Delicious (A Rumour Mill Novel) (38 page)

           
“All I want for Christmas is my
family back. My aunts are like a mum to me. I never got to truly know my own
mum and I lost her at a young age. Now I’m losing them when we should be all
excited for the newest member arriving in our family.” Grace said.

           
“You’ll get them back. I’ll make
good on that.” Guy said secretly vowing that he could charm the pants off of
Cat before it was too late.

           
Grace rolled her eyes. She turned
her vision to the streets coated in glistening white snow. She knew trying to
get them to come around was like Guy trying to chip ice off a massive glacier
with a toothpick.

           
“Stop it! This is something you
can’t fix!” Grace snapped. “The only way I can fix this is by not marrying you
and raise our baby on my own.” she added harshly.

           
The words cut Guy like a knife. Guy
didn’t like how the
 
conversation turned
on him. Grace was throwing a tantrum over something she had no control over. He
didn’t like when she got like this.

           
“Look at me, Grace.” Guy demanded. Grace
bought her fist to her mouth. She didn’t want to turn around to face Guy as her
tears made her makeup run.

           
“Look at me!” Guy said again firmly.
She turned. Guy saw Grace crying.

           
“Grace, you can’t control what
anyone thinks! Running away and raising this baby on your own is not going to
get your them to approve of what has happened. Understand?” he brought his hand
up to her cheek to wipe the tears away.

           
As a response to Grace’s reaction,
the baby kicked hard against Guy’s hand. It was the first kick. Guy was taken
back and Grace too.

           
“See the baby doesn’t approve of you
being sad.” Guy said. “I think we’ve got a tiny footballer in training.” he
joked making Grace smile.

           
“Or ballerina.” she offered. Guy
kissed her and rubbed his forehead against Grace’s.

           
“I love you.” he whispered. The baby
kicked again. “And yes I love you too.” he said patting the bump.

♥

cross town on Harley Street, a black
Sapphire BMW 5 Series drove slowly through the snow covered street. It parked
in front of an immaculate Georgian town home. The driver stopped the car to get
out to open the door for its backseat passenger. Her Rupert Sanderson
high-heeled boot hit the ground and a blast of cold air made her shiver as she
stepped out. Dressed in a short brown rabbit fur coat with matching hat, the
women extended her leather-glove hand to her driver to help her out. She looked
like a brunette Russian doll and thanked her driver.

           
“You’re
welcome, Mrs. Collins.” her driver replied. He couldn’t understand why Minnie
needed to come to Harley Street in the dead of night.
She must be desperate for a Botox injection
, he thought wryly as he
got back into the driver’s seat.

           
The
door to the town home opened and there waiting was a nurse in the vestibule.
Minnie made her way up the stairs and shook the older woman’s hand.

           
“Is
she alright?” asked Minnie as the nurse took her coat.

           
“Yes.
All day she’s been waiting. She refuses to take off her bandages until she sees
you.” the nurse replied.

           
“I
hope she understands. I’ve got the paparazzi breathing down my neck. Everything
must be done in secrecy.” Minnie replied following the nurse up a flight of
stairs.

           
Minnie
entered the hospital-like bedroom. It’s fitted out with all the features of a
clinical setting and comforts of a very expensive hotel room. Large bouquets of
flowers adorned the nightstand. Diptyque candles and Molton Brown toiletries
graced the six drawer dresser. Minnie sat down next to the hospital bed. Minnie
placed her hand over a woman wrapped in bandages. To Minnie, she looked like a
Egyptian mummy with exception of her eyes, nose, mouth and ears. They were left
open to see, breath, drink and hear.

           
“I’m
here.” Minnie said in her sing-song voice.

           
The
woman opened her eyes. Her deep emerald green eyes lit up when she saw Minnie.
Minnie noticed.

           
“Your
eyes are green!” Minnie cried out.

           
“It’s
contacts.” the woman retorted.

           
Minnie
sat back in her chair. She thought the doctor to be the world’s best plastic
surgeon by surgically changing the colour of one’s eyes!

           
“How
do you feel?” Minnie asked.

           
“Fine.
The drugs they give me for the pain works a treat.” the woman said hoarsely.

           
“I
can’t believe you’ve managed to pull this off!” Minnie said.

           
The
mystery woman would’ve nodded in agreement, but she couldn’t. Instead she
grunted. There was a knock on the door and Minnie said come in. Dr. Burton
entered the room greeting Minnie and his patient.

           
“Are
you ready to take off your bandages, Ms. Townsend?” asked Dr. Burton directing
the question to the woman on the bed.

           
“Yes,
I’m ready.” the woman replied cheerfully. She’d been waiting a full three
months to see her face and body free from the scars of extreme plastic surgery.
Minnie moved for Dr. Burton to help the woman out of her bed. They walked over
to a large wall mirror. The nurse helped the woman out of her dressing gown whilst
Dr. Burton pulled out the medical scissors.

Delicately
unhurried, Dr. Burton removed every bandage that held the woman in place. The patient
kept her eyes close until the last bandage was removed. When she opened her
eyes, she gasped with satisfaction. Minnie nearly swooned off her feet.

Gone were the long
blond extensions. In its place was a choppy mocha bob with cafe-au-lait
highlights and lowlights. She was no longer big breasted. Instead she settled
for small perky boobs which looked natural and not as noticeable to men. The
nose which was naturally hooked was straightened. Her former jagged teeth with
older veneers were replaced with new smaller pearly white veneers.

“Do you think Darren
will recognise me?” she asked as she turned to Minnie.

Minnie shook her
head no. Minnie didn’t recognise her own
 
friend before her.

“Darren will never
recognise you. You don’t look like the same person I met years ago.” Minnie
replied.

The woman clapped
her hands in glee. She walked over to the dresser to open the draw. She took
out a tattered photograph of Tamzin Smythe standing with her family on her
wedding day. She went back to the mirror. The woman moved her body to side
profile.
Surely, I don’t look the same
.
She smiled devilishly.

“Where’s that
bastard hiding?” the woman asked.

“Guy says Brazil
but my sources say Argentina. To think, Darren got a fat pay out by the
insurance adjusters for nearly
£
100 million
pounds! Darren sold the town home immediately thereafter and he’s on
compassionate leave from the Tottenham Heat.” Minnie elaborated.

“Dr. Burton, when
will I be ready for travel?” the woman turned to Dr. Burton. He was placing
bandages in the garbage.

“Whenever you’re
ready, Ms. Townsend.” Doctor Burton replied. “I’ll leave you two now.” he added
washing his hands in a nearby sink.

Dr. Burton said
goodbye to Minnie and told Ms. Townsend he’d check on her in the morning at a
more reasonable hour.

“Rebecca are you
sure you want to go through with this plan? You’ve got a new body and face; why
not use it to your advantage? Find yourself a new target.” Minnie asked
standing next to Rebecca who was still admiring her newly created body.
It’s like Frankenstein’s bride but beautiful
and appealing to the eye
, thought Minnie. “And what about Guy?” she added.

“Guy is too
wrapped up in Grace. Besides revenge is a dish best served hot and not cold
like death. Darren Dowling’s going to pay for everything he’s ever done to me.”
Rebecca grinned. She spun on her heels one more time in her nakedness.

“Let’s celebrate.”
Rebecca said putting on her silk robe.

Minnie watched
Rebecca sauntering over to an ice bucket filled with ice and Krug champagne
chilling. Minnie grabbed two flutes. Rebecca popped open the bottle and the
women squealed with joy. They held their filled champagne flutes ready to
toast.

“To
Tamzin.” Rebecca said.
                        

“Tamzin.” Minnie
replied clinking the two glasses together and drinking happily.

♥

Halfway around the world the sun was setting
over Buenos Aires. In a bar Darren rolled two bullets. They were Tamzin’s.
Darren paid Dr. Khan a handsome sum of money to retrieve the bullets without
handing them over to the police. He managed to smuggle them into the country
with him and he wasn’t going to let go of the only reminder he had of that
bitch’s death. He swirled the last of his rum and coke in a small glass. He drank
and thought about her.

It was the look Tamzin
gave before Trevor shot her. A look like
‘Do
it! Do it NOW!’
Even though Darren was on the floor bleeding to death he noticed
Tamzin egging Trevor on, berating him as though he wasn’t man enough to pull
the trigger. Darren wondered if Tamzin planned it all.
Why did Tamzin allow this to happen?
It’s plausible Tamzin’s watching from her seat in hell grimacing that
she died instead of me and I walked away with all the loot.

Darren knew deep
down that if her soul was truly looking on she’d be seething at what he’d done
to her ashes. He thought a proper disposal of Tamzin’s ashes were to be in a
bin. So he quietly dumped them in a bin, behind a pub in Manor House, which
Darren felt was a better send off and what she deserved.

On his way to
Buenos Aires in duty free shopping Darren managed to buy a green shirt in Spanish
that said
Karma is a Bitch
. Darren
laughed at the shirt now. He wore it once on the fly and never wore it again.

As Darren
continued to roll the bullets in his hand he did feel slightly awful in telling
Guy that he was going to Rio. It isn’t far off, he knew that the media was
hounding him and Scotland Yard was watching him like a hawk. He didn’t want Guy
to slip up or tell them of his whereabouts. Darren wanted peace and quiet, away
from brooding eyes and wagging tongues. Buenos Aires provided it and it’s the
perfect getaway.

           
A
tan hand came down on the table placing a bill. Darren looked up to see a young
girl standing there, retracting her hand back on her hip and another holding on
to her black serving tray.

           
“Will
that be all?” she asked in Spanish. “We’re closing in a few minutes for a
private party.” she added.

           
“Yes.
I’d love to have your name and number. I want to take you back to my room to
fuck you.” he replied in English.

           
The
girl shook her head as if she didn’t understand and thankfully she didn’t. It
was his luck. He immediately regretted saying the words to her and the words of
his brother echoed in his ears
‘You need
to change.’
He needed to live his life without women and recover from vices
even though
£
100 million
pounds was sitting in his bank account waiting to burn.

           
“Si,
si.” Darren replied in Spanish. He placed his glass on the table. He left an
ample tip for her and tipped his hat to her as he got up to leave.

♥

t was the
right place and perfect. Grace finally found the home they wanted to buy just a
fortnight shy of their wedding date. It wasn’t where they thought of looking. Guy
persisted even though it’s quite far from London. He assured her that they
still had the penthouse flat and her second shop will do exceptionally well
here. Grace was still unsure as she meandered through the twenty rooms of the
small manor. Grace stopped by the kitchen window and took a long look at the
breathtaking views of snow covered mountains knowing full well that just beyond
those hills is Ivy-upon-Wye.

           
The estate agent was beside herself
as she showed Grace the manor outside of another small village, Hay-on-Wye. She
had read all about Grace and Guy through
Rumour
Mill
. She couldn’t believe her luck when she got the call from Grace that
she was interested in Swan Manor. It was a rundown manor home that a wealthy elderly
couple needed to get rid of to pay for their new home in Jersey. There were no
children or close relatives to leave the property to and expense of inheritance
tax made them more leery.

           
“They’ll entertain all offers.” the
estate agent said. “A bit of Farrow and Ball paint here and there, some
wallpaper there and new classic furniture. A woman’s touch will bring this estate
back to its glory day.” she added making the home alluring.

The floral wallpaper was peeling, floorboards creaked and there was a
smell of musty damp. Guy looked through cupboards and turned on the taps
checking the plumbing.

           
“What do you think?” Guy asked
Grace.

           
It
does need a lot of work
, Grace thought. She did love the place. It was on
thirty acres of land with a small pond which had an inlet to the River Wye. The
estate agent explained the pond attracted swans christening the estate its
name. She explained there was a three bedroom groundskeeper cottage on the
ground that came with the price of the manor and land.

           
“Will it be ready by the baby’s
birth?” Grace asked.

           
“My mate assured he’ll have a
majority of it done before we move in. Some rooms must be left to chance. The
electrical and plumbing will definitely be updated.” Guy assured.

           
“Ok! Let’s do it.” Grace said
happily.

The estate agent looked bug eyed. She couldn’t believe it. The manor
house had spent a year on the market and not a single bite from prospects. She
was even more flummoxed when Guy said he would pay the full asking price in
cash and wanted to close within a fortnight. She managed to get the couple on
the telephone. They gladly accepted the offer whilst Grace and Guy continued to
wander through the house. Once she was done with the couple, another call came
through regarding a commercial property that Grace was interested in for her
second shop.

           
“Ms. Knowles, I’ve got the owner of
the small shop in Hereford available to show you the property for Delicious on
the mobile. Would you like to see this property today as well?” the estate
agent asked holding her hand over her Nokia.

           
“Yes, please.” Grace said. “Is this
fine?” Grace turned to Guy.

           
“Go! I’ll see you in Hereford in a
bit. I have some work to do first. I want to look around the estate and jot
some notes.” Guy lied.

Guy hated lying. He had to for Grace’s sake and sanity.
 
Guy had no intention of jotting notes about
the repairs needed and design ideas in his mind. He knew how close he was to
Ivy and Guy’s only interest was meeting with Cat for conversation.

Grace kissed Guy goodbye and got into the agents silver Audi A3. She
waved him off. Guy hurried back inside to retrieve his hat and keys to his new
Land Rover.

♥

Ivy-upon-Wye
looked like a storybook winter wonderland as Guy drove over the stone bridge
through the narrow cobbled streets towards the Savoury Plum. The town square
evergreen tree was decorated as a Christmas tree and the large clock tower had
a bright red bow around it. The village was filled with tourist and folk alike
all shopping at the Saturday outdoor market buying anything ranging from
Christmas trinkets or gifts to freshly killed fat goose for Christmas dinner.

           
Guy didn’t think he’d find a parking
spot. As if by miracle a spot in front of the restaurant was available. He drew
his breath. Guy worried that he’d be kicked out of the Plum before he had an opportunity
to plead why the stalemate between Grace and Cat must end.

           
The Savoury Plum was filled with
customers. They were enjoying scrumptious mugs of hot frothy chocolate topped
with peppermint whip crème. Corrie didn’t recognise Guy when he ordered his mug
of chocolate. Corrie gasped in surprise when Guy handed her coins. Guy wore a cap,
a thick cable knit cardigan style sweater and a large knotted over plaid scarf.

           
“Is Grace here?” she asked not
saying his name. Corrie was aware that if she did mention his name it might
start a riot as Guy’s previous appearance had done. This season Guy played better
than his last and his fan base increased ten-fold.

           
“No. She’s in Hereford looking at
some shops.” Guy replied taking his mug of chocolate.

           
“Why are you here? Is she ok?”
Corrie asked motioning him to the side. “Laura, please take over for me.” she
said taking off her apron and handing it to the young counter girl.

           
“I came on my own. I came to see
Cat.” Guy answered.

           
Corrie’s stance changed. She took on
the demeanour of a stressed person. Corrie twisted her hands in nervousness.

           
“Please, I have to see her.” Guy
begged.

           
“Cat’s ill. She has the flu and is resting
upstairs in the flat.” Corrie lied. Guy could tell she was lying. He gave her a
look that told Corrie he didn’t believe her.

           
“Okay, she’s not sick, but she will
be if this thing between them continues. I don’t know what you’ll tell her to
convince Cat that you’re the man for Grace. I hope whatever you’ve planned it will
work in the long run. Cat’s been crying for days knowing Christmas is
approaching and Grace will soon be married to you. She’s heartbroken and
devastated that she’s allowed it to get this bad.” Corrie admitted glumly.

           
“Let me see her. I have something I
would like to give you both.” Guy said holding out a manila envelope.

           
“Come along now. I can’t be
responsible if the woman stabs you with a butcher knife.” Corrie joked. Guy
blanched as he was aware of the story regarding the rifle.

           
Corrie opened the door that led to
the stairs of the flat. Each step Guy walked up to the flat made Guy feel as
though he was walking towards the guillotine. They walked into the flat and up
another set of steps into the large living area where Cat was sitting on the
couch red eyed and unkempt. She was watching the Saturday afternoon movie.

           
“What are you doing here?” Cat asked
in annoyance. “Get out!” she snapped.

           
“I’m not leaving.” Guy said. His
feet planted firmly to the ground like roots on a tree. “We have a matter to
discuss and that matter is Grace.” his voice strong and his back went rigid.

           
Corrie took the mug from his hand.
Cat sat straight up not moving her position from the couch.

           
“Is Grace well?” Cat grumbled.

           
“She’s fine and the baby is fine.
We’re all doing well.” Guy replied.

           
“Then what do you want? You’ve
already stolen her from us.” Cat said vehemently.

           
“I didn’t do such a thing. Ms.
Fielding. I came here because Grace only asked for one thing for Christmas and
that was her family back. Her family means you and Corrie. She loves you to
bits and she loves me as well. We love each other dearly and if I didn’t, then
I would’ve stopped pursuing her as soon as the wedding ended. Cat, you can’t
ask someone you consider as a daughter to make sacrifices for the sake of your
own love and respect. That’s selfish to her and to you.” Guy stated. Cat looked
away shameful.

           
“I came here to extend apologies. I
apologise for putting Grace in danger and I apologise for all that’s happened.
I know you blame me and blame me if you must. It’s not going to stop Grace and I
from marrying or having this child. She really would love to have you both at
her wedding. It’s a very simple beach wedding in the Maldives. The only witness
will be my sister, Amanda Priestly. Alistair and Philippe told Grace they’re
unable to attend the wedding but they’ll be there as a surprise. Grace considers
you both as mums. It’d truly be a shame and your loss if you weren’t to attend.
I’ll leave the matter in your hands.” Guy said.

           
Cat held back her tears. She vowed
that she wasn’t going to cry. She watched as Guy handed Corrie the manila
envelope he held under his arm.

           
“By the way today we purchased a
manor several miles away. Grace wanted the baby to grow up near their great aunts.
She didn’t want you both to miss out on this baby’s life.” Guy added.

           
Cat nodded. She watched Guy turn
around. He muttered happy Christmas to them before leaving their flat. Guy
didn’t expect a reply from them.
 
Once
Guy was gone, Corrie opened the envelope, pulling out some papers along with
Christmas paper-wrapped gift. Corrie hand the gift to Cat whilst she looked at
the papers. She gasped in shock and brought her hand to her mouth. It was two
reserved seats on a private jet to the Maldives for Grace’s wedding.

           
“What is it Corrie?” Cat questioned.

“An all expenses paid round trip to the Maldives including meals.”
Corrie said. She reached further into the envelope and pulled out twenty fifty
pound notes. “Spending money too!”

           
Cat unwrapped her Christmas gift.
She withdrew a closed silver picture frame. She opened it. Inside were two
pictures one of Cat and the other of Corrie both with Grace age three years old
in their laps shortly after she arrived in Ivy. It was inscribed with
My Two Mums
. Cat realised Grace bought
this gift and didn’t know whether or not she should give it to them. Guy took
it upon himself to deliver it.

           
“What are you going to do Cat?”
Corrie asked shaking her head. She was excited. Regardless of what Cat thought
Corrie was going on this trip and leave Cat’s grumpy arse behind if she could
not find it in her heart to move forward.

           
“I...don’t...know.” Cat stammered as
she shrank back into the couch.

♥

Guy drove
to Hereford. He met Grace at the commercial property. Grace and the property
owner, negotiated terms and conditions of the lease. The owner was willing to
oblige many of Grace’s requests as long as she leased for five years.

Finally negotiations were agreed upon between Grace and the owner. The contract
signed by Grace to take over the location as soon as possible. The fit out of
this new location was to be completed within twelve weeks. Grace hope for a
grand opening for spring. Guy told Grace his concerns as the baby was due in
April, but Grace assured him that she had a chef and manager in mind, looking
to relocate to Hereford as it was their home town.

           
“As long as you’re happy.” Guy said.

“Everything ok with the house?”Grace asked.

           
“Lots to do and a growing list tall
as the hills.” Guy replied kissing her. Guy prayed he got through to Cat and
Corrie.

♥