Free Autumn at the Star and Sixpence by Holly Hepburn

old tricks
again?’
    Luke was convinced that the Star and Sixpence was haunted by the ghost of the sixteenth-century highwayman and Kathryn often joked about it. But this time Sam didn’t smile. She slumped
onto the living-room sofa and put her head in her hands.
    ‘Why does everything in my life have to be so complicated?’ she asked. ‘Why can’t things just go smoothly for a change?’
    Kathryn sat down opposite her. ‘What are we talking about here? Work? Relationships? A tricky new cocktail recipe?’
    Sam shook her head. ‘Men. I just ran into Joss and – well – let’s just say I don’t think we’ll ever be friends.’
    Kathryn raised her eyebrows. ‘He’s stubborn. And proud – it can’t be easy for him seeing you splashed all over the papers with Nick.’ She held up her hands as Sam
started to speak. ‘I know why you did it. I’m just saying it fanned the flames of Joss’s anger, that’s all.’
    ‘His unfounded anger,’ Sam pointed out defensively. ‘The thing with Will happened before I’d even met Joss, remember?’
    ‘I remember,’ Kathryn replied. ‘But he was always a bit jealous of Nick, a bit insecure over you. Knowing you and Nick are together now might be hard for him to take,
especially if he’s realised he had no one to blame but himself.’
    Sam frowned. ‘Do you think he has realised that?’
    ‘What – that he acted like an idiot?’ Kathryn snorted. ‘Plenty of people told him he had, so I imagine the seed has been planted. Don’t worry, he’ll calm
down. Eventually.’
    Sam took a deep breath and pushed Joss from her mind. ‘It doesn’t really matter if he doesn’t. How are things with you?’
    Kathryn sat back. ‘They’re okay. I spoke to Owen, told him I wanted to do more gigs.’
    ‘And?’
    ‘And he took it well,’ Kathryn said. ‘So now we just need to find a way to get him out of the house and Nessie over here to babysit. Any ideas?’
    Mentally, Sam flicked through the coming month. ‘We’ve got the Halloween Ball soon but obviously they’d both be attending that, along with Luke. Can’t you invite Owen to
a gig, the way you did before?’
    Kathryn tipped her head to one side. ‘I could. I don’t think he really enjoyed it but I could apply a bit of pressure, make him feel guilty for not being more supportive.’
    Sam flashed her an admiring look. ‘I like your thinking. When’s your next gig?’
    They compared diaries and picked a date when Sam thought Nessie would be free. Kathryn promised to get to work on Owen as soon as she could and Sam agreed to soften Nessie up, although she knew
her sister doted on Luke and loved looking after him. The more Owen and Nessie were pushed together, the more likely it was they would give in to their obvious attraction and the happier everyone
would be.
    After plotting with Kathryn, Sam headed over to Weir Cottage to visit Ruby. She hadn’t been in the pub the night before and while that wasn’t unheard of, it was unusual.
There’d been a nasty bout of flu working its way around some of the village residents and Sam wanted to be sure Ruby hadn’t fallen victim to it.
    There was no answer at the front door. Frowning, Sam glanced at the windows, which were still curtained even though it was now mid-afternoon. Then she let herself through the side-gate; maybe
Ruby was in the garden and hadn’t heard her knock.
    There was no sign of her in the garden and the back door was shut too. Sam gave it an experimental rattle. It was locked. Shading her eyes, she peered through the window. What she saw made her
blood run cold. Ruby was lying on the kitchen floor, motionless. A shattered bottle lay by her side.
    Sam rapped sharply on the window. ‘Ruby!’ she shouted. ‘Can you hear me?’
    There was no sign that she’d heard. Pulling out her phone, Sam called Nessie.
    ‘Does anyone have a key to Ruby’s cottage?’ she asked, the moment Nessie answered.
    ‘I – I don’t know,’ Nessie