CHAPTER 4
@Goss.ie We’re so excited for @SpencerTorres and @AfricBrooks upcoming movie which will start filming in the next few days at our own Linford Castle in Mayo.
Even better, it’s an enemies to lovers romcom about two people who jointly inherit – you guessed it – an old Irish castle. #AnIrishInheritance
Jess packed up her car and drove down to Linford Castle the following Tuesday.
The cast and crew of An Irish Inheritance were due to arrive the following weekend, so Anthony Neary had invited her to stay at the hotel until the cottage he’d secured for her in the village was given a structural check and a professional cleaning.
“It belonged to a relative of one of our staff,” he’d told Jess. “The family are happy to lend it.”
As Jess drove up Linford’s winding, tree-lined driveway, she could see what looked like a partially constructed outdoor set in the furthest west field near the river.
A few minutes later, the early seventeenth-century castle came into full view, with its imposing square turrets and high stone walls, partially covered by ivy.
She pulled up at the castle’s west side and turned off the engine. As she walked around to the main entrance, memories of the previous July flooded back and she wondered if she’d unconsciously avoided coming to Linford since then.
Pushing open one of the heavy, oak double doors, she stepped out of the warm, late May sunshine into the cool exterior of the grand foyer.
She took a moment to appreciate its high, arched, wood-panelled ceiling and four vast fireplaces, which she knew would have been swept and cleaned after the winter season before being filled with large arrangements of fresh flowers.
“Jess? Is that you?” Emily O’Brien hurried over to her. “I couldn’t believe it when Mr Neary said you were coming down!”
“It’s so good to see you!” Jess hugged Emily tightly.
She hadn’t seen her in seven months, since Emily had made the move from head office to work as a receptionist at Linford. She’d missed her so much, she realised as she pulled back, trying to pinpoint what was different about her.
“You’ve dyed your hair!” Even with the low bun Emily had to wear as part of the hotel’s strict Victorian-style uniform, Jess could see that her blonde hair was whiter than she remembered.
“Yeah.” Emily grinned. “I wasn’t sure I’d get away with it, but as long as it’s not purple or something I think I’m good.”
“So, how’s the new job?”
Emily turned to greet a couple of guests who were strolling through the foyer, then waited until they were of earshot.
“It’s everything, Jess.” She gestured to the high-collared white blouse and floor-length navy skirt, which managed to make her look even taller and more slender than she was.
“Even the uniform’s a bit of fun! It’s like getting into a role.
Seriously, I can’t thank you enough for putting in a word for me. ”
“Country life isn’t too quiet?” Jess grinned.
Emily hesitated, then shook her head. “I heard you’re gonna be here for a few weeks?”
“Six weeks – just while the film is being made.”
Emily nodded. “Now, Mr Neary said to put you in the Lady Helen suite when you arrived. It’ll only be until Friday, but you might as well enjoy a bit of luxury, right?”
“Wow, nice! Three days in a five-star hotel suite!” And completely on her own. The thought of being able to do whatever she wanted or nothing at all, without having to answer to anyone, made her feel a bit giddy.
“Right, and you don’t believe all that haunted-room stuff, sure you don’t?”
“Haunted-room stuff? You mean it’s the …”
“The Bridal Suite, yeah. We renamed it after the celebrity wedding.” Emily frowned. “Had you forgotten?”
“Jess, lovely to see you!” Anthony Neary’s voice boomed across the foyer.
Jess turned to see him striding towards her. Anthony was in his mid-fifties, He was tall and broad, with just a hint of a belly under his tailor-made, three-piece suit.
“You just got here? Has Emily been telling you about your suite?” He reached her and grasped her hand in his.
“Are you hungry? I was just about to have a spot of lunch in the orangery and I took the liberty of ordering enough for two. But there’s no pressure if you’d just prefer a coffee or something”
“Actually ...” Jess glanced at her watch, “lunch sounds great. Just something simple, though.”
Jess said goodbye to Emily and turned to listen to Anthony as they walked towards the east wing.
“We’ve ten rooms occupied at the moment, but the last three parties will check out on Friday. And we’ll have your cottage ready by then too. It’s right on the main street – belonged to a relative of one of our staff, would you believe?”
“So I heard,” Jess murmured. “You’re very good to organise this, Anthony, I really appreciate it.”
“Not at all. With Ian in Australia, you’re doing me a favour. I haven’t forgotten how you pulled our celebrity wedding out of the fire last year. Stroke of genius!”
“It was nothing, really.” Jess managed a light laugh. “Anyone would have done the same.” Especially if they’d helped the bride to escape in the first place. She was so grateful to Ian for keeping her secret. He’d saved her reputation and her job.
“I don’t think you’ve been here since we restored our Whispering Gallery?” Anthony said. “We had to replace the floor, but we were careful to replicate it, minus all the creaking joints, of course. You should give it a try – it’s great fun.”
“I will.” Jess could visualise the small, elliptical gallery that ran around the back of Linford’s Great Hall, its unique curvature allowing even whispered conversations at one end to be overheard at the other.
They reached the orangery and Anthony held the door as Jess stepped inside.
The late nineteenth-century extension to the castle was as beautiful as she remembered, its high glass ceiling filtering sun onto the wicker chairs and marble-top tables, grouped among carefully cultivated indoor trees and tall, leafy plants in huge, stone pots on a tiled floor.
“We’ve opened some of the skylights for you.” Anthony gestured to the openings all across the domed ceiling. “I remember Ian saying you’ve a bit of a pollen allergy.”
He led her to a table laid out for lunch and rang a discreet bell.
Moments later, a young woman – dressed similarly to Emily, but with a long apron over her ankle-length dress – brought out a silver trolley laden with sandwiches and other small savouries, some tiny desserts, pots of tea and coffee, and carafes of still and sparkling water.
Jess blinked. “Holly?”
“Jess!” Holly went bright red. “I mean – ma’am.”
Jess glanced at Anthony, whose only reaction was a raised eyebrow.
“No, please, I asked you to call me Jess, remember?” Nothing wrong with a small white lie. She’d got to know Holly the previous year, and was very fond of her.
“Holly’s family own the cottage where you’ll be staying,” Anthony said.
Holly smiled widely. “When Mr Neary put the word out that you were looking for somewhere, I thought of my uncle’s place. He died a couple of months ago, but Mam’s been great, clearing it out, like.” She wrinkled her nose. “Mam said you wouldn’t put a dog in there but my uncle wasn’t married and –”
Anthony cleared his throat and Holly shot him a quick glance.
“Anyway, she said she’d be delighted to let you have the house. Sure, you’re a bit of a legend around here.”
“That’ll be all for now, thank you, Holly,” Anthony said, his mouth twitching. “We’ll help ourselves.”
With a big smile, Holly moved the trolley closer to Anthony and then left.
“What would you like to drink, Jess?” he asked.
“Oh, coffee, thank you.” Jess wriggled a bit more comfortably into her chair. For the first time since meeting Adam the previous week, she felt she was able to relax. “So, I heard the staff are staying while the film people are here?”
He offered Jess a plate of delicately cut sandwiches. “We’ll have full capacity, so we’ll need everyone except some of our kitchen staff. Blue Star Studios will be hiring their own food trucks, but we’re keeping a couple of chefs on for ourselves.”
“I’ll just need somewhere to base myself while I’m here.” She took a bite of the sandwich and suppressed a small moan. She’d forgotten how good all the food tasted at the hotel. She might also need to take up running. Or at least ask someone to hide the food.
“You’re very welcome to use Ian’s office,” Anthony said.
“Oh, make sure you leave your car key with Emily, and she can arrange to have your luggage taken up to your suite. Also, don’t forget to pick up a special security swipe from reception – everyone coming and going from the hotel will need one while the film people are here. ”
“I will.”
“So, do you have plans for the rest of the day?”
“I might just get settled in.” Then Jess had an idea. “Actually, I’d love to go riding. Are the horses being stabled here while the filming is happening?”
Anthony nodded. “They are, we’ve six here at the moment. You’re more than welcome to take advantage of the stables. Have you had much experience?”
She smiled. “I’ve been riding since I was a child.”
“Excellent.” Anthony gave her an appraising look. “We have some riding gear in the tack room if you need to borrow anything.”
“I should have everything I need. I usually just leave all my riding gear in the boot of my car.” She hadn’t been riding in weeks – it’d be wonderful to take one of the horses out around the grounds. “I’ll go explore Linford village too – I’ve never actually done that.”
“Hmm, well, you’ll find the locals are very excited about this filming.” Anthony offered her a tray of savoury bites. “Most of them, anyway.”
“Most of them?” She chose a few delicious-looking savouries.
Anthony sighed. “The residents’ association committee refused permission to use the village for the outdoor scenes. They claimed the main street was too small, especially because it’s partly residential. Too much disruption to the local businesses too, apparently.”
“That’s crazy.” Jess picked up her coffee. “Are many of the villagers employed by the hotel?”
“Off-hand, I’d say about half of our full-time staff live in a ten-mile radius, but that number rises when we employ casual labour during the tourist season, and in December.”
“You’d imagine they’d be a lot more open to a movie being made here,” Jess said.
“Hm.” Anthony nodded. “We tried to negotiate with the committee, but they were adamant. So the film people suggested they build a fake village on the grounds. But if we hadn’t had the room, who knows, we might have lost our chance.”
She remembered the set she’d seen in the far field as she’d driven in. “I think people will forget about that by the time the movie gets underway. The locals are going to be very involved – it’s exactly what Linford needs at this stage.”
“I just hope you’re right, Jess.”
She beamed at him. “I’ve a very good feeling about it.”