Page 29 of Hollywood Games
‘His Holiness was right,’ Brad continued, almost to himself. ‘I belong here. I am the vessel for their stories, they live on in me.’
Crystal clapped excitedly. ‘This is so cool!’
‘His Holiness?’ Rory asked, his tone deceptively calm.
Crystal turned to him. ‘His Holiness Vladyka Mirov, Kirsten’s spiritual advisor. He sees into the spirit realm. Oh my gosh, it’s unreal. He’s traced Brad and Kirsten’s spiritual family tree to the MacGinley family, all the way back to 1300.’
‘No way!’ said Zoe. ‘What are the chances of that?’
Crystal nodded, her face serious, her voice low. ‘I know, right? Brad’s been the earl in a former life at least three times! That’s why he was drawn here. It’s part of the plan the universe has for him. And get this!’ Her voice went down to a whisper. ‘In a former life, Kirsten was the countess who invented spiced shortbread!’
‘No!’ whispered Zoe.
Crystal nodded vigorously. ‘Uh-huh. It’s freaking intense!’
Rory cleared his throat. ‘Has His Holiness discerned any connection you have to my family?’ he asked Crystal.
‘Yes! I was a scullery maid in one life and burned as a witch in another!’
‘Of course you were.’
Crystal looked at him, her lips quivering. ‘Oh my gosh, I’ve just thought of something,’ she said in a hushed tone.
‘What is it?’ Zoe asked, fuelling her fire.
‘His Holiness can give Lord Kinloch a reading when he gets here! See who he was in a past life!’
Zoe jumped up and down. ‘Oh, I have to see that! Can people have been animals?’
Crystal nodded. ‘For sure. I was an Egyptian temple cat in one of mine.’
Zoe put her head to one side, frowning with concentration. ‘I can see you as something small and furry,’ she said to Rory. ‘You seem to have a natural affinity with rodents.’
Brad sat up in bed, making a frame with his fingers and looking quizzically through them at Rory. ‘Yeah, I can see it too. Maybe it’s the hair, maybe the eyes, maybe the teeth. His Holiness will be able to tell you.’ Brad sighed. ‘I only have a small part of his gift.’
Rory marched through a door off the bedroom. ‘Your bathroom,’ he intoned, as Brad leapt off the bed with renewed excitement.
The tour continuedfor the next hour, with Zoe showing them all the rooms and who was allocated to them. Brad made countless changes and kept up a commentary into Crystal’s phone for her to deal with later. Zoe knew Rory was being the perfect British man; polite but impenetrable, aristocratically aloof, whilst seething inside. It was dark by the time she brought them back downstairs and into one of the private drawing rooms. The lights were low, and candelabras had been lit and placed in front of gilded mirrors. A fire was burning in the grate, filling the room with the sound of gentle crackling and the faint aroma of woodsmoke. The effect was mesmerising. Crystal let out a sigh and even Brad was temporarily silenced.
An older man in a dark suit detached himself from the shadows and approached them. He bowed to Brad and Crystal. ‘Mr Bauer, I will be attending to you and your companion this evening. You may refer to me as Bentley. May I offer you both something to drink before we proceed to the dining room?’
Brad appeared close to climax. He sat in front of the fire with a whisky, soaking in his Scottish dream whilst Crystal looked around as if she’d just woken in Narnia. Zoe made her excuses. ‘We need to check on the progress of dinner, we’ll be right back.’
‘Sure thing,’ said Brad, giving her a regal wave of dismissal.
Zoe left the room with Rory, grabbing his arm and walking him down the corridor. When she thought they were far enough away not to be heard she stopped, and turned on him. ‘What the hell are you doing?’
Rory looked unabashed. ‘Giving him what he expects.’
‘I’m not talking about this!’ she said, slapping at his jacket. ‘I’m talking about kissing me in front of him like we were alone.’
‘I didn’t know he was there.’
‘Like hell, you didn’t. You did it to make it embarrassingly clear I was unavailable.’
‘You are unavailable.’
‘I’m your girlfriend, not some prize to be won in a caveman competition! I was mortified. We’ve got to keep Brad happy and anything that might make him feel awkward is not cool. Okay? If we piss him off in any way, it doesn’t matter how many millions they spend shooting here, all shots of the castle will end up on the cutting room floor and they’ll use exterior shots of another one.’
