One Greek Summer Wedding

Chapter 55

‘It looks very… cosmopolitan there.’

It was Cara’s mum – Wissy – on FaceTime. For the first time ever it was a joint call, with Margot sharing a little of the screentime as they sat drinking coffee in one of the cafés under the archways in this beautiful marble promenade. It was evening now and the temperature was just starting to drop a little. Pigeons were still skirting the tables, teenagers hung out – all Nike Tech drip and bikes – tables were beginning to fill after siesta time. Cara was really starting to feel at home in this atmosphere.

‘Only you could make the word “cosmopolitan” sound like an insult,’ Margot said, and took an inhale of her cigarette.

‘It’s OK for you two to like different things, you know,’ Cara said quickly. ‘Siblings are individuals, often poles apart in thoughts and ideals.’

‘Yes,’ Wissy agreed, her hand flat on the trunk of a sturdy-looking tree. ‘Some of us think money is an accessory and others think it should be distributed evenly so everyone can have access to basic necessities.’

‘I told you this wasn’t going to work,’ Margot said, sitting back.

‘No,’ Cara said. ‘It’s fine. Mum is going to stop jumping to judgement caused by predetermined opinions based on her childhood?—’

‘What?’ Wissy gasped.

‘And,’ Cara interrupted again. ‘You are both going to listen to one another.’

‘What?’ Margot exclaimed.

‘Mum, Margot has something she wants to talk to you about,’ Cara began.

‘I did,’ Margot said, putting her cigarette in the ashtray and folding her arms across her chest. ‘Not so sure now.’

‘Margot,’ Cara said. ‘Yes, you do.’

‘Fine,’ Margot said, uncrossing her arms and sitting forward again. ‘But let’s not make a huge deal about this.’

For once, Wissy’s end of the line was quiet except for what Cara presumed were parrots squawking in the background.

‘I’ve decided to do some good,’ Margot announced. ‘Give something back to the world.’

‘If your business is going sustainable then you’re quite far behind the times, sister dear.’

‘See how she goads me?’ Margot said, looking to Cara. ‘Maybe this was a silly idea.’

‘Mum,’ Cara said to the phone screen. ‘Margot wants to make a sizeable donation to one of the environmental groups you support.’

‘And why would she want to do that?’ Wissy asked, suspicion on her face. ‘Is it to qualify for some sort of Sunak tax break?’

Margot tutted and shook her head, picking her cigarette back up.

‘Mum, this is a serious offer. A very generous one. It’s a real chance to do some amazing things.’

‘And will my sister want to stand there dripping in YSL handing over one of those comedy giant-sized cheques posing with some hungry orphans?’

‘Mum!’ Cara exclaimed.

‘I’m done with this conversation,’ Margot said, getting to her feet and leaving the café.

‘Margot, wait,’ Cara tried but it was in vain. She turned her attention back to the screen, more than a bit annoyed. ‘Mum, that was really uncalled for.’

‘I don’t think you know my sister quite as well as I do. She will never change. It’s always about her and no one else.’

Cara took a breath. She knew that wasn’t true, now more than at any other time. But she couldn’t say anything. Margot had made it clear that she didn’t want anyone else to know what had happened with the maharajah.

‘Listen, Mum, I know how Margot can be but?—’

‘You don’t though, do you? Because you’ve never been able to see a fault in her. She was always the fun aunt who gave you things you shouldn’t have, things I told you and her you shouldn’t have. The one who took you in and told you everything was going to be OK when sometimes you needed tougher love.’

Now Cara was shocked. This had got a lot deeper than she had envisaged and she was currently regretting it being aloud on FaceTime. There were two ladies sitting at the next table who currently seemed more interested in the conversation than their frappes.

‘Mum, have you ever thought there might be a reason why Margot is like this?’

‘Yes, often. I blame my father who always told her she was like Bette Davis.’

Cara silently cursed and, as she did so, the FaceTime connection seemed to destabilise. ‘Mum, can you hear me?’

‘Cara… I can’t hear you… are you still there?’

‘Yes, I’m here. I can hear…’

Then the screen went black and everything died.

With a sigh, Cara left money for their drinks and got up.

‘She will take the money,’ Cara said as she arrived at Margot’s shoulder. Her aunt had walked a few paces away, had pigeons at her feet and was finishing her cigarette.

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Margot stated. ‘If none of her causes want the cash, I’ll make a donation to another one.’ She shrugged. ‘I’ll make something good come out of it.’

Cara paused, the evening sunshine warming her shoulders. ‘You could tell her what happened. Maybe she would?—’

‘No,’ Margot said with ferocity. ‘I don’t need to give anyone an excuse for how I am or who I’ve turned into. Those were all my choices no matter what the prequel.’ She sighed. ‘We are all responsible for our own actions, Cara, no matter how they came about.’

‘Beautiful ladies! How do you want to join a group of delicious young men for the evening? We can only promise you drinks, bad rizz and, well, just that actually.’

It was Horatio, wearing a pink baby’s bonnet on his head, and he ended his lines by slipping his arm around Margot’s shoulders.

‘Get off! Are you insane? What are you doing here?’ Margot exclaimed, pushing him away.

‘I tell you earlier, tonight is Cosmos’s last night out as a single man. His men friends are here to make sure he has a great evening.’

‘Good for you,’ Margot said. ‘So why don’t you go back to Cosmos and do whatever you constitute to be a good evening.’

Cara saw a crowd building along the street and there were a dozen or so guys all wearing pink baby bonnets except Cosmos. The groom was at the very front of the line, a giant rubber fish sellotaped to his head. Cara could see Akis, next to his brother, still looking the kind of devastatingly handsome only someone with amazing cheekbones and oceanic eyes could whilst wearing a bonnet.

‘Come on,’ Horatio said, nudging Margot’s arm. ‘It will be fun. And Cosmos has already cried because the fish head is too heavy and he wants to go home to Wren.’

‘In England we call them stag parties and it’s very much men only,’ Margot said, ‘and for very good reason. The men behave like wankers and women want no part in it. Goodbye.’

As Margot made strides away from Horatio and the advancing party of guys who now seemed to be blowing glowing whistles, Cara took one last look at Akis. She knew she had never ever met a better man, but it was never going to be their time.