Free Secret Schemes and Daring Dreams by Rosie Rushton Page A

get this. Tonight, Harriet was laying the breakfast tables for tomorrow and she asked George if it was OK for her to go to church in the morning. I know, I was pretty gobsmacked – like you’d go out of choice? I never had her down as a holy type. Anyway, George said no, sorry, but he couldn’t spare her unless I took on her chores. Like that was going to happen. I had to think fast, I can tell you, but I said something about having to help Dad sort out stuff for the film crew and he swallowed that one. Anyway, just at that moment, Theo came in (he’d been to Brighton for the evening). Harriet was looking all mis and he asked what was wrong; she told him about the church thing and guess what? He goes striding off after George and, two minutes later, George is saying that it’s fine, she can go because Theo’s offered to cover her breakfast shift! Get that! He must fancy her – I mean, have you heard of a guy actually choosing to get up early on a Sunday? Of course, his dad’s a vicar so maybe it’s in his genes, but anyway . . .
    A knock on her door interrupted her flow.
    â€˜Dad?’
    â€˜No, it’s me – Harriet.’
    â€˜Hang on!’
    Emma scanned the final paragraph of her email.
    Got to go – more tomorrow. See you Wednesday. Hugs, Emma.
    She clicked on
Send,
and shut off her laptop.
    â€˜OK, come in!’ she called, glancing at her watch as Harriet came into the room. ‘I thought you’d be asleep by now – you looked done in.’
    â€˜I am, only . . .’ Harriet hesitated, chewing her bottom lip and sighing.
    â€˜What? Do you need something? More pillows?’
    â€˜No, everything’s lovely,’ Harriet assured her, perching on the end of Emma’s bed. ‘It’s – well, it’s Rob.’
    â€˜Oh.’
    â€˜See, I rang him a bit earlier and he sounded really cheesed off . . .’
    â€˜Probably jealous that you’ve got a job that doesn’t involve crustaceans and screaming kids,’ Emma commented, suddenly feeling too tired to be compassionate.
    â€˜No, it’s because he says he’s going to miss me,’ Harriet went on, apparently oblivious to Emma’s sarcasm. ‘Anyway, he’s just rung back and said sorry for being off – and guess what? He thinks he could get me a job at Sea Life because this girl Rachel in the coffee shop has handed in her notice.’
    â€˜No way!’ Emma exploded. ‘You don’t mean to tell me that after all my efforts getting you a decent job with really cool people —’
    â€˜Well, no, I did say I couldn’t let you all down at the moment but . . .’
    â€˜Good!’
    â€˜And that’s when he asked me what was moreimportant: this job or us getting the chance to spend more time together.’
    She sighed and looked imploringly at Emma.
    â€˜It’s really hard – I mean, he’s so cute and him saying that – well, it must mean he fancies me, right?’
    â€˜It means,’ said Emma forcefully, ‘that he’s into emotional blackmail big time. Still, it’s up to you, of course. If you want to throw away the opportunity of a lifetime, there’s not much I can do about it.’
    She eyed Harriet solemnly.
    â€˜Freddie’s party is going to be
the
social event of the summer,’ she insisted. ‘And there’s the village festival, Dad’s TV show, Charity Race Day – I could organise it for us to get into the Members’ enclosure if we agreed to sell raffle tickets.’
    She was pleased to note that Harriet’s mouth was dropping open by the second, so she went in for the final whammy.
    â€˜It’s not like you get loads of opportunities to mix with high-flying types like the Churchill crowd. Did you tell Rob about that?’
    â€˜Yes, and he said that’s all just about image and snobs and social climbers,’ Harriet replied