Free The Reluctant Celebrity by Laurie Ellingham Page A

assurances stirred.
    An
easterly wind fell from the bleak grey clouds and forced its way down the wiry
branches of the bare woodland. As its icy touch hit the scattered stone houses
of Cottinghale it split, howling into the soot-filled chimneys and lashing
through the twisting lanes of the hamlet.
    It smacked Jules like a cold hand striking her cheek
as she stepped from the back door of the pub. For a moment, her eyes saw
nothing but brown. The thick streams of her hair relishing the freedom from an
elastic bobble as the wind whipped it across her face. 
    By the time her hands had swept it aside and she’d
regained her sight, Rich and Max had disappeared along a footpath to the east
and out into the open farmland.  
    She
stared after them for a moment, but the fierce wind caught hold of her again;
its wispy talons pushing their way through to her bare skin. Suddenly the idea
of Mrs Beckwith’s scolding shower didn’t sound so bad, especially for her
sockless feet, which had already started to feel numb.
    Jules
stepped as fast as the thumping in her head would allow up the deserted street
in the direction of Mrs Beckwith’s guesthouse and the Cottinghale farm shop.
    It
was the first time she’d seen the hamlet surrounded by looming storm clouds
above the tall grey homes and manicured shrubs that followed the curve of the
lane perfectly.
    The
dark skies suited Cottinghale, as if the little place suddenly had secrets and
mystery beyond the quaint stone walls.
     In
between the houses to her left, she could see an almost black skyline laying low
and heavy above deserted fields, still in the midst of their winters rest.
    To
her right, as she struggled to keep her watery eyes open against the harsh
wind, she could see that the rain had already fallen in the distance. Past the
gloom of the woodland and up over the valley, she could just make out a hint of
brightness.
    She
just hoped her own problems would disappear at the same rate as the dark clouds
moving above her.
    Guy
had to be wrong. He had to lying to her about more stories, she decided. If he
wanted her to give an interview, then it had to be helping his career in some
way. Once upon a time she would have done anything to help Guy, but those days
were long gone. She had no intention of helping him now.   
    Jules
felt a pang as she recalled their argument.
    Seeing
him again had done something to her. She didn’t feel herself around him. He had
achieved what they’d always dreamt about, but now the reality of him back in
her life filled her with an indistinguishable mesh of emotions. The very thought
of him made her want to crawl into bed and hide forever.
    Jules
gulped in the smell of fresh raindrops about to tip from the sky above, and
pushed thoughts of Guy aside.
    Everything
would be fine. She had weathered a tiny storm of mortifying embarrassment from
the Newspaper, Guy, and her own foolish behaviour, but it would be sunshine
from now on, she told herself.
    He
wouldn’t be back. Her bitter comments had seen to that, she thought with an
unexpected burst of sadness. Before she could dwell on the feelings, Jules
summoned the image of her face on the front page of a tabloid. The sadness
disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, replaced by the familiar comfort of a
slow burning anger.
    Just
then, the rattle of an engine brought Jules out of her thoughts.
    A
muck covered Land Rover, that looked like it might once have been black,
roared up the lane and stopped when it passed her. Jules heard the gears crunch
with a sense growing dread as the vehicle sped backwards.
     A
blonde woman, only a little older than Jules, lent across to the passenger side
and pumped the handle of the car window. ‘Jules, Lovey how are you?’
    Jules
did not know how to respond. Ever since she’d felt Max’s breath on the back of
her neck that morning, nothing seemed to be making sense. 
    The
woman had the craziest hair she’d ever seen. Giant blonde frizzy corkscrew
curls sprung out