Page 110 of Love like the (Real) Reel Thing
Why hadn’t she thought this out better? Snuggles was a dog – not a person who could understand complex instructions. Or read her damned mind!
Now, the paparazzi started to back quickly away from the gates, but to Jess’s horror one photographer slipped inside the grounds and started to snap photos of Snuggles as heapproached. The big dog skidded to a halt and leaped on top of him, toppling him to the ground.
Shit!That one was definitely on her. But as she glanced towards the unguarded gate, she saw two figures slip in and run towards her. Adam had his arm clamped tightly around Afric’s shoulders, as she kept her head low, her hair and most of her face obscured by her hood.
“Well played,” he said as he reached Jess. “Take Afric inside. I’ll go get Snuggles, and rescue that photographer from being licked to death.”
Jess took Afric’s hand and pulled her back along the wall, not stopping until they were back inside the entrance to the west wing.
Afric tugged down her hood. “Who’s got Diva?”
“Emily. She’s fine.”
“Thanks.” Afric shrugged. “Sorry again about the tunnel, but I’m not sure why we couldn’t have just done this in the first place.”
Say nothing, Jess.“Don’t forget, you’ve had a stomach flu. And you had to have the doctor out earlier to give you a shot to stop the vomiting. But you’re feeling a lot better now.”
From the direction of the foyer, they could hear the sound of raised voices.
“It looks like people have figured out there’s no fire,” Jess said. “You should go ahead without me. Those producers are looking forward to seeing you.”
Afric huffed and gestured to her tangled hair. “I don’t want to meet them looking like this!”
“Actually, you look exactly like someone who’s been very sick,” Jess said flatly. “All you have to do is act.”
CHAPTER 57
ADaily Journalphotographer was attacked by Spencer Torres’ German Shepherd dog during an emergency evacuation of Linford Castle in County Mayo yesterday.
The incident took place when the fire alarm was triggered – which automatically opened both sets of electric gates to the five-star hotel, where Hollywood stars Spencer Torres and Afric Brooks are in their final week of shooting their new movie.
The photographer, Fergus Twomey, who’s been covering events at Linford Castle since filming began, was outside the hotel’s rear gate when the dog ran straight towards him.
“It wasn’t muzzled. It managed to knock me to the ground and I honestly thought I was going to be torn to pieces,” Mr Twomey said. “I have two big Labradors at home so all I can think was that the German Shepherd was able to pick up their scent.”
After the fire alarm was raised, the cast and crew ofAn Irish Inheritance, and the hotel staff, were outsidefor approximately five minutes – until it was confirmed that it was a false alarm.
The incident comes on the heels of rumours that Afric Brooks didn’t return to the castle with the rest of the cast, after two days’ shooting on Achill Island. A statement claiming that she’d simply taken an extra half-day off was followed by another leak that she wasn’t on set. This was followed by another statement that she was in bed with a stomach flu.
Both she and Spencer Torres remain tight-lipped about the leaking of a private conversation concerning Afric’s pregnancy to the American gossip site, TMZ.
Filming ofAn Irish Inheritanceis due to finish in a week.
Anthony Neary knocked on Jess’s office door the following day. “Do you have a moment, Jess?”
“Of course.” She waved him into the other chair. “All well with the film people?”
“Yes, thanks to Afric’s recovery. Adam Rourke says we have you to thank for your quick thinking. The producers are staying until the end of the week to see the movie wrapped up. And for some reason, Afric insisted that Diva be taken to the vet’s in Kilshanley.” He shook his head. “God knows why she decided to go off to London like that. It’s a bloody miracle there wasn’t a single photo of her anywhere!”
“I was thinking the same,” Jess said.
“Anyway.” He rubbed his hands together. “It’ll be good to get the place back to normal. And to be able to lock those tunnels again. Do you know they never used them in the end? I can’tfor the life of me understand why Doug Strathan insisted on unlocking them.”
Dermot had said something similar that night in the pub, Jess remembered. “And we only unlocked the main two, Anthony?”
“Well, yes.” He nodded. “The one on the Whispering Gallery was declared unsafe during the upgrade. That one runs to the back of the castle, inside the grounds.”
“Right.” Jess tried to think. “Was that during the hotel’s original upgrade?”
