Starlight Over Hollyhock Farm (Hollyhock Farm #4)

Chapter 1

CALLUM

You are invited to attend Keith Preston’s (TOP SECRET) surprise party at

At Beauvoir Manor, Trinity

Please RSVP to Callum Preston

Callum drove up the dusty drive towards Hollyhock Farm, slowing to look to his left at the vans and groups of people milling about in one of the fields.

A buzz of excitement coursed through him.

He had been on many modelling shoots, but never a proper film set and was looking forward to meeting the star of Sam Thorne Investigates, Riley Sharp.

Callum thought of the actor he had seen in a couple of action films and tried to imagine him as Sam Thorne, the detective who: ‘once he gets his claws into criminals, there’s no escape’.

The tagline was a bit cheesy as far as Callum was concerned, but there had been a lot of interest about this new TV character in the papers and about this new detective series set on the island.

He drove into the yard and smiled to see the brightly coloured hollyhocks that grew in front of the granite farmhouse each summer.

He parked and got out of his car and saw Lettie Torel, his best friend Zac’s older sister, who had the previous year taken over the running of the family farm when her father retired.

She walked over to join him carrying her baby, Isla, on her hip and a large shopping bag in her other hand.

‘Here, let me take that from you,’ Callum said, reaching out to lift the bag from Lettie. He puffed out his cheeks. ‘It’s heavier than it looks.’

She sighed. ‘I was wondering how long it would take me to carry it up to where they’re filming.’

He peered into the bag and saw tins. Knowing how much Lettie’s mum enjoyed her baking, he asked, ‘Has Lindy been feeding her delicious cakes to the cast and crew while they’ve been filming here?’

‘How did you guess?’ She rolled her eyes.

‘Mum spends the morning baking and insists we take several up to them every afternoon. Anyone would think the TV company didn’t supply enough food for their cast and crew already.

’ She laughed. ‘Anyway, it’s lovely to see you here,’ she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

‘Then I hope there’s enough for me,’ he said. ‘Your mum’s cakes are the best I’ve ever tasted.’ Callum looked at the pretty little girl in Lettie’s arms and smiled. ‘Isla gets more adorable each time I see her.’

Lettie beamed at him. ‘I agree, but then I am biased.’

He tipped his head to his left. ‘So, how’s it going having a film crew on the farm?’

She shrugged. ‘Not bad at all, if I’m honest. They’re very respectful of the place and take care not to bother the animals. And obviously Mum is enjoying having them here.’

Callum was pleased. He knew how welcome the added income would be for Lettie and Brodie but was aware how much she valued her animals. ‘That’s good.’

‘It’s been fun actually.’ She waved for him to accompany her. ‘Let me take you to where they’re filming now.’

He walked with her, taking care not to make any noise when he saw they were filming a scene.

‘I’m glad they chose to film the farmhouse,’ he said, thinking about how beautiful it looked.

‘Me, too. It wasn’t in the original plan to record there, but when they saw the colourful hollyhocks, I think they felt it would be silly not to make the most of such a pretty location. We’d better wait here until they finish this scene,’ Lettie whispered.

They watched for a couple of minutes and Callum couldn’t help thinking how different this was to any of the shoots he’d taken part in for his modelling.

With those, the emphasis was on the model and the clothes they were promoting being posed to perfection and on the lighting. There were far fewer people around too.

‘And cut! Take a half-hour break, everyone,’ a woman Callum presumed to be the director said.

‘There’s Tasha.’ Lettie pointed discreetly. ‘Let me introduce you to her and Riley Sharp.’

Callum knew from all the promotion for Sam Thorne Investigates that the actor had been on the island for a couple of months, filming at various outside locations for the new television series.

He wondered whether he should take advantage of meeting the actor and try to book him to be interviewed on his daily radio show.

‘I know what you’re thinking,’ Lettie said, grinning.

‘You do?’

She nodded. ‘Yes, you should ask him.’ She frowned. ‘No, you should ask his PA Tasha. She looks after his diary and might be the right person to persuade him.’ Lettie leant in slightly closer to Callum and lowered her voice. ‘I’ve heard he can be a bit difficult, although I haven’t seen it myself.’

Callum walked with Lettie to the outskirts of the group of people talking seriously together. ‘Where shall I take these?’ he asked, lifting the bag slightly.

‘The food truck is just there. You’ll probably find Mum in there too.’ She grinned. ‘Dad keeps saying that if we can’t find Mum when they finish filming here that she’ll probably have run off with them.’

Callum smiled. ‘I’ll take these. I won’t be long.’

The door to the food trailer opened and Lindy went to step out. ‘Callum, good to see you.’ She noticed the bag in his hand. ‘Are those my cakes?’

‘They are,’ he said, carrying the bag inside for her and leaving it where she indicated. ‘I hope you’ll keep me a slice of one of them.’

‘Always,’ she said, kissing him on the cheek. ‘Are you staying to watch the filming for a bit?’

He nodded. ‘Yes. Lettie is outside with Isla.’

‘I might see you in a little while.’

As he went to join Lettie again, Callum spotted Riley chatting to a woman who was pointing to something on the tablet she was holding. He stopped walking, unable to take his eyes off her. She seemed to sense she was being watched and looked over at him.

His stomach did a flip as the woman with long, shiny auburn hair looked over at him, her green eyes locked with his, causing Callum’s breath to catch momentarily in his throat. She was beautiful.

Riley said something and the woman immediately focused her attention back on him.

‘That’s Tasha,’ Lettie said, coming over to stand by Callum. ‘She’s pretty, isn’t she? Highly efficient too, from what I’ve heard. Although, I suspect she needs to keep everything running smoothly for someone as busy as Riley.’

‘You know her then?’

Lettie shrugged. ‘Sort of. We’ve chatted a few times and I recently helped her find somewhere to rent while she and Riley are here filming.’

‘I see.’

‘In fact,’ Lettie added, ‘it’s the cottage in the same grounds as Beauvoir Manor where I suggested you book your family to stay for your grandfather’s secret birthday celebrations.’

Callum stared at his friend. ‘Really?’

She laughed. ‘Don’t look so shocked. The cottage, well, it’s more of a big house really, but it’s further along the drive and I doubt you’ll even come across them while you’re staying in the manor house.’

He hid his disappointment. ‘I suppose they like to be private, don’t they?’

She nodded. ‘It was one of Riley’s stipulations.’

Callum thought of the impending party he had arranged for his grandfather’s eightieth birthday and all the family and friends who would be attending. Most of his family would be staying in the manor house with him.

‘Don’t look so concerned,’ Lettie said. ‘The cottage really is a little way away.’

He wasn’t convinced. ‘It might be but you know my family can be pretty lively when they all get together.’

She raised an eyebrow. ‘That’s true.’

Callum sighed. ‘Maybe I should get to know them a bit before my family and I go and stay at the manor? At least then we wouldn’t be complete strangers.’

‘Good idea.’ She raised a finger as Lettie often did when an idea occurred to her.

‘What?’

‘You could always invite them to the party.’

Callum wasn’t sure that was such a good idea. ‘I hardly think Riley Sharp would want to come to my grandfather’s party.’ He thought of his grandfather who was known as one of the characters on the island who seemed to get along with most people and was always the life and soul of any get-together.

‘Why not?’

Callum frowned. ‘I doubt it’ll be his kind of fun.’

‘Maybe not, but if you invite them then at least they’ll know there’s an event happening and what it’s celebrating. And,’ she said, giving him a cheeky wink, ‘it won’t be so easy for them to make a fuss.’

He gave her suggestion some thought. ‘I’ll see how it goes,’ he said non-committally.

Lettie nudged him. ‘Look, they’re coming this way. Come with me and I’ll introduce you.’