Chapter Nineteen
Nero’s Oyster Bar was bustling as the lunchtime crowd began to fill up the booths and a long glass-topped oak bar. Two men sitting at one of the tables were attracting a lot of attention. A handsome man in his thirties with a floppy blond fringe and a broad smile was posing for selfies for a group of women that had come over, phones in hand. One woman even tried to encourage the man’s companion to join them. Equally as good looking as his friend, he seemed happier to stay out of the limelight and good-naturedly declined their pleading invitations.
As the women left, a waiter brought over a tray of oysters and laughing with the blond man, left them to it.
‘Honestly Gummy, what do they see in you?’ asked Edward shaking his head in disbelief.
Aston Fox, star of various reality TV shows and major influencer, also known as “Gummy” to his oldest friends on account of losing his front teeth when he fell off a horse, laughed and knocked back an oyster.
‘I believe it’s my devilish charm and handsome demeanour. Or from the look of that lass, it’s my dining companion.’
‘Spare me!’
‘Not tall and blonde enough for you? Tell me, how is the delightful Alessandra?’
‘I am sure she is delightful as ever, but I haven’t seen her in a few months.’
‘Did she tire of waiting?’
Edward rolled his eyes. Gummy knew there was nothing between him and Alessandra, but that didn’t stop him from trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. Gummy was always the same. He loved a bit of gossip and was always the first with a juicy morsel. What Edward thought was to his credit, and why he counted Gummy as his best friend, was that he never gossiped in public. None of his friends' private lives ever made it onto his social channels and Edward respected the privacy.
‘If you must know, she is now very happily engaged.’
‘She found someone richer than you!’ Gummy placed his hands on his face in mock horror.
‘Now, that’s unfair. Alessandra was never about the money. We just didn’t have enough in common to properly click.’
‘Oh, I see. How wrong I got her. No doubt she is engaged to someone that works nine to five. No wait, someone on benefits. Yes, that’s much more in keeping with Alessandra’s quiet and demure countenance.’
Edward's lips twitched. Given that her new fiancée’s father owned the largest chip brokerage company in Monaco, he didn’t think either of the happy couple would be on welfare any time soon.
Gummy laughed at his expression, slapping the table and pointing at his friend's face. ‘I knew it! Tell me more!’
Edward shook his head and helped himself to an oyster, savouring the lemony salty juices. ‘There’s nothing to tell. We were only ever friends and I hope now she has found what she’s looking for.’
‘A healthy bank balance?’
‘Happiness, you cynic. You should know all about that. Just how is Jane?’
Jennifer Jane Ferguson, or JJ to her fans, was the light in Gummy’s life and had been his wife for the past three years and his saviour from the day he met her. During those early days of reality star fame and fortune, Gummy had gone slightly off the rails. In fact, his carriage was in freefall crashing down the mountainside. Addictions of all shapes and hues were creating a tsunami of troubles for Gummy and no matter how much Edward and his other friends and family tried to intervene, nothing proved successful until Jane waltzed into his life and dragged him back to the straight and narrow.
Now Gummy smiled. Just thinking about her made him smile.
‘That girl is a bona fide angel. We’re off to the Cairngorms next week for a spot of hiking.’
After years in the special forces, Edward found hiking for fun a strange pastime, but he did concede there could be beautiful aspects to it. If one wasn’t on an actual mission that was, or in the Balkans at the height of winter.
‘Work or pleasure?’
‘Bit of both. We’ll be staying at Houghborough Hall for the start and end, promoting their fine establishment. And what about you? How’s work?’
‘The same as always, paperwork, paperwork and more paperwork.’
‘The joys of being a landlord.’
‘Precisely.’
‘And work work?’
Edward paused. Gummy knew all about his other job, the work he did for the government, but Edward never shared the details and both sides appreciated that Edward could only talk about it in the vaguest of terms.
‘Something’s coming up, as it happens.’
‘Will you be gone long? Only Jane wants to invite you over for the weekend. Just Jane, you understand. I told her I was sick of your ugly mug.’
Edward laughed and tipped another oyster back.
‘How can I resist such a lovely invitation? Please tell Jane I would be delighted. I think I'm going to be out of the country for a week or so, but nothing more than that.’
‘And will you be bringing a guest?’ asked Gummy, a sly grin on his face as he drank his Virgin Mary.
Edward wondered what on earth Aster would make of a weekend in Gummy’s company? She’d probably chew him up and spit him out within five minutes. She didn’t seem to be the sort that was easily impressed, but he thought she might like Jane.
Gummy put his glass down and stared at Edward until he felt uncomfortable under the scrutiny.
‘Have you met someone?’ He paused, reading Edward’s face. ‘My God, you have, haven’t you? Someone that you are actually interested in! Bloody hell, mate, tell me more.’
Edward raised an eyebrow and then sighed. Gummy would not stop until he had the whole story. However, Edward wasn't prepared to talk about Aster. Maybe a crumb would do.
‘There is a girl. But I’ve only met her twice.’ He stopped, remembering her in the burqa. ‘Three times actually, but I barely know her and she doesn’t care for me.’
He picked up his own virgin mary. Normally he’d have some wine, but despite Gummy’s insistence, it always felt wrong to drink alcohol in front of a recovering addict.
‘Is that it? She doesn’t care for you? That is a long way from the whole story. Where did you meet? What’s her name and why on earth doesn’t she like you? Has she met you?’
‘We met at Whistles.’ He stopped and realised he didn’t want to say anything more about that. Aster had been the victim of an assault, and he wanted to protect her from that event. It wasn’t his story, and he wasn’t going to tell it.
‘Go on.’
‘She was there reluctantly. When we met, she was checking out the bookcase.’
‘Oh my God, Edward, only you could find a bookworm in a nightclub. So then what?’
‘Nothing. We parted ways, but I met her again yesterday where she accused me of theft and called me a leech and a moron.’
Gummy rocked back in astonishment then laughed loudly, drawing the attention of several other patrons.
‘A thief! The Duke of Peveril, a common criminal. I thought your ancestors gave up sheep stealing centuries ago.’ Gummy was in his element, chuckling along at Edward's discomfort. ‘A first from Oxford, the richest man in London, and she calls you a leech and a moron. I tell you what Edward, I’m beginning to really like this girl. What’s her name and what were you trying to steal?’
Edward was laughing along now as well. It was ridiculous. Maybe that was her appeal, but each time he thought of her he felt an incredible attraction. That he was meant to be by her side. Listening to what she had to say, sharing news with her, keeping her safe. He shook his head. There was no point in mooning after her. Gummy would only notice and dig deeper.
‘Her name is Aster and I wasn’t stealing anything. I was trying to raise some funds for a convent, but I goofed up.’
‘You. Goofed. Up? Oh my God, this is priceless. The infallible Duke of Peveril goofed up trying to,’ he paused, choking on his laughter, ‘trying to help a bunch of nuns.’
Tears were streaming down his face now and Edward had the grace to blush. Aster was right, he was a bloody moron. He grinned sheepishly.
‘It wasn’t my finest moment.’
‘Now I have to know everything! What does she look like tall, blonde, drop-dead glamorous?’
Edward thought about it. Instantly Aster was in his mind’s eye and he smiled, simply picturing her as he shook his head.
‘She’s none of those. She’s short, really short, has plain brown shoulder length hair that she tucks behind her ears, she has a little band of freckles across her nose, a small face but large eyes. But glamorous?’ He laughed. ‘You know when you watch a wildlife documentary about octopus?’
Gummy chuckled. ‘She looks like an octopus?’
‘No, you idiot. I mean there you are, looking at a piece of coral when suddenly it reveals itself as an octopus in camouflage. That’s Aster. You don’t notice her until she twitches her lips or raises an eyebrow and suddenly, she’s the only thing that you can see.’
‘Sounds like you have it bad. When are you next seeing her?’
‘If she has her way, never. And that’s probably for the best. I don’t need any distractions right now.’
‘You protest too much.’ He paused to take a sip of his drink and then looked Edward straight in the face whilst waving an oyster shell at him. ‘Word to the wise. Next time you do see her, for the absolute love of God, do not mention that she reminded you of an octopus.’ He laughed and then continued on. ‘So, full details. You met in Whistles. What was she doing there? How did the evening end?’
At which precise moment Gummy’s phone rang and he stared at in dismay. Groaning in frustration, he answered the call and Edward knew he was off the hook. Gummy would only answer a call if it was important.
Ending the call, he knocked back an oyster and grimaced.
‘That was Jane. Tilly has broken her ankle. I have to go. But come for the weekend and bring Aster. I want to know everything.’
Leaving with a hug, Gummy dashed out of the bar and Edward sat back down again. He could think of nothing he would rather do, but the chances of seeing her again were remote. He could certainly engineer another meeting now he knew who she was, but he wasn’t certain if his ego could cope with another session in her company. As he finished his oysters in silence, he found himself smiling and by the time he left the bar, he was also whistling.