stood up and went to the kitchen to share them out onto three plates.
‘Are you sure this is a good idea before you to go out to eat?’ She handed him a plate and tried hard not to dwell on the photo, now engraved in her mind, of Sebastian enjoying the ball with her nemesis.
‘Your sister seems permanently hungry,’ he said changing the subject. ‘She loves these like you do, more so now.’
It must run in the family, thought Paige, sinking her teeth relishing the sticky warm chocolate oozing into her mouth. ‘Thanks, Ol,’ she said. ‘Clem won’t be long.’ She nudged him. ‘So? How are you two getting along?’
Olly beamed at her. ‘I think we’re going to be OK. I just need to let her get on with things and not try to take over. I think she’s secretly worried I might start making plans for the baby that don’t coincide with her own,’ he widened his eyes. ‘So, I’m keeping quiet as much as possible.’
‘Good thinking.’ Paige glanced down at the photo once more, noticing Lucinda’s smile. ‘Help yourself,’ she murmured indicating the kettle.
Pouring a mug of hot black coffee, he followed her into the warm lounge, sitting down opposite her.
‘Well,’ Olly said. ‘As you don’t appear to want to discuss the article, shall I tell you about my plans for this evening?’
Paige nodded, biting once more into the warm pastry. ‘Don’t forget that you’re telling me about my baby sister, so no gory details, please.’
His eyebrows knitted together. ‘I’m not a complete idiot. I do love her though, and I’m going to ask her to marry me.’
Paige nearly choked. Olly slapped her several times on the back, as she struggled to regain her self-control and start breathing properly again.
‘Shit, don’t frighten me like that,’ he said. ‘Surely it wasn’t that much of a surprise?’
She gave him an apologetic look. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. But don’t rush things, Olly. You’re only just back together. The last thing she needs on top of dealing with a baby is for you to give her a fright. You could end up scaring her and ruining everything.
‘But your dad said I had to do the right thing,’ he said, looking hurt by her lack of enthusiasm.
Paige lowered her voice, so Clem could not overhear them. ‘Olly, by all means ask my sister to marry you, but it’s probably better if you wait a little while. I think the main thing he wants to know is that you’ll be there for her and the baby. Give her a chance to get used to being with you again first, before you make any grand gestures. Honestly, you’re such a romantic,’ she said in an effort to try and lighten the atmosphere between them.
‘That’s a joke. Don’t tell me you spent the night with Himself without feeling anything for him? I know you far too well to believe that. You’re not a screw ’em and move on sort of girl.’
He was right, of course, but she was not going to admit it. ‘Subtle terminology, Ol, thanks.’
‘You know what I mean, and don’t try and change the subject. Didn’t it occur to you how it looked when you left the event the other night to race off after Sebastian?’
How had it looked, she wondered? She hadn’t thought of anyone else at the time, only wishing to comfort Sebastian at the hospital. Was it naive of her to assume none of the other people at the races would think her sudden departure strange in any way?
‘I hadn’t given it a thought to be honest,’ she admitted. ‘Well, not until Clem mentioned that Dad had raged about seeing me with Sebastian at the races. I think he’s hoping to keep the papers away from Mum. He hasn’t phoned me about it though, thankfully.’
‘I think Clem explained about the jockey being taken to hospital, so he just thought you were being your usual thoughtful self.’ Olly whistled through his teeth. ‘Blimey, it all happens to you doesn’t it?’
‘Hardly,’ she argued. ‘Apart from going out to a few parties this summer, I’ve barely left the house except to go to work. Everything else I’ve done has been pretty dull.’
‘You’ve been away to Spain, don’t forget.’
‘Yes, for work purposes, and you know as well as I do that my time there is pretty much taken up with meetings and shopping. Again, all to do with work, I have no social life and certainly no love life to speak off, especially now.’
His eyes lit up at her slip of the tongue. ‘Why, especially now?’
Paige chewed her lower lip, irritated at her stupidity. ‘I didn’t mean anything by it. Anyway, why do you think my life is so exciting?’
‘That wasn’t what I meant, and you know it.’ Olly pulled a sympathetic face. ‘I’m sorry it’s all gone tits up with Sir Whathisname.’
She laughed at his turn of phrase, despite feeling utterly miserable. Hearing her sister’s footsteps on the stairs, she sighed with relief. ‘Go on, bugger off. Be kind, for once, and leave me to sulk in peace.’
‘You can join us if you want,’ he said, getting up and going to the doorway. ‘We’re only going to grab a bite in St Aubin.’
Paige shook her head. She wasn’t willing to chance having her picture taken again. ‘No, thanks, anyway, Sense and Sensibility is on again this evening. All I want to do is stuff my face with more chocolate and settle down to lose myself in it.’
‘What, the chocolate?’ He looked as if she had just told him she was going to the garden to eat worms.
‘No, fool, Sense and Sensibility,’ she giggled, waving him away.
‘Again? You must know the script better than Emma Thompson by now.’ He came back to give her a hug before handing over his plate. ‘Don’t worry, I’m going to leave now. Let you wallow.’ He hugged her, leaving immediately afterwards.
Later, just after Emma asked Edward Ferris if he would like to take up the offer of a parish, she heard the front door open.
‘Knickers,’ grumbled Paige. It didn’t matter how many times she sat through the film, she still hated to be interrupted whilst watching it.
She blew her nose on one of the many crumpled tissues lying all around her, before looking over at the doorway. Expecting to see Olly and Clem, she was taken aback to find Clem by herself. Paige looked behind her to see where Olly was.
‘Where is he?’ she frowned. ‘Oh, don’t tell me you’ve fallen out already?’
‘No, we haven’t.’ Clem took the remote control and switched off the television.
‘What did you do that for?’ she asked, not bothering to hide her irritation.
‘You and I need to talk.’
Paige couldn’t imagine what must be so urgent her sister would interrupt her film.
‘What’s the matter?’ She felt sick with worry at the seriousness of her sister’s tone.
Clem bent down to pick up the newspaper Olly had delivered so annoyingly earlier that evening, and thumbed through the pages impatiently, her tongue poking out of her full lips in concentration until she found what she was looking for. Folding the paper back on itself she passed it to Paige. ‘There,’ she said. ‘I have a feeling you haven’t read that bit yet.’
‘What bit?’ She wondered what could possibly be so important. Tempted to eat the last bit of her Dairy Milk chocolate, Paige went to pick it up.
‘Paige, you must listen to me.’ Clem grabbed Paige’s arm and sat down opposite her. ‘When Ol told me about this being in the paper tonight, we chatted and I remembered where I’d seen her before.’ Clem picked up the discarded chocolate and popped it into her mouth.
Paige feigned disinterest as best she
could. ‘And where would that be?’
‘Gossip magazines,’ Clem said swallowing the chocolate and looking very pleased.
Paige had no idea what Clem was going on about. ‘So?’
‘Don’t you remember all the kerfuffle a couple of years ago?’
‘Nope,’ Paige shook her head wracking her memory to try and recall anything about Lucinda. ‘Tell me.’
Clem clasped her hands together gleefully. ‘Lucinda used to be engaged to Sebastian.’
‘I know, she told me that, remember?’ Paige said, unable to keep the weary tone out of her voice.
‘OK, but did you know why she dumped him?’
Paige sat up straighter in her chair, tucking her legs beneath her. ‘She mentioned something about it in the shop. I didn’t take much notice.’
Why, she wondered, would someone so keen to keep Sebastian for herself, break up an engagement with him. Now she was intrigued, Sense and Sensibility forgotten for the time being.
‘I knew you’d want to hear more, knowing that juicy little titbit.’
‘Go on,’ Paige said, not bothering to hide her intrigue.
‘I knew I recognized him from somewhere, the first time I met him,’ Clem said. ‘I remember reading in the gossip magazines about their wedding preparations, flowers booked, bridesmaid dresses created in a haze of silks, that sort of thing, when she went and dumped him completely out of the blue.’ She paused for effect.
‘She jilted him? But why would she do something like that if she’s so into him?’ Paige asked impatiently.
‘I can’t believe you didn’t read about this at the time,’ Clem said, her eyes sparking with excitement.
‘Nor can I,’ she sighed heavily. ‘Hurry up.’
Clem sat back and folded her arms. ‘She only went and ran off with his gardener.’
Paige thought she must have misheard. ‘Sorry?’
‘You heard.’
Paige frowned thoughtfully. ‘From what I’ve seen of Lucinda and her class snobbery, she doesn’t seem the type to choose a gardener over a wealthy businessman. It doesn’t sound like her at all.’ Something didn’t add up, Paige was sure of it.
‘I doubt it was his relentless charm or anything, although I gather he was rather hot,’ Clem added, shaking her head. ‘No, this bloke won the lottery. Scooped over four and a half million, only to then go on to win Lucinda’s fickle heart. Surely you remember reading about it in the papers?’
Paige tried to absorb this news. ‘Sorry, I don’t remember it at all.’
Clem shook her head and laughed. ‘I can’t believe you missed this story. It was all over the papers for a few days, then in the usual rags for weeks. One minute, Lucinda and Sebastian were being photographed arm in arm, showing off all over the place, then just like that,’ she clicked her fingers. ‘She drops him like the proverbial hot potato and buggers off with Jeeves.’
Paige’s opened her eyes wide in disbelief. ‘The gardener wasn’t called Jeeves, surely?’
Clem groaned. ‘No, of course he bloody wasn’t, and that isn’t the point I’m trying to make here. What I’m nearly killing myself to spell out to you is that your beloved Sebastian used to be engaged to Lucinda sodding Barrow-Hughes, stupid bloody name. Now, if what she told you is right, she’s come back to reclaim him. And she has a bloody cheek thinking she can do that, if you ask me.’
‘I doubt anyone would ask you,’ Paige teased, despite not feeling at all jovial. ‘But you’re right. She has a lot of nerve.’
‘I told you.’
‘Yes, but it’s not any of our business is it?’ Paige said, the reality of what her sister had told her starting to sink in.
Clem sighed. ‘It is if you’re seeing him.’
‘I’m not though, am I?’
‘Oh.’ Clem looked disappointed by this revelation. ‘That was far harder work than I’d expected though. Don’t you ever read anything other than Vogue?’
Paige shook her head absent-mindedly. ‘I must have been so involved with setting up the shop, I didn’t really bother with anything not connected to it. Now she wants him back,’ she said, almost to herself.
‘Well, wouldn’t you? He obviously loved her once, they were engaged after all, and now he’s inherited his uncle’s estate and worth a small fortune. Lucinda obviously realises she’s made a boob by buggering off in the first place.’ She patted Paige’s knee. ‘I love you, Sis, but somehow I don’t fancy your chances against a devious cow like her.’
Neither did Paige, and she would have preferred it if her sister didn’t say so.
‘And if they’re at that ball together then they obviously still have something going on even if he isn’t admitting it to himself, or anyone else.’
Paige noticed Clem fidgeting. ‘Do you want to be somewhere else?’
‘No,’ she said. ‘It’s just that I asked Ol to give me a few minutes while I spoke to you about this.’ Clem hesitated.
‘There’s more?’ Paige didn’t like the look on Clem’s face. She looked troubled. ‘What?’
Clem closed the paper and pointed to the headlines. ‘Mystery Woman Jilts Fiancé to be with Entrepreneur.’
‘Bloody liars,’ Paige shouted, picking up the paper and reading the false story below. ‘They’re making me out to be some sort of heartless gold-digger, who literally left Jeremy weeping at the altar.’
‘I know,’ Clem winced. ‘I wasn’t sure what to show you first.’
‘Bloody hell, how do people live like this?’ Paige threw the paper on the floor. ‘This story is complete fiction.’
‘Paige …’
Paige took a deep breath. ‘Surely there’s nothing else,’ she said, willing her sister to agree.
Clem looked visibly upset. ‘Bea phoned earlier, she’s distraught. She’s our cousin, Paige and I hate to think of her being upset, especially after everything she and Luke went through last year with his court case and those false allegations against him.’
‘Why? What’s happened?’ She hoped Bea’s new husband Luke hadn’t suffered some sort of building accident. They were so happy together, she couldn’t bear it if something had gone wrong for them. ‘Is Luke OK?’
Clem nodded. ‘Physically, yes.’
She wasn’t sure whether she should be relieved by Clem’s answer, or not. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘A journalist has been hounding him for comments.’
‘About what?’ she asked nervously, dreading what was coming next.
‘All that stuff about the money laundering.’
Paige groaned. She hated to think how the call from journalists must have affected Luke and Bea, especially after all they had been through the year before. ‘But the charges were dropped.’
‘I know, but it still makes interesting reading, doesn’t it?’
This was disastrous. ‘He’s only just managing to build up his company again. Poor Luke.’
‘And Bea’s devastated. She’d only just discovered she was pregnant two days before the phone call, so having all that nastiness dragged back up again is the last thing they need to deal with.’
She clenched her teeth. She’d seen what the previous year’s legal fight had done to both of them. There wasn’t any way Paige wanted to be a part of them suffering the loss of this much-wanted baby. ‘Bloody paparazzi.’
The Jersey Scene series box set Page 58
