The Billionaire And The B And B

A New Friend

Mandy's POV

As we continued our walk in Blenheim Park, with Bonnie dictating the pace and direction, I decided a change of subject was in order, the recent one made me uncomfortable.

"So Diane how long are you here for?"

"Well to be honest, for as long as it takes"

"Oh so your working then, do you work for your brother?"

Diane grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks and turning me to face her.

"I'm here as long as it takes to get you to give Jasper a chance and yes in a round about way I am working for my brother"

"Why is everyone obsessed with Jasper and me getting together, I mean come on, it can't lead to anything and I'm not ready for another heartbreak"

"Mandy all I ask is for you to give him a chance please, if not for him, then for you"

"I can't, no I'm sorry I can't it's to risky, I mean what's the point, the best it would be is a few weeks"

"I'm not asking you to jump into a relationship, just to see him and give him a chance to apologise to you, he's changed and if you forgive him, it will help him continue to become this better person"

"Alright alright, if and thats a big if, I agree to see him and I forgive him, will that mean everyone will leave me alone"

"Well I can't answer for everyone else, but I promise not to broach the subject again" Diane said crossing her heart.

"Okay, okay, I give in, I'll meet with him and he can apologise, then I can forgive him, then everybody can leave me alone"

"Thank you Mandy you won't regret it"

"I'm already regretting it" I muttered to myself, then I raised my voice.

"Now please can we talk about a subject that dosen't involve your brother"

And we did, we talked about, Woodstock and what to see, Blenheim Palace and where the best walks are, my business, in fact it was so enjoyable, we walked beyond Bonnie and my normal route and headed over Bladon bridge, where I pointed out the best place to get blackberries and told her my friend's and I came here to get them for Rosie's homemade blackberry jelly.

"Look Diane as your only here for a short time, do you fancy coming to the pub tonight as it's quiz night and if you come we can make up an all girl's team"

"I would love to" she gave a little jump and clapped her hands, her excitement at attending a pub quiz was amazing, she suddenly got verbal diarrhoea.

"Thank you, I'm pretty good with fashion questions, oh and celebrates and America of course.."

She stopped gushing and turned a deep shade of red hiding her face behind her loose hair.

"Sorry" she whispered "Believe it or not I don't have any real friends that want me to do things with them, they usually only want to know me to get at Jasper, you know budding actresses wanting their big break, that sort of thing"

She lowered her head again.

"Sorry, I will understand if you don't want me to come now"

I felt a lump in my throat, I hadn't realised that being sister to a rich and famous person, could have a detrimental affect on your life, I liked Diane and seeing her so bubbly and happy for that split second, meant there was no way I was going to let her down.

I walked over to her and threw my arm around her shoulder.

" Shut up" I stated and she looked up startled.

"You're coming, with that amount of knowledge we are bound to win"

She gave me a big warm smile.

"Thank you" she dipped her head slightly "Thank you so much"

"Come on friend, let's go your dining with the team tonight so let's go and introduce the star of the team okay?"

She nodded with a huge smile on her face and her eyes glistening with barely held back tears.

As we carried on our walk, it was like I had discovered a new Diane, free from her constraints of being the sister to Jasper Jackson in America, she was totally insane is the best way to describe her.

She ran around chasing Bonnie, jumping and skipping around me, talking at a hundred miles an hour about nothing in particular, laughing out loud, some of her antics had me in stitches, it was like she had found freedom at last.

We arrived back at my door a very tired trio.

"Come on in Diane, let me show you around quickly and you can meet the team"

At this Diane hesitated and had a look of alarm on her face.

"What" I asked seeing her stance.

"Well perhaps it's better if I didn't come, they may not like me"

"Bullshit" and I grabbed her hand and dragged her though to the reception area where Rosie, Bella and Dawn the manager of the tea shop were talking and laughing .

"Everyone this is Diane and she's Jasper's sister, she thinks you won't like her, so she won't join our quiz team"

I knew how my girls would react to that statement, so I had in all tense and purpose thrown Diane to the wolves, as they shot over and surrounded her shaking her hand begging with her, I could see Diane's worries slip away as my friends worked on her before long she was in the gang.

She charged over to me, the worried face replaced with a smile.

"Wow your friends are amazing" she gushed.

"Don't tell them that" as I winked "They will get even more big headed"

"I heard that" screamed Rosie as the magazine she had been reading flew towards my head.

I laughed dodging the missile thrown at me.

"Right come on you lazy lot, theres work to be done"

"Can I help, please" Diane begged.

"Yep you sure can, Rosie put this wench to work"

"You asked for it Diane, that bloody woman's a slave driver" muttered Rosie.

After a few good friendly exchanges we separated and set about the days tasks.

"Come on team six o'clock, beer and bar meal await us"

There was a round of cheers and arm waving as we headed back into my annex, I had to feed Bonnie.

"Have I time to go back and change" Diane whispered to me.

"Sure if you hang on we'll all come and wait in the bar for you"

She smiled even more now.

"Thank you" and then she was dragged away by the girls who went over the plans for the evening, as I prepared Bonnie's dinner and fed her.

We all piled out the door laughing and giggling like school girls and head to the bear hotel to wait for Diane to get ready.

After half an hour, we were set to go and started to walk the short distance to the Crown pub for our evenings entertainment, Diane now accepted into the team and really enjoying herself, as one of the others would say a celebrity's name and Diane would come up with a story about said celebrity either amusing or shocking, however the outcome was always the same unashamed laughter.