CHAPTER 26 #2
“Sure.”
“I want to find the exit of the tunnel that leads from the Lady Linford Suite.”
“You’re not still obsessing about that lens cover you found, are you?”
She frowned. “Curious, that’s all.” She did a few mental calculations, then started to walk uphill. “I think it’s this direction.”
“Should I be looking out for a Hobbit entrance?” Robert said, striding up behind her.
She flashed him a grin. “Something similar. Apparently there’s a couple of big rocks near the exit, with the ground rising behind them.” She stopped and looked around and then started to walk again. “Over here, I think.” She walked slowly over to two large rocks. “I think this might be it.”
He shook his head. “How do you know all this?”
“Marketing managers are a mine of trivial information,” Jess said cheerfully. “Ian, the hotel events manager, told me about it last year.” She crouched down between the two rocks and started to push aside loose branches and undergrowth, until her hand connected with something solid. “This is it.”
He helped her clear the rest of the undergrowth away, revealing a metal door set at an incline into the hill behind, just big enough for a large adult to crawl through.
“Ye olde steel door.” She grinned. “There might have been no door originally and at some later stage it was given a timber door which rotted away over time and was replaced by this one.”
“You can’t open it from the outside,” Robert said.
Jess turned. “Yeah, there’s a bolt on the other side of this. How did you know?”
He crouched down beside her to take a look. “I’ve been working up at the castle – the staff are always talking about these tunnels. And I think they were part of the last promotional videos about the place.”
“They were the videos I commissioned.” Jess sat back on her heels. “I’d be worried if this was open.” She smiled wryly. “This probably wasn’t what you had in mind when you offered to come on a walk with me. Let’s get back into the sun.”
Jess camouflaged the exit again, before they doubled back, staying close to the river until they emerged into a clearing.
Robert ran a hand lightly over the grass. “It’s dry. Let’s sit for while.”
As Jess sat down, Doug Strathan – wearing Lycra running gear – came jogging in their direction.
“Doug, hi!”
“Hey, honey.” He stopped. “Rob, isn’t it?”
“Robert.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Nice day for a run.”
“I like to keep fit. And this little wood suits me, away from the paps.” Doug winked at Jess. “Be good, now.” He jogged off.
Jess unwrapped her roll and took a bite, as Robert made himself comfortable beside her.
“I’d say that guy’s full of himself,” he said.
Jess shrugged, unwilling to admit that he made her feel a bit … icky. He’d never said or done anything that awful – she was probably being totally unfair to him. She chewed, feeling a little self-conscious as Robert slipped his arm around her.
This was the same river that ran through Ballygobbin, she thought – the little village where she and Simon had planned to marry.
She and Adam had taken a detour there last year after spending the morning in Linford Castle.
They’d walked along the riverbank before going to see the village’s tiny, picturesque church. The one where she and Adam had kissed.
She half-wished she could feel guilty about that. It hadn’t exactly been her finest hour, especially when she’d been keeping so many secrets from both Simon and Adam. Which brought her neatly back to her current predicament – now she was keeping secrets from Robert. It wasn’t fair.
“I was engaged,” she blurted out.
“Recently?”
She turned her head and met his eyes. “I was meant to get married last July.”
“You were the runaway bride at that celebrity wedding.” He frowned. “But people thought you were just a decoy. Was that –”
“My actual wedding day too? Yup.”
“Wow.” He looked a bit stunned. “So who ended it?”
“Would you believe it was mutual?” Jess wrapped up the mostly uneaten roll. “We parted as friends.”
“That’s pretty rare.” His laugh was half-disbelieving. “I thought you said you had no dark secrets.”
She thought of Adam, and the baby they should have had. But those were far more personal than the wedding that never happened. It was self-preservation to keep all that private, she told herself. She’d shared enough for now. “That’s it.”
Robert regarded her with interest. “So, how did you end up in Linford on the day of your wedding?”
“Good question.” Jess stretched her legs out in front of her and sighed. “It’s kind of complicated. And I’m not allowed to talk about it.”
“Let’s not talk, then.” He slid one hand up to her face, angling her mouth to meet his.
She closed her eyes and leaned in, focussing on the sensual combination of the kiss and the warm breeze on her skin.
Robert didn’t make her feel dizzy and needy, the way Adam had – the thought nudged the edges of her mind, and she wriggled closer to him.
She had to stop comparing every man she met with Adam.
Who wanted to feel dizzy and needy all the time?
It was probably bad for your health. Adam had been bad for her health!
Only because he pulled away when you needed him most. There it was – the painful memory pierced her consciousness and her eyes snapped open.
“What’s the matter?” Robert frowned and Jess realised she’d pulled away.
“Nothing.” She couldn’t keep doing this.
“I was just a bit distracted by the um …” she looked quickly around, “the heron.” She pointed to the river.
Was that the same heron she and Adam had seen that day in Ballygobbin?
Great, she was doing a first-rate job of putting Adam out of her mind.
And there were probably dozens of herons on the river.
“You managed to see the heron while we were kissing? I’m going to have to work on my technique.”
“Ha-ha.” Heat flashed to her cheeks, despite the breeze from the water. “It wasn’t that, honestly. I think I just um, heard a splash and …” What was she even saying?
Robert was looking at her in amused disbelief.
“Have you never seen one in real life before?”
“Of course I have.” Maybe she could go splash some of the river water on her face to cool it down.
“Do you want to really see this river at its best?”
“A river is always at its best,” she said, relaxing a little.
“I disagree.” He smiled. “Linford has a summer solstice party on the village green every year. The residents’ association committee organises it. Ted supplies all the food and drink and the whole village turns out. Can I tempt you?”
“To Ted’s food?” Her eyes narrowed.
“Come with me, as my date.”
His date. To the summer solstice party in two days’ time! See how easy this is, Jess?
“That sounds great.”
“Excellent.” He checked the time. “I’d better get back to work.” He got to his feet and put out his hand.
Jess took it and scrambled up, pulling down her fitted skirt as it threatened to bunch up around her.
This was perfect, she thought, as they walked back. Every new experience – every date with Robert – was another step in the right direction. Jess slipped her hand into his and he squeezed it gently as they headed into the village.