Chapter 9
9
The hotel where the wedding reception was being held was in a far-flung corner of the South Downs, down a narrow country road and surrounded by rolling chalk hills and verdant wildflower meadows. The converted country house oozed charm and character, with its leaded windows and warm red brick walls and landscaped gardens and was the picture-perfect location for a romantic wedding reception.
After parking the car in the gravelled area to the west of the building, Carole and Tom made their way inside the hotel. They were directed through the lobby to a large function space in the south wing where other guests were already gathering.
The function space comprised an exclusive bar area with floor-to-ceiling windows and doors offering views across the hotel gardens and the countryside beyond, as well as a cordoned-off dining area laid out for the wedding meal and which Carole assumed would remain off-limits until the wedding party arrived.
Waiting staff circulated with trays of drinks and canapes, music played from the house system, and there was a festive feeling in the air as guests chatted and mingled.
Carole accepted a glass of fizz from a passing waiter, and Tom chose a sparkling fruit punch that the waiter explained was the hotel’s signature non-alcoholic beverage mixed specially for those guests who were either designated drivers or who simply preferred alcohol-free options.
“It tastes pretty good,” Tom said after taking a sip of the drink. “Not too sweet and actually quite refreshing.”
“I might switch over and try it later,” Carole said. “It’s easy to get carried away during a long day at a wedding and end up drinking more than you realise.”
Still, the glass of fizz she was drinking was hitting the spot nicely and she savoured the bubbles as she scanned the bar area for any sign of Steven. She’d stopped off at the ladies’ room on her way from the hotel lobby to the function suite to repair her make-up and was now ready for the inevitable encounter with her ex.
The sooner she got it over with, the better—although that might just have been the prosecco giving her false courage.
For the next fifteen minutes, the bar area grew busier as more guests arrived and the chatter and laughter rose in volume. The time passed swiftly, thanks to the easy conversation she struck up with Tom.
She learned more about his job and laughed at a couple of funny stories he shared about his recent work trip to Manchester. It was nice to feel at ease in his company, their conversation flowing freely.
It was nice, too, to get to know the man who was her next-door neighbour and, she hoped, also a new friend.
Beyond the banks of windows overlooking the hotel gardens, Carole caught sight of the bride and groom and the rest of the formal wedding party making their way towards a rose-covered pergola on the far side of the lawn, where the photographer was already setting up his camera. Now that the wedding VIPs were here, it would only be a matter of time before the new husband and wife arrived in the function suite to be greeted by their guests.
At which point, the wedding reception would begin in earnest.
Carole glanced around the bar area, wondering why she hadn’t spied Steven wandering around in here yet.
Despite her previous anxieties about seeing him, now that she was here at the wedding, she just wanted to get this encounter over and done with, so she could enjoy the rest of the afternoon and evening without having the impending moment still hanging over her head.
But no matter how much her gaze scoured the bar area, she saw no sign of Steven anywhere.
“Don’t worry, I’m keeping an eye out for him too,” Tom said with a wry grin.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to seem so distracted,” Carole said, realising she’d been peering around the room while Tom was in the middle of talking to her. “Despite dreading seeing Steven again ever since I found out he’d be at this wedding, now I just want to get it out of the way.”
“That makes perfect sense.” Tom glanced around the room, before stopping a passing waiter to grab two more glasses from his tray and off-load the glasses they’d already emptied. He handed a fresh prosecco to Carole. “Here, drink this and keep your strength up.”
Carole laughed and sipped the sweet fizzy wine. “I’m beginning to wonder if Steven is even coming to this wedding reception. We’ve all been here for a while now, and I doubt there are any stragglers still making their way over from the church. Perhaps the woman he was at the wedding service with could only attend that part of the day?”
Carole knew it was wishful thinking. No one got thoroughly dressed up and groomed to perfection only to attend a thirty-minute church service and then disappear off again. And if a wedding guest was only able to attend the service, there’d be no need to bring a plus-one along.
No, Steven was here, somewhere. He had to be. At any moment he’d pop up, she was sure of it, and…
At that exact moment, she caught sight of him on the other side of the bar, walking through the doors with the woman in the silver sheath dress. The bar area was packed now with well over a hundred guests, and Steven and his companion had to zig and zag their way through the crowds towards what remained of the complementary welcome drinks now lined up on the bar counter.
Steven grabbed two glasses of wine and handed one to the woman at his side. As he turned to take in the room, his gaze landed on Carole.
The smile on his face froze as his eyes held hers. A long beat passed as they looked at one another across the crowded room. Every sound, every chattering voice and peal of laughter, seemed to vanish as she stood rooted to the spot staring at the only man who had ever broken her heart.
Every shard of pain she’d felt fifteen years ago now pierced her soul once more.
Steven’s smile widened and the moment broke. The noise of the wedding guests around her returned like a wave breaking on the shore and washed away the cold ache that had gripped her so suddenly and so thoroughly.
Across the room, she saw Steven lift his head in acknowledgement, then whisper something to the woman at his side before the two of them began making their way across the crowded room towards her.
For a split second, Carole felt her heartbeat race at the imminent encounter. Tom’s hand on her arm was the soothing touch she hadn’t realised she needed.
“I see him coming over here,” Tom said quietly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said and smiled.
And in that moment, she knew she was fine, because as Steven drew closer, she realised something profound.
The Steven she’d imagined seeing again today wasn’t the same one who was now walking in her direction.
She’d thought only of the Steven she remembered from fifteen years ago, the handsome, rakish man with the killer smile and the devilish twinkle in his eye. Although she’d tried to picture what changes the passage of time might have caused, she’d assumed the years would have been more kind to him than they’d been to her.
Yet, she realised that might not be strictly true.
The brief view she’d allowed herself of Steven inside the church, along with the glimpse she’d caught while driving past his car, had given her an incomplete picture of the man she’d once been engaged to marry.
Yes, it was true he was still a handsome man, and yes it was true that the silvery threads running through his hair gave him a distinguished look, and yes it was true that his smile was still irresistible and his eyes still unmistakeably captivating.
But now that Carole was getting a better look at him, she saw that he’d filled out around the waist and hips, and the athletic form she remembered was now softer and less well-defined. While his hairline had stood the test of time, there were deep wrinkles around his eyes, and his complexion looked like that of a man who enjoyed indulging himself too much. The suit he wore looked expensive and undoubtedly well-cut, but the shiny fabric made her think of a dodgy car salesman cueing up his patter in preparation for swindling some poor customer into a very bad deal.
Had Steven Weaver always looked so… slippery? Or did he just seem that way to her now because his treacherous betrayal fifteen years ago had forever jaded her impression of him?
Before she could think any more about these questions, Steven and his companion took the final few steps through the wedding crowd towards where Carole stood with Tom.
“Hello, Carole,” Steven said, his smile an odd mix of guarded and smug. “It’s good to see you.”
I wish I could say the same, but I’d be lying, Carole thought but didn’t say.
Instead, she offered a polite smile and straightened her shoulders, thankful for the added height her killer high heels gave her. The pain was worth it for the injection of confidence she now felt as she stood face-to-face with Steven, feeling tall and powerful and like a woman who wasn’t to be messed with.
“I suppose it must come as a bit of a shock, seeing me here,” Steven added, his expression now looking decidedly self-satisfied.
“Not really,” Carole said evenly. “I heard through my Aunt Joanna that you’d be here as a plus-one with another guest.”
Steven looked slightly deflated by this revelation, as if he’d hoped for a bit more drama.
“Steven, I’d like to introduce you to my date Tom Jarvis,” Carole said, turning to Tom. “Tom, this is Steven, an old acquaintance.”
Carole enjoyed the look of surprise that crossed Steven’s face as he digested her description of him.
“We were more than just old acquaintances, Carole,” he said with a laugh, before shaking Tom’s outstretched hand. “Nice to meet you, mate.”
“Good to see you,” Tom said, his tone as impeccably polite as his smile.
And yet Carole detected a hint of steel underpinning his polite words and felt a burst of gratitude for his loyalty.
“This is my girlfriend Jilly,” Steven said, gesturing to the woman at his side. “Jilly, this is Carole and Tom.”
More hellos were exchanged. Jilly was all smiles, her expression open and friendly.
“It was a beautiful wedding ceremony, don’t you think?” Jilly said. “Steven tells me you’re a cousin of the bride, Carole. She looked wonderful, and what a gorgeous wedding dress she chose! Such a pretty bride!”
Touched by the woman’s kind comments about her cousin, Carole felt herself warming to her.
“I’m sure she’ll look amazing in all the photographs they’re having taken,” Carole said, nodding towards the wall of windows where the photographer had now finished and the wedding party were moving towards the hotel.
Jilly looked ready to respond, but Steven jumped in first.
“So, how’s life been treating you, Carole?” he asked.
“It’s been pretty good, thanks,” she said. “What about you?”
“Oh, you know.”
No, she didn’t know. And she realised she didn’t want to know, either.
Steven held her gaze, apparently waiting for her to invite him to tell her all about the life he’d led since he’d crushed her heart into a thousand tiny pieces, but Carole realised she didn’t want to continue with this stupid charade any longer.
She’d said hello, she’d been polite, and that was enough.
More than enough.
“Steven, it was nice to see you, and Jilly it was great to meet you,” Carole said, offering them both a breezy smile. “But I promised to introduce Tom to a few more of my relatives before the bride and groom arrive and we all sit down for the meal, so I hope you’ll excuse us.”
Jilly, unfazed, nodded happily and said she hoped they’d all have a chance to chat again later. Steven, on the other hand, looked deflated as Carole and Tom nodded their farewells and moved off through the crowd of guests.
Had he really expected her to stick around, swapping news and reminiscing about old times? It was obvious he wasn’t happy earlier when Carole had described him as an ‘old acquaintance.’ How had he expected her to introduce him to Tom while they were in public?
Tom, this is my ex-fiancé, Steven, the man who I was engaged to before I found him in bed having sex with my so-called friend.
She might have explained Steven in those terms before they got here, but she wasn’t about to recount the sordid details while Steven himself stood there grinning and… lapping up the attention? Carole wondered if that was what Steven had wanted.
Surely Steven hadn’t wanted to delve into those dark days from long ago?
Or had the passage of time made him think of what had happened between them as just some silly story of youthful indiscretion?
Well, it didn’t really matter what Steven thought, and she certainly wasn’t going to spend any time today dwelling on their brief conversation, or on Steven’s comments or reactions to what had been said or not said.
“You did great,” Tom whispered in her ear as they moved across the bar area.
Carole let out a laugh that sounded more flustered than amused. “I’m just glad it’s over with. I’ve seen him, said hello, been polite, and now I can ignore him for the rest of the day.”
“It sounds like a good plan to me. For what it’s worth, he struck me as a bit of a plonker and definitely not in your league.”
She laughed again, touched just as she’d been earlier by Tom’s loyalty to her ‘cause’ where Steven Weaver was concerned.
“I appreciate you saying that.”
“So, where are these relatives you want to introduce me to? Or was that just a ruse to escape from Slimy Steven?”
This time her laughter was filled with lightness and genuine amusement. “It was just a ruse. What I really need is another top up on this prosecco.”
“Then let’s get that done. You deserve it.”
No sooner had they refreshed their drinks at the bar, than the wedding master of ceremonies appeared and asked everyone to welcome the bride and groom to the reception celebrations. As applause and cheers broke out, Carole watched her cousin and her new husband arrive, hand-in-hand and with their faces lit up with delighted smiles.
The sight of the happy couple, filled with such obvious joy and excitement on this wonderful day, brought tears to Carole’s eyes once more. She was so thrilled for her beautiful cousin and her handsome groom, and so grateful to be here to help them celebrate. With her heart bursting with happiness for her sweet cousin, she let out a whoop of appreciation as the couple glided through the room, earning her an amused grin from Tom.
“They just look so happy, don’t they?” Carole said to Tom as the bride and groom accepted glasses of fizz from the master of ceremonies and began mingling amongst their guests.
“They do. And so they should. It’s their big day, after all.”
Carole dabbed at her dewy eyes and laughed. “See, this is why I shouldn’t have any more prosecco. All this wedding romance mixed in with the booze will turn me into a blubbering wreck again.”
“Here, have some canapes to soak up the alcohol,” Tom said, snagging a napkin from the bar and loading it with the little savouries and nibbles that were laid out on the counter.
“You’re a great wedding wingman, Tom,” Carole said, accepting the snacks gratefully.
“It’s actually one of my superpowers.”
Carole laughed, a proper belly laugh that she wouldn’t have thought possible considering she’d only just escaped a few seconds ago from her unhappy encounter with Steven Weaver.
“I’m glad you came with me to this wedding, Tom.”
“I’m glad you asked me.”
They traded smiles as they ate the canapes. It was good to have such a brilliant person at her side today, and the fact that they were getting on so well only made the deal all the sweeter.
Carole raised her refilled wine glass to Tom’s in a toast. “To having a fun day together at this wedding.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Tom said, and clinked his glass against hers.
The part of this day she’d dreaded was over and now she could concentrate on having fun.
With Tom at her side, Carole thought that wouldn’t be too hard.