Summer of Secrets (5 page)

‘Summer! What are you doing here?’ Caitlin gasped.

‘Same as the rest of you, I guess,’ she replied, gesturing across the room to where Izzy and Jamie were dancing and Bianca was chatting up two guys at the same time. ‘Last
Saturday of term, this is where we all hang out. It’s tradition.’

‘I know, but Izzy said that you never joined in – she said you hated clubbing and . . .’

‘Despite what she may think to the contrary, Isabella Thorpe doesn’t have the inside track on everyone,’ Summer replied sharply, snapping her fingers at the barman.
‘White wine and soda, please.’

‘ID?’ he queried, eyeing her suspiciously.

‘Oh, stuff it, I’ll have an orange juice,’ she said. ‘I keep forgetting this isn’t Italy – over there I can drink Prosecco, Martini, whatever I like, and no
one gives a toss.’

‘It must be so lovely,’ sighed Caitlin. ‘What’s it like – your house, I mean? Is it really romantic?’

‘Romantic?’ Summer frowned. ‘How do you mean?’

‘You know,’ Caitlin urged, ‘fountains in the gardens, frescoes on the walls, balconies overlooking cobbled courtyards . . .’

‘You sound like you’ve swallowed a guide book,’ teased Summer, breaking into a smile. ‘It’s lovely in a dilapidated sort of way – it’s on a hillside
below the vineyard, overlooking the sea.’

She smiled dreamily. ‘You can walk through olive groves down to the beach or up the hill through the terraces to the castle. The village is all twisty alleyways and crooked little shops.
When I was little I used to think heaven must look like Monterosso,’ she said, laughing.

‘It sounds amazing,’ Caitlin breathed. ‘And are you going there when term ends?’

‘Yes – we––’

At that moment, Summer’s mobile bleeped. She flipped open the cover, scanned the text message and then slammed it shut.

‘Right, I’m off,’ she said, sliding off the bar stool and grabbing her bag. ‘See you Monday.’

‘But you only just got here,’ Caitlin protested.

‘And now I’m leaving,’ Summer replied calmly. ‘It’s a free country.’

‘Hey, Summer – you made it!’ Bianca, finally abandoning the two guys, sashayed up to the bar. ‘This is like headline-making stuff – have you brought a guy? Or did
you just come along to see Caitlin?’

Caitlin could tell from the way Bianca glanced over her shoulder at Izzy, who was clinging to Jamie’s arm and heading their way, that this was a set-up job aimed at picking fun at
Summer.

‘Passion fruit and orange, please,’ Bianca told the barman, and then turned to Caitlin. ‘So where’s Tom gone? You two were certainly going for it big time just
now.’

‘We were not,’ Caitlin protested and then realised that she had swallowed the bait. ‘Anyway, he saw one of his mates and he’s disappeared somewhere.’

She glanced round the club and Summer followed her gaze.

‘Oh no! Shit!’ Summer gestured vaguely in the direction of the door, where a cluster of guys were about to enter the bar. ‘I don’t believe it. This is all I need. Look,
if anyone asks, you haven’t seen me, OK? I mean it. Both of you.’

She didn’t wait for an answer but darted across the darkened dance floor and disappeared in the direction of the ladies’ loo.

‘See – even
talking
about guys terrifies her,’ Izzy said, as Jamie tried to attract the barman’s attention. ‘You’d better watch out, Caitlin – I
reckon she fancies you.’

‘Get real,’ Caitlin snapped. ‘That is so not true. And anyway, what if she is – well, like that? It’s no reason to make fun of her.’

‘Pardon me for breathing,’ said Izzy with a shrug. ‘Hey, Jamie, come on – it’s so hot in here. Let’s go outside with our drinks. Coming, Bianca?’

Bianca shook her head.

‘I’ve some serious pulling to do,’ she replied, brushing her off with a gesture and turning to Caitlin.

‘Now tell me, which one do you think?’

‘Which what?’ Caitlin mumbled, watching as Summer disappeared from view. She’d gone from looking calm and serene to acting like a terrified kid. What was going on?

‘Which
guy
, silly,’ Bianca sighed, jerking her head in the direction of the two guys she had just abandoned. ‘Simon – that’s the dark-haired one with the
earring, or Louis – he’s French, and so smooth it’s not true.’

‘Go for him, then,’ Caitlin told her. ‘Definitely. The French are so romantic . . . Did you know that French guys have more testosterone than any other race? I read it in
Prego
magazine.’

‘OK, so let’s put the theory to the test,’ said Bianca, laughing. ‘You come over and keep Simon occupied, right? Bring the drinks, and I’ll—’

‘I’m not going to chat up a total stranger!’ Caitlin protested.

‘Adopt that philosophy and you’d never meet anyone,’ Bianca retorted. ‘Besides, what with Sophie getting sick and letting me down, I’m relying on you.’

She winked, flicked her hair over her shoulder and set off across the room, her eyes firmly on her unsuspecting prey.

Caitlin sighed, picked up the two glasses and began pushing her way through the snogging, dancing couples on the floor. There was nothing worse than sitting at the bar or wandering round the
club trying to look as if she was about to join someone. And since there was still no sign of Tom, at least talking to this Simon guy would pass the time.

The room was getting more crowded and she was attempting to dodge the gyrations and waving arms of several couples who clearly thought they were preparing for the finals of
Strictly Come
Dancing
, when someone knocked her arm.

‘Hey, watch it!’

She spun round and gasped in horror at the sight of a large quantity of juice running down the cream chinos of a seriously fit-looking guy with the kind of suntan that definitely hadn’t
been acquired on Brighton beach.

‘Oh gosh, sorry!’ She dumped the empty glass on a nearby table, pulled a paper tissue from the pocket of her jeans, began dabbing at his thighs, realised what she was doing and
stopped, cringing with embarrassment.

‘Please, feel free!’ the guy said with a lopsided smile. Caitlin felt her face flushing. He was gorgeous. Seriously, heart-stoppingly gorgeous. And she was a complete idiot.

‘I’m sorry, really – I didn’t mean . . .’

‘Hey, it’s no big deal! Let me get you another drink – something less likely to leave a stain this time? What’ll it be?’

Caitlin stood staring at him, her mouth half open. He was at least twenty, she thought, with spiked hair that sported a sun-bleached streak down one side and the sort of slate-grey eyes you
could drown in.

‘Drink?’ the guy repeated patiently.

‘Oh – er, white wine and soda, please,’ she replied with what she hoped was a dazzlingly confident smile. At least he looked old enough to get her a serious drink. ‘And
I’m sorry about the trousers.’

The guy shrugged. ‘Forget it,’ he replied, heading back towards the bar. ‘Sorry – are you with someone?’

‘No – well, yes – well, just mates, you know . . .’

She glanced across the club and was pleasantly satisfied to see Bianca eyeing her in amazement.

‘You’re not one of Mulberry Court crowd are you?’

Caitlin nodded, wondering how he’d guessed.

‘And I don’t suppose by any lucky chance one of these “just mates” is Summer Tilney?’

Caitlin gasped and swallowed hard as Summer’s words came back to her.
If anyone asks, you haven’t seen me.

‘I haven’t seen her,’ Caitlin replied hurriedly. ‘Not at all.’

‘Ah, so you know her then?’ the guy queried.

‘Um, no – not really. I’m quite new, you see . . .’

Clearly this guy had unwelcome designs on Summer – had probably followed her with the express purpose of coming on to her. It must have been him who sent her the text; that’s why she
was in such a rush to go. Only last week, in
Prego
magazine, she’d read that cases of stalking were on the increase and that wealthy young society girls were prime prey. What with
that, and Summer not liking men, she thought, she had to get rid of him as fast as she could. Which was a shame, considering he was such a babe.

‘White wine and soda and a half of bitter, please,’ the guy said to the barman, and then turned back to Caitlin. ‘And you’re quite sure–– Sorry, I don’t
know your name.’

‘Caitlin,’ replied Caitlin, ‘Caitlin Morland.’

‘I’m Ludovic Tilney,’ said the guy. ‘But all my friends call me Ludo.’

‘Ludo – Summer’s brother?’ gasped Caitlin.

‘That’s me,’ he replied. ‘So you
are
a mate of Summer’s?’

Caitlin nodded. ‘Yes, I’m on the induction course at Mulberry Court and Summer’s been really nice to me.’

‘Now, that
is
a recommendation,’ Ludo smiled. ‘Sum’s going through one of her “I hate the entire universe” phases at the moment – the fact that
she’s spoken to you at all is rather remarkable.’

‘Izzy said she was a bit of a loner,’ Caitlin began. ‘But the way I see it, there has to be a reason – there was this article in
Destiny
magazine that said that
people who like their own company don’t really
like
it at all, it’s all down to their need to isolate themselves from any situation in which they could be challenged . .
.’

She paused, realising that Ludo was frowning at her.

‘I’m talking too much,’ she apologised. ‘I do that a lot. Sorry.’

She took a sip of her drink and frantically tried to think of something witty to say.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Jamie and Izzy coming in to dance, clearly gobsmacked at the sight of Caitlin chatting up a guy.

‘Well,’ sighed Ludo, ‘if Summer’s not here, I’d better get going. I tried phoning but she won’t pick up my calls.’

He gulped his drink down in one, his affable expression completely gone now.

‘I don’t suppose she said anything to you recently about meeting anyone – or stuff like that?’ He sounded awkward and uptight.

Caitlin shook her head.

‘Only if she did, I really need to know. I’m not being funny – it’s for her own good.’

So that was it, she thought. Ludo knew about the stalker and realised that being the daughter of a millionaire industrialist put Summer at risk. He was just out to protect her from unsavoury
fortune hunters.

‘Well, to be honest––,’ she began.

‘So there you are!’ Tom suddenly appeared at Caitlin’s side. ‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere.’

‘I wasn’t the one who went anywhere,’ Caitlin replied pointedly, turning to Ludo. ‘Actually, about Summer . . .’

Tom eyed Ludo suspiciously and then grabbed Caitlin’s hand.

‘Sorry, I was just chatting to an old mate of mine from the sailing club – I didn’t mean to be so long.’

He squeezed her hand and looked apologetic. It occurred to Caitlin that he seemed a lot nicer when he was on the defensive.

‘Come on, let’s go on to
Funky Buddha’s.
This place is too tame by half.’

He began dragging her towards the door that led out on to the seafront and then paused.

‘Or would you rather go somewhere else?’

Despite her pleasure at being consulted for the first time that day, Caitlin wrenched her hand free and turned to Ludo.

‘Please tell me where she is. This is urgent, believe me,’ pleaded Ludo, completely ignoring Tom.

‘She’s here,’ Caitlin burst out. ‘I mean, now I know you’re family, I can say. She’s in the loo. See, she said that if anyone asked about her, I was to say I
hadn’t seen her, but I guess that was because . . .’

‘OK, I get the picture.’ Ludo said. ‘Go and fish her out, will you? Please?’

‘She won’t like it,’ Caitlin warned.

‘Please –
I
can hardly go charging in there, can I? I’m doing it to save her skin, believe me.’

He smiled at her, head on one side and a pleading expression on his face. In that moment, Caitlin knew that she would have climbed Everest with Summer on her back if that was what he wanted.

‘Why did you dash off like that? . . . made it so obvious. Now Dad . . . one of his rages . . .’

Caitlin averted her eyes from Tom’s impatient, enquiring face and strained to hear the rather heated conversation that was going on outside the loos between Ludo and Summer.

‘. . . it’s just cruel . . . he has no right . . . immoral . . .’ Summer’s voice was brittle.

‘. . . not fair on him, really . . . done his best . . . Can’t you just humour him this once? ’

‘This
once
? Our whole lives are being turned upside down . . .’

Clearly something pretty serious was going on in Summer’s life.

‘. . . He’s insisting . . . her birthday . . . You have to come now, Sum . . . You’ll just have to face it . . .’

Suddenly, Summer’s shoulders sagged; she picked up her bag and without a backward glance, followed her brother out of the door and on to the seafront outside.

Caitlin stared after them, the knots in her stomach tightening as she recalled Summer’s words to her in the loo.

‘
And I thought you of all of them could be trusted to keep your mouth shut . . . How wrong could I be?
’

I’ve probably got her into deep trouble and she’ll never speak to me again, thought Caitlin miserably, and if she doesn’t, then there’s no way I’ll get to see Ludo
again.

‘OK, Izzy and me are heading off now.’ Jamie came over to Caitlin, his car keys in his hand. ‘Tom – you’ll take Caitlin home, right?’

‘Home? Already?’ Tom asked.

Caitlin nodded. Now that Ludo had left, there suddenly seemed little point in hanging around anywhere.

‘But first, Izzy and me just need the loo,’ Caitlin said.

‘No I don’t . . . ’ Izzy began and then paused as Caitlin glared at her and nudged her in the ribs. ‘On second thoughts . . .’

Caitlin shoved her through the door to the ladies’.

‘About your party––’ she began.

‘Sorted,’ Izzy interrupted. ‘The theme’s going to be a Night at the Movies. And what’s more, you’re wrong – Jamie’s up for it!’

‘It must be love!’ Caitlin gasped.

‘He said he’d go as Captain Jack from
Pirates of the Caribbean
,’ Izzy said excitedly. ‘I just know I’m not going to sleep a wink until I think of something .
. .’