He couldn’t mistake the tone of finality in her voice. Maybe he should leave her to get on with her move. After all, he did have a lot to sort out. However, if she thinks this was how it’s going to end between us, she doesn’t know me at all, he thought. ‘I’ll leave you to get on. Best of luck, Paige,’ he said, not taking his eyes off her and deciding to give her space to deal with her issues. ‘And don’t forget, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.’
She stopped what she was doing and looked at him once more, her mouth moving very slightly up at the corners. ‘Thank you.’
‘I’m fed up of you acting like a recluse.’ Olly said that weekend, interrupting Paige sketching a new idea for next winter’s boots. ‘Tonight you’re coming to a party with me.’
‘I don’t want to,’ she groaned, unable to think of anything she would enjoy less. ‘Anyway, I have a mountain of paperwork to get through, and I’m a bit stuck with ideas for a couple of my boot designs. My Spanish supplier has sent a few samples of new materials he’s sourced. What do you think?’ She held up three swatches for him to consider.
‘They’re great, but stop trying to distract me. I’m not taking no for an answer. I’ll collect you tonight after seven. Be ready.’
‘Olly, I’m not in the mood for parties. I still have to finish setting up the new shop.’
He shook his head. ‘You’re not using that as an excuse, I know it’s all in hand. There’s someone I think you should meet.’
‘I’m not interested, and still have another four designs to work on. This move has come at the worst possible time and I can’t afford to miss my deadline.’
Olly waved his hand in front of his face. ‘Not listening. You’ve spent too long thinking about nothing but work.’ He pulled a face at her. ‘Or people related to it,’ he added sarcastically. ‘Tonight you’ll do as you’re told.’
Olly rarely put his foot down. Paige knew he must be determined. Not having the energy for a debate, she relented. ‘All right, but I’m not going to enjoy myself.’
‘I’ve heard that one before, I seem to recall,’ he raised an eyebrow. ‘You’ll be going though, so don’t think I’ll let you change your mind.’
Paige placed her swatches back onto her desk. ‘Fine, I’ll go and get ready.’
‘I’m around the back,’ she shouted from her sun lounger when he arrived at the cottage half an hour before they were due to leave. ‘To wake you up a bit,’ he said holding up a bottle of Merlot and winking at her. ‘What a relief to see your legs for a change.’
‘It’s so hot and this is the coolest dress I could find in my wardrobe.’
‘You look great,’ he said, giving her a quick hug. ‘As soon as you get back here you change into your tracksuit and scrape your hair up into a pigtail.’
She pushed him away, unable to keep a grin from spreading across her face. ‘Cheeky bugger, anyway it’s a ponytail, not a pigtail.’
‘Whatever. All I’m saying is, it’s good to see you looking less like you’re on a mission and more like the young woman you’re supposed to be.’
‘Charming,’ she laughed, knowing he was right. ‘Now, can we please get going, or I’ll start to flag and need to go to bed.’
Olly rolled his eyes. ‘Don’t even think about it.’ He grabbed her bag in one hand and took her by the wrist with the other. ‘We can stop at The Anchorage first and have a drink there, then go on to the party. You’ll have a ball, whether you like it or not,’ he assured her. ‘You know something? You really do look pretty cute in that little cotton dress.’
Paige smiled, enjoying his compliments. ‘Thanks.’
They arrived at the pub and Olly held the door open for her. ‘Come along, let’s go and mingle.’
‘Who’s he?’ asked Paige, indicating a tall, sandy-haired man watching her from across the main room.
Olly spotted him immediately and tapped the side of his nose at Paige. She looked up, and much to her surprise saw him striding purposefully towards them.
‘Jake, hi,’ Olly said. ‘I wondered where you’d be hiding.’
So, this was Jake. Paige agreed with Olly, he certainly looked as if he would be most at home on a surfboard. Jake took her hand in his, raising it to his lips. His casual, confident air put her immediately at ease. Paige smiled, liking him instantly.
‘Hi, so you two had the same idea to have a couple here first?’ He bowed his head slightly. ‘This is the famous Paige. Olly’s told me all about you.’
Paige raised her eyebrows at his unexpected comment. She looked at Olly out of the corner of her eye.
‘This chap never stops talking about you. It’s always “Paige this and Paige that”, so I thought I must come and meet this gorgeous vision, find out what exactly it is that fascinates him so much about you.’
She narrowed her eyes at Olly. ‘I daren’t ask what you’ve been saying,’ she teased.
‘What’s wrong with me talking about you?’ he said, looking as innocent as possible. ‘I didn’t say anything I shouldn’t have.’
‘It’s what you did say that worries me.’ She glanced back at Jake, who was grinning lop-sidedly at them.
‘Hah,’ he patted Olly on the back. ‘Don’t worry, I’m sure he hasn’t said anything you’d disapprove of. No indiscretions divulged, unfortunately. How do you fancy coming surfing with me one of these days?’
Paige grimaced; she hadn’t expected such an invitation. ‘I doubt I’d be any good,’ she said. Then unable to ignore Jake’s infectious humour immediately rethought her decision and added, ‘I’d love to tell you I need to consult my diary first, but I know there’s very little in it.’
‘I’m here, remember.’ Olly nudged her. ‘You could do with having some fun, otherwise all you’ll be doing this summer will be working on spreadsheets and your sketches.’
‘Maybe in a few weeks,’ Paige relented. ‘Olly, you know how much work I have to contend with right now.’ She turned her attention back to Jake. ‘I can’t take time off to go surfing at the moment.’
‘No worries,’ Jake said. ‘If you change your mind let me know.’
Paige watched him walk away and join his friends.
‘At least you have your own projects and do what you love best,’ Olly said.
‘You enjoy what you do, too.’ She knew Olly’s change of mood was down to Clem not opening up to him about the baby.
‘I know, but I’ve never had the guts to start up on my own yet, have I?’
‘I’m sure you will when the time is right. Anyway, you’re going to set up a site for me, so I can be your first client.’
‘Hey, you two,’ Jake said, striding over towards them. ‘We’re going on to the party now. Do you want to join us?’
‘We’ll follow you,’ Olly said.
Olly drove up Gorey Hill, turning left and following for a short distance, until Jake's car disappeared through two enormous granite pillars. Driving slowly up the curved driveway lined with pink hydrangeas in full bloom, they rounded the bend and were confronted by a vast white marquee erected in the front garden.
‘This is going to be a bit more extravagant than we were expecting,’ Paige said, unable to get over the magnificence of the setting. ‘Jake never told us his friend’s party was going to be this huge.’
‘He probably didn’t realise,’ Olly said. ‘I think the birthday girl is someone he met surfing a while ago.’ He laughed. ‘My twenty-first was never like this.’
‘Nor mine,’ Paige said, recalling the beach party Jeremy had arranged for her after his mother had refused to allow him to hold Paige’s twenty-first celebrations at their family home. ‘This place must be fairly near to Jeremy’s parents’ place,’ he said, as if he could read her thoughts.
‘Probably,’ Paige said. ‘It’s bigger though,’ Paige said, trying to keep her voice level. She gazed at the expanse of greenery all around them as Olly parked the car. Then stepping out, unable to resist, she walked as quickly as she could manage in he
r heels along a gravel pathway to the edge of the garden. ‘Look at that,’ she shouted, staring down at the imposing medieval fortification of Mont Orgeuil Castle looming majestically above Gorey village and the small harbour below. ‘Now that’s a view.’
Olly came and stood next to her. ‘It’s awesome, isn’t it? I wouldn’t mind owning a place like this.’
They stared at the granite bastion to the left. ‘Wow,’ Paige said, unable to contain her excitement as she pointed to the rolling waves breaking on the golden sand of the wide arc-shaped beach to the right. ‘I’ve never seen Grouville Bay from this angle before, it’s incredible.’
‘We’d better make the most of this, I can’t imagine we’ll ever be lucky enough to come here again.’
‘That’s right,’ she teased. ‘Spoil the mood.’
‘Come on, we’d better go and find Jake or he’ll be wondering where we are.’
Paige nodded, pleased she’d made the effort to go out for the first time in weeks.
‘I think this is going to be fun.’ Olly grabbed her hand and quickened his pace as they reached the entrance. ‘Hi Jake,’ he said waving to attract his friend’s attention.
‘Come along you two, stop dawdling.’ Jake linked arms with Paige and laughed. ‘Let’s get some drinks.’
‘Crikey,’ Paige gasped, as she entered the marquee. ‘I wonder what her favourite colour can be?’ She gazed around the garishly pink interior.
Jake raised his bushy eyebrows. ‘You’re not kidding. Bit overkill, but whatever floats your boat, I guess. Where’s the bar?’
The three barmen filled, shook, and juggled silver cocktail shakers as they prepared a continuous array of pink cocktails.
‘I wonder what they’re having?’ Paige asked, noticing two girls watching as one of the barmen poured them a drink each.
‘This one is a French Knickers,’ the barman said, giving her a cheeky wink. ‘And this is a Raspberry Cosmopolitan. Fancy one?’
Jake picked a flute of pink champagne from a passing waitress and handed it to Paige. ‘Thought this might be more your tipple.’ He took a pint of lager from the bar for himself. ‘I think I’d leave those fancy drinks for later on,’ he grimaced.
Paige took a sip of the cool liquid; unable to shake off the feeling she was being watched. As she looked around at the other guests, she stopped abruptly, coming eye to eye with Sebastian. Her heart lurched instantly, only for her to realise almost immediately that Sara was right next to him. She had her back to Paige and hadn’t yet noticed her.
Paige felt her breath disappear like it had been sucked away by a powerful vortex. She looked away, willing the banging in her chest to calm down. Then unable to resist glancing up from under her lashes to take a peek at him, she caught him watching her. Sebastian nodded his acknowledgement that he had seen her. Paige attempted a smile in return, desperate to hide her embarrassment to have been caught out.
‘Excuse me,’ someone said, interrupting her thoughts.
Paige turned her focus to the woman standing next to her. She thought she recognized her as a customer from the shop. ‘Hello. How are you?’
‘Oh, you do remember me. I’m so glad. I’m Maddy Jackson. I hope you don’t mind me asking you something?’
‘Not at all,’ Paige answered, glad to have something to take her mind off Sebastian’s presence.
‘I’m getting married in a few months, and I was wondering if you’d consider designing my wedding shoes?’
Paige tried to contain her excitement. ‘I’d be delighted to, Maddy. Do you have any ideas you want to go through with me?’
‘A few, yes.’
‘OK, why don’t I take your number and then we can arrange for me to come to your house and talk through some designs.’
‘That would be brilliant,’ Maddy said. ‘I want a contemporary theme with a hint of Edwardian in it, so I’m not sure how difficult they’re going to be put together.’
‘It won’t be a problem at all,’ Paige said, excited by the prospect of having to fit in with someone else’s vision.
‘I wasn’t sure you’d agree to do this.’
‘You try and stop me.’ Paige noted Maddy’s number in her Blackberry and immediately began picturing patterns for the design in her head. She was finding it hard to think inside the noisy marquee, and decided to get some fresh air, away from the chatter and music.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Sebastian watched Paige leave the marquee. Sara was deep in conversation with a friend and he needed a break from all the pink. He walked past the groups of noisy people out to the cool pine scented air outside. It was a magnificent garden and even in the duskiness he could see the shapes of the towering trees as they stood majestically along the edge of the garden.
He looked around trying to decide which way Paige must have gone. He walked towards the rose garden, remembering fondly the times he’d been sat there with his father and sister during family barbeques in summers as he was growing up. Seb spotted Paige standing silently, staring out towards the sea and watched as she gazed at the magnificent silvery reflection of the moon across the bay, as the tide rolled back and forth.
‘I hope you don’t mind me invading your thoughts?’ he asked, not sure if she was aware of his presence.
She shivered.
‘You’re cold?’ he said starting to take off his linen jacket.
Paige shook her head and turned to face him. ‘No, I’m fine. I was remembering something, that’s all.’
He wondered if she’d been thinking about being with Jeremy, they must have spent many evenings enjoying scenes like this one on this pretty island.
‘I didn’t expect to see you here tonight,’ she said looking up at him, her green eyes appearing black in the darkness. I thought you were away somewhere.’
‘I’m here for a few days this time.’ He took her hand in his. ‘Paige, I wanted to say something to you.’
She pulled away from him, surprising him with her force, and making him feel like she’d just slapped him. ‘No, please don’t.’
‘Don’t what? You don’t even know what I was going to say.’ Why does everything have to be so difficult between us, he wondered miserably.
‘OK, say it then,’ she said, looking as if she was trying to take control of her emotions, but failing.
He knew it would be selfish to ask. ‘I just wanted to make sure you were all right,’ he lied, unable to make things even harder for her than they already seemed to be. It was clear to him now that she was moving on, if she hadn’t already done so. Hadn’t he already been the cause of enough upset to this enticing woman?
She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. ‘You could have said that when we were both in the marquee. You didn’t have to follow me down to the end of the garden.’
‘You’re not the only one who needed a little peace, you know,’ he joked, unable to tell her that he couldn’t have kissed her in the marquee. It was foolish of him to hope he could do so here, he now realised. It wasn’t just that she was beautiful, he mused, there was something else that he found irresistible and made him yearn to be with her. He stared down at Paige in silence.
‘I was sorry to hear about Sir Edmund’s death, especially when I found out who he was to you,’ she said. ‘It must have been a dreadful shock.’
Sebastian was used to being the strong one and found it hard to take when people pitied him. ‘Not really, the family were aware of his heart condition,’ he said, aware his voice was clipped and unemotional. ‘Unfortunately, it was only a matter of time. Those of us who loved him tried hard to take the pressure away from him, but he was incapable of slowing down, never even attempting to take things easy.’ He stood silently for a moment, not sure whether to go on with what he was saying. Then, knowing he had to open up to her a little more, added. ‘It was the reason I ended up working with him. I needed to make sure someone took the brunt of everything, to keep him from overdoing it.’ He looked away from her for the first time since beg
inning their conversation and sighed. ‘I didn’t succeed, obviously.’
‘You did help me find my new shop and, I have to admit, I am happy there.’
Sebastian was stunned into silence at her unexpected admission. He soon recovered and grabbing her, pulled her into his arms. As his lips touched hers, he watched her close her eyes, then closing his own forgot everything as the sensation of their bodies finally being close again took over. He kissed her with such force he hoped he hadn’t bruised her lips. ‘I’ve missed you,’ he breathed, his voice muffled as he kissed her neck, then her mouth once more. ‘I’d love to take you out again sometime, Paige,’ he said, hoping that her kiss had meant something. He felt her tense. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘I can’t go out with you, Sebastian,’ she said, stepping back from him.
‘Why not?’
‘Because unlike you, I’m not used to having my private life splashed across the national papers. I couldn’t bear to have to be on my guard whenever I went out.’
She had a point. ‘I can understand that, but couldn’t we at least try to spend some time together?’
She shook her head, without even considering his suggestion, he noted miserably. She’d obviously made up her mind and wasn’t going to change it any time soon. ‘Fine, I understand. I’m sorry though, I wish I could change your mind,’ he admitted.
‘I know,’ she said reaching up to touch his cheek.
The action, strangely intimate, made him want her even more than he already did. ‘Paige, I …’
‘There you are.’ Sara’s voice came from the shadows, before Sebastian could say anything further. She peered at Paige through the darkness trying to make her out. ‘Oh, hi, Paige,’ she said, seeing who Sebastian was with. ‘I’m sorry, have I interrupted something?’
Sebastian assumed that Sara must have seen them embracing only seconds before.
‘No, nothing,’ Paige said, before he had a chance to reply.
Sebastian held back a retort. He knew how she liked to be in control and let her walk away.
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