Chapter 24
We wait until the coast is clear before resuming our search in the cellar. I sit on the chaise longue, the scene of the crime from when we were last in here. My heart beats faster as I watch Matteo pace back and forth, deep in thought as he periodically glances my way.
‘Connie. About the things Liberty said.’
‘Please. Can’t we forget it ever happened? Birdie isn’t going to be an issue, by the sounds of things.’
‘I want you to know that I’m sorry for marrying you and then leaving you while I prioritised work.
Sorry for not taking you on honeymoon. Sorry for not being honest. I just…
I don’t know… I couldn’t find the words to tell you that our wedding, which was amazing and impulsive, which I will never, ever regret…
has deeply upset most of my family. Some of them aren’t even speaking to me any more.
’ He stops pacing. ‘I just didn’t want to burden you with that, but I should have confided in you.
And I’m sorry for assuming that you would uproot your entire life to come to LA. ’
I stare back at my husband. This glorious man who I’m 100 per cent certain that I want to spend the rest of my life getting to know.
‘Thank you for saying that. It means a lot. And I should have trusted you when I had doubts about moving.’ My shoulders relax.
‘I spent so many years doing nothing. I waded through my grief in a dull, hazy fog. My life was so sluggish and grey and rainy. Meeting you has been like walking into the sunshine for the first time.’ I shift in the seat.
‘Being with you is like breathing in a lungful of fresh salty air and feeling the sea spraying my face. And now you’re giving me a whole new family and an exciting life to look forward to.
I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right with them.
’ I place my hands in my lap. ‘I want you to know that we’ll fix this.
Together we’ll win your family back around somehow. Trust me.’
‘I want this marriage to work. Whether that’s in LA or Spain or Tokyo or wherever else.
’ He doesn’t say it, but I can tell that a massive weight has lifted.
It must have been killing him to keep flying back to see me every two weeks as well as all the other flying around for business he had to do.
Not to mention the heartbreak over upsetting his family.
‘You asked me earlier why I married you. I love you,’ he says. Simple as that. ‘I can’t explain it, but it just feels right. It’s always felt right.’
My heart swells.
‘Let’s do it. Let’s live together in LA and see what happens.’
Matteo frowns. ‘Are you sure? You have time to think about it.’
‘No. I want this. I’m sure of it. Like you say. It just feels right.’ When I rise from the chair to go to him, my foot connects with something, sending it shooting across the floor. It sparkles in the dim light. ‘My earring!’
I swoop down to retrieve it before snaking my arms around his neck. When his lips meet mine, a gentle, fuzzy warmth spreads through me. A confident feeling. A trust in him and what he’s saying.
Once we’ve changed into our costumes, we make our way down to the cocktail bar. ‘I’ll tell my dad tonight about definitely moving to LA but let’s tell everyone else tomorrow after Christmas dinner, when we’re all together.’
‘Makes sense. It’s Ged and Liam’s big day. No point taking the limelight away from them.’
‘Agreed.’ I feel like bursting with happiness now that that’s all settled.
It’s all I can do not to keep blurting it out as we wander around saying hello to people and introducing ourselves as husband and wife.
I experience a ridiculous thrill with every mention while we do our best to keep an eye out for Ged and Liam to make sure they are relaxed and happy.
Due to much insistence from Cherry’s children, Ged and Liam were forced to leave Louis behind and arrive back downstairs, scurrying straight to the ballroom to scour the dance floor in search of their fur baby.
We follow them in. It is packed with guests in elaborate gowns.
They spot Louis in the clutches of Clementine, who has him tucked up in her doll’s pram.
He is wearing a doll’s dress with three dummies in his mouth and she, apparently, has not let go of him for the two-hour break we scheduled in between lunch and drinks.
Most guests preferred to pop back to their hotels to have a lie down and get changed.
Some preferred to stay, keep drinking, walk the immaculate gardens, wander the beautiful chateau and get changed here in the many bathrooms.
‘I need to go and talk to the quartet,’ I tell Matteo, craning my neck to peer out of the ballroom window where they are standing outside smoking.
‘I also need to check on the caterers to confirm what time to serve the hot buffet. Some of the waiting staff have already gone so I need to liaise with the house staff as to who is doing the bar service.’
‘If you don’t need my help, I’ll go check on Nacho,’ Matteo says. ‘Make sure he’s okay.’
I reach up on tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. ‘See you later. Don’t forget to be here for the first dance.’
‘I’ll be here.’ I can tell he’s wildly out of his comfort zone. All the theatrics and drama have been a challenge to say the least. He swirls me around so that my new chiffon overskirt that Cherry made swishes out. ‘I’m just glad you don’t have to balance that gigantic wig on your head.’
I watch Matteo stride away. His shoulders are perfectly accentuated by the tight-fitting long-tailed coat.
His lean legs leave nothing to the imagination in the traditional britches.
His muscular calves are hugged by the soft leather boots.
I let out a huge, lustful sigh. Crikey. This is my life now.
He’s my husband, for better or worse, to ogle and gawp at until death do us part. How bloody lucky am I?
‘Put your tongue back in, you.’
I spin round. Tash is grinning from ear to ear. She is clutching on to Sister Kevin, who seems equally happy. ‘He’s going to propose,’ she blurts, gazing up at him. ‘It’s this house, this wedding.’
And perhaps the enormous quantity of Lovington that they have consumed between them?
‘And Kev’s such an old soul the age gap isn’t even a thing, is it, babe?’
‘She’s right.’ Sister Kevin agrees heartily. ‘I’m such an old soul. Always have been.’
Tash raises a finger to her lips. ‘But don’t tell anyone.
It’s a secret. Plus, it’s bad form to propose on someone else’s big day.
Besides, I want it to be a surprise. So, he’ll do it properly tomorrow morning.
Christmas Day. How romantic will that be?
’ She’s talking at a million miles an hour, a crazed twinkle in her eyes, almost as though she’s pickled herself in booze.
‘And after he’s proposed, we’ll announce our engagement before we have dinner.
I can’t bloody wait to get started planning the hen do.
It’s gonna be one hell of a messy one!’ She delivers her signature pantomime wink and they wander off.
I stare after them. Another messy hen do. I’m so, so happy for them. No, really. So, so happy. Can’t wait.
I pass Cherry on the way outside to greet the musicians. ‘Connie, pet!’ yells Cherry. She drags Dom over to me. ‘We wanted to thank you for, well, for giving us some space and time to, you know…’
‘It was a pleasure.’ My mind wanders back to the absolute carnage that was the sleepover last night, babysitting two feral kids and a puppy, watching Cherry drink herself into a stupor with Liberty while I mopped up baby vomit. I’ll never be able to listen to ‘Pink Pony Club’ ever again.
‘Well, it gave us a bit of time to reflect,’ she says, hugging Dom’s arm.
He has a goofy expression on his face. ‘And I’m going to go back to work part-time so Dom has more time to spend with us and…
we’ve decided we’re going to renew our vows.
We’re going to have a fresh start. A marriage do-over. ’
‘Ah, that’s so cute. I’m delighted for you.’ I hug them both, genuinely pleased to see them working through this stressful period in their marriage.
‘But don’t tell anyone. We’re going to announce it tomorrow after Christmas dinner.
It’ll be a lovely surprise. Besides, it would be bad form to rain on Ged and Liam’s parade.
But I tell you what. This wedding has given us loads to think about for our vow renewal ceremony. We’re thinking destination, aren’t we?’
I nod blankly. There’s going to be an awful lot of announcing going on tomorrow. I weave my way through the crowded ballroom just as the musicians enter through the double doors.
‘I have everything ready for you to set up,’ I say.
‘And please help yourselves to the drinks and snacks.’ I quickly discuss the timings for the first dance and how we are doing it in stages until it eventually becomes like a flash mob.
‘Ged and Liam will be leading the dance to Benson Boone but then there’s a tempo change and me and Matteo will join them as you segue into the Beyoncé banger, then another shift and change of music as beat by beat all the Dollz join in until as a group there’s a final change of music and we do the finale to Whitney Houston.
We’ve all got our mic packs sorted. Did you get a chance to rehearse it? ’
They nod their heads. ‘Yes. It’s no problem and thank you for sending the music through. Don’t worry. It will be fantastic.’
All the songs, including the Whitney Houston power ballads, are being covered in a Bridgerton orchestral style. It’s going to be epic.