Under New Management (30 page)

Jack goes quiet as he takes it all in. He then smiles with relief, “Well Molls, I’m sad that you don’t want to get back with me but you’re right. You scared me stupid, I’m definitely not ready for serious. I really just want to have fun,” he looks at her apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it babe, we can have fun, just without the sex and emotional shit. We are great as friends, so why spoil it?” Mollie shoves him gently on the shoulder.

Jack grabs her in a bear hug and gives her a smacker of a kiss on the cheek, “Mollie, I so owe you one for this, so watch your back,” he warns as he puts her down with a smile. “Friends it is. Come on, let’s get back to the party. I’ve got some mingling to be getting on with and now I know I’m free and single again, well...” Mollie gives him a knowing smile but doesn’t comment. She grabs his hand and they head back to the sitting room.

Two hours later they are seated at the huge dining table and the wine has been flowing freely. The sumptuous meal was delicious; they all indulged, except Serena who barely ate a thing. Angela had delivered in spectacular fashion. She had cooked, served and cleared the remains efficiently and quietly. Marylyn is impressed she has been considering keeping Angela on. This evening she has decided she will. The woman has worked wonders.

As the meal progresses, Serena becomes more and more vivacious, demanding attention from everyone. Her theatrical demeanour becomes melodramatic as the evening goes on. Minimal food and an alarming amount of wine is having a dramatic effect. Kieran sits next to Mollie, opposite Serena. As Serena becomes more animated and self obsessed as she delights in her audience, Kieran takes the opportunity to talk with Mollie.

Jack is feeling great after his conversation with Mollie. He’s a little put out that he fell for the joke, but relief is his overriding emotion at discovering the whole thing is just that, a joke.

He is captivated by Lou and desperately wants to have a proper conversation with her.

Sitting on the other side of Mollie he is opposite Lou. He keeps trying to engage her in conversation but she isn’t interested. She has Johnny to one side of her and Dan on the other. Johnny is sharing his attention between her and Serena. Every time Johnny speaks to Lou she appears to lap it up. Johnny is making the impression on her that Jack wishes to.

He keeps finding himself staring openly at her. She is gorgeous. Why didn’t he notice when they first met? She has a Nicole Kidman thing going on and it is doing strange things to him. He’s tried a number of his best lines on her, vaguely disguised admittedly, and has thrown her a few of his most charming ‘shag me’ smiles. He has even given her a wink, none of which seems to have had the least effect on her. He can’t understand it. Jack is confused again and he has spent the last two days feeling confused.
Hang on a minute!

A light comes on in Jack’s brain, dimly at first, but then brighter as his thoughts start slotting into place. Lou had so fancied him last week at the party and he knows it. Jack frowns as he recalls. They were getting on pretty well actually that night, but then that Florrie, or whatever her name was, had made a move and dragged him away from Lou. Perhaps she’s still pissed off with him for that. Yet she hasn’t been rude to him this evening, just disinterested.

There is something else going on and he knows it. He glances up at Lou and notices her wink and smile towards Mollie. Jack turns his head just enough to see Mollie from the corner of his eye as she grins back and gives Lou a thumbs up. Jack smiles to himself as the final part of the puzzle slots into place. This is another wind up. He was right the first time, Lou does fancy him! Whatever game Mollie has been playing involves getting him and Lou together. Clearly Mollie put him off and Lou is reeling him in. Jack has to admire that. He loves games and is happy to play along, but perhaps it’s time to change the rules slightly and this time in his favour.

Inwardly, Lou is doing cartwheels. Jack is totally into her right now, she can feel it. She is having the time of her life. Mollie was so right! It is taking every ounce of self restraint she possesses to keep up the pretence and he’s falling for it hook, line and sinker.

Mollie and Kieran are deep in conversation about the Hall. She hasn’t told anyone about the job proposal, she wanted to make the decision on her own. She has mulled it over and over and has come to a decision. As they chat animatedly about their individual ideas she can’t help herself. “I’ll do it. I’ll take the job,” she blurts out, cutting off his prattle about the corporate fishing days and weekends he intends to run. Kieran stops mid flow and stares at her. “Really? You’ll take it? Well, that’s brilliant.” His smile is heart stopping and she takes a deep, calming breath. He grabs her hand from where it is resting on the table and squeezes it. Mollie grins at him and he gazes at her. He lets go of her hand when he realises that perhaps he’s held it for a little too long.

“Well, I’m glad that’s made you happy,” Mollie laughs at him.

“You have no idea. It’s amazing. We’re going to make a great team,” Kieran tells her excitedly. “Can I tell the others, do you mind?” he asks, his eyes shining.

Mollie laughs, “Blimey, you are very weird aren’t you? You can tell them if you must.” Caught up in his obvious excitement, the wine and the atmosphere, Mollie doesn’t think twice. Kieran stands and taps his wine glass. The others eventually stop their animated conversations and give him their full, if somewhat squiffy, attention. Kieran hasn’t realised but he and Mollie have had Serena’s full attention for the last ten minutes and she is seething with drunken, vicious anger.

“Sorry everyone, I would just like to pass on some rather exciting news. Mollie has agreed to come back to the Hall to work for the McLaren group. She’s going to be our new Estate Manager.” Kieran turns to her and raises his glass in a toast, “and I believe she is going to be fantastic.”

Mollie blushes scarlet as she hears Jim let out a “Woohoo!” and everyone starts calling out congratulations. Lindy squeals with delight and jumping up she rushes to her daughter, giving her a tight hug and whispering in her ear, “Well done darling”.

The next few minutes are filled with congratulations and lots of hugging. Mollie is now feeling drunk. Eventually she prises herself away from her father’s arm which has been lying heavily on her shoulder and leaves the room. She needs some air.

Slipping down the corridor she leaves the house by the front door and leans up against the wall at the top of the steps. Breathing in the night air she shivers slightly but enjoys the cold air on her hot skin. She smiles as Kieran’s excited face swims in her mind’s eye. She hears the door open and Mollie’s heart jumps as she wonders if it’s Kieran. However, as Serena steps from the doorway her heart drops. Mollie gives her a half hearted smile as she stands away from the wall. For want of anything else to say she says simply, “Lovely dinner party.” Serena glares at her and Mollie suddenly feels very uncomfortable.

As Serena doesn’t speak she thinks perhaps it’s best if she leaves. Obviously the woman isn’t happy and Mollie is in too good a mood to listen.

“Right, er, well, I need the loo, so I’ll leave you to it.” and she makes a move towards the door.

“You bitch!” Serena hisses at her viciously.

Mollie takes a step back, “Excuse me?”

“How dare you, you dirty little whore! Do you think I haven’t been watching you dribbling over my boyfriend?” Serena spits at her.

Mollie is stunned.
What the hell?
She is trembling with embarrassment and anger. Part of her is honest enough to admit that she and Kieran have been rather engaged during dinner. The other part of her is livid that this nasty cow sought her out to attack her. She clearly thinks she’s something she isn’t and obviously believes she’s better than everyone else. Well, Mollie is no pushover and taking a deep breath she squares up to Serena, “Look, I don’t know what your problem is, but take it up with someone who cares, OK?”

Serena’s eyes become dark with anger, which makes Mollie uneasy. Letting out a shrill screech Serena lashes out and slaps Mollie’s face with some considerable force. Mollie’s hand flies to her stinging cheek as she brings her face back up to stare at Serena in shock.

“Stay away from him, do you hear me? Or you will regret it. I...”

Serena’s words stop abruptly as behind her Kieran demands, “What the hell is going on here?”

Mollie is still holding her cheek. She glances at Kieran with tears in her eyes, she is mortified. A bitch Serena may be, but she is in the right.

What was Mollie thinking, flirting with a man who is in a relationship? She had no right, especially as she knows exactly how it feels to have someone interfere in a relationship. Saying a choked, “I’m sorry,” she pushes past them both and runs back through the door.

Kieran stares at Serena, “You hit her?!” He is stunned.

“Of course I fucking hit her!” Serena spits at him. “You have been monopolising her all night. What do you expect?”

Kieran is seething. “That’s it, Serena. I’ve had enough. I want you to leave here tomorrow. I want nothing more to do with you. You are, without doubt, the most psychotic, egotistical, conceited human being I have ever had the misfortune to meet. Enough is enough. We are over.”

Serena glares at him with pure hatred, “You pig!” she screams at the top of her voice. She lashes out at his face with both hands and Kieran isn’t quick enough to stop her. As he grabs one of her wrists, her other hand connects with his cheek and her razor like nails scratch him viciously. She is screaming like a lunatic now and trying again to hurt him. Kieran grabs her other hand and holds onto both as she starts to kick out at him.

Johnny, returning to the dining room from the toilet, sees Mollie running towards him down the corridor. It’s obvious she’s crying and he stops to ask if she’s OK. Mollie gives him a muffled, “I’m fine, thanks,” and heads past him towards the toilet. Johnny shrugs.
Women! Nightmare, the lot of ‘em.

Thinking perhaps he had better let someone know, he heads back to the dining room. Just as he puts his hand on the door knob he hears a bloodcurdling scream.

Johnny turns and runs to the open front door. As he reaches it he sees Serena attacking Kieran and without thinking, dives outside to help. Johnny picks up Serena’s small frame with his good arm and pulls her away from Kieran. She is hissing and spitting like a cat. He has to use his broken arm to hold her close to him before she hurts him, or herself.

“Christ, what the bloody hell is going on?” Johnny shouts at her, “Serena, calm the fuck down will you?”

Kieran puts his hand up to his face as he feels something warm and wet trickle down his cheek. Bringing his hand back away from his face he sees the blood. He takes out a handkerchief and dabs at his face. With his eyes burning with anger, he turns to Serena, “You bitch!” He then turns and walks back inside.

Serena sags in Johnny’s arms and he slowly puts her down. She turns to him and immediately collapses against him in tears. Not knowing what else to do and being very drunk, Johnny puts his arms around her and cradles her against him. Serena is hideously drunk. Kieran had been horrible to her. Why? What has she done? Feeling very hard done by Serena moves closer to Johnny. At least he likes her.

Johnny moves his head down towards her, to check that she is OK. He says gently, “Hey, are you alright now?” Serena moves quickly and covers his mouth with her own. She catches him unawares. His reactions are slow owing to the large amount of alcohol he has consumed. For a moment Johnny enjoys a kiss with a superstar. He deepens it and pulls her closer. Eventually they pull apart and Serena smiles shyly, if a little drunkenly, up at him. Johnny takes a swift intake of breath. She is beautiful, even with her tear stained face, but he has Megan.
What is he thinking?

Johnny gently pulls away. He doesn’t want her to start screaming again. He takes her arm and leads her out of the cold night air and into the warmth of the Hall.

Chapter 30

Brian Fellows can barely breathe, he’s so exhilarated by what he has just witnessed and more importantly, captured on camera. Getting a grip of himself, he releases himself stiffly from the branch of the old chestnut tree that he has been skulking in for the past couple of hours. He is shaking so much with adrenalin that he slips before he reaches the bottom and falls about five feet to the ground. Doing a log roll onto the grass, he keeps his arms out straight above his head as he clings on to his beloved camera. The camera that is going to earn him an absolute fortune.

Brian hauls himself up off the ground and limps across the front of the Hall towards his hidden motorbike, staying close to the walls. His plan is to push the bike up the drive to the road. He stows his precious camera in the top box and takes the bike off its stand.

He begins to push it up through the gardens and towards the drive when he hears, “Oi, you!” The shout comes from the front of the Hall, accompanied by the crunching of gravel underfoot. Brian freezes.

“Shit!” he swears out loud. Forcing his brain to work as he hears footsteps running towards him across the gravel, he turns the key on his motorbike.

It fires up and Brian flies into action. He throws a short leg over the saddle and lets out the throttle before he has climbed on properly. The bike shoots away with the back wheel slipping out to one side. He manages to right it and hold on. He hasn’t switched on the lights and so trusts his instincts. It is very dark further away from the house and hedges, shrubs and trees block his way. Someone is still chasing him. Brian speeds up and rides right through the middle of a bush, luckily it’s smaller than it looks. With the help of moonlight, he spots the tarmac drive through the foliage and heads for it.

Suddenly, Brian finds himself flying through the air as he hits something and lands a few feet from the bike. Slightly dazed, he sits up and listening carefully hears footsteps still running.
Bugger!