Chapter 15
15
Esme, Judd and Zach sloped off without their escape being noticed and when they reached the chapel they swapped phone numbers for ease of communication and split up. Zach headed back to the apartments to see if she had returned there, Judd headed towards the nursery and Esme made her way to the kids’ play area. If she was being honest, she’d chosen that particular location because it seemed the place she would be least likely to locate the sulking actor, who also happened to be her arch nemesis.
If only she had been right.
Lucille was on the highest point of the wooden climbing fort when Esme arrived. Of course I found her, why the hell wouldn’t I? she thought, inwardly cursing her luck, or lack thereof. Lucille had a bottle of wine in one hand and was precariously balanced, clinging on with the other hand to the wooden frame. The security lights were on, casting a daylight-bright glow over the play area. The temperature seemed to have dropped in the short amount of time the search had been ongoing, and Esme shivered, wrapping her jacket a little tighter around her.
‘Lucille, could you come down, please? Zach’s worried sick about you. He’s off looking for you right now,’ Esme snapped, annoyed that her plan to avoid Lucille had somehow failed.
‘Oh, God, it’s you. Why the hell did he send you, of all people, to look for me?’ Lucille slurred.
‘Probably because I work here and know the place. But I offered to help, actually. Like I said, he’s really worried about you.’ As she spoke, she fired off a quick text to Judd and Zach to let them know she had found the errant actor.
‘Pfft. He wasn’t worried when he was undressing you and taking you to his bed, was he?’
Esme scrunched her face in incredulity. ‘You know very well that didn’t even happen, Lucille. But thanks to you and your fertile imagination, I almost lost my job.’
Lucille swung out over the drop where the climbing rope was supposed to help the occupants of the fort – usually children – to reach the ground safely, but she still had one hand on the wine and one on the post and Esme covered her mouth with her hand as her heart leapt into her throat. This can’t be happening. It just can’t .
Lucille took a swig of the wine and scoffed, ‘Oh, sod off, you prissy cow. It’s not like you do anything important. You type memos and make phone calls and coffee all day. Whoop dee bloody doo. It’s hardly rocket science. I’m pretty sure you could find the same job elsewhere easy enough.’ She took another, longer, gulp from the wine bottle and slipped a little, causing Esme to gasp. Lucille seemed to get off on her fear and began to laugh. ‘Ooh, I might fall, ooh, can you catch me?’ The ground was covered in rubberised safety tiles and bark chippings but that would no doubt be of little help if Lucille was to fall with a glass bottle in her hand.
Just keep her chatting, Esme. Keep her focused on you . ‘Well, I don’t want to work somewhere else. I happen to like my job here, thank you very much, and I don’t need you causing problems for me,’ Esme replied through gritted teeth. ‘Now please come down from there. You’re going to get hurt.’
Lucille cackled and swung out again, deliberately this time. ‘Ooooooh, is that a threat, Esmerelda ? Are you going to hurt me, Esmerelda ? Can you hear the bells, Esmerelda ?’ she said, mimicking the Hunchback himself. ‘I mean, who in their right mind gives their kid such a stupid name anyway? Because it really is stupid, Ethmerelduh .’ She mocked her again.
And you look a little like Quasimodo up there right now but I’m not throwing that in your face . Esme sighed. ‘Look, Lucille, we’re all subject to what our parents call us, and few of us have any say in the matter so drop the insults and just come on down, please.’
Lucille pointed the bottle in her direction. ‘I chose my own stage name actually , Miss Prissy Pants. And not because of SAG-AFTRA if that’s what you’re thinking. Nooo, I just didn’t want to be called Hilda Smethurst any longer. Even if I was named after my dear grandma. It just wasn’t very award-winning actory ,’ she chuntered, almost to herself. ‘I mean, Hilda went out of fashion with the sodding ark. My gran was in the bloody war, for goodness’ sake. Why did my sister get such a nice name but not me? Sadie’s a really pretty name. It’s hardly fair.’
Esme widened her eyes. ‘Well, bang goes Judd’s Lucy Johnson theory,’ she whispered.
Lucille continued with her barrage. ‘You don’t realise how delusional you are, do you? Do you honestly think Zach is capable of having feelings for a normy?’
Esme narrowed her eyes. ‘A what?’
‘Ugh. Are you dumb? A normy. Someone boring and normal like you, who does a mundane job for a living. No real prospects, you know?’
‘Oh, right. Gee, thanks. Actually, for your information I have no delusions about Zach at all. He’s a nice man but I’m very much aware I’m no award-winning actor.’
‘No, you’re not.’ Her expression changed for a second and there seemed to be a little clarity in her eyes. ‘But I’ve heard about your am dram efforts. If I didn’t hate you with every fibre of my being, I’d say good on you for at least trying. And with Shakespeare, no less. Very brave girl.’ She chuckled and hiccupped, the clarity gone again.
‘Gee, thanks again ,’ Esme replied. ‘You’re pretty handy with the compliments as usual as I see. And how can you hate someone you don’t even know? How is that fair?’
‘It’s nothing personal, you know. I’m sure you’re a fairly decent person.’ The curled lip that accompanied the back-handed compliment wasn’t at all convincing.
‘Nothing personal? I think hating someone for no reason is pretty damn personal, actually. And if you got to know me, you’d see that I am a decent person.’
‘You just don’t get it, do you? Zach and I have hisssstory. Lotssss of history. He loves me and only me. But you’re blurring the lines just by being around. It’s not really your fault. You’re not that bad, I suppose. You’re just in the way, that’s all.’ Her slurring was worsening with every passing second and the breeze blew her hair in front of her eyes, causing her to flail and Esme’s stomach to lurch in response.
She didn’t need a dead celebrity on her conscience. ‘Not that bad? Charming. And, correct me if I’m wrong, but you just said you hate me with, and I quote, “every fibre of your being”. I’d say that was the opposite of not that bad, wouldn’t you?’
Lucille burst into a fit of giggles. ‘Oh, yeah! I suppose it is. Durrrr.’
Just keep her talking. While she’s talking, she’s not falling. ‘And also, didn’t you dump him?’
‘Aww, you poor thing. He’s not as nice as people think, you know. He uses people too. Just like the rest of us. But you’re obiv… obili… beliv…’ She shook her head and growled. ‘You just can’t see it, can you? You really have got it bad for him, haven’t you?’ She pouted, her bottom lip protruding like a chastised toddler. ‘Admit it and I’ll come down.’
Esme took a few steps towards the fort. ‘Yes, Lucille, I’ve adored Zach since I was a starry-eyed teenager, okay? I had his posters on my wall and dreamed I’d marry him one day, and we’d live in a castle, but I was stupid to ever think he could like a normy like me. Happy now? Now could you please just come down from there?’
‘Okay, but only because I’m cold and want to go to bed,’ Lucille replied with a sigh. She glanced around. ‘Erm… I’m not actually sure how I got up here in the first place.’ She twisted her head this way and that. ‘I think I’m a stit buck. I mean… a stit buck. Ugh, I just said that. You know what I mean, normy .’
Esme took another step closer but made sure to keep Lucille in her eyeline. ‘You’re not a bit stuck , Lucille. You can do it. Just pull yourself back onto the fort and head for the ladder at the opposite side.’
Lucille peered over in the direction of the ladder and curled her lip. ‘Erm… no, I don’t think so. I can’t be bothered with that. It’s too far. I’ll just jump.’
Esme screamed, ‘No!’ but before the word had fully left her mouth there was a resounding thud and the ‘Oof’ of air being expelled from Lucille’s lungs.
* * *
‘The ambulance is on its way, Lucille. Just stay still, okay?’ Esme said as she sat on the damp ground by the injured actor, holding her hand. ‘Zach has called them, so you’ll be fine.’
Judd removed his gilet and hoodie. ‘Here, she needs to be kept warm.’ He placed the hoodie on top of Lucille. ‘And we should support her head,’ he said as he rolled up the gilet and placed it at the base of her neck.
‘My arm’s all tingly and I can’t feel my leg,’ Lucille said with a smile. ‘It feels funny.’ She giggled. Adrenaline was clearly kicking in, but Esme pitied her when it eventually wore off.
Judd gently lifted the hem of her dress and recoiled. ‘Oh, shit,’ he mumbled.
‘What’s wrong?’ Esme asked in a hissed whisper.
‘I can, erm…’ He baulked. ‘I can see bone.’
Esme widened her eyes. ‘Oh, no.’
‘I’ve got an important scene to film tomorrow so the ambulance had better hurry up,’ Lucille slurred. ‘I want to go to bed. I’m really sleepy.’ Her eyes drifted closed.
‘Stay awake, Lucille,’ Judd said in a stern voice. ‘Talk to me. Tell me what it’s like to be famous.’
Her eyes snapped open. ‘Why do you want to know? It’s not likely to happen to you, is it, plant man? You’re a bit weird really. No offence.’
Judd glanced up at Esme and rolled his eyes. ‘Oh, don’t worry, absolutely none taken. I’m just trying to make small talk to keep you awake.’
Esme was struck by how well Judd was handling the situation. Zach, on the other hand, had run off to supposedly wait for the ambulance and direct them, but Esme realised he had left because he couldn’t quite handle things.
‘What does it mean if I can’t move my hand?’ Lucille asked. Her wrist did look to be at a strange angle but Esme didn’t like to comment and make a bad situation worse.
‘Stop trying to move, Lucille,’ Esme said. ‘Just relax but stay with us okay? No drifting off to sleep. You probably have a concussion.’
A look of confusion flashed across Lucille’s features. ‘But I can’t play drums,’ she replied in a slurred whisper.
‘ Con cussion, not per cussion,’ Esme told her with a slight smile.
Suddenly Lucille’s eyes were wide, and she gripped Esme’s arm with her uninjured hand. ‘Am I going to die?’ Her question was sincere and there was genuine fear visible in her pallid expression.
Esme smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring way. ‘No, of course not. You’re going to be absolutely fine. You’ve just had a fall so we need to get you checked out, that’s all.’
Lucille pulled Esme down, so she was closer. ‘But if I do die, please promise me one thing,’ the actor whispered.
Esme nodded but grimaced. ‘Okay, but like I said, you’re going to be fine.’
Lucille narrowed her eyes. ‘Come on, normy, promise me, please?’
‘Normy? We’re sticking with that, are we?’ Esme asked but then shook her head. ‘Promise you what?’
‘Don’t let them put Hilda on my gravestone, will you? No one can know that’s my real name.’
A crew of paramedics with a stretcher arrived and began to fire off questions as they prepared Lucille for the ambulance: What happened? What has she taken? Where did she fall from? Is she allergic to anything? Have you notified next of kin? Are any of you next of kin? What medications is she taking? Etc, etc, etc.
As Esme stood to give the paramedics room, Lucille called out in a pained voice, ‘Promise me, normy!’
Esme rolled her eyes. ‘It’s Esme, and yes, I’ll see what I can do.’
* * *
At 11p.m. Esme, Zach and Judd sat in the castle kitchen drinking coffee with a shot of whisky in, prepared by Brodie. Judd drummed on his cup and clenched his jaw off and on, the ticking visible under his skin.
‘Are you guys sure you don’t need anything else?’ Brodie asked, running his hands back through his hair. ‘It’s been quite a night.’
Zach sat there, staring into his mug, hardly moving. He was pale and clearly feeling traumatised by the whole situation. Out of the blue, he mumbled, ‘Her wrist was all… and the bone in her leg…’
Esme reached out to squeeze his arm. She didn’t wish to relive it any more than the others, but Zach appeared to be struggling with what had played out. ‘She’ll be fine, Zach, try not to worry.’
‘I think we’re good, thanks, Brodie. Cheers, mate,’ Judd said, looking to Esme who nodded in agreement. He continued to tap his fingers on his mug.
Brodie placed his hands on his hips and huffed the air from his lungs. ‘Without wishing to sound patronising, you did great work tonight. Eilidh said so too. It’s good that she was able to go to the hospital with Lucille and she promised to update us. I just hope the breaks aren’t too severe or the shoot could be compromised,’ Brodie told them. His phone pinged and he picked it up from the worktop. ‘Olivia’s feeding Freya, but she’ll be down soon.’
Esme shook her head and frowned. ‘Oh, no, please tell her she doesn’t need to come down. We’re fine, honestly, in fact we probably should be getting home. It’s been a long night and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s exhausted.’
‘Aye, Esme’s right,’ Judd added as he pushed himself up from the table. ‘You’ll all be worn out especially with having the bairn.’ He lifted his mug and swigged the last of his coffee. ‘That was good stuff, cheers, Brodie.’
Esme sipped at hers but had nowhere near finished it; it was a little too strong for her liking. She stood too. ‘We’ll let you get to bed. I’m sure there won’t be much to report until tomorrow anyway. Zach, do you want us to walk you back to your apartment?’
Zach lifted his chin as if only just realising he was in a room with other people. ‘Oh, erm, no, no. Thanks but I’m sure I’ll be fine. Just need to sleep, I think.’
Esme squeezed his shoulder. ‘Okay, well, you have both our numbers if you need anything. It must have been really difficult seeing your… erm… friend in that state.’
He nodded and his eyes widened. ‘Yeah… I’m not great with… with trauma.’ He smiled. ‘Thanks again, guys. I can’t express how grateful I am to you both.’ He glanced at Brodie. ‘To all of you.’ He stood from the table and the three of them left the castle together.
Once they were outside, Esme hugged Zach. ‘Just call or message if you need anything, okay?’
He nodded, still appearing a little spaced out, and turned to head off towards the stable block apartments. Judd and Esme turned in the opposite direction.
‘Zach looked terrible. I hope he’ll be okay,’ Judd said eventually after they’d been walking for a minute or so in silence.
‘Hmm, I was surprised at how much it affected him. I suppose when you’ve loved someone, seeing them in pain hurts you too.’
‘Poor guy. Anyway, what was Lucille asking you to promise her? It sounded serious.’
Esme tried to stifle her grin as she remembered Hilda’s pleas. ‘My lips are sealed.’
‘Spoilsport. Come on, let’s get home. Betty will be thinking we’ve abandoned her.’
His use of the word ‘we’ made Esme smile. ‘So, you and the tattooed brunette?’ she asked without needing to elaborate.
He waved his phone. ‘I have Selina’s number!’ he replied in a sing-song voice.
There was that little twinge of sadness tugging at Esme’s heart again.