Chapter 41
41
Seamus followed me out and he caught me when I wobbled and thought I was going to fall. Rubbing my back, he held me tightly as we reached the top of the stairs and then he held me round the shoulders as he guided me over to the bed. Michelle and Emma were close behind.
‘What the hell is going on?’ they both asked in unison. When I explained, all three of them were totally and utterly flabbergasted.
‘Fancy choosing tonight to tell you all of this. I’m going to go and…’
‘You’ll do no such thing, Seamus. But if I can ask you for one favour it would be that you take me home. I can’t stay here now. I knew I shouldn’t have come. I should have listened to my instincts.’
‘But it’s your daughter’s wedding. You can’t go.’
‘They probably won’t even notice that I’ve gone. I’ll leave a message at reception. Tell them that I had a huge migraine and have gone home.’
‘Why don’t you try to get some sleep and see how you feel when you wake up?’
‘I just want to go home. Please.’
‘Right, let’s go and pack, Michelle, and we’ll follow you back.’
‘You don’t have to do that. Stay.’
‘We only came for you. If you’re going home, we’re coming with you. We’re The Lonely Hearts Club. We stick together.’
I smiled through my tears and despite having one of the most awful nights of my life, I managed to doze nearly all the way back to Cornwall, apologising for being awful company when Seamus dropped me off, and for spoiling his weekend.
‘Don’t worry. Fancy hotels aren’t really my thing. I’m sure Theo will be glad I’m home. He hates staying with Dad. He won’t give him any treats and doesn’t let him on the sofa. It’s just after 1a.m. now and Dad’s a bit of a night owl so they might still be up. Are you sure you’ll be OK? I can stay if you want me to?’
‘No, honestly, Michelle has just texted to say they’re five minutes away, so I’ll be fine. Thank you for everything, Seamus. Even if it hasn’t quite worked out the way we planned.’
He leaned across and kissed my cheek. ‘I’d probably do anything for you, Jo Jenkins. You are one very special lady.’
And then he was gone.
Michelle and Emma came crashing through the door just a few minutes later. Emma ran up to her rooms and came back with a bottle of vintage brandy which she said she’d been looking for an excuse to drink for months. She also suggested we do something really naughty and out of character to make ourselves feel better.
‘Oh, I know what we could do.’ Michelle had a glint in her eye. ‘Go and get that old suitcase that the dame told you not to open, Jo. Let’s have a mooch.’
‘I couldn’t do that. I promised her I wouldn’t.’
‘Yeah and Michael promised you that he’d be by your side till death do you part but he broke that one in a big way, didn’t he? She’ll never know, Jo. Go on. I’ve been dying to look inside it since you told us about her visit.’
I shook my head. ‘No, it’s not fair to her. She was so upset when I told her I’d found it.’
‘All the more reason to look, I reckon. Go on, Jo. It can just stay between us. We don’t have to tell a soul.’
I wavered. ‘Well, it would satisfy my curiosity. I’ve not been able to stop thinking about it.’
That was the only approval Michelle needed as she bounded off to the cloakroom to drag it down from the top shelf and placed it on the floor between the three of us.
‘Right, Dame Tessa Wylie. What have you got to hide?’