Page 80 of A Change of Location
“Mum, I was kidding! I can ride Rascal.”
“Anytime you want. Except today. It’s far too hot for him.”
“And the rest of us.” She adjusted the nozzle of the hose, changing the stream of water to a spray and playfully turned it towards her parent.
By suppertime, Hannah’s move to Maine had morphed from intriguing possibility to firm decision.
Late that night, after drawing up a detailed to-do list, she composed a lengthy explanatory email for Martin. She inquired about Isobel. She asked whether Poppy still favored The Huntsman’s Horn over The Peacock, but without referencing Jack Elliston. She hoped Jewel was excelling in agility and that Ariel hadn’t done anything lately to annoy Andy Riddell’s lurcher-loathing dad. She didn’t mention Forsaken Fortune. Not because her exclusion from the production was a source of pain, but because it no longer mattered.
***
Hannah scheduled a farewell get-together with the Palindrome Posse at her favorite North End Italian restaurant. They started with a pitcher of chianti, indulged in dishes of handmade pasta, and after demolishing their servings of tiramisu they finished with amaretto. Throughout the meal they flirted shamelessly with the waiters.
The next morning Hannah woke feeling sluggish and headachy. She was debating with herself about whether a run would have a beneficial or detrimental effect when Liz called.
“Can you come to the office? Right now?”
“I guess.” She wouldn’t mind postponing the rest of her packing. And the only other item on her schedule was scrubbing the bathroom fixtures into a shining state that would delight the apartment’s next occupant, who had already put down a security deposit.
The Red Line train carried her over the Longfellow Bridge to the stop at Charles Street. The air was thick and muggy, and low-hanging clouds hinted at thunderstorms to come late in the day. Thankful for the climate-control system in the building that housed Acorn Films, she climbed the glass-walled stairs to the executive suite.
“Hi, Pam,” she greeted the receptionist. “Liz is expecting me.”
“I’ll tell her you’re here. Can I get you something to drink?”
“Just water, thanks.”
Pam left her post.
A Fed-Ex package sat on the desk, awaiting pick-up. It was addressed to Alistair McLaren, Hartcliffe Film Studios, Bristol. Hannah leaned down and stuck out her tongue. Then she wandered to the case where awards were displayed. Framed certificates were arranged along the walls, papered with grass-cloth.
Pam returned with a full glass. “She says you can go in.”
Liz stood in the doorway of her inner sanctum.
“How was your Vineyard holiday?” Hannah asked.
“The weather couldn’t have been better.”
“Ditto for Maine. We had company. Lord Milverston and his mother.”
Liz’s mouth curled in a smirk. “Poppy Deane told me. She assumed I knew all about it. I gather your secret romance with his lordship started while you were staying at Stanwell House. I’m crushed that you never said anything about it to me.”
“When I came back from England, Martin and I were on hiatus.” She crossed over to the plush sofa and sat down. “Honestly, Liz, what happened between us had nothing to do with Mr. Darcy and Pemberley fantasies. I thought I was getting involved with a charming guy who has a title and an enormous country house. But he’s also one of the richest men in the realm.”
“As problems go, that’s not a bad one.”
“For me, it is. He’s too high-profile for a privacy nut. The internet is a petri dish of gossip. The tabloids are rapacious. Reputations are destroyed in a split second, regardless of facts or truth. I was concerned about Chase being victimized by the media. With Mum doing more television, it could definitely happen.”
“I can name any number of celebrities with a felon in the family. Not a few have their own criminal background.” Liz shoved an envelope across her desktop. “Open it.”
Hannah extracted a document printed with her name and an airline code and a departure date. It was an itinerary for travel to Heathrow Airport. One way. “What have you done?”
“I can’t spend months in England without an assistant. You’re it.”
“From location manager to PA? Major demotion.”
“The perks are considerably better, I promise. A healthy compensation package. Medical insurance. Expense account. A car. Staying at the manor house hotel instead of slumming it with the crew. You’ll be my plus-one for all the fancy parties Tom won’t give a shit about.”
