Chapter 35
Chapter 3 5
Archer
Once the lawn mower was deemed irreparable by his hands, he called Nate at the boatyard to see if he could come up to the Hall to assess if the machine would ever cut grass again. Once Nate was assured Archer’s sister wasn’t at the house, he agreed to come the following day. There were too many questions floating around Archer’s head about the friends they all had as teenagers that now behaved differently. Nate’s animosity to Daisy was one he would deal with another time.
Jason would be on a flight on Sunday, so they’d brought the call to Saturday evening for a catch-up. Archer logged in on time to find Luke already there, swigging a beer and looking bored.
“How long have you been on the line?” Archer asked before he’d said hello.
“An hour, got my world clock mixed up. This is my third beer.”
“Should make the call lively,” Archer replied, laughing.
A loud siren sounded when Daisy came on the line, making them all jump. She put her palm on her chest while she looked over her shoulder.
“Scare the crap out of me,” she said.
“What was it?”
“Police van. The Italians clearly don’t have volume control.”
Luke shook his head in amusement, taking another swig of his beer.
“Where are you, Luke?”
“Don’t you recognise your own home?” he asked, moving forward, so most of his head filled the screen.
“Not with your ugly mug in the way. Are you in the house in Scotland?”
“Yeah, got bored travelling. So I thought I’d start sorting out this place if we all end up back at Copper Island.”
“I’ve moved into Turner Hall,” Archer said.
“She let you in?” Jason said, joining the call. “Sorry I’m late, guys, been to the movies, and the film lasted longer than I expected.”
“What did you go and see?” Daisy asked.
Archer groaned internally. If his brother said Deal with the Devil, he would shrivel up and die.
“Deal with the Devil,” Jason said.
Jason’s face was impassive, but Archer knew his brother and Jason going to the movies to see the film that starred Archer’s maybe wife, who he was avoiding, was not a coincidence.
“Oh, I want to see that film. Is it any good?” Daisy replied.
“Erica Taylor is phenomenal in it. I can see why she won the Oscar. Just a shame that all the negative press about her overshadows it.”
“That’s awful, isn’t it? I think the other woman is faking that pregnancy. It all seems like a publicity stunt for her to get ahead in acting,” Daisy said.
“Who the fuck is Erica Taylor?” Luke asked.
“She’s a movie star. Where have you been, living under a rock?” Jason said.
“No, just off-grid. We do it when we have time off from the rigs.”
Archer was leaving them to squabble while he and Jason had a staring contest. Archer wanted to know how he knew.
“So, Luke is in Scotland. Daisy is in Italy. Where are you, Jason?” Archer asked.
“London.”
“You’re all much nearer than I thought,” Archer said.
“We’re getting ready to come to the island. Have you set the date?” Luke asked.
“Yeah, it’s in three weeks. Did you know Reverend Chivers has retired?”
“Blimey, I’m not surprised he must be ninety by now,” Luke commented.
“Yeah, I suppose. It seems odd not to have him on the island. He’s featured in our lives so much.”
“Who is his replacement?”
“Reverend Wendy Sprite. She was mighty suspicious of my whirlwind romance,” Archer said.
“They must see many arranged marriages in their line of work. It’s their job to ensure you’re going into the marriage for real reasons.”
“Except I’m not. I felt like I was going straight to hell telling her lies. ”
“How did Erica feel about it? It’s a shame you’re not marrying Erica Taylor. She’d win the lady reverend over,” Daisy said.
“Yeah, shame,” Jason said, sarcasm dripping from those two words.
“We fought. I don’t know how she feels. I’m not even sure if we’re still getting married.”
“What did you fight about?” Daisy asked.
“I thought she was a writer, even mentioned it, and she never corrected me,” Archer replied.
“What does she do for a living?” Daisy asked.
“She’s an actress,” Archer replied.
“What’s wrong with that?” Daisy said.
“Fuck off,” Luke barked. “You’re marrying Erica Taylor, and you had no idea she is hands down the sexiest woman alive?”
Jason was laughing behind his hand. “I thought you didn’t know who she was?”
“I just googled her, man. I knew her face, and I just didn’t know her name. Damn fine woman,” Luke said.
“Erica, your Erica is the Erica Taylor,” Daisy asked, her voice raising an octave.
“Yep,” Archer confirmed.
“And you didn’t know?” Luke said. “She’s stunning and everywhere, not just in films. Adverts, charity, everything.”
“No. It seems she’s able to play the part really well.” Disdain licked at Archer’s words.
“Now, hold on there,” Jason said. “You have no basis that she is faking her affection for you. It is possible she likes the straight-laced, never late to anything, type of man.”
“Have you two, ya know,” Daisy asked.
“You can ask if they’ve fucked,” Luke said .
“I don’t want to ask it, eww, but are you two more than just faking a relationship for the dragon?”
“Daisy,” Jason chastised.
“Sorry. Have you been more than friends?”
“Yeah. I’ve taken Erica to Stuart Island across the causeway, we went to the flower fields, and I took her to swim with the seals.”
“You’re in love with her?” Jason asked.
“Of course he is. We’re talking about Erica Taylor. Who wouldn’t be?” Luke said.
“But she’s an actress, and she hid it from me,” Archer said.
“You didn’t ask her what she did to earn a living. You didn’t ask her how she affords to rent out five fucking cottages on Copper Island,” Jason said.
“Well, that’s rude, prying.” Archer felt twelve years old with his feeble reasoning.
“You’re marrying the girl. Wouldn’t you ask the basics?” Daisy said gently.
“Clearly not,” Luke muttered.
“So what was the fight about? Did Erica say she didn’t like you? Was she just filling a role? Did she tell you she’s only marrying you for your ability you can fix anything?” Daisy asked.
Archer shook his head to Daisy’s questions. “I can’t fix the mower,” Archer grumbled.
“That mower is older than Aunt Cynthia,” Jason commented.
“Listen, go and talk to her. See if she still wants to go ahead after you’ve been an ass. You’re the best judge of character I know. You know she’s not faking it because you took her to your favourite places. Deep down, you know you wouldn’t have fallen for someone who wasn’t more than skin deep. So go and grovel, apologise and make sure the wedding is on before I pack this house up into a million boxes,” Luke said.
“What he said,” Jason replied.
“Yeah, Archer. Be nice to Erica. She seems lovely,” Daisy chipped in.
“All right, guys, I’ll see her, get things straightened out.”
“Report back in the morning,” Jason said.
Archer hung up from the call, fed up with being told what to do even if it was the right thing.
He closed the laptop lid and drummed his fingers, looking down at what he was wearing. He was still in his long shorts and t-shirt from attempting to fix the lawn mower. While he remembered, he sent a text to Daisy to ask her why Nate would only come to Turner Hall if she weren’t there.
Tossing the phone on the bed, he jumped into the shower and changed before heading to Erica’s cottage. He rapped on the back door, and there was no answer. Risking her wrath, he turned the doorknob, and it opened. Walking into the kitchen, he knew the place was empty. None of her belongings had gone as there was a shawl strewn over the back of the chair and a novel she’d been reading with a bookmark sticking out three-quarters of the way in. He stepped closer to see what she was reading and saw a folded piece of paper with his name scribbled on the front.
Gone to London to do movie stuff and pick up my wedding dress. Send me a message if you no longer want to get married and break the deal.
Archer took note of the number she’d scribbled and stored it in his phone. He’d wasted no time telling her the deal was still on but could he talk. Erica replied instantly, saying she wouldn’t have any time to speak meaningfully and they could talk when she returned in two weeks.
“Two weeks? Am I planning this whole wedding?” he thundered to nobody.
Then he made a call. “How quickly can you leave Italy?”