Chapter 23 #2
We creep back up the stairs. Matteo points to a square of material, barely visible against the door panel. It’s almost a trompe l’oeil. I cautiously peel the corner of the flap up to reveal a mesh screen that you can spy through.
‘So that servants know not to interrupt at the worst time. Like in the middle of a dance,’ whispers Matteo in my ear, sending instant delicious shivers down my neck.
‘It’s Libs and Eddie,’ I confirm.
Hopefully they won’t be long.
I squint through the mesh and see Eddie show Liberty his phone screen.
‘I’ve already seen the photo, Eddie. And I told you. It’s all innocent. What more do you need me to say?’ Liberty says, her voice breaking. She sounds genuinely upset. There are dark circles under her eyes. Neither of them looks like they slept much last night.
‘It’s not that.’ Eddie inches it closer to her. Unfortunately, they have their backs to us and the phone is just out of our eyeline.
‘How did you get this?’ Liberty asks.
Eddie huffs. ‘Seriously? You’re asking a billionaire who has some of the world’s best hackers and cybersecurity on the planet how he has managed to get hold of not just the wedding footage but all the CCTV footage from Chateau Beaumont?
’ He half-smiles. ‘Security cameras that my company installed, by the way, so I’m probably making it sound more impressive than it actually is. ’
‘Okay. I get it, but unless Birdie has done a deepfake on me, you won’t find anything untoward. I promise. I’d never cheat on you. Never.’
They gaze deeply into each other’s eyes.
Matteo whispers to me. ‘Should we be watching this?’ He sounds conflicted.
‘It’s like you haven’t realised you’ve married one of England’s nosiest parkers,’ I whisper back and carry on watching, riveted.
I need Liberty to get her happy ending. I want Matteo’s business not to be ruined by a big fallout.
I need Birdie well and truly out of the picture. I have too much riding on the outcome.
‘That’s the first day I arrived,’ Liberty tells Eddie. ‘How did you…?’
‘They have cameras literally all over this house. They rent it out to politicians, to rock stars, to royalty. They don’t take any chances.’
‘So, we’ve all been on camera the whole time anyway?’
‘Pretty much,’ he says flatly.
Matteo and I exchange looks. I hope he doesn’t mean the bedrooms. We have had sex literally all over the master suite in every position imaginable.
‘I swear I have not cheated on you,’ she pleads, sounding genuinely emotional.
Eddie fiddles with something and we hear a muffled conversation.
‘So that proves it,’ Liberty says, relief flooding her voice. ‘You have me on camera asking Nacho if he’ll help me make your Christmas present. Now do you believe me?’
‘Yes, of course I believe you, but look closer.’
They lean in, peering at the screen that is disappointingly hidden from my view.
‘I don’t understand. Eddie, what are you saying? What am I supposed to be looking at?’
‘Look at Nacho, darlin’. Look at his face when he turns around to fix you a drink.’
‘Oh.’ Liberty’s face falls. ‘But that doesn’t prove anything.
Nacho is a player. He’s never serious about anyone.
He told me that himself. In fact, many times.
Our hook-ups have meant nothing to him in the past.’ Her tone has changed.
She’s always acted so casually around him, but I wonder if it was an act, to hide how hurt she was by it.
‘Well, that’s how it may have started but what about this? And here.’ Eddie scrolls on his phone. ‘And here. And again, the way he looks at you. Liberty, he’s clearly in love with you.’
What?
Eddie sighs heavily as he takes her hand in his. ‘Liberty. I think that deep down you’re also in love with him.’
Liberty is quick to protest but he plays another video, and I see her shoulders sag. She stares at the screen and it’s a few minutes before she can speak. ‘I don’t know what to say, Eddie.’
‘Honey, if your face lit up like that whenever I walked in a room, I’d marry you on the spot.’ He sounds genuinely heartbroken. ‘And sure, you might think you’re in love with me but, honestly, the camera doesn’t lie.’
‘Unless it’s a photo sent by Birdie,’ Liberty says dejectedly. ‘I’m really sorry that you had to go through that. I can’t imagine what you thought. I’d never hurt you.’ She reaches up to put her hand gently on his cheek before taking it away.
‘I think I know why she sent it,’ Eddie says, running his hand through his hair.
We can see Liberty’s profile. She frowns at him.
‘I’ll tell you why she sent it. She sent it to cause trouble.
She wanted an excuse to come to the wedding and break up Matteo and Connie.
Well, she failed because he is not into her in the slightest. Him and Connie are rock solid.
No matter how much Birdie chases after him. ’
My heart swells at how vehemently Liberty is defending us.
Eddie exhales loudly. ‘She’s not after Matteo.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Being at this wedding was never about him.’
‘But then what’s she playing at?’
He stares at her intensely. ‘I’m sorry, Libs.’
‘You mean, she’s after you? She did all of this to split us up?’ Liberty’s voice is wobbling. ‘She wanted to be at the wedding because you’re here? Not because Matteo’s here?’
Eddie nods.
‘How long has it been going on?’
Eddie holds up his hands. ‘There’s been no cheating, darlin’. No way.’ He rubs his chin. ‘I reckon I’d say maybe since Vegas, now I think about it. She was coming on pretty strong. And like you, I thought it was all an act to make Matteo jealous but then…’
Liberty folds her arms. She is not going to like this one bit.
‘Oh jeez, well, I think she was deliberately engineering things so that we’d be up late, locked in the studio together night after night. Last night, insisting on a late business meeting to keep us apart. But then today… at the table… all that about her family. I just saw a different side of her.’
‘Your cheeks are pink.’ Liberty gasps. ‘Oh my God. Eddie. You’ve fallen for her wicked, wily French ways. You like her, don’t you?’
‘It made me realise a few things. I’m forty years old. I’m ready to settle down. We’d be a good fit.’
Liberty shrugs good-naturedly. ‘Yeah. But she’ll be such high maintenance.’
‘And she’s a pain in the ass but her family is stinking rich, so I know it’s not my money she’s after.’
‘What a cheek. Apart from access to your jet, four free trips to New York and a long weekend shopping in Dubai with your limitless credit, I’ve never asked you for a thing.’
Eddie bursts out laughing. ‘I know and that’s what I love so much about you. But you’re young. You’re beautiful. And you clearly have some thinking to do about Nacho. He seems like a decent guy.’
We watch the two of them hug.
‘It’s been fun, right?’ he says to her. ‘I’d still like us to stay friends.’
‘Yes, we can stay friends. But you’ll need to deal with Birdie. She’ll be insanely jealous. I couldn’t put up with what poor Connie has had to put up with. No way.’
He chuckles. ‘You got that right. Luckily, I’ve learned a few things being in the studio with Matteo on how to handle her.’
‘Matteo will be relieved to hear it. Hey, does that mean I can still borrow the jet? I promised Tash we’d get her and Kev back to his mother’s house and I promised Ged and Liam that they could take Louis back home because they’re terrified to leave him alone for five minutes.
And the airline have a strict no-cuddles policy. They might even chuck him in the hold.’
Eddie rakes a hand through his hair, laughing. ‘Sure. Whatever you want. You can even take the rest of the Dollz back with you if you want. Travel in style?’
She reaches up on tiptoes to kiss him lightly on the lips. ‘I’m going to miss you, Eddie.’
‘Miss me or my jet?’
‘Both.’
‘Come on. Let’s go get a drink. Where’s the bourbon in this place? Your friend keeps pushing that sparkling wine on me and telling me to say “cheese” even though I’ve asked her not to take my photograph.’
Liberty chuckles. ‘Come on. I’ll sort her out. You go find Birdie and let her know how you feel.’
‘Only if you go find that handsome boy of yours and do the same. Deal?’
‘Deal.’
Matteo and I watch in silence as they leave the ballroom. ‘Wow,’ he says. ‘I did not see that coming. Did you?’
‘Not. At. All.’