Jimmy stared at his former commanding officer with something approaching pity. ‘And you’ve arranged all this without telling Tory?’
‘None of her bloody business,’ the Admiral blustered, banging his now empty pint glass on the bar, and waving at the barmaid for a refill. ‘She’s out most of the time anyway.’
Jimmy shook his head in disbelief. ‘When are you going to tell her?’
‘Was going to do it this morning, but then this business with Mabel came up so I scarpered. Last I saw she was taking that bloody little mongrel of hers out for a walk. Hoping she’ll walk off her temper.’ His tone indicated he considered there was more likelihood of hell freezing over.
‘Is Noah Westbrook coming?’ said Jimmy, suddenly sensing a bit of gossip he could pass on to Emily.
‘Noah who?’ was the Admiral’s bewildered response.
‘Noah Westbrook. Come on Sir, you must know him. He’s the most famous actor in the world. Women go completely gaga over him. If nothing else, that should make Tory happy.’
The Admiral stared at him thoughtfully. ‘What’s he look like, this Noah West... chappy?’
The barmaid, who had been unashamedly listening to the whole conversation, couldn’t contain herself any longer and, thrusting a glossy magazine under the Admiral’s nose, said breathlessly, ‘Like this. He looks like this.’
The full colour photograph was that of a naked man lounging on a sofa, with only a towel protecting his modesty, together with the caption “Noah Westbrook, officially voted the sexiest man on the planet.”
Admiral Charles Shackleford stared pensively down at the picture in front of him. ‘So this Noah chap – he’s in this film is he?’
‘He’s got the lead role.’ The bar maid actually twittered causing the Admiral to look up in irritation – bloody woman must be fifty if she’s a day. Shooting her a withering look, he went back to the magazine, and read the beginning of the article inside.
“Noah Westbrook is to be filming in the South West of England over the next month, causing a sudden flurry of bookings to hotels and guest houses in the South Devon area.”
The Admiral continued to stare at the photo, the germination of an idea tiptoeing around the edges of his brain. Glancing up, he discovered he was the subject of scrutiny from not just the barmaid, but now the whole pub was waiting with baited breath to hear what he was going to say next.
The Admiral’s eyes narrowed as the beginnings of a plan slowly began taking shape, but he needed to keep it under wraps. Looking around at his rapt audience, he feigned nonchalance. ‘Don’t think Noah Westbrook was mentioned at all in the correspondence. Think he must be filming somewhere else.’
Then, without saying anything further, he downed the rest of his drink, and climbed laboriously off his stool.
‘Coming Jimmy, Pickles?’ His tone was deceptively casual which fooled Jimmy not at all, and, sensing something momentous afoot, the smaller man swiftly finished his pint. In his haste to follow the Admiral out of the door, he only narrowly avoided falling over Pickles who, completely unappreciative of the need for urgency, was sitting in the middle of the floor, scratching unconcernedly behind his ear.
Once outside, the Admiral didn’t bother waiting for his dog, secure in the knowledge that someone would let the elderly spaniel out before he got too far down the road. Instead, he took hold of Jimmy’s arm, and dragged him out of earshot – just in case anyone was listening.
In complete contrast to his mood on arrival, Charles Shackleford was now grinning from ear to ear. ‘That’s it. I’ve finally got a plan,’ he hissed to his bewildered friend. ‘I’m going to get her married off.’
‘Who to?’ asked Jimmy confused.
‘Don’t be so bloody slow Jimmy. To him of course. The actor chappy, Noah Westbrook. According to that magazine, women everywhere fall over themselves for him. Even Victory won’t be able to resist him.’
Jimmy opened his mouth but nothing came out. He stared in complete disbelief as the Admiral went on. ‘Then she’ll move out, and Mabel can move in. Simple.’
Pickles came ambling up as Jimmy finally found his voice. ‘So, let me get this straight Sir. Your plan is to somehow get Noah Westbrook, the most famous actor on the entire planet to fall in love with your daughter Victory, who we both love dearly, but - and please don’t take offence Sir - who you yourself admit is built generously across the aft, and whose face is unlikely to launch the Dartmouth ferry, let alone a thousand ships.’
The Admiral frowned. ‘Well admittedly, I’ve not worked out the finer details, but that’s about the sum of it. What do you think…?’
Sweet Victory: A Romantic Comedy (The Dartmouth Diaries Book 2) Page 19