A Jersey Affair

by Georgina Troy

  Paige nodded. That’s what she’d thought and it wasn’t a way of life she had ever wanted for herself. She sat down on a nearby chair, upset that her brief relationship to Sebastian would have to end so soon.

  She arrived back at her cottage at the end of the day and spotting a stranger at the entrance of her shared driveway wondered if he could be from the newspapers. She stared at him for a moment, but he turned and walked away. Certain she was becoming paranoid Paige unlocked the house and walked inside.

  ‘Did you see him?’ she asked Clem, when her sister followed her inside the house.

  ‘Who?’

  ‘There was a man, just by Olly’s mum’s house. He seemed to be watching the cottage.’

  Clem widened her eyes. ‘Oh my God, do you think he was a pap?’ Without waiting for an answer, Clem raced outside.

  ‘Get back in here,’ Paige said following her, blinking when a camera went off in her face as soon as she stepped through the doorway. ‘Shit.’

  ‘Bugger off,’ Clem shouted. ‘We’ll call the bloody police if you don’t leave us alone. This is private property.’

  Paige grabbed her sister by the wrist and pulled her back into the house. ‘This is ridiculous; I’m not going to have people coming here and taking photos of us.’

  Her mobile rang a couple of hours later. Paige, checked, and seeing it was Sebastian, immediately switched it off. She needed time to think, and was still trying to absorb what had happened earlier in the day. Mulling over Lucinda’s words, only helped instil them into Paige’s tired brain and made her realise she couldn’t ignore what had happened.

  She had seen for herself how he lived, his home and everything that went with it. It should have dawned on her when she’d seen him on all the news channels just after his uncle’s death. Sebastian’s life was interesting to the journalists, whether she liked it or not, and if she was involved with him in anyway, then it went without saying that hers was too.

  He needed a partner who could cope with all the attention and probably enjoy it for the most part. Paige swallowed the lump constricting her throat. As nasty as Lucinda might be, Paige realised that it could never possibly work between her and Sebastian and that he and Lucinda were probably much better suited as a couple.

  The following day Olly arrived at the cottage to take Clem out for a meal. He held out the Jersey Gazette in his hand. ‘Have you seen this?’ he announced, before closing the front door.

  ‘What is it?’ asked Paige not wishing to see a continuation of the previous day’s news. She peered over the paperwork she had been working on.

  ‘Look.’ He flicked through the pages, folded them back on each other, and slapped it down noisily in front of Paige on the table. ‘There,’ he pointed. ‘It says, “Sebastian Fielding with Miss Lucinda Barrow-Hughes turning heads at the Annual Charity Ball.” I know you and he sort of got it together, but you would let me know if you had feelings for him, wouldn’t you?’

  ‘Of course.’ Paige stared at the paper, tears blurring the picture in front of her. ‘She’s his ex-fiancée, I already knew that.’

  ‘You knew? I didn’t think you bought the papers.’

  ‘She told me,’ said Paige quietly, refusing to volunteer anything more and not wishing to worry him by telling him about the photographer on her doorstep the previous day.

  His eyebrows shot up and he leaned back to check Clem wasn’t waiting for him. ‘Well?’

  Paige told him about Lucinda’s visit to the shop.

  ‘How weird,’ Olly said. ‘Why would she bother to go to all that effort, if she was so sure you meant so little to him?’

  Paige willed her sister to hurry up and get ready. ‘I’ve no idea.’

  ‘Then you’re being bloody dim.’ He shook his head. ‘She went out of her way to warn you off. Surely you can see that she considers you a threat?’

  ‘Do you really think so?’

  Olly covered his face with his hands. ‘It’s bloody obvious to anyone with half a brain cell.’

  He pushed her shoulder lightly. ‘I don’t know what Jeremy said to you, but you seem to have a lack of awareness when it comes to how fabulous you are. He glared at her. ‘That jilting bastard has a lot to answer for. Not every man is a selfish, conceited arse, Paige. Just because Sebastian Fielding didn’t make the choice you hoped for with your concession, it doesn’t mean he’s a shit.’

  Paige shrugged him off. ‘Fine, but it doesn’t take away the fact that I don’t want to have my life to be dragged through the papers. When I saw Sebastian in Sorrento it was completely different from how it would be over here.’

  ‘Talk to him,’ he said. ‘Maybe he knows ways to protect you from all this nonsense?’ Olly smiled.

  ‘What?’ She couldn’t imagine how he’d be able to sort this out.

  Olly winked at her. ‘I hope Lucinda Barrow-whatsit bought something while she was giving you the low-down?’

  ‘No,’ Paige said. ‘Arrived, let me have it, and buggered off without parting with a penny.’

  ‘Miserable cow.’

  ‘To be fair I did pretty much ask her to leave, but I’m surprised she didn’t mention being with him at the ball when she had the ideal opportunity to do so.’

  Olly held out a bag she knew would contain her favourite chocolate croissants. ‘Enough of her. Look, I came prepared,’ he said.

  ‘And this is why you’re my best friend.’ Paige winked at him, taking the bag from him without speaking. It was good having someone around who always knew exactly how to cheer her up. She stood up and went to the kitchen to share them out onto three plates.

  ‘Are you sure this is a good idea before you to go out to eat?’ She handed him a plate and tried hard not to dwell on the photo, now engraved in her mind, of Sebastian enjoying the ball with her nemesis.

  ‘Your sister seems permanently hungry,’ he said changing the subject. ‘She loves these like you do, more so now.’

  It must run in the family, thought Paige, sinking her teeth relishing the sticky warm chocolate oozing into her mouth. ‘Thanks, Ol,’ she said. ‘Clem won’t be long.’ She nudged him. ‘So? How are you two getting along?’

  Olly beamed at her. ‘I think we’re going to be OK. I just need to let her get on with things and not try to take over. I think she’s secretly worried I might start making plans for the baby that don’t coincide with her own,’ he widened his eyes. ‘So I’m keeping quiet as much as possible.’

  ‘Good thinking.’ Paige glanced down at the photo once more, noticing Lucinda’s smile. ‘Help yourself,’ she murmured indicating the kettle.

  Pouring a mug of hot black coffee, he followed her into the warm lounge, sitting down opposite her.

  ‘Well,’ Olly said. ‘As you don’t appear to want to discuss the article, shall I tell you about my plans for this evening?’

  Paige nodded, biting once more into the warm pastry. ‘Don’t forget that you’re telling me about my baby sister, so no gory details, please.’

  His eyebrows knitted together. ‘I’m not a complete idiot. I do love her though, and I’m going to ask her to marry me.’

  Paige nearly choked. Olly slapped her several times on the back, as she struggled to regain her self-control and start breathing properly again.

  ‘Shit, don’t frighten me like that,’ he said. ‘Surely it wasn’t that much of a surprise?’

  She gave him an apologetic look. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that. But don’t rush things, Olly. You’re only just back together. The last thing she needs on top of dealing with a baby is for you to give her a fright. You could end up scaring her, and ruining everything.

  ‘But your dad said I had to do the right thing,’ he said, looking hurt by her lack of enthusiasm.

  Paige lowered her voice, so Clem could not overhear them. ‘Olly, by all means ask my sister to marry you, but it’s probably better if you wait a little while. I think the main thing he wants to know is that you’ll be there for her and the baby. Give her a cha
nce to get used to being with you again first, before you make any grand gestures. Honestly, you’re such a romantic,’ she said in an effort to try and lighten the atmosphere between them.

  ‘That’s a joke. Don’t tell me you spent the night with Himself without feeling anything for him? I know you far too well to believe that. You’re not a screw ’em and move on sort of girl.’

  He was right, of course, but she was not going to admit it. ‘Subtle terminology, Ol, thanks.’

  ‘You know what I mean, and don’t try and change the subject. Didn’t it occur to you how it looked when you left the event the other night to race off after Sebastian?’

  How had it looked, she wondered. She hadn’t thought of anyone else at the time, only wishing to comfort Sebastian at the hospital. Was it naive of her to assume none of the other people at the races would think her sudden departure strange in any way?

  ‘I hadn’t given it a thought to be honest,’ she admitted. ‘Well, not until Clem mentioned that Dad had raged about seeing me with Sebastian at the races. I think he’s hoping to keep the papers away from Mum. He hasn’t phoned me about it though, thankfully.’

  ‘I think Clem explained about the jockey being taken to hospital, so he just thought you were being your usual thoughtful self.’ Olly whistled through his teeth. ‘Blimey, it all happens to you doesn’t it?’

  ‘Hardly,’ she argued. ‘Apart from going out to a few parties this summer, I’ve barely left the house except to go to work. Everything else I’ve done has been pretty dull.’

  ‘You’ve been away to Spain, don’t forget.’

  ‘Yes, for work purposes, and you know as well as I do that my time there is pretty much taken up with meetings and shopping. Again, all to do with work, I have no social life and certainly no love life to speak off, especially now.’

  His eyes lit up at her slip of the tongue. ‘Why, especially now?’

  Paige chewed her lower lip, irritated at her stupidity. ‘I didn’t mean anything by it. Anyway why do you think my life is so exciting?’

  ‘That wasn’t what I meant, and you know it.’ Olly pulled a sympathetic face. ‘I’m sorry it’s all gone tits up with Sir Whathisname.’

  She laughed at his turn of phrase, despite feeling utterly miserable. Hearing her sister’s footsteps on the stairs, she sighed with relief. ‘Go on, bugger off. Be kind, for once, and leave me to sulk in peace.’

  ‘You can join us if you want,’ he said, getting up and going to the doorway. ‘We’re only going to grab a bite in St Aubin.’

  Paige shook her head. She wasn’t willing to chance having her picture taken again. ‘No, thanks, anyway, Sense and Sensibility is on again this evening. All I want to do is stuff my face with more chocolate, and settle down to lose myself in it.’

  ‘What, the chocolate?’ He looked as if she had just told him she was going to the garden to eat worms.

  ‘No, fool, Sense and Sensibility,’ she giggled, waving him away.

  ‘Again? You must know the script better than Emma Thompson by now.’ He came back to give her a hug before handing over his plate. ‘Don’t worry, I’m going to leave now. Let you wallow.’ He hugged her, leaving immediately afterwards.

  Later, just after Emma asked Edward Ferris if he would like to take up the offer of a parish, she heard the front door open.

  ‘Knickers,’ grumbled Paige. It didn’t matter how many times she sat through the film, she still hated to be interrupted whilst watching it.

  She blew her nose on one of the many crumpled tissues lying all around her, before looking over at the doorway. Expecting to see Olly and Clem, she was taken aback to find Clem by herself. Paige looked behind her to see where Olly was.

  ‘Where is he?’ she frowned. ‘Oh, don’t tell me you’ve fallen out already?’

  ‘No, we haven’t.’ Clem took the remote control and switched off the television.

  ‘What did you do that for?’ she asked, not bothering to hide her irritation.

  ‘You and I need to talk.’

  Paige couldn’t imagine what must be so urgent her sister would interrupt her film.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ She felt sick with worry at the seriousness of her sister’s tone.

  Clem bent down to pick up the newspaper Olly had delivered so annoyingly earlier that evening, and thumbed through the pages impatiently, her tongue poking out of her full lips in concentration until she found what she was looking for. Folding the paper back on itself she passed it to Paige. ‘There,’ she said. ‘I have a feeling you haven’t read that bit yet.’

  ‘What bit?’ She wondered what could possibly be so important. Tempted to eat the last bit of her Dairy Milk chocolate, Paige went to pick it up.

  ‘Paige, you must listen to me.’ Clem grabbed Paige’s arm and sat down opposite her. ‘When Ol told me about this being in the paper tonight, we chatted and I remembered where I’d seen her before.’ Clem picked up the discarded chocolate and popped it into her mouth.

  Paige feigned disinterest as best she could. ‘And where would that be?’

  ‘Gossip magazines,’ Clem said swallowing the chocolate and looking very pleased.

  Paige had no idea what Clem was going on about. ‘So?’

  ‘Don’t you remember all the kerfuffle a couple of years ago?’

  ‘Nope,’ Paige shook her head wracking her memory to try and recall anything about Lucinda. ‘Tell me.’

  Clem clasped her hands together gleefully. ‘Lucinda used to be engaged to Sebastian.’

  ‘I know, she told me that, remember?’ Paige said, unable to keep the weary tone out of her voice.

  ‘OK, but did you know why she dumped him?’

  Paige sat up straighter in her chair, tucking her legs beneath her. ‘She mentioned something about it in the shop. I didn’t take much notice.’

  Why, she wondered, would someone so keen to keep Sebastian for herself, break up an engagement with him. Now she was intrigued, Sense and Sensibility forgotten for the time being.

  ‘I knew you’d want to hear more, knowing that juicy little titbit.’

  ‘Go on,’ Paige said, not bothering to hide her intrigue.

  ‘I knew I recognized him from somewhere, the first time I met him,’ Clem said. ‘I remember reading in the gossip magazines about their wedding preparations, flowers booked, bridesmaid dresses created in a haze of silks, that sort of thing, when she went and dumped him completely out of the blue.’ She paused for effect.

  ‘She jilted him? But why would she do something like that if she’s so into him?’ Paige asked impatiently.

  ‘I can’t believe you didn’t read about this at the time,’ Clem said, her eyes sparking with excitement.

  ‘Nor can I,’ she sighed heavily. ‘Hurry up.’

  Clem sat back and folded her arms. ‘She only went and ran off with his gardener.’

  Paige thought she must have misheard. ‘Sorry?’

  ‘You heard.’

  Paige frowned thoughtfully. ‘From what I’ve seen of Lucinda and her class snobbery, she doesn’t seem the type to choose a gardener over a wealthy businessman. It doesn’t sound like her at all.’ Something didn’t add up, Paige was sure of it.

  ‘I doubt it was his relentless charm or anything, although I gather he was rather hot,’ Clem added, shaking her head. ‘No, this bloke won the lottery. Scooped over four and a half million, only to then go on to win Lucinda’s fickle heart. Surely you remember reading about it in the papers?’

  Paige tried to absorb this news. ‘Sorry, I don’t remember it at all.’

  Clem shook her head and laughed. ‘I can’t believe you missed this story. It was all over the papers for a few days, then in the usual rags for weeks. One minute Lucinda and Sebastian were being photographed arm in arm, showing off all over the place, then just like that,’ she clicked her fingers. ‘She drops him like the proverbial hot potato and buggers off with Jeeves.’

  Paige’s opened her eyes wide in disbelief. ‘The gardener wasn’
t called Jeeves, surely?’

  Clem groaned. ‘No, of course he bloody wasn’t, and that isn’t the point I’m trying to make here. What I’m nearly killing myself to spell out to you is that your beloved Sebastian used to be engaged to Lucinda sodding Barrow-Hughes, stupid bloody name. Now, if what she told you is right, she’s come back to reclaim him. And she has a bloody cheek thinking she can do that, if you ask me.’

  ‘I doubt anyone would ask you,’ Paige teased, despite not feeling at all jovial. ‘But you’re right. She has a lot of nerve.’

  ‘I told you.’

  ‘Yes, but it’s not any of our business is it?’ Paige said, the reality of what her sister had told her starting to sink in.

  Clem sighed. ‘It is if you’re seeing him.’

  ‘I’m not though, am I?’

  ‘Oh.’ Clem looked disappointed by this revelation. ‘That was far harder work than I’d expected though. Don’t you ever read anything other than Vogue?’

  Paige shook her head absent-mindedly. ‘I must have been so involved with setting up the shop, I didn’t really bother with anything not connected to it. Now she wants him back,’ she said, almost to herself.

  ‘Well, wouldn’t you? He obviously loved her once, they were engaged after all, and now he’s inherited his uncle’s estate and worth a small fortune. Lucinda obviously realises she’s made a boob by buggering off in the first place.’ She patted Paige’s knee. ‘I love you, Sis, but somehow I don’t fancy your chances against a devious cow like her.’

  Neither did Paige, and she would have preferred it if her sister didn’t say so.

  ‘And if they’re at that ball together then they obviously still have something going on even if he isn’t admitting it to himself, or anyone else.’

  Paige noticed Clem fidgeting. ‘Do you want to be somewhere else?’

  ‘No,’ she said. ‘It’s just that I asked Ol to give me a few minutes while I spoke to you about this.’ Clem hesitated.

  ‘There’s more?’ Paige didn’t like the look on Clem’s face. She looked troubled. ‘What?’