Chapter 26
Twenty-Six
The next morning, Alfie had to work. I wasn’t sure what was going on but he seemed more distracted by business than usual.
My body ached, muscles worn out from the workout Alfie had given me the night before.
I decided to go for a swim to clear my head and reset myself a little.
Recently, each day seemed to bring new drama.
I was feeling the need to hold onto the quiet moments, the pockets of time where Alfie and I got to just be Alfie and I. No noise. No drama.
Feeling restored, I returned to our rooms to shower. I was thinking how badly my hair was in need of a trim when my phone rang. I hopped out, threw on a towel and hurried to the bedroom to answer it.
I frowned, not recognising the number. I answered anyway. “Hello?”
“Hi, is this Lola O’Connell?” an elegant voice spoke. For a second I thought it sounded like Carolyn but she wouldn’t be so polite.
“Yes, who’s this?”
“This is Grace, Grace Tell. I’m Alfie’s sister.”
I froze, my hair dripping onto the floor.
“Hello? Are you still there?”
“Y-yes, I’m still here. Um…it’s nice to meet you?”
She laughed, a sound that would challenge the most talented songbird.
“Yes, I know this is unusual. I heard through the grapevine about your engagement to my brother and I wondered if you’d like to meet?
I’d love to get to know you. I mentioned it to Alfie already but he said he’s too busy. I’m sure you know how he is by now.”
“Yes, I do.” I didn’t want to tell her that Alfie hadn’t mentioned anything to me about her getting in touch. “Uh, not that I mind but how did you get my number?”
“Do you know, I have no idea! I could ask my assistant if you’d like?”
“Um no, that’s okay.” The Tells had their ways of making things happen. I’d learned to stop digging too deep. “I’d love to meet you. When?”
“Well, this is unusual but I actually heard about your sister getting married too. It’s soon, I believe?”
“Yes, in a month.”
“Very soon! And so exciting! Now, does she have a dress?”
“I don't think so?” Natalie had a Pinterest board full of dresses but we hadn’t gone shopping for one yet. Keira was outraged that Natalie would be buying off the rack but there really wasn’t time for anything else.
“Well, that’s perfect! I’m a bridal designer, did Alfie tell you? I’m sure he did.” He hadn’t but I knew it already from my Googling. “How fortuitous. Why don’t you and she come to my store today? We can have lunch, champagne and look at some gowns. I’d love to fit her for her big day.”
“Today?” I wasn’t sure about this. I wanted to meet her but I felt like I was stepping on both Natalie’s and Alfie’s toes.
“If you’re both free! We’ll need time to make the garment to her measurements and so on. What do you think?”
“Um…” I said for the hundredth time. I didn’t want to turn down a free dress on Natalie's behalf but I wasn’t sure how she would feel about it. As for Alfie, I knew exactly how he would feel about it. “I’ll ask my sister, and thank you. That's really kind of you.”
“Of course! Consult with your sister. I apologise if I’m coming on too strong, I’m a million miles an hour kind of person.
” She laughed again and I didn’t know how to react.
The voice on the other end of the phone couldn’t be more different from the Tells I’d met and the ones I’d had nightmares about.
“You must look at gowns for your own day too, I can’t have anyone else dressing my sister-in-law but me. ”
“That’s very sweet but actually, a friend of mine is making my dress. She’s a costume designer.”
“Oh, of course! Well, you have my number now, please let me know. If your sister has other plans, I’d still like to meet you. Go for lunch, get a manicure. Something. Girls day?” If I wasn’t mistaken, I might say that she sounded nervous. I wasn’t sure that a nervous Tell could even exist.
“Sure, you could have joined us for lunch with your mother this past week. I presume that’s how you know about my sister's wedding?”
“Yes, she called.”
“And what she told you made enough of an impression that you want to meet me too?”
“Yes, that’s about the sum of it. As I said, I’ve been pestering Alfie about it but he’s being stubborn. You know how he is,” she said again.
We talked a little more then said our goodbyes and hung up.
I stared at my phone for a moment, my hair still dripping.
I jumped back in the shower to wash off quickly, my mind buzzing with this new development.
Out of all the Tells, she was the one I’d thought about the least. I supposed in comparison to the weight of the others, she didn’t seem to matter so much.
Alfie barely mentioned his parents and Charles but Grace he didn’t mention at all.
A hurried ten minutes later, I was folded up in an arm chair, my hair up in a towel, ready to do some sleuthing on Grace.
I googled her and found what I already knew, she was thirty one and married to some guy named Ethan who worked in tech.
I found her business page on instagram. Her work was exquisite, unsurprising as she’d studied at some fancy school in Paris.
I texted Keira to ask her if she’d heard of it and she said she’d trample her own mother to study there.
I also sent a text to Natalie to pass on the proposition.
I expected her to say no, Natalie never liked to do anything that might be taking advantage, so I was shocked when she practically bit my hand off.
Okay, I guess I was spending the day with Alfie's sister watching my sister try on wedding dresses.
I dried my hair, did my best to style it and threw on some make up.
I stood in the closet, unsure what to wear.
I was going to a fashionable place to meet a fashionable woman, I should at least attempt to look the part.
I decided to dip into the nicer end of my closet provided by Alfie’s personal shopper at Harrods.
“Where are you off to?”
I yelped. “Alfie! Stop doing that!”
He smiled, he enjoyed catching me off guard.
“I’m going to your sister's bridal shop so Natalie can try on dresses. Grace invited us.” His face darkened as I explained the offer Grace had made to Natalie. “Why didn’t you tell me she’s been asking to meet me?”
“I thought we had enough on our plate.”
“How much we put on our plate is supposed to be a joint decision,” I reminded him.
“You’re already dealing with my mother.”
“And you’re already dealing with my father. Besides, unlike your mother, your sister actually seems to like me. When did you last see her?”
“I don’t know,” he said and I frowned at him. Alfie Tell knew everything, remembered everything. “Four years ago I think. Before I met you.”
I stared at him, open-mouthed. “You haven’t seen her in four years?”
“I hadn’t seen my mother in three.”
“But…” I was about to ask him about birthdays but I knew Carolyn Tell wouldn’t care about Alfie’s birthday.
It was coming up soon, the first one I was going to get to celebrate with him.
It hadn’t escaped my notice that he hadn’t mentioned it yet.
“What about Christmas? You don’t see each other for that? ”
“Maybe they see each other but I…I’m not exactly invited.” I wanted to cry for him. “Don’t look at me like that. Hanging out with my mother and sister isn’t how I want to spend my time anyway.”
That wasn’t the point and he knew it. The point was he should have someone to spend Christmas with. I was sure Ada and Elliot would want to spend Christmas with him but I could imagine Alfie not wanting to intrude on Elliot’s rare time off.
I went to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “This Christmas you and I are getting a big fucking tree. We’re going to sing carols at the neighbours. Oh! We can go to Santa’s Grotto and you can sit on his knee and ask for something!”
“I already have everything.” He kissed me softly. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about her wanting to meet you. Too much all at once, I suppose. My sister is connected to a past I’m trying to move on from.”
“I guess I just don’t understand why she can’t be a part of your future. I’ve never met her but she doesn’t seem unkind like your mother, or only interested in money. She owns her own company, Alfie. I mean…”
“I know. I just put her in a box. My father and Charles didn’t hurt her like they hurt me, she lost a father and brother because of me. I don’t know how to look at her.”
“You start by smiling and saying ‘Hi’. She doesn’t know what happened and you don’t have to tell her. I’ve got your back whatever you choose, if you don’t want me to go today I won’t.”
“I don’t want you to go but you should. If not least just to get Natalie a dress. Speaking of dresses, wear something else.” He eyed my dress with distaste.
“You don’t like it? You picked it.”
“Not for meeting my sister.” He went to the end of the closet that had my own clothes that I’d picked out myself. He pulled a dress off a hanger that I’d had for years. I remembered it had torn on the waistline once and Keira had mended it for me. “This is better.”
What was he trying to do? He wanted them to see me exactly as I am. It was almost like he was showing off.
“Is she close with your mother?”
“I expect they’re thick as thieves.”
“You expect it or you know it?”
“I expect it, what I expect I’m usually right about.” I guess I was going to have to get the true measure of Grace myself.
I sat, practically drowning in a plush cream armchair, watching as Natalie turned this way and that in a mermaid-style gown.
“Are you sure about the veil?”
“Yes, you absolutely shouldn’t wear a veil with this dress.” Grace told her. Natalie pulled at the front for the twentieth time. The cleavage wasn’t exactly subtle. The dress was daring, a step out of my sister's comfort zone. Apparently a step too far.