Midsummer Magic (30 page)

After what seemed like forever, the boat putt-putted slowly to the shore, and the coastguards let everyone climb out.

‘You’ve all been very lucky,’ the captain said. ‘Nothing worse than a dousing. But that was incredibly dangerous. You should never have attempted a rescue like that.’

‘Sorry,’ said Harry, ‘that was my fault. We were worried you wouldn’t get here in time.’

‘As it happens, you got away with it,’ the coastguard said, less sternly. ‘Besides, he added with a twinkle, ‘it’s not every day we get to rescue celebrities. But don’t do it again. That cave is notorious. Like I said, you were very lucky.’

Tatiana was looking slightly stunned, and her cavalcade rushed forward, making soothing noises, plying her with drinks, wrapping her up in so many layers she looked like a mummy, and generally behaving in the over-the-top manner Josie had come to expect.

‘I’m so sorry, Tatiana,’ said Josie, ‘I was only trying to help. I’d completely forgotten the tide was coming in. It’s all my fault.’

‘Nonsense,’ said Bron, briskly. ‘If anyone’s to blame it’s me, for letting Freddie persuade me to go along with this hypnotism nonsense. It got out of hand, and we should have put a stop to it hours ago.’

‘You?’ Tatiana said. ‘You had something to do with that – that idiot pursuing me?’

‘Yes, and I’m sorry,’ said Bron, ‘but I can explain …’

‘Forget it,’ said Tatiana, delivering a ringing slap round his face. ‘You and Freddie, same old, same old. And there I was, feeling grateful that you tried to rescue me. Come on, we’re going back to the yurt.’

And with that, she and her cronies stormed off.

‘I guess I deserved that,’ said Bron with a sigh.

‘Talking of Freddie,’ Ant looked around, ‘where is he?’

He’d been there when Harry and Ant had dived into the water, but he seemed conspicuously absent now. Having caused all this mayhem, he seemed to have done a runner with Will, who’d been filming the rescue. Light blue touch paper and retire …

‘He might have gone back to the theatre to deal with Mike,’ said Bron. ‘If I know Freddie, he’ll be getting him to sign all kinds of disclaimers.’

‘Why are you still friends with him?’ asked Ant curiously.

‘Why is anyone friends with anyone?’ said Bron. ‘Habit, years of rubbing along together. Despite everything, we do make a good team.’

‘Except when he ruins your love life,’ said Ant.

‘There is that,’ said Bron.

Ant glanced at Harry, who was talking to the girls. He hadn’t spoken to any of them since getting out of the water. He didn’t like to go near Josie, because of what Harry had said earlier. He still wanted to be the decent friend. But something in what Bron said stirred up forgotten memories. Harry only knew Josie because of him. They’d come down here when they were at uni and he’d thought he was in with a chance, and then Harry, his mate, had stolen Josie from under his nose. Ant’s indignation completely overrode his memories of having been distracted with Kerry – Kelly? He’d taken his eye off the prize and Harry had claimed it. And now Josie had chosen him again, and Harry had lost. It was the way of the world, and all was fair in love and war. He’d just nearly drowned. Life was too short to be noble; he wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity. It might never come his way again.

Diana stood feeling miserable, trying to ignore the fact that Ant was making puppy dog eyes at Josie, who was clearly itching to be alone with him. But Harry had cornered her, and was talking earnestly to her, so when Bron and Ant decided it was time to leave, Josie had no choice but to stay. Diana decided to follow them though she didn’t quite know why. Nothing was ever going to bring him back to her. The whole thing was a total mess, and she couldn’t think how they could remain friends after this.

‘That was brave,’ she said, as she caught up with Bron.

‘Brave or stupid?’ said Bron. ‘Tati wasn’t impressed, and without Ant coming to my rescue, it could have been a very different story.’

‘It was nothing,’ said Ant. ‘It was pretty stupid of all of us to have gone in. The things we do for love, eh?’

‘So you only went in to help to show off to Josie?’ said Diana, feeling worse than ever. ‘Ant, you’re unbelievable. And there was me thinking you had a vulnerable side.’

‘It wasn’t just that,’ protested Ant.

‘It’s all right,’ Bron patted him on the shoulder, ‘I did the same. Even if I still gained nothing from it.’

‘You don’t think she’s going to forgive you, then?’ said Diana.

‘You saw her face,’ said Bron, with a sigh. ‘I don’t think she’ll ever forgive me.’

Harry felt hopeful when Diana left with Bron and Ant. Josie was staring out to sea, ominously silent.

‘Well?’ he said in the end, unable to stand the silence.

‘Well, what?’ said Josie.

‘What’s happening with us?’ said Harry.

He thought again of having seen Josie and Ant holding hands earlier, and how Ant hadn’t acknowledged his comment about it. A short stab of jealousy shot through him.

‘I thought we’d established there
is
no more us,’ said Josie, her gaze unblinking from the horizon. ‘I’m sorry, Harry. It’s over.’

‘This is about Ant, isn’t it?’ said Harry. ‘Josie, he’s my best friend.’

‘And Di’s mine,’ Josie shot back, ‘but that didn’t stop you snogging her.’

‘I didn’t snog her,’ said Harry. ‘She threw her arms round me.’

‘And I found you asleep with your arms wrapped round her,’ said Josie.

‘Again, not guilty,’ said Harry. ‘Diana curled up next to me when I was already asleep.’

‘Ant told me the way he feels, and I wasn’t sure,’ said Josie, ‘but now I am. It’s him I want, not you.’

Without looking at him, she turned away and headed up the cliff.

‘It’s not what you really feel,’ Harry shouted into the wind. ‘It’s just Freddie screwing with your mind. And I’m going to prove it.’

Ant, Bron and Diana reached the theatre and pushed their way in. Freddie was sitting with a dazed looking Mike, saying, ‘When you awake, none of this will have happened. You never met Tatiana Okeby here, you never agreed to produce her in
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
. You have just been on an early morning stroll and had a little doze. When I count to three, you will fall into a deep sleep, and when you wake up you will have forgotten everything, three, two, one …’

And Mike slumped down.

‘Perfect,’ said Freddie, to Will. ‘I think we can use that.’

‘Do you really think that’s a good idea?’ said Bron. ‘I don’t think Tati will be happy to be shown up on camera.’

‘It was your idea,’ said Freddie.

‘And I’ve changed my mind,’ said Bron. ‘Come on, I thought it was going to be funny, but it hasn’t turned out that way.’

‘Maybe you’re right,’ said Freddie. ‘I think the words
sue
, and
you
may have been uttered as she left.’

‘And what about us?’ said Ant, ‘I don’t think your experiment has been entirely successful.’

He’d kept a careful distance from Diana since getting out of the water. He had been so stunned when she’d tried to kiss him earlier, he’d reacted instantly. He knew he’d been cruel, and felt bad about it, but Diana wasn’t for him, not any more. Not now he’d found Josie again. He didn’t want to hurt her any more than he had to.

‘You can say that again,’ said Diana. ‘I think I can count this as one of the most traumatic, upsetting and humiliating experiences of my life. So I don’t want you showing any footage of it at all, thank you very much.’

‘Oh,’ said Freddie, looking a little discomfited. ‘Has it really been that bad?’

‘Bad? It’s been worse than bad.’ She gave Ant a knowing look. ‘I’ve fallen in love and been rejected, my best friend briefly chased me round this stage, and I’ve fallen out with all of the people I really care about. Tonight is the story of my life writ large. Everyone gets happy endings but me.’

‘Do you really feel like that?’ Ant was genuinely surprised. Despite her confidences in him earlier, Di had always seemed invulnerable to him, as if love didn’t matter to her. He’d really thought the feelings she’d developed for him were skin-deep, brought about by the hypnotism; perhaps he’d been wrong.

‘Not that you’d care,’ snapped Diana. ‘Because it looks like things have worked out for you.’

‘What?’ said Ant.

‘She’s coming up the path right now,’ said Diana.

Ant turned as the gate creaked, and he saw Josie coming shyly towards him.

‘I’ve made my decision,’ she said shyly. ‘And I choose you.’

And with that, she stood on tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

Diana felt sick to the pit of her stomach when she saw Josie kiss Ant. It didn’t seem fair. She had both Ant and Harry lapping out of her hands, and Di had no one, even if it was the hypnotism that had addled their brains, they’d still both chosen Josie. Diana knew it was mean-spirited of her, but she wanted just for once for Josie to know how it was when life didn’t go the way you wanted. Let her feel rejection and disillusionment.

‘So you haven’t managed to sort things out with Ant, then?’ said Bron, putting a sympathetic arm round her shoulder.

‘I thought maybe I had,’ said Diana, ‘but looks like I was wrong.’

She stared gloomily at Ant and Josie, who seemed oblivious to everyone else.

‘You’re still in love with Ant?’ Bron said perceptively.

‘I don’t know – yes – no, maybe,’ said Diana. ‘I’m feeling extremely confused right now. I’m not sure which of my feelings are real anymore.’

‘I think you’d know,’ said Bron. ‘Just as I do about Tati.’

‘Do you think she’ll get over what you did to her tonight?’

‘Somehow, no,’ said Bron sadly. ‘I think I might have finally nailed the coffin on our relationship.’

‘And I think I’m destined to be a bitter old spinster,’ said Diana. ‘Quite frankly it wouldn’t matter who I was in love with, being friends with Josie means that no one looks at me. They all flood to her.’

Diana had never thought about this before, but suddenly realised it was true. It hadn’t mattered so much when she and Josie were both playing the field, and nothing was serious. But since Josie had met Harry it mattered very much. Very much indeed.

Harry sat down after Josie was gone.

Josie had got muddled up tonight. They all had. She didn’t know what she was doing. He’d have to remind her of how she really felt. Harry got up and strode off. He was going to find Freddie Puck and sort this out once and for all. Ant had had his chance with Josie all those years ago, and blown it. Faint heart never won fair lady. Harry was damned if he was going to let her go so easily now.

He set off back up the cliff path, not quite sure what he was going to do. As he reached the theatre, he saw Mike Slowbotham stumble out, looking sleepy.

‘Hello old boy,’ he said. ‘Seems to be a bit of a party going on in there. I must have had a hell of a night. I can’t remember a thing.’

Maybe Freddie had put one thing right, thought Harry. Time for him to get everything else right too.

Josie was sitting on a hillock, holding Ant’s hand in a happy daze, completely oblivious to everyone else. She felt otherworldly. A morning mist was creeping over the theatre, casting strange shapes and making her feel quite ethereal. She knew Diana was angry with her, but she couldn’t mind somehow – though a bit of her thought she should – because sitting here, leaning against Ant, was making her feel sublimely happy. Happier then she’d ever felt in her life before.

They hadn’t said much, but Josie felt as if they didn’t need to. They could communicate through their minds, their senses; everything was accentuated. The sound of the sea, the soft summer breeze, the brush of his cheek against hers. Never had she felt like this. Never had she felt this dizzying rush of love and sweet desire. She wanted the moment to go on and on for ever.

‘Good. I thought I’d find you here.’ Tatiana swept in, with M’stard rushing behind her saying, ‘Please, Tati, I think you should get back to the yurt, I’m not sure this will help.’

‘I want to know what you did to me tonight, Freddie, you bastard. And I want any footage you’ve got of this evening, destroyed,
capisce
?’

Bron got up. ‘Tati. Look, this was my fault. I thought I wanted to get back at you, and let Freddie persuade me it was a good idea. I realise now it wasn’t.’

Tatiana looked sad suddenly.

‘That’s the trouble with you, Bron, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘You’ve always let Freddie dictate to you. Even when it comes to us.
Especially
when it comes to us.’

‘I know, and I’m sorry,’ said Bron. ‘You’re right. Freddie, mate, I think this hypnosis thing has gone far enough. You need to sort things out.’

‘If you absolutely insist,’ said Freddie, ‘but you have to admit, it has been such fun.’

‘Not for me, it hasn’t.’ Josie turned to see Harry glowering fiercely at Freddie. She’d never seen him look so angry before.

‘Oi, Ant,’ he said. ‘Leave my fiancée alone.’

Ant stood up. ‘I’m sure we can sort this out in a civilized fashion …’ Ant began, before Harry launched himself at him.

‘I’m not,’ said Harry. Josie screamed as he struck Ant on the nose, and knocked him to the ground.

Diana leapt to her feet, hand over her mouth as she watched Harry tackle Ant to the ground. ‘Harry, no!’ she screamed as Harry sat on Ant’s stomach and pummelled his face, followed by, ‘Please don’t hurt him.’ Not that he looked in danger of doing so. Ant being the stronger, he soon recovered from the element of surprise, and managed to push Harry off him.

‘Come on, mate,’ he said, ‘we’ll never solve anything like this.’ But Harry just threw another blow at him. Ant ducked and Harry nearly tripped over.

‘You bastard, Ant,’ he panted, arms flailing wildly. ‘You’re not going to get away with this.’

He was bright red in the face from the exertion, and made a most unlikely boxer.

‘You’re mad,’ said Ant, ‘but if you really have to do this then –’

He struck out and caught Harry a glancing blow on the cheek.

Harry appeared infuriated by this and charged Ant, who pushed him away easily. The pair tussled to and fro for an instant, neither gaining much advantage, Josie shrieking helplessly, ‘Stop! The both of you. Please.’