Page 18 of Finding Love in Micklewick Bay

‘That,’ said Fay Norton, ‘is a very pertinent question.’

‘Certainly not me,’ said Alice Wiggins, a barrister with a broad Leeds accent who’d swept into the robing room and caught the tail-end of the altercation. ‘Nor any other woman in my acquaintance, they all run in the opposite direction when they hear you’re around.’ She slid her laptop onto the table beside Stella and shot him a distasteful look. ‘When are you going to stop making a nuisance of yourself, Elliott? You might want to consider behaving yourself before someone takes you to task about it.’

‘My thoughts exactly,’ said Stella.

Elliott glowered at Stella. ‘I don’t know what your problem is, Hutton, but you’ve always had some kind of vendetta against me, always had a high opinion of yourself,’ he spat the words out. ‘You’ll be sorry you ever started this.’ With that, he grabbed his cabin case and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

‘Wow,’ said BH. ‘His sort really shouldn’t be at the bar.’

‘I very much doubt he will be for much longer,’ said Fay Norton. ‘And well done for tearing a strip off him on behalf of the sisterhood, Stella.’

‘Bravo, Hutton, our fearless, kickass lass!’ said Ferdy in his cut-glass accent.

‘Yes, Hutton, that was something to see. Remind me never to get on the wrong side of you,’ said Peter Theobald, a highly respected King’s Counsel who’d walked in halfway through the exchange. ‘Having said that, he’s had that coming to him for a long time.’

‘He has. It’s about time somebody put him in his place,’ said Alice Wiggins. ‘He’s starting to act like he’s untouchable; above the law.’

‘Yes, well done, Hutton.’ BH gave her a smile. ‘No man should make a woman feel uncomfortable like that.’

‘Ughh.’ Stella’s shoulders sagged with relief. She pulled out a chair and sat down, rubbing her temples where she could feel a headache beginning to brew. ‘I’m just glad the trial’s gone off and I don’t have to deal with him any more today.’ She knew her colleagues were right, and much as she was glad to have got the better of him, his warnings about his client’s family had sent a ripple of unease running through her. Had it really been such a good idea to spar with him? she wondered.

Stella headed to chambers once she’d gathered her stuff together in the robing room, including her brief bag since she was in court in Newcastle the following week and didn’t want to have to detour to York to collect them. After the nightmare of the Dixon trial and her unpleasant interaction with Vaughan Elliott, she’d made up her mind that she was going to take the rest of the week off.

After updating Allegra her clerk on the situation with the Dixon case and Allegra had passed on a handful of messages, Stella said, ‘Since I’ve had to return the trial I had for this week thanks to the Dixon trial running over, I’d like my diary kept clear for the rest of the week, so please don’t accept any further instructions in my name. I’m going to take the opportunity to unpack the rest of the boxes at my new place.’

‘Are you sure?’ Allegra looked surprised. ‘I was just about to say the CPS have been on, asking if you’d take a section eighteentrial for them. Counsel for the prosecution has to go to the Court of Appeal tomorrow, so he’s had to return it.’

Normally Stella would snap Allegra’s hand off but nothing could tempt her today. ‘No,’ she said resolutely. ‘Somebody else in chambers will have to do it.’

‘Are you coming down with something, Miss Hutton,’ asked Jacob, looking as if he’d heard wrong. He was one of the junior clerks who’d been listening from his desk.

Stella laughed. ‘Don’t think so. But I have had an overkill of Vaughan Elliott and the Dixon family.’

‘Ughh!That explains everything.’ He rolled his eyes.

‘Actually, things got quite heated in the robing room,’ she said. ‘I’m expecting repercussions as far as Elliott’s concerned – nothing I can’t deal with,’ she added, seeing their concerned expressions. ‘Right, who fancies a cuppa before I head off?’ Stella asked, eager to move on from the unsavoury topic of Vaughan Elliott. She was met with a resounding chorus of yeses.

Before long, Stella was driving back to Micklewick Bay, the top down on her car, savouring the refreshing breeze that was doing a good job of clearing her head. It had been an intense day and she was looking forward to having a break from it. The driven and determined Stella Hutton was taking a back seat and her counterpart, the more relaxed version, was taking her place. Stella couldn’t remember the last time that had happened, if at all.

TWELVE

Stella was strolling down the aisles of the supermarket in Micklewick Bay, having decided to stop off before she went home. She had plans to have lunch, launch into some unpacking, then treat herself to a walk along the beach – the thought of breathing in the salty air and having a paddle in the sea was growing more tempting by the minute. Her fridge needed stocking-up on ready meals – Stella would be the first to admit her culinary skills were basic at best, and consisted of salads or microwave meals. She also wanted to get a few ideas for what pre-prepared nibbles to lay on for her housewarming party on Saturday night. And, as the wine aisles came into view, she decided she might as well scoop up a few bottles in readiness for it too.

Leaving her trolley at the end of the aisle, which was blocked by a couple bickering about which wine would go best with fish and couple of women who appeared to be putting the world to rights, Stella made for the white wine section and lifted four bottles of Pinot Grigio from the shelf. Setting them down in her trolley, she headed back for a couple of bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon. That done, she selected some beers. As she was making her way back to her trolley she looked up tofind none other than Alex Bainbridge wearing an amused smile.Unbelievable!Micklewick Bay may be a small town, but Stella didn’t think it warranted bumping into him as frequently as this! Was he following her?

‘Hello there,’ he said in his deep, rich voice that, annoyingly, sent a tingle running right through her.

She stopped in her tracks, taking in his black slogan T-shirt and khaki combat-style shorts. ‘Oh!’ Her heart responded as if it had been jump-started, her pulse taking off at a gallop. And there was that feeling speaking to him seemed to trigger, mixing up her insides.Get a grip of yourself, woman!Reminding herself he was a shameless flirt despite having a girlfriend, she took a calming breath and pulled her mouth into a tight smile. ‘Hello.’

‘Doing a spot of shopping, I see.’

‘Yes, anyone would think we were in a supermarket,’ she quipped. Despite her cool tone, she couldn’t help but think he really did have the most gorgeous eyes, a mesmerising ocean-blue flecked with gold. The sort she could very easily lose herself in, given half the chance.

‘Hmm.’ He nodded, his grin growing wider, his eyes dancing.

The feeling that he was laughing at her, or that there was some joke she wasn’t a party to started to creep over her. ‘Right, well, if you’ll excuse me, I need to get on,’ she said, bristling.

‘Yes, of course, but before you go, can I just check that you meant to put all of that in my trolley?’ He nodded towards the bottles of beer she’d just set down, his smile twitching.

---