Chapter 23
CALLUM
Callum was relieved Tasha hadn’t needed him to stay any longer. At least now he could go and find his sister and warn her to stay out of Brooke’s way until Tasha had found a way to calm the poor woman down a bit.
As he drove up to the house, he pictured Riley’s face and felt some satisfaction that the man had seemed startled by Brooke’s reaction.
Serves him right, Callum thought, parking the car and going into the main house.
Riley needed to learn there were consequences if you trampled over another person’s feelings.
As far as Callum was concerned it was about time the man had to deal with repercussions.
Not wanting to alert the rest of the family to the dramas unfolding down at the cottage, Callum made his way from room to room downstairs looking for his sister.
He came across his father and soon-to-be stepmother Betsy sitting in the orangery and sharing a bottle of wine as they discussed the success of the party.
‘Hello there, son,’ James Preston said, raising his glass of red wine to Callum. ‘Care to join us? This is a rather good Bordeaux your grandad insisted we enjoy.’
‘No, thanks. I’ll probably have to go out again later. Have either of you seen Erin?’ A thought occurred to him. ‘Did she have to open the salon today?’
‘Yes,’ Betsy said before taking a sip from her glass. ‘She said something about two important clients being booked in to see her today. If you’re looking for her you’ll probably find her there.’
‘Thanks.’ He wondered where his grandad had got to. ‘Grandad still out with his friends?’
‘Yes, he’s been treated to another meal somewhere by a few of them.’ James laughed. ‘I think he has enough bookings in his diary for the week to keep him busier than he has been in a long time.’
‘He’ll love that,’ Callum said, cheering up. He thought of the newspapers and the photos that had been included of some of the party guests. ‘Has anyone seen any of the official photos taken by the photographer we booked, do you know?’
James laughed again. ‘Oh yes.’
Callum wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not. ‘What did they think?’
His father chuckled. ‘It depends.’
Anxious, Callum asked, ‘Oh hell. On what?’
Betsy batted James’s arm lightly with her hand.
‘You are such a tease. Stop winding the poor guy up.’ She rolled her eyes.
‘The party photos were generally very good and people are choosing the ones they’d like to order.
As far as the ones taken by that paparazzi bloke, the consensus seems to be that those who found themselves in the photos were delighted, including your grandfather.
A few of the other guests seem to be a little put out that they didn’t have something to show off about. ’
Callum couldn’t work out why anyone would be upset to be excluded. ‘I’m not sure I understand.’
‘Well,’ his father said, ‘I think it had something to do with the wording in the articles. Whoever sold the story led the journalists to believe this was your grandfather’s home and that the family were some sort of aristocracy over here.
I think they liked the idea of people believing they were related to someone that grand. ’
Callum laughed. ‘Grandad isn’t at all grand though.’
‘I agree.’ He took another sip from his glass. ‘But you know what it’s like when a big family get together and the one-upmanship starts. People lose their usual reason.’
He didn’t have any experience of that happening, but not wishing to waste time before going to see Erin, Callum nodded. ‘I see.’ He raised his hand in a wave. ‘Please tell Grandad if you see him that I’ll catch up with him later.’
‘Will do, son.’
Callum drove straight to St Helier and parked as close to Erin’s salon as possible, not wanting to waste any more time before checking on his sister.
Having been stopped several times by people he knew on the short walk to Erin’s hair salon, Callum was feeling more and more relieved Erin had needed to be away from the house and distanced from any confrontation with Brooke.
He entered the plush salon, thinking as he always did each time he came here how much his younger sister had accomplished.
When he thought back to how she had yearned to be a veterinary nurse when she was younger, it had been a surprise to them all when one day she had completely changed her mind.
He watched Erin standing behind a client styling the woman’s hair while she chatted to her, looking over the woman’s shoulder into her reflection.
Not wanting to interrupt while Erin was working, Callum went over to the reception and sat down.
‘Hi, Callum,’ Toni the receptionist said.
Callum stood and moved away, not wishing to get in her way, but she raised her hand.
‘No, you’re fine there. I’ve yet to wash one client’s hair.
’ She looked over at Erin before returning her gaze to him.
‘Your sister won’t be long now and will have a few minutes to chat while I look after the other client. ’
‘Thanks, Toni. How’s things with you?’
‘Fine.’ She moved slightly closer to him and lowered her voice.
‘Erin was telling me all about the party… and the photos.’ She spoke the last part of her sentence so quietly Callum struggled to hear her.
‘Told me about Riley Sharp, too.’ This bit was mouthed but it was clear who she was referring to. ‘Lucky Erin, if you ask me.’
Callum scrunched up his face. ‘Really? You don’t think he’s a bit pretentious? Full of himself?’ He stopped himself adding anything worse.
Toni looked startled. ‘Why would I think that? Anyone that gorgeous can’t be too bad.’
Callum wasn’t sure he agreed with her logic but resisted saying anything. ‘If you met him you’d probably not be so immune to his personality.’
She laughed. ‘I should be so lucky.’
‘About what?’ Erin asked, walking over to the desk and waving for Callum to move. ‘Please look after Mrs Sloane for me, Toni.’ She smiled at her client. ‘I hope you have a wonderful anniversary and I’ll see you next month.’
‘Thank you, as always, Erin.’
Erin gave her another smile, then took Callum by the arm and led him to her small kitchen at the back of the salon. ‘What’s happened?’
‘Hello to you, too,’ he said, unsurprised that Erin had got straight to the point of his visit.
‘Never mind that. Why are you here? You never come and visit me at the salon.’
‘That’s a lie.’
She glared at him like she did when she was just about to punch him. Not that Callum expected his sister to do anything like that now they were grown-ups.
‘I wanted to warn you that Riley’s girlfriend has arrived and is trashing the cottage.’
‘Brooke Farrow is here? In Jersey?’
‘She is.’
Erin pulled a face. ‘Ahh. She’s upset then.’
He frowned, wondering why his sister seemed surprised. ‘I’d say that’s an understatement. Anyway, wouldn’t you be if your boyfriend had been photographed kissing another woman, and the photos were then published everywhere online?’
Erin stared at him with her mouth open for a couple of seconds before her face crumpled.
He could tell she was trying hard to keep from crying.
She peered around him to check they weren’t being listened to before quietly adding, ‘I promise you I had no idea he had a girlfriend, otherwise I never would have kissed him.’ She covered her eyes with one hand briefly before giving him a beseeching look.
‘I’ve never knowingly kissed someone else’s partner. ’
Aware Erin was struggling, Callum pulled her into a hug. ‘I know,’ he whispered. ‘But it’s happened now and clearly there’s going to be fallout from this.’ It was a struggle to hide his irritation with Riley for getting his sister into such a nasty situation.
‘I suppose I’ll just have to grin and bear it, won’t I?’
Callum nodded. He decided not to add that from what he had seen of the damage to the cottage crockery, Brooke had a way to go yet before Riley or Tasha managed to appease her.
Aware that he needed to tip Erin off in some way so she was prepared for any confrontation, he added, ‘You should be ready in case Brooke wants to meet you.’
Erin stepped back and looked up at him. ‘I never imagined I’d meet someone as glamorous as Brooke Farrow,’ she said miserably. Erin lowered her gaze and was obviously embarrassed by her involvement. ‘Is she very cross?’
He couldn’t lie. ‘She is, I’m afraid.’
Erin groaned. ‘I can’t blame her for that; I would be too.’
‘It didn’t mention your name in any of the articles I saw,’ he said, hoping to reassure Erin. ‘But I presume journalists will now be vying to try and be the first person to track you down.’
Her mouth dropped open and her face paled. For a moment Callum thought she might faint and wished he hadn’t been so blunt. He took her hand. ‘Sorry, that came out wrong.’
Erin gave him a doubtful look. ‘I can’t see how that information could be shared any other way really.’
He supposed she was right. ‘The point I’m trying to make is that I think you should keep away from the cottage, at least until Riley…’ He frowned. ‘Or Brooke come to the house to find you.’
She stared at him without speaking. ‘Maybe I should stay upstairs in my flat.’ Before Callum could respond she shook her head.
‘No. We’ve got the house for a week and I want to be with my family.
’ She straightened her shoulders. ‘If Brooke wants to have it out with me, I’ll do the right thing and face her.
It’s the least I owe her, don’t you think? ’
Callum shrugged. ‘Maybe, but don’t forget you didn’t knowingly do anything wrong.’
‘That’s true. I thought they had broken up months ago.’ She sighed. ‘They say you shouldn’t believe everything you read in the papers.’ Her face lit up. ‘Maybe she won’t believe this?’
Callum winced. ‘I’m afraid she does believe it.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Unfortunately, I am.’
Toni came over to join them. ‘Sorry,’ she said quietly, ‘but your next client is ready for her cut and blow-dry.’ She put an arm around Erin’s shoulders. ‘Are you all right?’
Erin shrugged. ‘Not really, but I’ll tell you about it later when we’ve closed up for the evening.
’ She exhaled sharply. ‘I’d better get on,’ she said, giving him a grateful smile.
‘Thanks for coming to check in on me and letting me know what’s going on.
Shall I see you back at the house after work? ’
Callum was relieved Erin had work to keep her mind from dwelling on the ugly situation. ‘Yes, that would be great.’ Remembering he was due back at the studio within the hour, Callum tapped his watch. ‘I’d better get a move on too. See you back at the house.’
As he walked quickly to the radio station, Callum wondered what would happen next with this dreadful situation. Damn Riley for being so insensitive with both women’s feelings. He had no excuse, as far as Callum was concerned.