She would not cry.
Twisting the iron taps of the shower, Jules stripped off her clothes and stepped under the scolding water; grateful for the painful water pricks against her skin as she washed away every trace of him.
The waves of fury refused to fade as Jules tied her damp hair into a tight ponytail. Her hatred towards Guy a minuscule part of the disgust she felt towards herself. The knowledge that she had made the same mistake she’d made five years ago infuriated her more than she could endure.
‘Bastard,’ Jules said to the empty room as she threw on her clothes.
She had wasted enough time on him. Now she needed to work.
Thirty
Using an out of date mottled-brown telephone directory she’d discovered in Mrs Beckwith’s downstairs hallway, Jules picked up her mobile and started dialling. It took three attempts before she found a window glazing company still in business.
‘Robert Winter’s Glazing, Bob speaking.’
‘Hello. I have a broken window pane in the back door of a property I’m redeveloping,’ Jules began in a rushed voice. ‘I’d like it replaced with double glazing as soon as possible please.’
‘Right love, let me just take some details from you and I’ll see what we can do. Can I take your name, address and contact number please?’
Jules reeled off her details and tapped her foot impatiently as Bob talked her through a very detailed price list.
‘That sounds fine,’ Jules managed to cut in eventually. ‘When can you do it?’
‘Right let’s see then. I can send someone out to look at it early next week. There’s no call out charge for that. And we can get the pane ordered and fitted by...let’s say the seventh of March.’
‘I was really hoping to have it done this week. Any chance you could send someone out today.’
‘Um,’ the voice on the other end of the line huffed. ‘Well you see Ms Stewart, as I’m sure you can appreciate, one pane of glass is not a high priority for us. I mean, if it was a larger job then of course we would shuffle some things around, and-’
‘Right,’ Jules cut him off. She knew exactly what he was getting at. ‘How about this. You send someone out today and fix my back door by the end of this week, and I will put an order in to double glaze the rest of the house next week.’
‘Um,’ he said again. ‘Well whatdya know, I’ve just this minute had a cancellation and can come myself this afternoon.’
‘Thank you.’ She hung up.
Jules ignored the flutter of nerves at the thought of her rapidly shrinking bank balance and dialled the number of the staircase supplier Terri had given her. For a reason Jules had no intention of dwelling on, time was suddenly of the essence.
Running into the same slow schedule and with no additional orders to act as an incentive, Jules had no choice but to offer the staircase manager a cash in hand bonus for delivery and fitting by the end of the week.
Finally, she scrolled through her phonebook until she found Terri’s number. Taking a deep breath she pressed the call button before she could change her mind. On top of everything else she wasn’t sure she could handle her Terri’s friendly concern.
‘Helloooo,’ Terri chirped on the third ring.
‘Hi Terri, it’s Jules.’
‘Hello Lovey. How are you getting on? I didn’t see you at the pub last night; mind you it was chocker block in there. Did you and Guy manage to sort things out?’
‘Not exactly. But I’ve spoken to a glazer,’ Jules carried on. ‘Someone will be popping over this afternoon to do some measurements. And I’ve ordered the staircase we talked about, it should be fitted in the next few days. So if you’re okay to stay at the house today and continue with the clear up, I’m going to get some paint and supplies in.’
‘Blimey, there’s no stopping you is there.’ Terri laughed. ‘That’s fine Lovey. You’ll be pleased to hear that Dan is just loading up the last of the wood from the stairs. And I’ve set Jason loose on the garden, I hope that’s okay?’
‘Yes that’s perfect thank you.’ Despite her mood, Jules felt a wisp of relief for Terri, Dan and Jason. She had no idea where she’d be without them.
‘And I thought I might take a crack at cleaning up the kitchen a bit. Those cupboards still seem in pretty good nick, if we could take the paint off them, they might look half decent.’
‘You’re a lifesaver Terri,’ Jules said.
‘Oh I almost forgot to ask,’ Terri paused, her voice dropping to a whisper. ‘Did you come up to the house last night?’
‘No. Why?’
‘It’s my tools. They’ve been moved around.’
‘What do you mean? Is anything missing?’
‘No. Everything is still here as far as I can tell, but well...I’m a very tidy person. I always make sure all the tools are packed up before we leave. But this morning I came in and they’ve all been unpacked.’ Her voice dropped another decibel, ‘I found my hammer in the kitchen.’
‘Have you asked Dan and Jason? I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation.’
‘They swear blind it wasn’t them.’
‘Terri, it’s okay. Like you said nothing’s missing. Did you work later than usual last night?’
‘Yes, a little.’
‘There you go then. You probably left in a bit of a rush so you could make it to the pub on time and forgot to pack them away.’
‘I guess,’ Terri replied, her tone still doubtful. ‘So you don’t think it could be the ghost?’
Jules laughed despite herself. ‘Don’t be daft.’
‘You’re right,’ Terri concluded with an attempt at a chuckle. ‘But what am I thinking? Are you sure you’re okay? I’m free tonight if you fancied another little chat?’
‘Thanks Terri, but I’m fine. Gotta go, I’ve got a call waiting,’ she lied, hanging up the phone and rubbing a hand against her forehead.
It didn’t seem possible that only a few hours ago she was lying in bed with Guy. Pushing the thought aside, Jules threw on her jacket and headed for her car.
She did not allow her mind to drift into autopilot this time. Instead she drove to the biggest DIY store she could find and forced herself to concentrate.
As the day wore on, Jules found herself cramming giant cans of white paint, brushes, rollers, light fittings, wall sockets and every other item she could think of into the boot of her car.
The trip serving only to impact her bank balance, but not her mood.
No matter how hard she fought it, she could not stop her thoughts from wandering back to Guy. First to the excitement and happiness she’d felt in his arms, and then like a painful static charge, she felt the shock of truth travel through her, causing anger to flash in colourful blotches before her eyes.
She couldn’t wait to climb into bed that night and forget the last forty-eight hours had ever happened, Jules thought as drove back through the countryside towards Cottinghale.
At a few minutes past six, with the sky already an inky black, she pulled into the empty driveway of her house, her headlights bouncing against the windows.
Suddenly, a shiver raced along her spine. From the corner of her eye, she saw something move inside the house. Her mind alert with adrenaline, Jules switched off the engine and held her breath. It couldn’t be Terri, Dan or Jason, or their van would be in the driveway, she reasoned.
Who else had a key?
No one, a voice inside her head answered as another shiver ran through her, taking over her entire upper body.
Minutes ticked by as Jules sat like a statue, her gaze glued to the downstairs windows as her eyes adjusted to the dark.
Only as her heart began to slow to a normal pace again did Jules realise that she’d imagined the whole thing. The headlights from her car had caught the metal on the ladder, or one of Terri’s tools, causing a flicker in her peripheral vision, she reasoned.
The quicker she unloaded the car, the quicker she could go back to the guesthouse and go to sleep, she r
eminded herself.
Retrieving two large tins of white paint from the back seat, Jules made her way towards the front door. But before she could dig her keys out from the depths of her jacket pocket, another movement caught her eye. A shadowy figure had crossed by the living room window. There was no mistaking it this time.
Jules set the paint tins onto the ground, dropping them the last few inches and causing a loud clatter to echo out into the still surroundings. Stepping backwards, Jules stumbled out of the driveway, her eyes never leaving the windows.
She had no rational explanation for her behaviour, but she did not turn around until the curve of the lane had swallowed the view of the house, and even then she found herself looking back over her shoulder every few steps.
It was not until she reached the guesthouse that Jules remembered that she hadn’t locked her car. Not to mention the fact that she’d left two paint tins in the middle of the driveway.
On any other day she would have gone back. Correction, on any other day she would have stormed into the house and confronted the intruder, but something she could not explain had stopped her.
Only when she stepped into Mrs Beckwith’s warm kitchen and breathed in the rich aromas of Lamp Hotpot did the creeping sensation tickling the back of her neck disappear.
Grabbing a thick dish cloth, Jules removed the plate from the oven. Without bothering to take off her jacket or even sit down, she tucked in, gulping down the food as fast as her mouth could chew it.
As she swallowed the last hot delicious mouthful, it suddenly occurred to her what an idiot she’d been.
Terri and her nonsense superstitions about the house being haunted had been lurking at the back of her mind. It had mixed with her overwrought emotions and given her the spooks over nothing.
Now that she thought about, she was sure she’d heard a car pass through the lane as she’d stepped towards the house. The beam from the headlights must have flickered through the trees, reflecting on the window like her own had done, Jules reasoned as she washed the plate and made her way up the stairs to bed.
She would have to go back first thing in the morning and move the paint tins before Terri arrived.
Thirty-one
As Jules’ hand twisted the handle on her bedroom door she heard movement from across the hallway.
The bastard was back, she realised. Her heart thundered with renewed anger as the image of Guy’s hot tub photograph jumped to the front of her mind.
Without stopping to think she turned on her heels and threw open the door opposite her own with such force that it bounced against the wall and launched back towards her as she sprung into the room. .
‘Just who do you think you are?’ Jules yelled, her feet grinding to a halt as she realised her mistake.
Standing in the exact spot where Guy had stood just one day earlier was a woman in her early twenties, Jules guessed, with a large cleavage and jet-black hair cropped into a sloping bob. She was wearing shiny black leggings and a short black and white stripy t-shirt dress, which made Jules think she was definitely not from the area.
‘Excuse me?’ the woman laughed as she turned to face Jules.
‘Shit I am so sorry. I thought someone else was staying here.’
‘Hey don’t worry about it. I was beginning to think Mrs Beckwith was the only person around here. I’m Becky by the way, and you must be Jules?’
‘Err yes, how did you know?’ Jules asked with a sudden suspicion towards the woman standing opposite her.
‘The landlady mentioned you when she showed me around, but I guess she didn’t have a chance to talk to you. God knows how I came across this place. My sat nav had some kind of severe malfunction and took me a completely bonkers route. I’m supposed to be at a Human Resources conference in Birmingham right now.
‘Then my radiator conked out too and it was just by some serious good luck that I happened to be passing this house at the time and the old lady offered me a cup of tea and the number of a mechanic. But of course, they couldn’t fix it straight away, so I’m stuck here until tomorrow morning,’ Becky finished with a grin.
‘Oh right. Well anyway, sorry again for barging in here. Have a nice evening,’ Jules replied before turning to leave.
She felt suddenly deflated as the anger that had welled inside her moments earlier slid away.
‘Actually,’ Becky began. ‘I don’t suppose you know anywhere around here I can get a drink do you? It’s just after the day I’ve had I’d murder a glass of wine.’
‘There’s a pub about five minutes walk further down the lane.’
‘Super. So it’s left out of here is it? And then do I just carry on walking? Do I need a torch or anything? I never knew it could be so dark outside. Sorry that’s a silly thing to say isn’t it?’
‘You should be okay. There’s a row of houses set a bit back from the lane. They usually have the porch lights on so you can see where you’re going.’
‘I don’t suppose you fancy joining me do you? I hate drinking alone and knowing me, I’d wander off the road and end up face down in a ditch.’
‘Thanks, but I’ve had a pretty rubbish day myself and I really just want to go to bed.’
‘Yeah of course, I understand. If you’re sure? A drink might be just what you need.’
‘Err,’ Jules searched her mind for another excuse.
But before she could say anything, Becky stepped forward. ‘Great, that settles it then. I’ll just grab my bag.’
She hadn’t actually agreed, had she? Jules wondered. Then she thought of Rich’s mind-numbing cocktails and shrugged. One drink, or maybe two, could be just what she needed, and by the looks of it, Becky would be doing all the talking anyway.
‘Let’s go,’ Becky grinned, flashing a set of bright white teeth.
‘Wow this is lush,’ Becky said as they stepped into the empty pub. ‘It’s so quaint.’
‘Hey Max,’ Jules said with relief as the young Springer Spaniel jumped up to say hello. A headache had begun to wind its way across Jules’ forehead thanks to non-stop jabbering from her companion, she thought.
‘Oh a dog,’ Becky stammered, taking a step back.
‘It’s okay he’s very friendly,’ Rich said, stepping out from behind the bar. ‘The worst thing he’s likely to do is slobber on you, isn’t that right Jules.’
‘Yep,’ she agreed, smiling sheepishly at Rich. With everything that had happened with Guy, she had completely forgotten what a fool she’d made of herself outside the pub the evening before.
‘But hey, if you’d rather I stuck him upstairs, it’s no problem.’
‘Thanks, it’s just I’ve got a real phobia against dogs, and this bag is a Mui Mui,’ she replied, holding up a shiny red handbag and flashing Rich a smile.
‘Sure. Take a seat, and I’ll be back in a minute with your drinks. What are you having?’ he asked, staring at Jules.
‘Large dry white wine for me,’ Becky replied.
‘Um, red for me, thanks Rich.’ Jules added.
Rich continued to stare at her, his eyebrows raised and his eyes moving strangely, as if he was trying to signal something to her.
Becky slid towards a table in the corner, placing her bag in the centre whilst Rich continued to stare, raising his eyebrows another notch higher. ‘You sure you don’t want to come up to the bar for a sec Jules and pick something else out?’
‘No thanks, I think I’ll stick to red wine tonight,’ she replied, shrugging her shoulders and giving a small shake of her head.
She had no idea what Rich was getting at. No doubt he just wanted to check on her, she decided, following Becky to the table.
Only when they had the second glass of wine in front of them did Becky stop talking. Jules had zoned out after the first five minutes of her relentless chatter. Something to do with someone called Nathan and a failure to commit. She didn’t particularly care, but the distraction and the wine was serving its purpose.
Suddenly, as if a switch ha
d been flipped, Becky shut up and turned her attention onto Jules.
‘So, how long have you been staying here?’
‘Oh,’ Jules said, startled by the change in conversation. ‘A couple of weeks.’
‘It’s a pretty remote place to have a holiday isn’t it? You must be bored stiff.’
‘No I’m not on holiday. I’ve bought a house here actually. I’m a property developer. I’m just staying at Mrs Beckwith’s until my house is in a fit state to live in.’
‘Really? That’s so interesting. Are you planning to stay here for good then?’
‘Probably not,’ she sighed. ‘I’ll be moving on once it’s finished.’
‘Yeah, I can see why. It’s a bit of a shit hole isn’t it? Aren’t the people really nosy in places like this? It must drive you nuts.’
‘I thought the same thing,’ Jules said, smiling for the first time at Becky. ‘But everyone is so friendly. It’s a real community kind of place.’
‘So people don’t stick their noses in then?’
Jules laughed. ‘Well they do a bit, but it’s only because they care and want to help. I thought my builders were a bunch of interfering hillbilly’s when I first met them, but they are actually really hard working. I don’t know where I’d be without them.’
‘What about the bloke behind the bar,’ Becky winked at Jules. ‘Something going on between you two?’
‘Err no. Rich is lovely, but he’s not my type. Besides I think he thinks I’m a piss head with serious relationship issues. Or I would if I was him anyway.’
‘Really why?’ Becky asked, leaning forward and nudging her bag closer towards Jules.
‘Nothing, don’t worry.’
‘God sorry, would you look at me. Now who’s the nosy one? You don’t have to talk about it.’
No, it’s just...’ Jules sighed and rubbed a hand against her jaw. It ached to the point of painful. She took a long sip of wine before continuing. ‘You are going to think I’m crazy, but for the past few weeks a tabloid newspaper has been writing stories about me.’
‘Oh my God, that’s so exciting. Which one?’
The Reluctant Celebrity Page 18
