CHAPTER ONE - NOAH #2
The wedding ticked boxes. A society wedding that met Lady Soames’ approval; a bride whose family were old new money and she therefore wasn’t after any of our fortune – although I suspected she was hoping she’d have more to spend than what she got from her father; a future wife who understood etiquette and presented nicely, which equalled the youngest son married and settled.
And it meant my grandfather would see the one thing he seemed to remember wanting.
Alister Buchanan had been my favourite person when I was a kid. I spent summers with him, and most Christmases too. He taught me to ride, to shoot, to fish. He taught me the rules of rugby and exactly how to camp with nothing other than a tent and a running river.
He was my boyhood hero, and when his daughter was being unnecessarily strict, he stuck up for me.
Four years ago, he was diagnosed with dementia but remained physically fit. He still recognised me now, he’d phone me, and we’d have a conversation about the next time we’d go wild camping, or about the rugby, and then he’d ask me when I was getting married.
He wanted to see me married. He’d ask about my girl, then want details about the wedding. I knew we probably didn’t have that much time before attending a wedding would be beyond him, or how much longer we’d have him around.
That was why I was marrying Carla so quickly, or maybe even at all. She ticked boxes. She was attractive, she could hold a conversation and maybe we would fall in love, eventually.
Just excuse me if I wasn’t that enthusiastic.
“It’s a weekend of drinking.” I shrugged. My stag do would have to happen. After it, we’d be closer to the wedding.
“There’s nothing wrong with a weekend of drinking. Make the most of it, because once that ring’s on her finger, you no longer belong to you. You’ll just be some sort of lackey with the title of ‘husband’.” He grinned, rubbing his hands together. “I’m looking forward to watching every minute of it.”
“That does not sound pervy at all.” I glared at him. He was basking in the idea of me getting married.
Gus had married his wife when he was twenty-four and still in med school. His wife was not the socialite Lady S had wanted for him, but the doctor who’d been there while he recovered from some near-fatal virus he caught from a patient he’d been treating.
Vivi was great; no nonsense, practical, organised and completely ruled his roost. My brother loved every minute of it, and he’d told me on at least three occasions when he’d had too many whiskies how glad he was that he found her when they were young.
I hadn’t envied him. Our mother had been half-pissed off that he married someone she hadn’t decided for him, him being the first born an all that, but she begrudgingly liked Vivi. And unlike me, Gus hadn’t been pictured in far too many gossip columns with a different woman on his arm each time.
That had been me.
“I don’t mean watching that bit.” He laughed, glanced at Lady S.
She looked even more disgruntled. “Do you have to be so uncouth?”
Angus laughed. “Boys will be boys, mother.”
She shook her head. “You need to speak to Vivienne about letting the children play on the lawn, Angus.”
“No, I don’t.” He sat back. Angus did not take any telling off from Lady S, he never had. “They’re children and playing outside is good for them.”
“But they flatten my lawn.”
“Which will repair and be as good as new, unlike children’s spirits if you quash their enjoyment out of them.” He raised a brow at her.
“I didn’t let you destroy my lawn and you turned out…
” She stopped and shook her head. “Never mind. I have to go and prepare for my call with Jane Bebbington.” She stood up, more slowly than she had in the past, but still with the same grace I knew she’d wanted to pass onto a daughter.
She sometimes tried with Catherine, who was more tomboy than future socialite, and never in the mood to listen to what her grandmother had to say.
Angus seemed to be studying me as Lady S left the room, his arms folded over his chest.
“What?” I stood up and went to the bay window, looking at the lawn that was definitely flattened.
“If she’s not right for you, don’t, for fuck’s sake, marry her.” His voice was low, quiet. “You might look pretty together, but you have no chemistry and I’m not sure you even like her, never mind be in love with her.”
“Being in love with someone isn’t necessary for a wedding.”
“This isn’t just a wedding, Noah, it’s a marriage. One of those commitments that’s meant to last a lifetime.”
I didn’t say anything, because part of me knew he was right.
Marrying Carla was a way to cover a lot of bases, the biggest being my grandfather getting to see me married.
I had no idea what would happen six months, twelve months, hell, even two months, after we were married.
Neither of us had thought that far ahead.
“If she’s not your Vivi, you shouldn’t marry her. Even for Grandfa.” His expression wasn’t full of laughter now. He looked serious. “I know why you’re going through with this, Noah, and it’s noble of you, but Grandfa wouldn’t want you marry just to so he could see your wedding.”
I sighed and watched the river that ran through the garden, far enough away that it looked like more of a stream.
“I know. But for how much longer is he going to be aware of anything that’s actually happening?
If Carla and I end up separated after six months, he’s not going to know.
But at least I’ll know he saw me get married.
I’ll have those memories.” I turned back around, my father chasing Catherine and my nephew, Jimmy, across the lawn now my mother wasn’t around to watch.
“What’s her motivation for marrying you? Apart from the obvious.” Gus rubbed his chin.
“She has enough money of her own. Her parents are pissed at her for how she’s been behaving the last couple of years and they’re on at her to settle down.
And I think she’s pretty into me.” I felt a total tool saying that last bit, but I kind of got the impression that she did.
She’d told me once that I was ‘good arm candy’, and how much the camera loved me.
I’d put her words down to the margaritas she’d been drinking and hoped there was more to it than that.
Gus shook his head. “Whatever. Vivi doesn’t like her. And she doesn’t like what you’re doing either. She thinks this is just going to end in disaster.”
“Not everyone can fall madly in love with the right person at the right time. And you know I don’t subscribe to this whole madly in love with someone fairy tale any way.
You and Vivi are an exception.” I’d already known two of my friends go through divorces, one engagement end sourly and seen one of my best friends from university get severely fucked up when the girl he’d lost his mind over ended their relationship.
Carla was a lot of things I wasn’t sure of, but I was sure that I wasn’t going have my heart broken by her.
“What about Robbie? Does he not count?” Gus grinned when he mentioned our other brother.
“He counts double. You think Her Ladyship will ever actually say she’s happy for him?
” Robbie lived in Manchester with his husband.
When he came out to our parents, Lady S had refused to speak to him for three months.
It was awful and difficult for us all, especially Robbie and Connor.
Dad wasn’t surprised or bothered, and Robbie had told me and Gus a couple of years before that he was gay, although it wasn’t like we hadn’t suspected it.
Lady S was always going to take it badly.
She actually asked what she’d done wrong, something that made Gus lose the plot completely and Dad walk out.
But, to her credit, she attended Robbie and Connor’s wedding, and made Connor feel welcome when they visited.
But we all saw that she was struggling with Robbie not being ‘society perfect’ even if he was the happiest he’d ever been.
Now she’d worked through it, and her relationship with her son-in-law was one we all knew she treasured.
Thankfully. Else we’d have had to disown her.
“I think she just pretends to not be impressed. She’s far worse with Carla. Robbie said they’ve started to look into a surrogate.” Gus stretched and the rubbed his shoulder.
“That’s good. They’ll make excellent parents.”
Gus laughed. “No one makes excellent parents, but they’ll give it their best shot. Have you sorted the pre-nup?”
I pushed a hand through my hair. “Her solicitor has sent it to mine. I’m meeting her on Monday.”
“Callaghan Green?”
I nodded. We’d been using Callaghan Green for years. My father and Grant Callaghan went way back, and I’d continued to use the same firm when I took over the reins. “I need to go into their offices anyway to sort out this boundary dispute.”
Gus didn’t even try to look interested at that. “Before you sign the pre-nup, can I look through it? I know you’re desperate to get married so Grandfa can be there, but that’s not worth a momentous fuck up that’ll hang over the rest of your life.”
I nodded. “Meet for drinks on Monday?”
“Can do. I finish at four, so I’ll see you at five. The kids have a party to go to and it’s Vivi’s turn to sit through hell.” His grin was wicked. “Never, ever go to a children’s party. It’s a level of pain that you’ve never experienced before.”
I nodded. There wasn’t much chance of that at the moment.
Carry on reading The Wedding Agreement