Country Rivals

by Zara Stoneley

  Chapter 23

  ‘Oh do stop mooning over that girl and do something useful.’

  Jamie, who had been watching Tab, hadn’t noticed Pandora creep up behind him. ‘I’m not mooning.’ She was hugging Ella to her and staring up at Xander like she wanted to eat him. She never looked at him like that.

  ‘Yes you are. I’ve been watching you. You’re like a love-sick puppy.’

  ‘Rubbish.’

  ‘You could roll over and ask her to tickle your tummy. Or,’ she raised an eyebrow, ‘have you already done that?’

  He could tell her to sod off, but she’d realise she was getting to him then and be ten times worse.

  ‘She is rather attractive,’ Pandora tipped her head on one side and studied Tab more intently, ‘if you like that type of thing. So getting her into bed didn’t make her fall in love with you, didn’t it? So painful, young love, or so I’m told.’

  Jamie felt himself go the colour of a pickled beetroot. He still hadn’t actually managed to even kiss Tab properly, let alone get her into bed, despite several nights out at the Bull’s Head, and several evenings in with a laptop as per Elizabeth’s orders. She flirted with him and seemed to enjoy his company, but bodily contact was practically zero. If he was honest, and he did try to be, she wasn’t exactly the touchy-feely type. She hugged animals not humans. It was driving him nuts.

  ‘You really do fancy her, don’t you?’ Pandora laughed, showing her teeth in an unattractive way, and stared at Jamie, which made it even worse. He decided he preferred her when she was being her normal miserable, bitchy self. ‘Poor little lover boy.’

  ‘I might as well be invisible.’ He knew Pandora was the last person he should be saying it to, but he just needed to say something to somebody. Let it out of his system. Jamie was open and easy-going – he wasn’t used to bottling things up.

  ‘I’m sure if she gets frustrated enough by Xander she’ll jump into your bed. Even girls get desperate for it.’

  ‘Only you could say that.’

  ‘Well it’s true.’

  ‘Thanks a lot.’

  ‘Oh honestly, does it matter? I thought at your age men were supposed to be moral-free when it came to sex. Would you honestly say no if she fell into your bed because he didn’t want her?’ She obviously found it highly amusing.

  Jamie had always known she was pretty heartless, but he’d thought the manipulative, scheming bitch label was a bit over the top. Until now.

  ‘Anyway Xander has much bigger fish to fry, so don’t worry about him. He won’t look at her twice. You tell that girl to stop wasting her time on him. All he’s interested in is somebody to look after that bloody dog of his. You don’t think she’d like to keep it, do you?’

  ‘What do you mean, bigger fish?’

  ‘You’re not telling me you haven’t noticed the way he hangs around Lottie? He was always crazy about her, and I did put that down to sex when we were at school. She was so ungainly and a bit stupid.’

  ‘Lottie isn’t stupid, she’s just a bit disorganised.’

  ‘Oh honestly. Just look at how she’s mismanaged this place.’ She waved an arm to encompass the house and grounds. ‘It’s totally wasted on somebody like her. Everything inside is so tatty.’

  ‘You’re not supposed to go inside.’

  ‘I just looked through the window. I’m sure that old witch can’t have me arrested for that. She can’t even afford to repair the damage. If we weren’t here supporting her she’d be penniless. If you ask me, Lottie and Xander are actually quite well suited. They’re both pathetic. I wouldn’t blame Rory if he moved on.’

  ‘She isn’t pathetic – she’s worked really hard to keep this place going.’

  Pandora shrugged. ‘If you say so.’ She switched her focus from Lottie and her shortcomings back on to her brother Xander. ‘Slightly obvious Xander insisting on stabling two horses on her yard, though, isn’t it? I would have expected him to be cleverer than that. Men can be so unimaginative.’

  ‘Lottie’s married and Rory is really nice.’

  ‘Oh I know he is.’ There was the hint of a smile playing at the corners of Pandora’s lips – she looked like she was scheming.

  ‘They’re happy together and I think they make a good team. Wasn’t it rather obvious you fainting into his arms? You didn’t exactly deny it in the papers.’ Jamie wondered if he was overstepping the mark a bit and about to get sacked, but had he really got anything to lose? Pandora had used him, the same as she did everybody. When he outlived his usefulness she’d move on, whether he’d annoyed her or not.

  All he could do once that happened was rely on the fact that he’d proved himself to Seb.

  ‘Nonsense, it’s all good publicity for the film.’

  ‘So it’s true what it said in the Sunday papers?’

  ‘What exactly are we talking about now?’

  ‘About you and Rory?’

  Pandora gave a hollow laugh that didn’t have one ounce of sincerity in it. ‘They really do just jump on the obvious headline, don’t they? What would I want with a grubby horse rider, however good a body he’s got? He’s obsessed with manure heaps and things that fart at one end and bite at the other. It’s taken me years to establish what I want from Sebastian, why on earth would I start all over again?’

  ‘Well Lottie won’t take it if you are trying to cause trouble. They’re happy together.’ Jamie wasn’t convinced by Pandora’s protestations, in fact he wondered if even she could distinguish between when she was lying and when she was telling the truth. He’d heard rumours about the Drakelow’s open marriage and he had no doubts that if she wanted an affair with another man, she’d have one.

  ‘Of course they are. Just like that horsey girl is happy following Xander around with her tongue hanging out.’

  ‘I better go and—’

  ‘You are not going anywhere. Play hard to get for once. It seems to be working for Xander. Now run along and help somebody – that’s what Seb pays you for.’

  She really was evil, Jamie decided, as he stomped off to see what Seb’s assistant wanted him to do next.

  After an uneventful morning fetching coffee for the crew, interspersed with watching Tab and Ella hang on Xander’s every word, Jamie had finally decided that the best course of action was to sit in the shade of one of the trailers and immerse himself in social networks – as instructed by Elizabeth.

  He’d actually started to become quite fascinated by the lifestyles of his subjects when a sharp kick to his ankle brought him back to the more boring reality of his own.

  Tab flopped onto the grass next to him. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘Ouch, what did you do that for?’

  ‘You were miles away.’

  ‘I’ve been doing a bit of digging, like Elizabeth asked us to do. You seem too busy to do any.’

  She grinned and kissed him on the cheek. ‘Mr Grouch. I said I’d help Xander with the horses, and they want me to ride in the next scene. Isn’t that brill?’

  She looked so excited at the prospect he couldn’t help but snap out of his mood (which was more Pandora’s fault than Tab’s) and join in. ‘Amazing. Well done.’

  ‘Found anything new out?’ She pointed at the screen.

  ‘Not really, maybe there isn’t anything after all. I mean, I don’t really get what she expects us to find.’

  ‘Anything about Pandora, she said.’ Tab shrugged and moved in a bit closer to see, which had a strange effect on his body – every muscle in his stomach and thighs tightened in anticipation. From this angle he could see straight down her top, to a flimsy scrap of lace. Oh God, he really shouldn’t.

  ‘He, er,’ he swallowed to clear his throat and concentrated on the screen, ‘is friends with her.’

  ‘Well I know that. Doesn’t he look a creep? Those tats are gross.’

  ‘She is still talking to him, and he’s been chatting to some of the other people that have booked weddings here.’

  ‘I wouldn’t
call it chatting exactly. He only talks in words of one syllable.’

  ‘Seems to get that wrong half the time as well.’ He risked a glance at Tab, who grinned.

  ‘He thinks they all fancy him – he’s a right twat.’

  ‘But they do seem to be forming a bit of a club.’

  ‘True. Why won’t Xander talk about polo?’

  Jamie groaned. ‘Do we have to talk about him again?’

  ‘Don’t be like that. I think it’s strange, he never says anything, I don’t feel like I know him at all.’

  ‘He’s a very private person.’

  ‘He talks to Lottie. Everybody talks to Lottie.’

  Tab looked so downcast that he gave her a hug. ‘You talk to Xander when I’d rather you talk to me. I don’t feel I know anything about you.’

  With a grin she rolled onto her back. ‘Ask away, then.’

  ‘Why do we never see your dad around?’

  ‘He’s a very private person.’ Her tone was dry, but there was a look of mischief lurking in her eyes. She turned onto her side and propped herself up on one arm. ‘He’s a bit like Xander.’ Jamie cringed. Did his name have to come into every conversation? ‘Trying to avoid the press.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘He was a model. Him and mum were kind of minor celebs and he got fed up of it so he made us move to the country.’

  ‘And your mum didn’t?’

  ‘Oh no, she’s a bit like Pandora. She loves being the centre of attention. She ran off with Dad’s manager and all his money. And now she’s married to her Italian toy boy – it’s really, really gross. He’s nearer my age than hers, which is so disgusting. It’s a good job they live in Milan – it would be so embarrassing if she was here. Okay, my turn, what about your family?’

  ‘Just me and Mum. Dad died years ago. She a librarian – boring eh?’

  ‘Does she tell you to shush all the time?’ Tab giggled.

  ‘She’s always got her nose in some book, dreaming about true love, so she doesn’t really notice what’s going on. Have you ever been in love?’

  ‘Only with Merlin. He’s my horse.’ She sat up. ‘Horses listen and they never let you down. They don’t think they’re better than you and they don’t scheme. Well, actually,’ she was resting her chin on her knees. ‘That’s a bit of a lie. Merlin schemes, but not in a nasty way, mainly about food or how to dump me out of the saddle.’

  ‘And that’s not nasty?’ He grinned.

  ‘It’s just being a horse and we have a kind of understanding. He wouldn’t do it if I was upset or anything like that. He’s not mean, just lazy.’

  ‘Elizabeth told me you were keen on somebody.’

  ‘Elizabeth talks too much.’ She shrugged. ‘But it’s not a secret. He spent all his time talking to his posh friends about things I didn’t understand. They were all at uni like him, not thick like me.’

  ‘You’re not thick.’

  ‘Not exactly Einstein though, am I? Anyway I wasn’t that keen on him. I hardly ever got chance to see him. You don’t exactly get weekends off in this job and in the week he was busy, so it just kind of fizzled out. Show me more of what you’ve been looking at.’

  Jamie, who knew a hint to shut up when he heard one, touched the screen of his tablet.

  ‘Oh God, why is Pandora heading over here?’ Tab muttered.

  He glanced up, then with a sigh, switched his machine off. He didn’t have an answer to that. He’d been hoping she’d leave him alone after her earlier relationship advice. She’d probably decided to go down the complete humiliation route.

  ‘I don’t know how you can work for her, she’s such a miserable cow.’

  ‘She’s not so keen on you either, and anyway, I don’t work for her.’ Jamie stood up. ‘I work for Seb.’ He put a hand out, but she was already on her feet. They both watched as Pandora made her way towards them.

  ‘Same thing. He does what she wants.’

  ‘You’d be surprised, he’s actually quite a control freak; Seb just pretends to let her have her own way. Come on, somebody has stopped her, let’s disappear.’ He grabbed Tab’s hand and for once she let him. Scooping up Ella under her arm, they ran giggling like children until Jamie dragged her behind the temporary stable block.

  ‘I think we’re safe here – she’s not keen on the horses.’

  ‘Pandora’s not keen on anything but Pandora. Anyway, why did you say she isn’t keen on me?’ Tab asked.

  ‘Well, for a start you’re younger than her, slimmer than her, happier than her.’

  ‘It’s not hard to be happier than her.’

  ‘To be honest, I think you’re messing up her plan. I think she’s trying to throw Lottie and Xander together, and every time she tries you’re standing there in the middle with Ella in your arms.’ It made sense now he thought about it. Pandora hadn’t been trying to help his relationship with Tab; she’d been trying to use him again. To remove the obstacle in her way.

  ‘Really?’ Tab pulled at Ella’s long ears and frowned.

  ‘Don’t you think so?’

  ‘But why would she do that? Lottie’s perfectly happy with Rory and what does Pandora get out of it anyway?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Jamie shook his head, ‘but that’s what it looks like to me. She made Xander come here and help out, and he’s never worked on a set before. They could have got somebody experienced. Don’t you think that’s a bit strange?’

  ‘But he wasn’t busy, and he knows about polo and horses.’

  ‘It would have been really easy to hire somebody else to do it. Seb has to employ experts for all the films.’

  ‘Maybe she’s just doing it so that Lottie won’t notice her creeping up on Rory.’

  Jamie laughed. ‘Won’t notice? Well swooning into his arms then getting it in the paper wasn’t exactly low key, was it?’

  ‘But it wasn’t her that got it in the paper. There’s always reporters around.’

  ‘I bet it was her that arranged it – it’s the kind of thing she’d do. Most of the press have gone since Lottie gave up on her idea to let them in. There’s only a few lurking about in the village and that was a really good shot.’ Jamie still hadn’t worked out who took the photograph – it just shouldn’t have been possible. And if any of the crew had done it off their own bat they’d have been sacked. ‘And she said it was good publicity for the film.’

  ‘Her being thrown off a horse would have been good publicity. I’m beginning to quite like the idea of break a leg, and I don’t mean that in a good-luck way.’ Tab’s dislike of Pandora was growing by the minute. It was probably her fault that Xander hardly spoke to her. ‘You reckon Xander knows what she’s up to?’

  ‘I doubt it. He didn’t want to sign up for this at all, and he blew his top when he found out that Lottie lived here. He didn’t realise Lady Elizabeth was her gran. Seb’s PA overheard him and Pandora arguing in the trailer just after she got here. Xander literally dragged her in and slammed the door. She was screaming and he was yelling back so loud that she shut up. I’ve never seen him look so angry. He stormed out, then kind of shut down and wouldn’t talk to anybody for hours.’

  ‘Really? You’re sure? Why?’

  ‘Yeah, of course I’m sure. He hardly ever loses his rag. Haven’t got a clue why he did this time, though. Somebody said there was some issue when they all knew each other at school, but that was years ago, and they get on okay now, don’t they?’

  ‘Yeah, fine.’ Tab kicked at a tuft of grass. ‘More than fine. I’m going to ask him.’

  ‘Do you think that’s a good idea?’

  ‘Well it can’t do any harm, can it? He doesn’t exactly like me now, so what have I got to lose?’ And before Jamie could stop her she’d stalked off back towards the front of Tipping House, where they were filming.

  Xander watched one of the extras galloping towards him, standing in the stirrups and hauling on the poor animal’s mouth as he’d no doubt seen somebody do on the television.


  If there was one thing worse than having to be here on a set with his half-sister, it was having to watch a load of amateurs ride. If they’d actually admit they couldn’t ride and listened to some advice he wouldn’t have minded as much, but they probably thought that would mean they’d be chucked off the set. So they steadfastly refused, in the face of all evidence to the contrary, to admit that they weren’t experts.

  He waited for Seb to shout ‘cut’, then remembered he wasn’t actually there. He’d announced at breakfast that he had urgent business in London to attend to and he’d be back early the next day. Which meant that with the nervous assistant producer in charge, and a much-reduced workload planned it had been a considerably more peaceful day than normal.

  It was actually a relief to see Tab heading his way, with Ella trotting behind. At least she could ride. ‘Here, give me the dog.’ He smiled. ‘Do you mind going and grabbing the grey? She’s tacked up, but I really need to stay here or that idiot will keep on galloping into the next county.’

  Ella squirmed a welcome, wriggling her solid little body and offering her whiskered face up for a kiss.

  If he could avoid seeing Pandora for the next hour or so, today wouldn’t have gone too badly at all.

  Chapter 24

  Rory unclipped the rope from Minty’s head collar, offering her half a carrot so that she’d pause for a moment before wheeling round and trotting up the field.

  It was a routine he adopted with all the youngsters, although it was hardly necessary with this one. She was a totally different character to her mother, Black Gold, who would take off the instant she was free.

  Minty rubbed her head against him, demanding a last cuddle, and he scratched her withers, his gaze drawn to the horses in the top field. One after another they stopped grazing, lifted their heads, transmitting the message through the herd, until they were all poised, ready to flee. Then he heard it. The whirr of a distant helicopter.

  Rory looked up, eastwards, squinting against the sun as the helicopter grew from a tiny insect into something recognisable.