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Estelle nodded at her father and dashed towards the front of the house, swiping the stickers off. At the start of the long drive towards the main gate, she saw James in the distance and her tummy turned over. Contradictory thoughts and emotions battled for her attention. She wanted to be the one to solve the problem, but if he hadn’t stepped up, she would have been just as mad. She was desperate to see him, but each time she did, it hurt her heart.
Why can’t he just leave already?
Had she made the right decision in telling him they were over before they’d even started? Could a long-distance relationship with him work?
Up ahead, she noticed Summer and Henry were with him and her jaw instinctively clenched. One sibling hated him and the other fancied him. Two more nails in the ‘Estelle and James’ coffin. The men were wearing the same fugly high-vis vests as she was, but Summer was in a boho-chic floral minidress with glittering butterflies painted across her cheekbones.
Estelle walked a little faster. Please, Henry. Don’t hit him again.
‘What’s going on?’ she asked as she reached them.
‘There’s been a small issue but we’ve resolved it,’ James replied, his gaze inscrutable.
‘What issue?’
‘Why don’t we do this away from the entrance?’ Henry said, moving towards a quiet corner behind the gates.
Estelle followed him. ‘Well?’
Henry glanced at James.
‘It appears that Max has been in contact with Summer,’ James said. ‘Using his BDE email address, which hadn’t been deactivated.’
Estelle’s head swivelled to look at her youngest sister. ‘What did he do? Are you okay?’
Summer rolled her eyes. ‘Chill, I’m fine. I’ve never even met the guy.’
‘Max gave Summer fake passes she could give to her followers,’ James continued. ‘And the first person just tried to use one to get in.’
‘How many?’ The public relations disaster was unfolding in her mind’s eye.
There was a brief hesitation before James replied. ‘Two thousand.’
‘Two thousand?’
He nodded. ‘But it’s been handled.’
‘How?’
‘Anyone who shows up with one of the fake tickets will be told they’re worthless and that Summer’s account was hacked—’
‘But they’ll go straight to the press! That—’
‘Is why we’re giving them a choice,’ James continued. ‘They can either walk away, or they can enter the festival with a financial contribution that gets them an exclusive audience with Summer.’
‘What? How much?’
‘I just persuaded the first person to cough up one hundred pounds.’
‘A hundred quid? Just to meet Summer?’
‘Oi!’ Summer replied. ‘That’s cheap. I’m used to charging thousands for appearances. And anyway, the money’s not going to me, it’s going to the festival.’ She dropped a curtsey. ‘You can thank me later for saving the day.’
‘But if they all show up, we’ll be over capacity,’ Estelle hissed. ‘The council could shut us down.’
‘Yes, we have sold out,’ James said placidly, ‘but that doesn’t mean everyone with a ticket will come. Nor will everyone Summer gave free passes to. The site can accommodate the extra numbers and won’t feel crowded. There’s no way the councillors will be able to count who’s here, and I believe the rewards vastly outweigh any risk.’
Estelle’s throat squeezed with emotion, but she still managed to spit her words out. ‘So you just made that decision, did you?’
