A House to Mend a Broken Heart

by Sherlock, Alison

  ‘How lovely,’ said Annie as she poured them both a cup of tea.

  ‘Isn’t it?’ said Rose, holding it out so that it sparkled in the overhead light. ‘So delicate. Look at that workmanship.’ She glanced up. ‘I bet it would look wonderful on you.’

  But she had just handed it over to Annie when Cassandra came into the kitchen and screamed. Rose nearly fell out of her chair in shock.

  ‘Ohmigod!’ screeched Cassandra, rushing over and snatching the tiara from Annie’s hands. ‘A proper tiara! Is it vintage or fake?’

  ‘Of course it’s real,’ said Rose with a glare. ‘It was my grandmother’s.’

  Cassandra placed it on her hair and rushed over to the window. Darkness was drawing in and she was able to see her reflection clearly in the kitchen window. She spun back and forth, watching it sparkle in the light. ‘Baby!’ she cried, spotting Sam in the reflection as he came into the room. ‘Look! Isn’t it gorgeous?’

  ‘Indeed,’ said Sam, breaking into an indulgent smile.

  Cassandra turned from the window. ‘It’ll be just perfect for our wedding,’ she told him, holding an invisible bouquet in her hands and walking slowly as if she was going up the aisle.

  Annie felt stunned. Wedding?

  Sam’s smile grew rigid on his face. ‘Er, wedding?’

  ‘Oh not yet, silly,’ she snapped. ‘I’ve got my world tour to plan. I hate the winter anyway. What about next summer?’

  ‘I’ll just take that,’ said Rose, reaching up on her tiptoes to snatch the precious tiara from Cassandra’s head. ‘I’d better keep it in a safe place. For the wedding, of course.’

  Rose then quickly turned away and rushed out the room, holding on tight to the tiara. She obviously thought Cassandra might rugby tackle her to get hold of it.

  Annie also felt like rushing away. The thought of Sam marrying Cassandra horrified and upset her deeply.

  ‘So are we really staying here the night, baby?’ asked Cassandra.

  Sam looked surprised. ‘I thought that was what we agreed.’

  ‘I know but it’s in pretty awful shape. You didn’t tell me if was so dirty.’ She ran her hand along the kitchen table and held up a black finger in disgust.

  ‘There’s a hotel about five miles away if you want to stay there,’ Sam told her. ‘But I’m sleeping here.’

  ‘Then I’ll be here too, baby,’ said Cassandra in a smooth tone, before turning her attention to Annie. ‘I’ve got some jobs I need you to do for me today.’

  ‘Annie is probably quite busy,’ said Sam in a pointed tone. ‘There’s a lot going on at the moment.’

  Cassandra dismissed him with a wave of her hand. ‘There’s no one else for her to look after at the minute, is there? Poor thing must be bored.’

  Annie ground her teeth but didn’t say anything in the glare of Cassandra’s hundred-watt fake smile.

  Sam’s phone rang out with yet another phone call and he headed outside to get a better signal.

  As soon as he had left, Cassandra’s smile dropped out of sight.

  ‘If I’ve got to stay in this godforsaken dump tonight, you’d better make sure we’re in the best suite.’

  Annie frowned, trying to think of any bedroom that could in anyway be described as the best. Or even finished.

  ‘Sam normally sleeps in his old bedroom,’ she said.

  ‘Well, the suitcases are upstairs somewhere,’ Cassandra told her. ‘There’s a bag of washing in mine that needs doing.’

  ‘The washing machine here isn’t that reliable, I’m afraid,’ Annie told her. ‘You might be better off waiting until you get to your next hotel.’

  ‘Then go to the laundromat,’ said Cassandra with a shrug. ‘Just get it done. I also need you to clean my cream boots.’

  ‘But…’ said Annie, trying to protest.

  ‘That’s all,’ said Cassandra with a dismissive wave before calling someone on her mobile.

  Annie walked away from the kitchen, wondering whether she could get away with some kind of accidental poisoning episode.

  But the word ‘wedding’ was still whirling round and round in her mind.

  Chapter 22

  Annie walked into Sam’s bedroom, her stomach knotted with nerves at being there. She just wanted to get the laundry and get out of there.

  It wasn’t hard to spot which battered suitcase was Sam’s and the five matching Louis Vuitton cases that belonged to Cassandra. She opened the smallest which was full of cosmetics. She was inordinately pleased to see wrinkle cream and acne gel amongst all the lotions and potions.

  The second case was full of silk pillowcases and tiny but expensive matching underwear sets. Although the miniscule G-strings made Annie glance down at her more ample hips, she was grateful to spot the AA padded bras. But then maybe Sam liked his women petite and flat-chested. Annie’s own curves were probably a complete turn-off for him. Not that she wanted to turn him on, of course. At the end of the day, he was her boss and he was getting married.

  Deciding to give the underwear a miss for the time being, she picked up the mud and grass-stained cream boots. Not knowing what else to do, she used an old blue flannel soaked with water to try and clean off the dirt. It left a bit of a bluish-brown patch but she kept at it until the boots were only vaguely discoloured. Except she had used so much water that the boots were soaking wet, so Annie grabbed Cassandra’s hairdryer and blasted them with the top heat setting. The boots were now dry but still stained faintly with blue. Worse, the leather had cracked under the extreme heat.

  ‘Oh no,’ moaned Annie.

  ‘What’s up?’

  She jumped up upon seeing Sam standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

  ‘Nothing,’ Annie quickly told him, sweeping the boots behind her.

  He raised an eyebrow and smiled. ‘Don’t ever think about becoming an actress,’ he said.

  Annie sighed. ‘I think I’ve ruined her boots,’ she said, holding them out to show him.

  Sam walked over to take them from her. As he studied them, she allowed herself the opportunity to stare at him up close. His dark eyelashes swept his cheeks as he looked the boots over. When he suddenly looked up and caught her eye, she felt a jolt run through her and her cheeks immediately grew hot.

  ‘What do you think?’ she asked, finding herself unable to look away.

  ‘I think I’d better buy her a new pair for Christmas,’ he told her, his eyes creasing up at the ends into a warm smile.

  ‘You’re already spending too much money on the house,’ said Annie, shaking her head. ‘You don’t need to be buying designer stuff on top of that.’

  ‘Embracing poverty the Harris way,’ said Sam, with a soft laugh. ‘I’m thinking of having that as our new family motto.’

  ‘What’s the current motto?’ asked Annie.

  ‘Courage without fear,’ Sam told her, with a wink.

  Annie certainly needed to find some courage when Cassandra stepped into the room then and saw the state of her ruined boots.

  ‘You idiot!’ she screamed. ‘They’re Manolo Blahnik’s! Do you know how much they are? They could buy your entire wardrobe and still get change.’

  ‘I’ve said I’ll pay for them,’ Sam told her in a firm tone. ‘It’s not important, is it? Boots are easily replaced.’

  He gestured with his head for Annie to head out the door and she rushed away, still hearing Cassandra’s whines all the way down the corridor.

  *

  Sam found himself thinking about Annie later on that evening.

  Will had arrived home for a couple of nights and they had gone out to dinner at the Rose and Crown. The last time Sam had gone to the pub, it had been just him and Annie, sharing stories about their unhappy pasts. Trying to amends for Cassandra shouting at her, Sam had invited Annie out to dinner with them but she had opted to stay at home and tidy up.

  ‘Don’t forget my washing,’ Cassandra had told her as they had departed.

  Sam had winced at her harsh tone. H
e was beginning to think that perhaps their relationship had run its course. There was a different side to his girlfriend that he was beginning to think was not just down to a lack of confidence.

  ‘Well, this is very, er, provincial,’ Cassandra drawled, staring around the room of the Rose and Crown.

  ‘I like it,’ said Will. ‘Good beer and proper food.’

  ‘It’s all carbs,’ whined Cassandra, looking at the menu. ‘Sam, get them to steam some fish for me.’

  Will laughed. ‘I hate women that don’t eat properly. Can’t you just order fish and chips and not have the chips?’

  ‘I like to keep my figure,’ she told him with a flirty wink.

  Sam went up to the counter to order their food, grateful of the peace and quiet. It was all so tense. Such a stark contrast to the relaxed evening he had spent with Annie. When she ate real food, he reminded himself.

  At one time he had enjoyed Cassandra’s status as an international superstar. Flattered that she would even want someone like him. But superstardom came with a healthy lifestyle. Some of it had rubbed off on Sam so he had begun to take better care of himself. He had worked out in more hotel gyms then he could even remember. And eaten more salads than at any other time in his life. But in recent months it had all become too much. He had found himself wanting to stop the endless travelling and make a home somewhere. But that place was unlikely to be Willow Tree Hall if he was with Cassandra. There was no way his grandad would ever want to live with her demands.

  But his own world had become so homogenised, full of pristine but characterless hotels. He wanted to enjoy his days not having to wear a suit and have a Big Mac whenever he wanted to. In a fit of rebellion, he ordered himself a large burger from the menu with extra onion rings.

  ‘I need another pint,’ said Will, appearing by his side. ‘That woman is enough to make a man want to drink himself into oblivion.’

  Watching his brother order two more pints and a sparkling water for Cassandra, Sam knew he should defend her but he just couldn’t be bothered that evening. He was too tired.

  Will, on the other hand, had more than enough energy to flirt with the barmaid whilst she delivered their drinks.

  The television behind the bar was showing the football fixtures for the following day. ‘I was thinking that we could take grandad to a game some time,’ he said, trying to work out who Arsenal was playing in the league.

  Will looked surprised. ‘Seriously? You think he’ll be up for that?’

  Sam took a sip of the beer that Will had just handed him. ‘When I went to visit him the other day he was listening to the racing on the radio with some other older guys. I was thinking that maybe he’s been getting lonely at the Hall.’

  ‘Yeah,’ said Will, nodding thoughtfully. ‘Perhaps you’re right. I’m not sure he wants to discuss the latest fashions with Aunt Rose every night.’

  ‘I just thought it could be something us men could do together.’

  ‘OK,’ agreed Will. ‘I’ll look into getting the three of us some tickets. Unless you’ve got another tour coming up?’

  ‘There’s always another tour coming up,’ Sam told him with a sigh.

  Will raised his eyebrows. ‘Getting a bit fed up of living out of a suitcase?’

  ‘Something like that.’ Sam glanced over his shoulder and saw that Cassandra had been surrounded by a group of fans. ‘Maybe I should go over there and break that up.’

  ‘Don’t bother,’ Will told him. ‘It’s the first time she’s cracked a smile all evening.’ He held up his hands in defence. ‘I know, I know! She’s the woman of your dreams. But between you and me, bro, she would give me nightmares.’

  Woman of his dreams? Sam quickly downed his pint.

  At least he didn’t need to worry about how they could get home. Cassandra was only on the sparkling water, after all. Although no doubt she would have some kind of excuse not to be designated driver and they’d have to order a taxi.

  *

  Annie was cross and tired.

  She had tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep. In the end, she clambered out of bed at 3 a.m., deciding to get herself a drink. Maybe a hot chocolate would soothe her spirits and send her off into sleep.

  She slipped Sam’s black jumper over her pyjamas. She should have given it away once she had shrunk it in the wash but for some reason she had kept it.

  Pulling on a pair of Uggs, Annie crept down the stairs from the staff quarters to the first floor landing. A quick glance down the west wing corridor showed that everything appeared to be quiet in Sam’s room. Probably worn out from all they sex they must have been having all night, she told herself. She gave a heavy sigh as she began to walk the new main staircase.

  How did that song go? You’re nobody until somebody loves you. Nobody loved her, she knew. She would be alone under the mistletoe again this Christmas. Unlike Sam. Surely any man that could love someone as ghastly as Cassandra wasn’t right in the head?

  Except, of course, when she was singing. Even Annie had to admit that Cassandra had a brilliant voice and could hit high notes that she could only dream of. Sam would be mad not to love her with a talent like that. Why wouldn’t he? The whole world was in love with Cassandra. Of course, that was probably because they hadn’t actually met her.

  Turning into the corridor towards the kitchen, Annie could hear music. Had she left the radio on? Then she remembered they had no radio. She cautiously moved towards where a light had been switched on. Without actually going in, she peeked around the corner. Cassandra was in a red silk dressing gown singing along as one of her many hits playing out of her iPhone. She appeared to be waiting for the kettle to boil.

  But that wasn’t what made Annie silently gasp in shock. For what stunned her the most was that Cassandra couldn’t sing. At all.

  High notes were aimed at and completely missed. Some notes didn’t even appear to be from the same song. She was an absolutely terrible singer.

  Annie was about to burst out into joyful laughter when a hand suddenly came over her mouth and dragged her back into the corridor.

  Sam was standing right in front of her with a finger held up to his lips as if to shush her. But even he looked a little shocked at the sounds coming out of the kitchen.

  For a moment Annie enjoyed having his body only inches away from hers, their eyes locked in mischief.

  Finally, he took his hand away from her mouth.

  ‘But… but… she’s awful,’ whispered Annie. ‘Did you know that she couldn’t sing?’

  Sam shook his head, but to her surprise he was smiling, making him appear softer and even more handsome. Annie preferred him looking slightly rumpled, with his hair messed up and in a sweatshirt and tracksuit bottoms, rather than the more formal man in a suit she had first encountered all those weeks ago.

  ‘I didn’t have a clue,’ he murmured.

  ‘Do you think Adele’s worried by the competition?’ she asked softly.

  ‘Well, you know, Adele has an amazing voice. Anyone would have trouble keeping up with her.’

  Sam appeared as if he were about to burst out laughing so Annie had to cover his own mouth with her hand.

  ‘Shush! She’ll hear you,’ she whispered, also trying not to laugh.

  Because she had leaned in, their bodies were touching now. It was just the two of them in the soft darkness of the narrow corridor. His eyes were dark as he gazed down at her. As she slowly withdrew her hand from his lips, it took every shred of self-control not to replace it with her mouth. She had never wanted to kiss anyone so much in the whole of her life.

  The sound of movement in the kitchen interrupted her thoughts. Cassandra could chance upon them at any moment. And Sam was her boyfriend.

  Annie knew what it was like to be cheated on and wouldn’t wish that even on her own worst enemy. So she turned abruptly away and ran up the staircase to the sanctuary of the staff quarters, knowing she wouldn’t get any sleep that night.

  *

  Sam
stood alone in the corridor, his pulse still racing. In the soft darkness, he had almost lost his head and kissed Annie.

  Thankfully the awful singing from the kitchen was dampening his unexpected ardour. Then Cassandra came out of the kitchen, causing them both to jump in shock.

  ‘What are you doing standing here in the dark?’ she snapped.

  He took a deep breath, taking in the hardness in her eyes. ‘Listening to your natural singing voice,’ he finally said. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before tonight.’

  Her expression instantly changed from irate to guarded. ‘I always sound fine on my records,’ she told him.

  ‘That’s because someone else is singing for you!’ he told her, realising the truth.

  How could he have not known this? What a fool he had been. Finally he felt as if he had met the really Cassandra. The one whose fake smiles had totally fooled him into not seeing the high maintenance diva that she truly was. But what amazed him the most was how Cassandra appeared totally at ease with her lies.

  ‘Oh, that!’ she told him. ‘Well, I look like I can sing and that’s all that matters.’

  ‘Is this why you always get in a state before any live shows?’ he asked, thinking back to all the hysterical phone calls. ‘By the way, how do you get away with it? Wait. Don’t tell me. Miming and a backing track?’

  ‘Look, you’re not my manager so who cares?’

  ‘I care about the music business,’ he told her. ‘Your career is built on a lie. All my acts can sing and sing bloody well.’

  ‘Even Hazy Weekend?’ she drawled in sarcasm.

  ‘Yes, even them.’ Sam was trying to control his anger. ‘I work with real talent. People with beautiful voices that deserve to be heard. People like you have no right to be in the music business. You take all the glory and good acts like Tommy King have to struggle for years before they can even get a foot in the door. It’s not fair.’

  ‘Life’s not fair,’ said Cassandra, sweeping past him. ‘Deal with it.’

  For the second time that night, he was left alone in the darkness of the corridor. He knew now that things couldn’t continue with Cassandra. He couldn’t live with someone who lied for a living, especially about something so important to him. He wondered briefly why he had accepted Annie’s lies so easily and without the same anger. But he knew that she had done everything to protect his grandad. Cassandra’s lies were all about herself, as usual.