One Summer At The Castle: Stay Through the Night / A Stormy Spanish Summer / Behind Palace Doors

‘Pretty much,’ he admitted at last. Then, seeing her expression, he added, ‘You’re too much of a distraction.’

‘Oh, right.’ She gave him a scornful look. ‘What you mean is, I’ve wasted too much of your time already.’

Liam shrugged. ‘I didn’t say that.’

‘You didn’t have to.’ Rosa turned towards the desk. Then, picking up the receiver, she said, ‘I hope your leg’s better soon.’

Liam blinked, but she wasn’t looking at him now. And, although he was tempted to ask her what she knew about his injuries, he kept his mouth shut.

The door closed behind him and Rosa breathed a sigh of relief. The sooner she left here, the better. Despite what she’d thought before, he was dangerous to her peace of mind.

Her mother answered on the second ring, and when she did Rosa was instantly aware of the anticipation in her voice.

‘Sophie?’ Mrs Chantry said eagerly. ‘Oh, darling, I hoped you’d ring back.’

Back?

Rosa was stunned. ‘You mean you’ve heard from her?’

There was a moment’s silence. ‘Rosa? Rosa, is that you?’

‘Who else?’ Rosa could hear the edge in her voice but she couldn’t help it. ‘What’s going on, Mum? I gather you’ve heard from Sophie?’

‘Well, yes.’ Her mother sighed. ‘She rang yesterday evening.’ She made a sound of excitement. ‘You can’t imagine how relieved I was.’

Rosa could. Sophie could do anything and their mother would forgive her. Even if, as in this case, she’d been telling a pack of lies.

‘So where is she?’ Rosa asked, forcing herself to be patient. ‘Did she tell you that?’

‘Of course.’ Mrs Chantry sounded indignant now. ‘She’s in Scotland, as she said.’ She paused, and then went on breathlessly, ‘She’s having a wonderful time. Everyone’s been so kind to her, and there’s every chance she’ll get a part in the production. Isn’t that amazing?’

‘Unbelievable, certainly,’ said Rosa drily, wondering if her mother was pathologically foolish where Sophie was concerned. For heaven’s sake, who was going to employ a starstruck teenager with a very minimal acting talent?

‘I might have known you’d say something like that, Rosa.’ Mrs Chantry sounded irritable now. ‘Just because Sophie isn’t on the island, as you expected, you’re taking your frustration out on me. Well, Scotland’s a big country. It’s natural that a production like this would need a less confined location.’

‘It wasn’t my idea to come to the island,’ Rosa pointed out, aware that she sounded peeved. ‘It was your idea, not mine.’ She paused. ‘Did you tell her where I was?’

‘Not exactly.’

‘You mean you didn’t.’ Rosa gritted her teeth. ‘So where is she?’

‘I’ve just told you. She’s in Scotland,’ said her mother testily.

‘Where in Scotland?’

‘Ah…’ There was a pregnant pause. ‘Well, I’m not precisely sure.’

‘But you said you’d heard from her.’

‘I have. I did.’ Mrs Chantry sighed. ‘But you know what Sophie’s like, Rosa. She was so busy telling me all the exciting things that have happened to her that she forgot about giving me her address.’

‘I’ll bet.’

‘Oh, don’t be like that, Rosa. Can’t you find out where she is?’

Rosa sighed. ‘How am I supposed to do that?’

‘Well, you said Liam Jameson was there, didn’t you? He’ll know.’

‘Mum…’It was growing increasingly hard to be patient. ‘There is no film production. Or, if there is, Liam Jameson doesn’t know about it.’

‘Have you asked him?’

‘I—er—’

Belatedly, Rosa acknowledged that that was something that they hadn’t discussed. When she’d found out Sophie wasn’t on the island, that there was no film crew working there, she hadn’t thought to ask if he’d given permission for a film to be made elsewhere.

But wouldn’t he have told her?

Yet he hadn’t told her who he was until he’d had to.

She’d been silent for too long, and her mother said sharply, ‘You have spoken to him, haven’t you?’

Spoken?

Rosa stifled the hysterical sob that rose in her throat at her mother’s words. Yes, she’d spoken to him all right, she thought. Though that was a poor description of what had happened between them.

‘Yes,’ she said, her voice a little hoarse. ‘I’ve spoken to him, Mum. He was very—nice, actually.’ And that had to be the understatement of the year!

‘And he insisted he’d never seen Sophie?’ Mrs Chantry sounded anxious now, and Ross wished she hadn’t been so brutal. ‘Oh, I wish she’d taken her phone with her to Glastonbury. But Mark was taking his, and I was so afraid she’d lose it.’

‘I—I don’t think Jameson’s seen her,’ Rosa murmured weakly, hating the thought that her mother was going to start worrying all over again. ‘I—I’ll ask him again.’

‘Oh, you’re a good girl, Rosa.’ Now that she thought her daughter was softening, Mrs Chantry was prepared to be generous. ‘I knew I could rely on you. And don’t forget to find out where the film is being made.’

Rosa put the phone down with a feeling of utter bewilderment. Speaking to her mother was like butting her head against a brick wall. Mrs Chantry only heard what she wanted to hear, and now that Rosa had agreed to speak to Liam Jameson again she was prepared to wait for developments.

Rosa swore—something she rarely did, but right now she felt it was justified. Wait until she got her hands on her younger sister, she thought. Sophie would regret putting them through all this trauma.

Yet if Sophie hadn’t disappeared Rosa wouldn’t have come here, wouldn’t have met Liam Jameson for herself. And, while that was something she might live to regret, right now the prospect of seeing him again was causing her heart to beat so madly it felt as if it was in danger of forcing its way right out of her chest.

But where had he gone?

She crossed to the door and pulled it open, only to fall back in surprise when she found Sam Devlin just outside. Had he been listening in to her conversation?

But, no. Something told her that the burly Scotsman wouldn’t be interested in anything she had to say, and this was confirmed when he said brusquely, ‘Yon McAllister’s on his way from the village. He should be here in about half an hour. Would you like me to carry your bag down for you?’

‘Oh—no.’ Rosa was taken aback. But she should have known that Sam would waste no time in sending her on her way. ‘That won’t be necessary.’ She paused. ‘Actually, I wanted to have a word with Mr Jameson before I go.’