CHAPTER 5
After lunch, Jess had changed into her riding gear before making her way to the stables behind the castle. The stable manager had helped her choose a beautiful, dappled mare named Ladybird and she’d spent a peaceful three-quarters of an hour riding.
Afterwards, she’d showered and freshened up, trying to ignore how surreal it felt to be back in the bridal suite – now the Lady Linford Suite – just over nine months after she’d helped a tearful reality TV star, Chelsea Deneuve, escape a cheating groom and the paparazzi on the day of her wedding.
She’d also decided to pretend that the entrance to the scary tunnel wasn’t located beside the huge fireplace in her bedroom. The most important thing was that it was locked and going to stay that way.
Now, as she walked back down the driveway and out of the hotel grounds into Linford Village, it struck her just how tiny the place was.
Not to mention incredibly clean. The grass verges had been recently cut and there were big planters of flowers and hanging baskets outside every shop.
Whatever about the resident association’s official objections, it looked as if the majority of the locals were taking the arrival of Hollywood to their little part of the world very seriously and intent on looking their best. Still, after the world’s press had descended on the village the previous year, this wasn’t their first rodeo.
She stopped for a moment, realising that she’d already passed a butcher’s, pharmacy, pub, fish and chips takeaway and a gift shop – the latter which had dedicated a whole window to souvenirs of small, castle statues and keyrings.
She stood back, scanning the street for the local supermarket, but didn’t see one.
“Excuse me, love.”
An elderly woman pushing a walking frame nudged her gently, and Jess stepped out of the way.“Sorry.”
The woman peered up at her. “Are you looking for the hotel?”
Jess shook her head. “No, the supermarket.”
“Ted’s Store.” The woman pointed down the street. “You can’t miss it.”
“It’s just called Ted’s Store?”
The other woman looked amused. “Ted owns it.”
“Thanks.”
Jess spotted it a couple of moments later.
If this was the village’s only grocery store, it was bound to stock all the basics.
And if she needed anything else, there would be bigger shops in the neighbouring towns.
For the next few days, she wouldn’t need to buy anything. Still, no harm in checking it out.
She stepped inside, past the fresh food section at the front, and wandered up and down the aisles, taking stock of what they had. There seemed to be a huge amount of tinned food, and one whole aisle was reserved for alcohol.
“There’s a midweek special on all the wines. Buy two, get a third half-price.”
Jess turned to see a tall, fair-haired man in jeans and a crisp, white cotton shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows to reveal lightly tanned, muscled arms.
She smiled. “I’m not looking for wine.” Not right now, anyway.
He smiled back, blue eyes crinkling at the corners. “What are you looking for?”
“Um, well, I just came in to have a look around.”
“Yes, I can see why.” He rubbed a hand over a neat beard, slightly darker than his hair. “There’re very few shops like Ted’s. We’re spoilt really, having such an upmarket food emporium out here in the sticks.”
“Eh, yes –” Jess noticed the glint in his eyes and burst out laughing. “Are you from the locality?”
“For my sins.” He folded his arms. “Sometimes I venture out further to do my shopping, though. Just don’t tell Ted.”
“I won’t breathe a word.”
There were two sharp rings of a bell from the top of the shop.
“Sounds like my order’s ready.” He held her eyes for a few moments longer than necessary. “See you around.”
Jess found herself smiling stupidly after he left.
After she and Adam broke up, she’d relegated flirting to her Least Important Skill, having decided that the middle-aged bus driver on the 42E who winked at her every morning didn’t count.
But apparently it was like riding a bike.
Or a horse. And she’d just got straight back on.
Her eye fell on a towering chocolate display. Really, it’d be rude to walk out without buying something. She picked up a Twix bar and took a small bottle of water from the fridge, before heading to the register to pay.
The short, balding man behind the counter nodded to her and scanned the items. “Do you need a bag?”
“Uh, no thanks.”
“You just down for the day?”
She decided to be honest. “Actually, I’ll be here for the next six or seven weeks. I work for the Charleston Group that owns Linford Castle. I’ll be staying in the village while the filming is going on at the hotel.”
“Ah, you’re the girleen staying at JJ Cahill’s old place.” He wiped his hand on a shirt that didn’t quite button all the way over his stomach, before extending it to her. “Ted Nolan. Linford might be small, but there’s nothing you can get in a big city that you can’t get here.”
She hid a smile as she shook his slightly clammy hand. “Jess Bradley.”
“Anything you want to know, Jessie, I’m your man.”
“Great, thanks again. And, um, it’s just Jess.”
Ted’s eyes narrowed. “Oh, I heard you alright. Well, I’m sure we’ll be seeing plenty of you over the next while.”
“Uh, yes, I’m sure you will.” Jess had the uneasy feeling that that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.