Chapter Forty-One
The following morning Hal and Paddy waved goodbye to Jamie and Nick. Nick had been reluctant to go, but Paddy needed to do this without her twin hovering around her anxiously. Quite frankly she was freaking her out. She was so used to Nick being calm and quiet, this highly strung, emotional version was exhausting her. She and Hal were tiptoeing around each other and she needed to be alone with him to work things out.
‘Right, come on inside and let’s sort out what we do next.’ They walked back in through the large hallway and headed down a corridor to a sitting room where a fire had been laid out but not yet lit. Settling down in an armchair Paddy looked around her suddenly uncomfortable and awkward.
‘Do you like your room?’ Hal asked.
Oh God, thought Paddy, small talk. ‘It’s very nice, thank you. But my things—’
‘Shall we get your things—?’
Both spoke at the same time and broke off laughing.
‘Right. Come on then,’ said Hal decisively, as he picked up his keys. Helping Paddy up into the seat of the Range Rover she apologised again, awkward by her pregnancy and the intimacy between them. As she pulled on the seatbelt she winced as it dug into the bruising from the crash.
‘Maybe this isn’t a good idea? I wanted to get my things but I’m not sure if I can wear a belt?’
Hal paused, he wasn’t driving her anywhere without her being safe, but he also knew how important it was for her to feel comfortable at Vollen. Having her own things around her would help with that. Telling her to hang on, he ran back in the house and came back with a couple of pillows. Tucking them gently around her, he leant across her to fasten the belt. As he did, he smelled the shampoo from her morning shower. She was practically in his arms and he very carefully leant forward and kissed her. She leant forward to kiss him back and then hissed as her sore shoulder dug into the belt. Immediately, he pulled away, much to Paddy’s annoyance; she had been enjoying that. They both looked at each other sheepishly as he apologised for leaping on her and rearranged the pillow under the belt.
As they drove off Paddy said she had rather enjoyed the leaping and the two of them grinned at each other. Another silence fell between them and Paddy didn’t know how to break it. She was so happy and so tired she was content to just look across at him and smile. As they drove though, the silence was constantly interrupted by phone calls.
Ari wanted to know if the baby was okay. When she heard that Paddy was in a car you could hear the pursed lips half a country away. She was only reassured when Paddy told her about the pillows. Asking if she would be up for a visit, Paddy said she was and then hung up telling her she would send directions to Vollen. As she did Ari told her to call Aster.
Clem then rang telling her to take care of herself. Calling out Hello to Hal, she welcomed him to the family and hoped he was up to it. Then she reminded Paddy to call Aster and hung up.
Her sisters were doing a better job of breaking the ice than she was. Rolling her eyes Nick’s name came up, and she asked to speak to Hal instead. Paddy explained he was driving, so she put her on speakerphone.
‘Hal, I know you’re brassic, but I’ve spotted a new company I think is worth investing in. Would you like me to buy some shares on your behalf?’ As he agreed she told Paddy she loved her and hung up.
‘That’s more like it. Yesterday’s Nick was not the normal version of herself by a long shot. It sounds like she’s forgiven you. Not that there’s anything to forgive,’ said Paddy quickly.
‘I think I have a lot of ground to make up. Anyway, that’s three calls. Why do you have to call Aster? She’s your youngest sister, isn’t she?’
‘Probably because she won’t call, she’s— oh my mistake,’ Paddy broke off as her phone rang again.
‘Hi, sis are you okay?’
Hal watched his wife’s face light up every time she spoke to one of her sisters, and he was looking forward to meeting them. But now as he listened, this conversation was going wrong as she sought to console her little sister; it was clear that whoever was on the other end of the line was crying and now Paddy was as well. Indicating, Hal pulled over to the side of the road and asked if he could speak to Aster.
As he said hello there was silence at the other end of the phone, but he knew from the hitched breath that someone was listening.
‘Your sister is fine. The hospital was prepared to let her out last night and they wouldn’t have done that if they had any alarms. It was my fault she stayed in. I insisted she slept there. Belt and braces sort of thing. But she and the baby are fine; they were scanned and tested from this way to Sunday and they’re fine.’ He paused, waiting for any questions but the silence continued. ‘I love your sister very much and cannot tell you how happy I am that she is in my life. I know it’s corny but it feels like a fairy tale and that—’
‘Okay,’ a small voice cut him off, ‘put my sister back on, please.’
Bemused, he listened as the two girls finished their conversation, and by the sounds of it, Aster was also on her way to stay for a bit.
‘She and I can stay at the cottage if you’d prefer?’
‘If you want. But I’d love to meet your family and they are all welcome. I want you to feel Vollen is your home as well but I know this is all happening a bit quickly. Your call.’
‘Honestly, I don’t want to spend another day away from you. Vollen it is. And Aster is unlikely to stay long. That was very unlike her.’
‘Being upset that her sister was hurt? Seems a normal reaction?’
‘I suppose so; she hates being out of control. She’s like Nick in that regard and she was only ten when our parents died. When you got mushy and she told you to stop, that was more like Aster.’
Paddy laughed apologetically and then beamed as Hal insisted it did feel like a fairy tale, and he didn’t care how soppy that made him sound. By now they had arrived at the cottage, and Hal ran around the place picking up bits that Paddy asked for. Smiling, she looked at her new wetsuit.
‘I haven’t even tried that on yet. Next week when the bruising dies down, I’m coming back for a swim.’ Hal agreed and thought that that sounded like a nice routine. Obviously, he would be swimming with her.
‘Remember your promise? You’ll have to sing for me!’
Paddy groaned. ‘Be prepared to be horrified.’
As he passed the mantlepiece he noticed the envelope from the production company. He picked it up and saw that it was unopened. Turning, he looked at her curiously.
‘Do you know, it took me days to open this letter. I just didn’t want to read it. Even then I knew I wanted to be married to you. Every time I thought about it, it made me so happy, although the fact that you clearly loathed me was a bit disheartening.’ He chuckled apologetically. ‘I just couldn’t help myself. I had to cancel my engagement to Bianca. I just didn’t know how to proceed. Then of course I opened the letter and well, you know…’
Paddy sat watching him. His revelation that being married to her made him happy was making her feel wonderful. It took her a moment to register his final sentence.
‘What do you mean, ‘well you know’.’
‘About the marriage not being valid after all. No need for any further paperwork or annulments or divorces.’
Paddy stared at him in horror. ‘We’re not married?’
‘What? No, didn’t your agent tell you what was in it? Is that why you didn’t open it?’
‘I didn’t open it because I didn’t want to face what was in it. I kept torturing myself with it knowing I should sign the divorce papers or whatever was in there. Then you went and got married anyway…’ her voice trailed away.
‘Except I didn’t.’ He came over and sat down on the sofa beside her. ‘I couldn’t marry her when I was in love with you. I was devastated when those production company lawyers told me we weren’t married. At that moment I knew I couldn’t proceed with my marriage to Bianca.’ He leant forward placing his head in his hands remembering how Bianca refused to return any of his calls that week.
‘So you’re not married to anyone!’
He laughed and shook his head. ‘Absolutely no one.’
‘But why was she at the party at your house?’
‘She wasn’t talking to me. When I discovered you were pregnant, I was so thrown that I forgot to meet her for lunch and went straight home. She was livid. So the first time I saw her was at the party.’
‘I still don’t understand, if she was so cross with you why did she come to the party?’
‘Appearances. I think she had been punishing me, and was expecting I was going to be all apologetic at the party.’
‘Instead you told her you’d slept with me…’
Hal groaned and Paddy took pity on him. ‘Looks like we’ve both been screwing up. You were trying to fix the mess and I was running away from it.’
Hal sat back on the sofa and smiled gently at Paddy and placed his arm around her shoulder as she leant into him. ‘We’re as bad as each other,’ he said and rested his head on hers. ‘Come on, let’s get going, whilst you get your head around the fact that you aren’t actually married.’
Locking up, they headed up to the big house and called in to let Michelle know of the change of plans. She smirked, glad to have been proven right and reassured Paddy that everything was under control. Just as they were about to drive off Paddy had an overwhelming urge to visit the chapel. This is where it had all started and she wanted to go and sit there and tell her parents what had happened. As they walked in, she contrasted the serenity of the space to the noise and bustle of the film shoot. So much had happened since then, and it had been months of massive ups and downs. She had avoided the chapel since she had become pregnant. At the time it evoked too many powerful memories. Baby gave a little somersault, making Paddy laugh and she placed her hand over her tummy. ‘I know. It is lovely here.’
‘I didn’t say anything,’ said Hal, confused.
Paddy smiled at him. ‘Sorry, you’ll have to get used to that. I was chatting to Baby. I do that a lot. I was just thinking that it all started here.’
‘That’s just what I was thinking. I was so hungover, everyone was speaking German and I walked in here and saw an angel sitting on a pew. The light was on your face and I didn’t think I had ever seen anything so beautiful in all my life. I was completely blown over and knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you by my side. I found myself wishing the wedding was for real and then wondering if I’d lost my marbles.’
Paddy laughed.
‘I’m sorry. This is awkward,’ said Hal, making Paddy laugh even more.
‘Do you think…?’ Hal paused and started again. Paddy was currently sitting on the front pew, and Hal moved away from her and knelt on the stone floor in front of her. Putting his hand in his jacket pocket he pulled out an old leather ring case. Paddy looked at him in wonder as he opened the box. Nestled in the dark blue satin lining was a large ruby edged with smaller diamonds sitting in a pretty platinum band. ‘My grandmother said I should only give this to the girl I couldn’t imagine living without. And now I have. So, ‘Not Actually Mrs Ferguson’, will you be my wife?’
Smiling, Paddy stretched her hand out and looked at the beautiful ring Hal slipped on her finger.
‘Did Bianca…’ she paused, doubt and uncertainty choking off her sentence.
Hal looked at her confused and then understood her question. ‘I didn’t even show this ring to Bianca, she picked one out from Boodles. So, enough of her.’ He picked up Paddy’s hand and kissed her fingers. ‘I believe I asked a question? Will you be my wife?’
A smile bright enough to dim the sun shone across Paddy’s face as tears of joy poured down her face.
‘I will. I do.’ Her breath hitched as she laughed, ‘Yes please!’
Sitting back beside her, Hal wrapped his arms around Paddy and kissed her promising he would never let her down, that he would spend every day of his life being the perfect husband and father.
Paddy leant into him. Comforted by the presence of her parents and sisters, she felt Baby give an approving somersault and she kissed her soon-to-be husband-again, back.