Page 115 of The Last Saturday In July
Before Jess had a chance to answer, Ian spoke. ‘Leo, calm down, Jess isn’t to blame. She told you what happened. Chelsea obviously discovered the tunnel herself. It’s not exactly a secret. Anyone who’s viewed our website, or seen the virtual tours of the castle, knows these tunnels exist.’
‘And how do you know it’s even safe?’ Leo’s voice rose.
‘It’s safe. After the fire in this tower, the electrics had to be repaired, and the whole tunnel was checked for wiring. Our electricians were able to walk right through to the other exit.’
Thank God, Jess thought, feeling a bit faint. Hopefully Chelsea was already out the other side.
‘Could she still be in there?’ Leo said.
‘It all depends how long ago she left, but it’s unlikely. It’s not a very long tunnel.’ Ian gave Jess a hard look. ‘I’ll radio for security now. But if she’s already through, she’ll be in Linford Wood, which is small, or she’ll have got to the village. I can get security out there. Chelsea will be easy to spot.’
‘Don’t bet on it,’ Leo muttered. ‘She can blend in when she wants to. She’s done it before.’
Ian produced a walkie-talkie from his pocket. ‘What was she wearing, Jess?’ There were small beads of sweat on his forehead and upper lip, Jess noticed, and for a moment, she wondered whether she’d made the right decision.
‘The last time I saw her, she was in a sweatpants and hoodie.’ Jess glanced at Leo. ‘But I didn’t see her after that, so she could have changed.’
Ian walked back out into the sitting room, where Jess could hear him talking in a low, urgent voice. Her phone vibrated and she took it out.
There was a message from Zoe.have u talked her round, just watch the time.
Say nothing, she’s done a runner,Jess messaged back.
A moment later Zoe replied,shit, not surprised tho, wonder does Brandi know.
Jess put her phone away and watched Leo pace up and down the room, before peering briefly into the tunnel again.
‘Fuck it, I hope you don’t expect me to go in there. I’m claustrophobic.’
‘There’s no need,’ Jess reassured him, secretly impressed that Chelsea had managed it. Then again, Chelsea had been desperate. And desperation made people do crazy things. Except that in the end, Chelsea had seemed quite clear-headed.
She turned as two security guards came into the bedroom with Ian, standing back as they headed into the tunnel with torches and walkie-talkies.
Ian turned to Leo. ‘Our manager has ordered a discreet search party. If Chelsea is still in the woods or the village, we’ll find her.’
‘Yeah? Well, it won’t make any difference now, will it? All she wanted was to marry in an Irish castle.’ He gave a harsh laugh. ‘And here we are, in her fucking cursed Irish castle. And she doesn’t want to marry me anymore.’
And whose fault was that Jess thought, anger surging through her. She wished she could message Chelsea to check she was all right, but she couldn’t risk asking Leo for her number. He was already suspicious enough.
Turning away, Jess pulled up Chelsea’s Instagram and TikTok accounts, but there was nothing new. Frustrated, she opened Twitter, tagged Chelsea and Leo, and then typedThe Charleston Group wishes our special couple a wonderful wedding day at the stunning Linford Castle, here in the west of Ireland.She included a few hashtags, then posted the tweet, knowing it was as much as she could risk. Within moments, Chelsea liked it.
‘Leo, I need to show you something.’ She walked over to where he sat in the turret’s curved window seat, staring out at the gardens and showed him the tweet. ‘Chelsea liked it, she’s okay.’
‘She’s also not coming back,’ he snapped.
‘No.’ Jess gave him a steady look. ‘It doesn’t look like it.’
‘This is supposed to be a five-star hotel,’ Leo’s voice rose, and he jumped up, walking over to Ian and stabbing him in the chest with his finger. ‘You’re gonna hear from my lawyers, because somebody’s gonna pay for this mess. You’ve made me a fucking laughing-stock on my wedding day.’
Jess walked back across the room, her stomach churning, and her eye fell on Chelsea’s wedding dress, carefully laid out on the bed. How had she not spotted it before? She ran her hand lightly across the material. It was a fairy-tale dress: a silk, beaded bodice and huge skirt, the layers of silk and white tulle shot through with silver. A full-length, white-and-silver veil lay beside it.
It would have been a beautiful wedding. The dress alone must have cost thousands, and now, everything was ruined. Unless ... her stomach squeezed as a thought occurred.
‘Ian, could I have a quick word? In private?’
For a moment, Ian looked like he was about to say no, but then he nodded tiredly. ‘Outside. Excuse us, Leo.’
Jess followed him out to the suite’s little hallway. Ian folded his arms. ‘Talk fast, Jess.’
