The Secrets of Clover Castle

by Martin, Holly

  ‘What?’

  She hurried round. In very faded black writing was the name ‘Sophia’.

  ‘Do you think this was Uncle Boris’s boat?’ Milly asked, fingering the letters.

  ‘He loved her, I know that much, it wouldn’t be a far stretch that he called his boat after her.’

  ‘It could belong to anyone.’

  Cameron nodded. ‘You’re absolutely right, it could.’

  ‘But … I bet no one comes here apart from the people that live in the castle. The cove itself is protected from the sea with all these rocks in the water. It would be quite difficult to negotiate a passage through them to get here.’

  Cameron looked around them thoughtfully.

  ‘There’s a ring over there that you’d tie the boat to,’ Cameron gestured to the far side of the cove where a rusty ring protruded out of the wall.

  ‘So why is the boat here?’ Milly said. ‘I think this boat was dragged here and turned upside down for a reason.’ She looked up at the cliff face. ‘Someone had been trying to reach something.’

  ‘By Jove, my dear Watson, I think I’ve got it,’ Cameron said, putting an imaginary pipe into his mouth and pretending to smoke it.

  Milly laughed. ‘Pray tell, my dear Holmes.’

  Cameron started striding up and down, gesturing with his imaginary pipe.

  ‘Mad Uncle Boris took the treasure chest into his boat and hid it, maybe in a cave down the coast. He returned to the cove as the tide was coming in. He tied the boat up on the hook as he always did and returned to the rope ladder but as he started to climb, the ladder, after years of use, broke. Knowing he needed to be out of the cove before the tide came in, he dragged the boat underneath the ladder, turned it upside down and stood on it so he could reach the remains of the rope ladder. It was still too far, so he jumped, he missed, crashed through the bottom of the boat and fell, smashing his head on the rocks, killing him instantly.’

  ‘You’re full of the joys of spring, aren’t you? What happened to his body?’

  ‘It was washed out to sea.’

  ‘I see, it’s a good theory, but if Boris was stranded in the cove, wouldn’t he just get back in the boat and go back out to sea before the tide came in? He could then return to land further down the coast. Why would his last resort be to turn the boat upside down and try to jump for the rope ladder?’

  ‘He was mad, my dear Watson.’

  ‘OK, if that’s the theory we’re going with, his treasure is in a nearby cave.’

  Cameron puffed on his imaginary pipe. ‘I think we need a boat.’

  Milly looked out at the sea. It was calm and looked inviting.

  ‘We could swim out a little way, see if we can see any caves in the cliffs.’

  ‘We could but we didn’t bring our swimming gear.’

  Milly smiled at him mischievously as she pulled her T-shirt off and threw it in the direction of the picnic bag. Cameron stared at her hungrily and she felt so beautiful. She quickly dispensed with the rest of her clothes and as Cameron made a grab for her she ran out into the water. The cold sliced into her skin and she screamed out, but dived quickly into the water, letting the waves glide over her head. She dived down to the bottom, getting used to the temperature quite quickly. It felt cool, not cold, once she had gotten over the initial shock. She surfaced a little way from the beach and turned back to look at Cameron.

  ‘Come on in, it’s lovely.’

  Cameron pulled off his T-shirt and jeans and Milly gave a loud wolf whistle as he stood on the sand stark naked.

  He stepped into the shallows and winced. ‘You do realise that certain parts of my body will shrink in the cold.’

  ‘That will make you normal sized then, you monster.’

  He walked out a bit further then dived underneath the water, just as she had. He didn’t resurface. Just as she was going to dive down to see if he was OK, she felt his mouth trailing kisses up her ankle, over her knee and towards her most sensitive area. But just as he was getting unbearably close, he emerged in front of her, leaving her almost panting.

  She looped her arms round his neck and he hoisted her legs round his hips as he treaded water, keeping them both afloat. He didn’t kiss her, he just stared at her, almost nose to nose. Her heart was filled with him, almost as if it would burst.

  ‘I think I’m falling for you too,’ she whispered.

  He grinned. ‘You are?’

  ‘A teeny, tiny amount.’ She gestured with her thumb and finger touching. ‘Miniscule.’

  ‘I’ll take miniscule,’ he said and kissed her.

  Every kiss, every touch from him felt like the first ever kiss. She had been in love before, three times in fact, but this felt so different.

  She felt the water swirl around her as he swam them both to a large rock, where he could stand. He pushed her back against the rock face, kissing her hard.

  ‘Owww,’ Milly cried out and then laughed.

  ‘What?’

  ‘You just impaled me on a barnacle, it went straight up my bum.’

  Cameron tried but failed to keep a straight face.

  ‘Let me have a look.’

  ‘Don’t laugh.’

  He turned her round and encouraged her to bend over a flat rock. She felt him come up behind her.

  ‘Don’t get any ideas, Cameron Heartstone. I’m not having sex with you like this.’

  ‘It hadn’t even entered my mind.’

  ‘I’m sure it hadn’t.’

  She felt his hand caress her bum. ‘Your bum looks as perfect as it always does.’ He moved his hand over her back, stroking over the tattoo that covered almost the whole of one side as if seeing it for the first time.

  ‘Did you not see the tattoo last night?’

  ‘I was too preoccupied last night to take the time to read all these words.’ He started to read it. ‘From this slumber, you shall wake, when true love’s kiss, the spell shall break.’

  ‘It’s from the film, Sleeping Beauty,’ Milly explained.

  ‘I see.’ He leaned over her back and kissed it.

  She rolled over to look at him. ‘Try on the mouth instead.’

  He smiled and bent over her. Catching her hands and entwining his fingers with hers, he moved her hands above her head, pinning her to the rock with his weight. He kissed her, with one sweet, soft kiss, then pulled back slightly to look at her.

  ‘Are you awake now?’

  ‘Yes.’ He moved his mouth to her neck and she looked up at the sun burning brightly in a cloudless sky. She averted her eyes from the glare to look back at Cameron as he kissed across her collar bone. For the first time in years, perhaps in forever, she felt awake and alive, as if she was experiencing the world for the first time. She didn’t like feeling like this around him, so completely out of control, but there was nothing she could do to stop it.

  * * *

  Milly lay on Cameron’s chest on the beach, the hot summer sun warming her back as Cameron played with her hair. There was nothing that could burst her bubble of happiness right now, she just couldn’t stop smiling. She glanced at her star bracelet and wished that she could stay there forever, where everything was perfect.

  ‘So, I have something I need to tell you,’ Cameron said, stroking up and down her back.

  ‘Mmmm.’

  ‘I don’t want you to get freaked out by it.’

  She propped herself up on her elbows to look at him, knowing she had a huge, dopey grin on her face.

  Cameron took a deep breath. ‘The play we took part in last night, with the wedding.’

  Milly nodded.

  ‘Turns out that was a real wedding.’

  She felt the smile fall off her face. ‘What?’

  ‘If a couple wish to get married in the village, they do so by taking part in the Summer Solstice play. The vicar that married us, he’s a real vicar.’

  Milly sat up. ‘So we’re actually husband and wife?’

  Cameron sat up too. ‘No, of course not, it
can’t possibly be legal, but the villagers believe it is.’

  Milly laughed. ‘How is that even possible? Neither of us consented to marriage.’

  ‘We consented by being in the play.’

  She smiled as she remembered how insistent the old ladies had been about her and Cameron being in the play. ‘They tricked us into being part of the play, no one said anything about marriage.’

  ‘I know.’

  She supposed she should be worried about being married to a man she had known for a week, even in some farcical capacity, but the whole thing was ridiculous. ‘I don’t understand how the villagers think it’s official? We haven’t signed anything.’

  ‘I don’t know. The vicar said it was official according to ancient local law.’

  Milly laughed. ‘That’s hilarious.’

  ‘That’s what I thought, but every single person in the village came up and congratulated me, so they all believe in it too. And we can’t exactly get it annulled. We came back and consummated the hell out of that wedding.’

  She rolled her eyes and he laughed.

  ‘Oh God,’ Milly laughed. ‘I even wore the cameo brooch, the one that Sophia and Alexandra supposedly wore on their wedding days. The nightie was too big and I used it to keep it from sliding off my shoulders.’

  ‘Yeah, that’s a bit freaky. So I guess the curse is officially broken.’

  ‘Stop it,’ Milly giggled. ‘Wow I wore a nightie to my wedding day.’

  ‘You looked beautiful.’

  ‘You know I’ve imagined my wedding day many times, but I never envisaged it would be like that. There was a big plan.’

  ‘You had a plan? I thought you don’t believe in happy endings and marriage,’ Cameron teased.

  ‘I suppose I didn’t believe in it for me, but it didn’t stop me hoping that one day my prince would arrive on a white horse, fight the dragon and my demons and rescue me from the man sabbatical tower.’

  ‘I do have a white horse, if that’s any help?’ Cameron said.

  ‘You do not.’

  ‘I do. His name’s Colin, which is not grand enough for a trusty steed, but he is white. Tell me about the big plan.’

  She laughed with embarrassment. ‘I know it’s cheesy and naff but I always wanted to arrive in a horse-drawn pumpkin carriage just like the one in Cinderella and then … Have you seen Tangled?’

  Cameron shook his head.

  ‘Of course you haven’t. There’s a scene where Flynn and Rapunzel are in these boats and people have released Chinese lanterns into the sky and they’re floating over the water and it just looks so beautiful … I imagined that one day I’d get married like that, on a boat surrounded by these lanterns.’

  ‘Sounds perfect.’

  ‘And instead I was surrounded by a load of willies,’ Milly laughed, shaking her head at the complete craziness of the village.

  Cameron laughed at the whole ridiculous situation.

  ‘Why are you so calm about this?’ Milly asked. ‘You said you were on a sabbatical from women and now, as far as the village is concerned, you’re married to one and you don’t seem bothered.’

  ‘After Eva left me, my ex-wife, I swore I didn’t want to be married ever again. I never wanted to put my trust in a woman again. The women I’ve been with since then, the ones that were pretty faces to go to parties with and pretty enough to keep my bed warm at the end of the night, they did nothing to restore my faith in women. They either wanted me for my money, my connections, or so they could sell their stories to the papers. Then there’s you. I have never been so attracted, so connected, so drawn to a woman before as I am to you. I feel like I’ve known you my entire life. As weird as it sounds, considering I’ve only known you for a week, I’m not scared about being married to you, I’m more scared of losing you when this week is over.’

  She stared at him. She felt the same way and it scared the hell out of her. She didn’t want to fall in love again, because it would only end in heartbreak like it always did. But there was very little she could do to stop it. She leaned forward to kiss him, because when his mouth was on hers, there were no fears, no doubts, there was just him.

  He cupped her head with his giant hand, caressing her scalp with gentle fingers as he rolled her back into the sand.

  Fear clawed her throat, squeezing her heart but as he kissed her all of that faded away.

  * * *

  Cameron walked back along the secret passageway with Milly’s hand tightly in his. She hadn’t said a lot and he guessed she might be worried. They were just getting to know each other and after one week she had already found out she was supposed to be his soul mate and found herself accidentally married to him. It was too much, especially as she was scared about falling in love again.

  He should be scared too. A week ago he hadn’t been interested in having any kind of relationship at all, not even a sexual one, then Milly came along with her pink tipped hair and sparkly shoes and this rose-tinted view on life and he’d fallen for her without any warning.

  He had no idea if she felt the same.

  They walked back into the kitchen and Olivia had obviously been waiting for them.

  ‘Oh, hey. I made lunch for you both, I wasn’t sure if you had eaten or not so …’ she gestured to the sandwiches.

  Cameron instantly felt bad that they had enjoyed a picnic whilst Olivia had been here all alone.

  ‘That’s great, thanks Liv, I’m starving.’ He sat down in front of one plate and hoped that Milly would be kind enough to do the same. Thankfully she did, tucking into the sandwich with great enthusiasm.

  ‘Thanks Olivia, this was really kind of you,’ Milly said.

  They ate without talking, whilst Olivia worked. There was a tension in the room and Cameron didn’t understand why, though he realised it was mostly coming from Milly as she stared at her plate whilst she ate. Olivia, seemingly oblivious, hummed quietly whilst she worked.

  ‘Cam, we need to go through your diary for the next month or two, you have several commitments coming up in the next few weeks. We also have that Summer Ball next Saturday.’

  Cameron pulled a face. ‘Ah Liv, you know I don’t like those things.’

  Olivia laughed. ‘It’s for charity and besides, it’s Gerald’s company that are organising it. We went to the one at Christmas and it was a lot of fun. Remember that magician? He was hilarious, I haven’t laughed like that in a long time.’

  Cameron smiled as he remembered. ‘Yeah, it was a good night.’

  Olivia blushed. ‘It really was.’

  Cameron suddenly remembered what else had happened that night and wished she hadn’t brought it up.

  Milly finished her sandwich, excused herself from the table and went into the lounge.

  He frowned after her. Olivia carried on as if she hadn’t noticed. ‘We also have the film premiere the following Tuesday, do you want me to hire a car for us?’

  Cameron stood up. ‘Would you mind if we did this later?’

  Olivia faltered in her list and then smiled. ‘Of course not, go ahead. I don’t want to interrupt anything.’

  He smiled gratefully at her and followed Milly into the lounge. She wasn’t there, but a quick check in his bedroom revealed her sitting on his bed.

  He walked in and closed the door behind him.

  ‘What’s wrong?’

  Milly sighed. ‘I don’t know. Her, you two …’

  ‘You’re jealous! You’ve got to be kidding me. Nothing has ever happened between me and Olivia. She’s my friend and my PA, I have no feelings for her at all. There are loads of parties and functions my publicist makes me attend so that I have a public presence and sometimes I go with Olivia as it’s easier than going with a date that only wants me for my fame or fortune. There’s no ulterior motive with Liv, she’s just my friend.’

  ‘I’m not jealous. I just … I’m scared.’

  Cameron swallowed, his anger and exasperation vanishing. ‘Of what?’

  ‘Everything.
’ She laughed hollowly. ‘It’s all happening so fast. I’m scared of the feelings I have for you, I’ve never felt anything like this before and I’m terrified of getting hurt. I know your history with women and I thought I would be OK with being a fling but I’m really not. I’m scared because Olivia is nice and sweet and normal with sensible hair and sensible clothes, someone you could be proud to take to functions. You have all this history together, things you’ve done, people you know. I’m damaged goods and I’m insanely insecure and I have stupid pink hair. There’s no comparison. I’m scared I’m going to lose you before we’ve even begun.’

  He sat down next to her, taking her hand. ‘I feel scared too, I’ve never been so scared of a relationship ending before. And you’re right, there is no comparison, because I would rather have you with your baggage and gorgeously silly pink hair and your wonderful outlook on life than Olivia or any other woman. I would be honoured to take you to any function, and you could wear whatever you want, I wouldn’t care.’

  ‘What if I was to wear bright pink, sparkly high heeled shoes?’

  ‘And nothing else? Now that would be a look I’d be very interested in seeing.’ He quickly rolled her on to the bed, pinning her with his weight. ‘But I certainly wouldn’t let you out the house like that, I’d keep that look all to myself. I’d ditch any function for a night with you dressed only in heels.’

  Milly giggled and Cameron was relieved to hear it, the tension had gone. She ran her hands down his back. ‘And how exactly would that night go?’

  He smiled. ‘Let me show you.’

  * * *

  Milly woke up to the sun sliding across her face. It was late afternoon and the sky was already turning that gorgeous shade of pink and blue. The view from the window over the sea was stunning but the view lying next to her in bed fast asleep was the best thing she had ever seen. Cameron lying face down on the sheets, stark naked, was something she would never tire of. He was so beautiful, so muscular, so delicious she just wanted to bite into his tight little bum.

  She was getting into trouble here, she was falling for him and despite the curse that she was somehow linked to, she knew that she was never going to get a happy ending out of this. The perfect Disney happy ending didn’t exist for her. She had lost every man she had ever fallen in love with in the past, Cameron would be no different.