Fairytale Beginnings

by Holly Martin

  Chapter Eleven

  Milly was sitting in her old bedroom at the top of the tower, trying to find out as much as she could about Clover Castle. After the conversation about sex, she had wanted to get away from Cameron for a little while.

  Extensive research about the place on the usual web sites she visited was turning up nothing. How could a castle, parts of which had clearly been here for over four or five hundred years, and a village with similar aged housing just not exist on any kind of land registry, maps or documents? She had tried to research the castle before she arrived and had come up with nothing time and time again.

  There was a knock on the door and she looked up to see Cameron leaning against the door frame. God, even the way he stood, so casually, was sexy.

  ‘There you are, I wondered where you’d got to. I was about to go and search the hole in the grounds in case you had fallen down there again. Can I borrow you for a few minutes, unless you’re really busy?’

  Milly got off the bed and stretched. ‘No, I’m just trying to do some research on the place, but there’s not a lot to go on. Well, nothing in fact. Do you have any documents that prove when the castle was built?’ Cameron offered out his hand and she instinctively took it.

  ‘No, nothing like that.’ Cameron said as they descended the stairs.

  ‘Do you know how big the original estate was before Uncle Boris sold it off? Do you have any kind of maps or documents to show the original land boundaries?’

  ‘No, well maybe. I have a few documents I can show you which relate to the sale of the land around 1868. I think I could show you where the original boundaries were but I’m not one hundred percent sure.’

  ‘And your title, Lord Heartstone, are you really a lord?’

  ‘As far as I know I am, my dad always called himself Lord Heartstone and the villagers did too. When the will was read, it included the title of Lord too, but I’ve not looked too closely at that side of things. Olivia said there are no hereditary titles anymore and you have to apply to the House of Lords to continue with the title I think. My concern hasn’t been with that though, I just wanted to get the castle fixed and secure some kind of funding for it, I wasn’t that bothered with a pompous title that held little or no bearing on my future.’

  ‘I’ve checked Debretts, that shows all the peers dating back hundreds of years and there is no link at all with your family.’

  ‘I don’t think we were all Heartstones though, if that helps. Obviously the castle has been passed down through male descendants but when there were no males it would be passed to daughters who married and took other names. Boris was a Heartstone, I know that much, but when we were originally given the title I don’t think we were. I don’t know much about the family tree though or when the title of lord was awarded or by whom.’

  ‘Ok, maybe I can look into your genealogy, see if I can trace your family back. The whole place is a bit of a mystery if I’m honest. There should be some evidence that Clover Castle and the village exist, but I’m coming up blank at every turn.’

  ‘I don’t think this place was all that accessible before the invention of cars. If you were sent by the king to register and record the properties of all the peers and you saw this great steep hill which you had to climb or force your horse up, I imagine it was easier to report back to the king that there was nothing up there.’

  ‘I can’t believe that.’

  ‘I know, there’s so much that doesn’t add up. I’m still trying to get my head round it all myself if I’m honest.’

  They had arrived at the bottom of the stairs at this point and Cameron escorted her into the banquet hall. White candles adorned the long banquet table, their flames casting golden light onto the dark wood. Large trays were covered with silver domes, with tantalizing smells coming from underneath.

  Milly stopped. ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘I thought, as it’s your birthday, we should have a banquet to celebrate.’

  She looked up at him and laughed. ‘We’re having a banquet?’

  ‘Of course. We have the banquet table, we should put it to good use. I can’t speak for the quality of the food though.’ He shrugged.

  ‘That’s so sweet, thank you so much.’

  ‘Oh no, that’s not the best bit.’

  He escorted her to a tapestry on the far side of the hall that was hanging off a rail like a curtain. He let go of her hand and pushed the tapestry back to reveal a whole wardrobe of medieval style clothes.

  Milly gasped as she ran to examine them.

  ‘They’re not real. At least I don’t think they are. My parents always used to hold parties and medieval style banquets for their friends. They kept these clothes in here so that people could borrow them for the night. Some of them have labels in and are made from polyester, something that I’m pretty sure wasn’t around in medieval times, but I thought … well, that we could have a proper traditional banquet. I’m sure there’s something in there that will fit you. So take your pick, get changed and then we can start.’

  ‘Oh God, Cameron, these are beautiful,’ Milly said, running her hands over the different clothes.

  There were dresses and gowns of every colour; ruby, gold, emerald, sapphire, silver, and magenta, glittering and sparkling from the rails. Although some of the gowns were obviously cheaply made, some were exquisite. They were blatantly not authentic pieces but some had been recreated very skilfully.

  Cameron cleared his throat and she looked over at him. He was clearly embarrassed though she didn’t know why.

  ‘I shall be wearing this,’ he said, lifting a blue velvet doublet off the rail. The doublet was lined with gold and had buttons down the front. It was fitted at the waist and came with or was attached to a pair of blue velvet puffed shorts. It came with a small white ruff, white stockings and a blue and gold velvet hat that had a large feather sticking out from it. Milly wasn’t sure which era it was meant to be from as it seemed to be taking little bits from several eras but she couldn’t wait to see Cameron in it.

  She turned away so he wouldn’t see her laugh. ‘Well, we should match then.’

  She ran her fingers along the different dresses and selected one that was an almost identical shade of blue. It was stunning. A jewelled ribbon adorned the collar, the bodice was fitted to the waist and then flared out into a large skirt that had a large gold, heavily embroidered panel running down the middle. The sleeves were fitted to the elbow then flared out too.

  Cameron came up behind her to inspect her choice. ‘It’s beautiful,’ he said, softly. ‘There’s jewellery too, costume pieces of course. I thought you might like to wear this, it will match your eyes perfectly.’

  He secured a necklace round her neck that glittered with an array of large blue crystals all in different hues from the lightest turquoise to the darkest navy. It was obviously made from coloured glass but it was beautiful nonetheless.

  ‘Go and get changed and then we shall dine on a feast fit for kings.’

  Milly grabbed her dress and quickly ran up the stairs to get dressed.

  It thrilled her to be wearing something so beautiful and luxurious and she did a little experimental twirl and watched with delight as the material spun out around her. She didn’t have any appropriate shoes but barefoot was just fine.

  She descended the staircase slowly, being really careful not to trip over the long fabric, but she stopped at the top of the last turn of stairs, because Cameron was waiting for her at the bottom wearing his costume. She had thought he would look hilarious, especially in the white stockings, but he looked dashing, sophisticated and still sexy as hell.

  ‘You look great,’ she said, coming down the last few stairs to stand in front of him.

  ‘You look incredible,’ Cameron said. His voice sounded coarse and her heart soared at the effect she had had on him.

  Music was drifting from the banquet hall and Milly was curious where it was coming from. ‘Do you have real musicians?’

  Cameron smi
led as he escorted her into the hall. ‘Yes, a great travelling troupe of musicians called iPhone.’

  Milly laughed. ‘Ah yes, I’ve heard of them. Very talented. And this song by the medieval band Coldplay I believe is one of the king’s favourites.’

  Cameron walked her over to the middle of the table and helped her into her seat. One of the silver domes was right in front of her and she couldn’t wait to see what she would be eating.

  With a great flourish, Cameron removed one of the dome lids and she laughed when she saw two bowls of tomato soup underneath.

  ‘Wait, there’s more,’ Cameron said, removing another silver dome from a large platter, revealing several slices of cheese on toast. Milly burst out laughing.

  ‘Very traditional.’

  ‘Just wait until you see what’s for dessert.’

  Cameron handed her a bowl of soup and piled two slices of cheese on toast onto a side plate, then moved round the table to sit opposite her.

  ‘I do however have some fairly decent red wine.’ He leaned over and poured some into a heavy gold goblet. He held his up for a toast. ‘Happy Birthday.’

  She chinked his cup and took a sip, it tasted soft, sweet and fruity.

  It was still daylight outside but the glow of the candles in the darkened room was magical, sending flickering shadows across Cameron’s face.

  ‘Thank you for this, you really didn’t have to go to so much trouble.’

  ‘It’s my absolute pleasure,’ he smiled across the table at her.

  They finished their meal, chatting and laughing and then Cameron came back round her side of the table, offering her his hand again.

  She placed her hand in his and he pulled her to her feet. ‘No banquet would be complete without a little dancing.’

  ‘And Westlife is very traditional.’

  ‘Well I could probably do a little better than this,’ Cameron said, moving to the iPhone and the docking station. He pressed a few buttons and she laughed as ‘Tale As Old As Time’ drifted out from the speakers.

  ‘How did you know?’

  ‘I can do research too.’

  With one hand at her waist and one in her hand, Cameron began to swing her round the room. He wasn’t very graceful but she felt like she was dancing on air as he spun her round. She looked up at the crystal chandelier hanging above them, glinting in the semi darkness like a thousand stars. She had never felt so alive, so gloriously happy as she did in that moment. She brought her eyes down to Cameron’s and he smiled at her.

  She looked away out the windows, scared of the feelings that were crashing through her.

  ‘Look at that sunset,’ Milly said and Cameron glanced out of the window too.

  ‘Maybe we should carry on this dance outside.’

  He stopped dancing and led her out, unclipping his iPhone from the docking station as they went.

  The grass was warm from the day’s sun and the sky was a startling rainbow of scarlet, amber, candyfloss and plum.

  Cameron set his iPhone down on the rocks, selected a song and as Etta James started belting out ‘At Last’ he slowly walked back towards her but instead of taking her hand, he put his hands round her waist and pulled her close. She leaned up and wrapped her arms round his neck, leaning her head against his chest. They moved around slowly as day turned to night and one song ended and was replaced with another and another.

  Milly knew she was in trouble. She was falling for this man and there was no way to stop it.

  Cameron felt Milly shiver next to him as they sat on the rocks staring out at the black moon-drenched sea. He quickly whisked off his cloak and draped it over her shoulders, leaving his arm round her back. She leaned into his side and he felt nothing but contentment at having her there.

  The sun had long since disappeared and even the iPhone had stopped playing. They had danced and then sat and talked before lapsing into an easy silence. There was a feeling between them that Cameron couldn’t put his finger on, something magical, like they were caught in some kind of enchanted bubble and neither one of them seemed willing to break it.

  The gentle warm summer breeze drifted over the cliff tops, playing with Milly’s hair, sending gentle scents of apple and candyfloss his way.

  He leaned into her and before he could stop himself he kissed the top of her head. He winced, hoping she wouldn’t notice, but she did.

  She pulled away slightly to look at him and he feared the bubble had popped.

  ‘This has been a beautiful night, thank you.’

  He looked down into her star filled eyes. ‘My pleasure.’

  ‘But if I don’t leave you now, I fear we might be continuing this magical night in your bed.’

  He swallowed. ‘I didn’t do any of this in the hope you would suddenly want to jump into bed with me.’

  ‘I know, but I’m finding it almost impossible to cling onto the last scraps of my self-control so I’m going to go to bed before I say to hell with it all and make love to you here under this beautiful moon.’

  Cameron rubbed his face, trying to dispel that wondrous image from being burnt into his mind. When he looked up, Milly was already standing. He quickly stood up too.

  ‘I’ll walk you back.’

  ‘I’d really rather you didn’t. We’re going to get back to that kitchen and then we’re going to be kissing and there’s no way I’m going to be able to stop what happens after that.’

  He had nothing to say. She stared up at him for a moment and then stepped up and kissed him on the cheek, lingering there for a moment longer than necessary. He stayed very still, scared to make the wrong move, scared to make the right one.

  She stepped back a bit and suddenly let out a laugh of what sounded like defeat.

  ‘I spoke to Gladys today, about you. She said that if you were to have regrets, you should regret what you did, not what you didn’t do.’

  ‘What does that mean?’

  ‘It means … when I’m finished here, if I walk away from you, never going further than that incredible kiss we shared this morning, I’m going to regret it for the rest of my life.’

  Cameron swallowed, still too scared to move. ‘So, should I walk you back?’

  ‘No, I still need to finish all my tests and research here, so I should probably do that first, but I’m on holiday next week.’

  ‘Right.’ He had no idea where she was going with this.

  ‘It’s lovely here, the view, the food, the rooms.’

  ‘You want to take your holiday here?’ He frowned.

  ‘Yes, if that’s ok.’

  Suddenly, with crystal clarity he could see what she was trying to say.

  ‘In a non-professional capacity?’

  She giggled and nodded. ‘I could be your first guest at Clover Castle Hotel.’

  He put his hands to her waist, pulling her against him and breathing her in. ‘I’d really like that.’

  ‘I’d like that, too.’

  ‘It’s going to be the longest few days of my life.’

  She leaned back and smiled. ‘It will give us a chance to finish all the formalities between us.’

  He nodded.

  ‘Goodnight Cameron.’ She leaned up to kiss him again but this time he moved his head at the last second so she kissed him on the lips.

  She stepped back, laughing. ‘You have to be patient.’

  ‘I will, I promise.’

  They stared at each other, their mutual need sparking off them so intensely that he was surprised he couldn’t see little arcs of lightning zipping between them.

  ‘Goodnight,’ Milly said, softly and walked off towards the castle.

  He watched her go and knew he had the biggest smile on his face.

  Milly glanced at Cameron across the table as they ate breakfast. Something had passed between them the night before and they both knew it. He was in a good mood and she’d been woken by him singing this morning. She’d quickly got dressed in case Jamie showed up early and when she’d emerged from her be
droom Cameron had already made her breakfast.

  She had been thinking about their arrangement all night and hadn’t been able to stop smiling about it. Cameron hadn’t stopped smiling either. He grinned across the table at her as he ate, looking like the cat that got the cream.

  Just then there was a knock on the door.

  Cameron got up to answer it and Milly heard her brother introduce himself.

  ‘Hello, I’m Jamie McAllister from Extravagance. I believe you’re expecting me.’

  Milly squealed and barrelled past Cameron to throw herself into Jamie’s arms. Luckily he had heard her coming and quickly dropped his briefcase in preparation for the assault.

  ‘Hey Tigs, how’s it going?’ Jamie held her tight.

  ‘I’ve missed you.’

  ‘I missed you too, it’s been too long. You need to come round for dinner one night.’

  Milly suddenly remembered that this was a business meeting after all, and hugging her brother was hardly professional. She glanced at Cameron who didn’t seem to mind. They had long since left professionalism behind, especially with that amazing dance the night before.

  ‘Cameron this is my brother Jamie, Jamie this is Cameron Heartstone.’

  With one arm still round her shoulders, Jamie leaned forward to shake Cameron’s hand.

  ‘Hi, pleased to meet you. I must say, this place is incredible.’

  ‘Thank you, come in. We had a bit of a late night last night, so we’ve only just got up and had breakfast. Can I fix you anything to eat?’ Cameron asked.

  Milly found herself blushing at how intimate Cameron had made that sound, or was she just being paranoid? She glanced at Jamie to see if he’d made anything out of those words but he was sitting down as if there was nothing out of the ordinary in the fact that his sister was having a cosy breakfast with a client. Cameron was dressed, but in torn jeans and a crumpled white shirt, with his hair sticking out everywhere, it did look like last night had been a late one for a whole host of other reasons.

  ‘No, I already ate on the way, thank you. I brought you your birthday present, Tigs.’ Jamie rummaged in his bag and pulled out a neatly wrapped gift, covered in Disney wrapping paper. ‘It sucks that you had to work on your birthday.’