Read Online Summer at the Star and Sixpence by Holly Hepburn - Free Book Online
Authors: Holly Hepburn
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father in the second. ‘You should get going, Ness,’ Sam said, as they waved the carriage off with the
bride and Mr Smith inside it.
Her sister nodded. ‘You’re sure you can manage?’
‘Of course,’ Sam said, giving her a little push. ‘Go and ogle Owen in a suit.’
Nessie’s smile faltered a little but she didn’t argue. ‘Okay. I’ll get back as soon as I can.’
Sam watched her make her way across the green: taking the direct route that would be quicker than the roads the carriage had to travel and she’d easily make it before the bride. Just as
Sam was about to go in search of Joss, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and smiled when she saw the name on the screen. ‘Nick Borrowdale, how are you?’
‘I’ve just taken a call from a tabloid journalist about you, Sam.’ Nick’s voice was urgent and grim. ‘He wanted to know how I felt about being two-timed with the
government’s married Morality Tsar.’
Sam’s smile vanished like the sun behind a rain cloud. ‘What? When?’
‘Around twenty minutes ago,’ Nick said. ‘What the fuck is going on, Sam? How do they know about you and Will?’
It was a good question, Sam thought numbly. Someone had obviously talked. But who – Marina Pargeter or Will himself?
‘Tell me everything,’ she demanded.
An hour later Sam greeted her sister at the door of the pub, feeling like she might throw up at any moment. ‘Nessie, I’m sorry to dump this on you but I’ve
got to go.’
Nessie’s mouth fell open. ‘What? Go where?’
‘To London. Nick called – my secret is out.
The Sunday Planet
is running it on the front page tomorrow.’
She watched the blood drain from her sister’s face. ‘How?’
Sam tightened her lips: she had a pretty good idea what had happened but she wasn’t ready to share it with Nessie yet, not without the facts. ‘His wife has known for a while. I
expect this is something to do with her.’
‘Sam!’ Nessie gasped. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I don’t have time to explain,’ Sam said, feeling a stab of guilt at the hurt and bewilderment on her sister’s face. ‘You’ll be fine without me. I’ve
asked Tilly to take care of setting up the bridal suite later and the caterers will look after the drinks during the meal. All you need to do is keep an eye on the bar staff and remember to
smile.’
Nessie stared at her. ‘For God’s sake, Sam, how am I supposed to do that?’
Sam felt her eyes prickle with tears and blinked them away; she didn’t have time to feel sorry for herself now. She needed to get to London to confront Will and see if there was a way to
stop the story from going to print. And if there wasn’t, she’d need the services of a bloody good PR.
‘Just do your best,’ she told Nessie, squeezing her arms. ‘It’ll be fine.’
Her sister gave a reluctant nod. ‘Drive carefully.’
‘I will,’ Sam said, hurrying out of the door.
The village green was beginning to get crowded. Sam craned her head, searching for Joss, but there were too many people in the way. She couldn’t see him. Once again, she regretted not
having told him what was going on. He’d have to wait until she got back, she decided, heading towards her car. And she’d just have to hope he understood.
Chapter Eight
Nessie knew she needed to keep her mind on the job but it was hard, knowing that her sister was racing towards London, probably in no fit state to drive. How could this happen,
today of all days? She’d known Sam’s secret lover was someone explosive – it had to be for her to have lost her job – and her sister had always said it was someone the
newspapers would tear apart. But since they’d taken over the Star and Sixpence, Sam had started to relax a little. Maybe she’d even convinced herself that her ill-judged one-night stand
wasn’t coming back to bite her. Nessie had certainly almost forgotten about it. Now it had raised its head again and its
bride and Mr Smith inside it.
Her sister nodded. ‘You’re sure you can manage?’
‘Of course,’ Sam said, giving her a little push. ‘Go and ogle Owen in a suit.’
Nessie’s smile faltered a little but she didn’t argue. ‘Okay. I’ll get back as soon as I can.’
Sam watched her make her way across the green: taking the direct route that would be quicker than the roads the carriage had to travel and she’d easily make it before the bride. Just as
Sam was about to go in search of Joss, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out and smiled when she saw the name on the screen. ‘Nick Borrowdale, how are you?’
‘I’ve just taken a call from a tabloid journalist about you, Sam.’ Nick’s voice was urgent and grim. ‘He wanted to know how I felt about being two-timed with the
government’s married Morality Tsar.’
Sam’s smile vanished like the sun behind a rain cloud. ‘What? When?’
‘Around twenty minutes ago,’ Nick said. ‘What the fuck is going on, Sam? How do they know about you and Will?’
It was a good question, Sam thought numbly. Someone had obviously talked. But who – Marina Pargeter or Will himself?
‘Tell me everything,’ she demanded.
An hour later Sam greeted her sister at the door of the pub, feeling like she might throw up at any moment. ‘Nessie, I’m sorry to dump this on you but I’ve
got to go.’
Nessie’s mouth fell open. ‘What? Go where?’
‘To London. Nick called – my secret is out.
The Sunday Planet
is running it on the front page tomorrow.’
She watched the blood drain from her sister’s face. ‘How?’
Sam tightened her lips: she had a pretty good idea what had happened but she wasn’t ready to share it with Nessie yet, not without the facts. ‘His wife has known for a while. I
expect this is something to do with her.’
‘Sam!’ Nessie gasped. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I don’t have time to explain,’ Sam said, feeling a stab of guilt at the hurt and bewilderment on her sister’s face. ‘You’ll be fine without me. I’ve
asked Tilly to take care of setting up the bridal suite later and the caterers will look after the drinks during the meal. All you need to do is keep an eye on the bar staff and remember to
smile.’
Nessie stared at her. ‘For God’s sake, Sam, how am I supposed to do that?’
Sam felt her eyes prickle with tears and blinked them away; she didn’t have time to feel sorry for herself now. She needed to get to London to confront Will and see if there was a way to
stop the story from going to print. And if there wasn’t, she’d need the services of a bloody good PR.
‘Just do your best,’ she told Nessie, squeezing her arms. ‘It’ll be fine.’
Her sister gave a reluctant nod. ‘Drive carefully.’
‘I will,’ Sam said, hurrying out of the door.
The village green was beginning to get crowded. Sam craned her head, searching for Joss, but there were too many people in the way. She couldn’t see him. Once again, she regretted not
having told him what was going on. He’d have to wait until she got back, she decided, heading towards her car. And she’d just have to hope he understood.
Chapter Eight
Nessie knew she needed to keep her mind on the job but it was hard, knowing that her sister was racing towards London, probably in no fit state to drive. How could this happen,
today of all days? She’d known Sam’s secret lover was someone explosive – it had to be for her to have lost her job – and her sister had always said it was someone the
newspapers would tear apart. But since they’d taken over the Star and Sixpence, Sam had started to relax a little. Maybe she’d even convinced herself that her ill-judged one-night stand
wasn’t coming back to bite her. Nessie had certainly almost forgotten about it. Now it had raised its head again and its
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