Chapter thirty-three - Lady in Red

The tall blonde smoothed the wrinkles in her short, poppy-red dress and reached inside the car for her handbag. She checked her appearance in the wing mirror and, after a moment of indecision, released another button on her blouse to expose more skin.

Although their visitor was glamorous, Jess thought her outfit was more appropriate for a club on a Saturday night than an afternoon visit in the countryside. "Whoever she is, she's very beautiful."

"That's Ellen Williams, and trust me, that beauty is only skin-deep. She was in the same year as Rhian at school. Dad's fame impressed her, so she was friendly with us. Yet she never had a problem smiling to your face while calling you black and blue when your back was turned."

"What's she doing here?"

"Not sure, but she works for the local newspaper. I understand she's also going through a messy divorce after a fling with her editor, but you didn't hear that from me."

The blonde reporter turned to look across the courtyard, away from the house. Then Gareth appeared, looking relaxed in faded jeans and a generous white shirt, open at the neck. The reporter gave him a simpering smile and kissed him on both cheeks, leaving a smudge of scarlet behind. She giggled and brushed her fingertips across his face, wiping the lipstick away, her caress lingering along his jaw.

Carys watched her performance though the window. "Women like that give the rest of us a bad name. Look at her. She must be six or seven years older than me and Gareth, and she's acting like a cat in heat, all because of some stupid advert."

Jessica agreed. Although they couldn't hear any of the conversation, they had no problems translating the body language. The woman was doing everything except rubbing herself against his legs and purring.

Carys shook her head and refocused her attention on the vegetables. "I can't watch any more. It's making me feel sick." She picked up the knife, hesitated, then slammed it point down into the wooden chopping board. "What are they doing now?"

Gareth accompanied the woman across the courtyard. He smiled and nodded, polite as always, then opened a door and stepped back to let her go first. "They're coming in through the other door."

"I bet Ellen was hoping to see the inside of the boat house. Everyone around here knows that's Gareth's sanctuary." An old servant's bell rang, flagged up in the drawing room. "Wise move, Gareth. She won't be able to move on him so easily in there. I'll go play the hostess and find out what's going on."

While Carys was away, Jess sat alone in the kitchen, staring at the bright red sports car. Gareth had looked much more like his old self as he'd walked across the courtyard. He hadn't been so pleased earlier when he'd discovered her in the kitchen.

She should have resented him for refusing to work with her, but Jess found it impossible to dredge up such a negative emotion. Instead, she felt only a stinging disappointment. She knew how effortless it could be to work with Gareth. It was a shame that he now felt unable to even have a civil conversation, and she couldn't understand why. Why would he walk away from a project like this?

She wished she knew what was going on in his head.

Carys returned, quietly seething. "Apparently, this interview's been planned for weeks, but no one bothered to tell me. Ellen's here to write an article on Gareth's new found fame. A local boy makes good type of thing. At least he had the sense to claim one of the armchairs, so she couldn't sit right next to him, otherwise she might have ended up on his lap. Now, she's perched on the edge of the sofa, displaying her assets. She might as well be wearing a sign saying 'take me'. It's pathetic."

"Is your brother interested in what she's offering?"

Her eyes grew wide. "Ellen? I doubt it. She's not his type at all. Those women who throw themselves at him are doing it all wrong."

"What should she have done? The reporter, I mean."

"I'm no expert on Gareth's love life, but I know he doesn't care for those predatory types. That's why all those females sending underwear through the post are wasting their time."

Carys carried drinks into the drawing room, reporting back that Ellen seemed to be behaving herself. "Gareth is answering all her questions ... all except the very personal ones. He won't talk about dad, or any of our family. She even tried the old boxers or briefs question and didn't get a straight answer to that either. He knows what he's doing."

An hour later they heard muffled voices outside the kitchen window. Carys peeked around the curtain to avoid being spotted. "Looks like Ellen is retreating from battle defeated. Her siege has failed to breech Gareth's defences."

"How do you know?"

"Because he's standing at least twelve feet away from her with his hands in his pockets, the very picture of polite disinterest. I knew she never stood a chance."

After waving his visitor off, Gareth retreated to his hideaway. Jess hadn't seen him in the house since that morning, and wasn't sure whether he was avoiding her or if that was normal for him. When the time came for lunch, Jess couldn't decide whether she was more disappointed or relieved that Sir Ieuan was sitting across the table, rather than his son.

"I've been thinking about our earlier conversation, Jess. You know, another remake of Pride and Prejudice might not be such a bad idea. Perhaps we could put a different spin on things. What would you think about a contemporary adaptation? Is that something you'd be interested in?"

Jess felt flattered that he would ask for her opinion. "A year ago I might not have been so keen on a 21st century version of Pride and Prejudice, but having worn the Regency costumes I could definitely see the benefits of a Lizzy Bennet in jeans and a t-shirt. They've done modern Shakespeare, why not another modern Austen?"

"Exactly!" Sir Ieuan slapped his hand down onto the table, sending his fork flying across the room. "But why limit yourself to the 21st century? What about a 1920s Elizabeth Bennet, independent free-spirit, flinging off the shackles of her Edwardian upbringing?"

"Or a suffragette fighting against Government oppression?" Jess suggested, as her vivid imagination transplanted the lively mind of her favourite heroine into different situations.

Sir Ieuan laughed. "That's the spirit! You know, between the two of us, we could probably come up with something rather special."

"And you would finally be able to cast yourself as Mr Bennet."

"Of course, and perhaps we could convince Gareth to reprise...ah, speak of the devil! We were just talking about you."

Jess spun around. Gareth was standing in the doorway immediately behind her chair. As she met his eyes he glanced away. She tried a smile. "Yes. We were talking about Jane Austen."

"You're a fan of the classics," his father said. "What do you think to a modern version of something like Pride and Prejudice? Would that interest you?"

Gareth moved around to the kettle, putting it to boil. "A traditional version would get higher ratings. Audiences seem to like period dramas."

"Are you staying for food?" Carys asked her brother.

Gareth shook his head as he made himself a cup of tea. "I won't be back till late, so don't include me in your dinner plans either. I'll grab something while I'm out."