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‘I won’t, I promise. But if you need to get out, come to the livery. If I’m not there, then ask for Molly. Okay?’
Elyse nodded. ‘You’d better go. He might be back now.’
Estelle looked longingly at the cup of instant coffee. If she took it, then James would know she’d been in the main house. Going to the door, she peeked around it into the corridor. Still empty. Nodding at Elyse, she slipped through. She wouldn’t say a word to James about meeting her, but she was going to make him wish he’d never been born.
13
Despite her power walk, Estelle’s feet made no sound as she strode towards the end office she shared with James. Because she’d come via the garage and rectory that morning, she’d worn a pair of clean trainers and hadn’t bothered to take them off.
Hearing a voice inside the room, she paused at the closed door and leaned in to listen.
‘Here? In bumfuck nowhere?’ James’s voice was louder than normal, as if he was on the phone. ‘Somerset’s a pussy desert, mate. Drier than your girlfriend on date night.’
Bile rose up into Estelle’s throat.
James laughed. ‘Fuck you? You’re not my type.’
Her head pounding, Estelle didn’t know whether to keep listening or barge in.
‘The women are alright if you like them in wellies with straw in their hair,’ James continued, ‘but I’d stick to London skirt if I were you.’
Estelle’s fingers raked through her curls. A few days ago, she’d come into work with a piece of straw stuck in them. Was he talking about her?
‘Nah, I’m not here long, just gotta help the old man out for a few months. I’ll be back by the close of Wimbledon. Get me a ticket for the women’s finals, would you? Give me something to look forward to apart from banging your mum.’
Shaking with rage, Estelle shouldered open the door. It bashed against the inside wall.
James leapt to his feet, immediately cutting the call. ‘Estelle—’
‘You utter, utter bastard.’
His face was pale. ‘That’s not me.’
She advanced on him. ‘Really? Well, who was it then? Kevin?’
‘It’s just an act.’
She gave him a slow handclap. ‘And the Oscar goes to… James Hunter-Savage.’
‘It’s not what you think.’
Her blood pressure was rising and her heartbeat pulsed in her temples. ‘Do you think I’m hard of hearing? Stupid?’ She made a show of looking around the room and under the desks. ‘Yep, just as I deduced from outside the room, there’s only one “person” I could have heard being such a total wanker, and that’s you.’
James ran his hands through his hair. ‘Can you let me explain?’
Estelle crossed her arms, trying to contain her fury. ‘Go on.’
‘It was just someone from Conqueror. That’s how we are at work—’
‘Henry’s not like that.’
James let out a terse breath. ‘It doesn’t mean anything. It’s not who I really am.’
‘Bullshit. It’s exactly who you are. You use and abuse everyone.’ She grabbed the envelope containing the CVs, stalked across the room and slapped it against his chest. ‘And because Somerset is such a “pussy desert”, you’re using the festival and your position as boss of Big Dickhead Entertainment to catfish unsuspecting young women. It’s the most disgusting abuse of power and takes sexual predation to another level.’
He took the envelope from her and opened it. Her fight-or-flight reflex was now leaning towards fleeing. She’d never felt scared around James before, but after what Elyse had said, she was now very much aware he had a good six inches on her and considerably more muscle. The door was still wide open and she was closest to it. She tensed, getting ready to run.
James tore the pile of CVs in half. ‘This had nothing to do with me.’ Going to the recycling bin by the window, he threw them in. ‘It was Max.’
