Chapter 42
Forty-Two
Ifelt a strange connection to Ireland. It was a place that half of my blood came from, yet I hadn't grown up here so it felt intrusive to claim it as my own. I bonded to Ryan that way. It was his too in the way it was mine, ours but not quite.
I felt lighter than I had in weeks. My face had mostly healed, leaving behind only a yellow-ish tinge that could be hidden by make-up. The confused grief of our loss wasn’t as sharp as it had been either. I felt ready to move on into the new life Alfie and I were building.
My jaw dropped as we arrived at the site for Natalie’s reception.
I’d seen pictures online of the place but nothing compared to the beauty of seeing this castle set in rolling Irish hills in real life.
I felt like I was having deja vu. Discovering Harrington for the first time but this time in Dublin.
“Do you think she will like it?” Alfie asked. I thought he was joking but when I looked at him I could see he was apprehensive.
“Alfie, she’s going to lose her mind.” We got out of the car and I stood, staring up at the building. Before I could bask for too long, Keira’s voice broke the silence.
“Holy shit!” she yelled as she climbed out of Damien's car. “Good job, Moneybags!”
We’d travelled as a group to Ireland early this morning so that we could have the day to get ready for the wedding tomorrow. Alfie and I in one car with Elliot and Ada. Keira and Damien followed behind and Natalie, Riley, Ryan and my father were in a third car.
I watched them arrive and instead of worrying about facing my father, I focused on the joy on my sister's face as she saw the castle for the first time.
Natalie was already crying before she stepped out of the car. “This is it? Really?” She was jumping on her toes like a child at Christmas. She flung her arms around Alfie. “Thank you!”
I beamed at Alfie. He had come a long way from the man I’d first met who struggled to smile, let alone embrace somebody.
Two women came out to greet us, one with a thick Irish accent who introduced herself as the manager of the estate. The second was the wedding planner Grace had gifted to Natalie. As they chatted, welcoming the bride and groom, my thoughts drifted a little.
I couldn’t help but think of our own wedding. Less than two months ago the thought of it had still frightened me. Now, I couldn't imagine being more ready.
“Lola?” Natalie’s voice startled me. “The wedding planner wants to know if the sculpture will be ready on time.”
“Sid has assured me it will be but I’m going to check on it now.
” Alfie squeezed my hip but I ignored him.
A team of valets came to help us with our bags and whisked them off to our rooms. Alfie, Damien and Riley were unfazed by this but Natalie, Keira and I shared a look.
I was working on getting used to it, but Alfie’s world blew me away everyday.
The girls went inside, their squeals of excitement echoing from the foyer. My father and Ryan followed them, John keeping a tight grip on his hand so he couldn’t wander off and cause chaos.
“Are you sure you’re up to this?” Alfie looked me over. Despite my fading bruises, he still hadn’t let go of treating me like I was breakable.
“Please don’t make a fuss in front of Natalie. I’m not ruining her wedding by letting on that I’m more injured than she thought, or that our father had anything to do with it. You promised.”
He stiffened his jaw, obviously not happy with the idea of me doing anything other than resting today. “Fine, but if I think you’re doing too much, I’m stepping in. I’ll tie you to that bed, woman.”
I giggled and pressed a kiss to his lips. “You know I like that now, right?”
My room was a stunning mix of light blue and cream with a view overlooking the lake.
I had spent most of the day bossing poor Sid around, though much to his credit, he hadn’t seemed to mind.
I’d been able to do more than I’d thought, as long as it didn’t involve climbing ladders.
The sculpture came together beautifully with only a few hiccups.
By late afternoon, Sid dismissed me, insisting I rest while he finished up.
I was grateful but so was he, he was getting to stay in this gorgeous location and have access to a free bar tomorrow.
In my room, I unpacked, hanging up my bridesmaid dress and putting away my other clothes.
By the time I was done with that, I needed to rest. Just because my bruises had faded, didn’t mean I was all the way healed.
I popped a few painkillers but before I could lay down there was a knock at my door.
I was surprised to see Grace standing there.
“Hey! Come in!” I said, stepping aside. “I’m sorry I didn’t know you’d gotten here early.”
“I brought the dress. I wanted to make sure your sister had time to try it on in case she needed any last minute alterations.” Of course, Natalie had told me that already. I kicked myself for forgetting.
I invited her to sit and offered her tea which she turned down.
“How are you?” I asked her. It felt like a loaded question given what had gone down the last time we’d seen each other.
“I should be asking you that.”
“Let's just ask each other.” I was determined not to wallow in past dramas this weekend. “I’m looking better than I feel but getting stronger every day.”
She nodded but didn’t smile. Her fingers played with the hem of her shift dress, smoothing out the already perfect fabric. “I feel hideous about what my mother has done to you. Alfie said you’d just tell me it’s not my fault and I know that’s true but still…”
“Have you spoken to your mother?” Alfie had said there would be punishment for what she’d done to Grace but he hadn’t mentioned her much since. I hadn’t wanted to mention her either.
“No. Alfie is selling off all of her properties. He’s buying out all of her investments too. She’ll still have some personal wealth but her circumstances are…reduced.”
“He’s gone scorched earth.” I wasn’t surprised he hadn’t told me all of that. I didn’t need to know it all right now. “What about your husband? Ethan? He’s here, right? I’m excited to meet him.”
“Yes, he’s here. Ethan isn’t the scorched earth type, that’s why I picked him. He’s glad I’ve finally confronted her though.” I would tell her I was sorry for what Charles did to her but she didn’t need to hear that. She needed justice and Alfie had given it to her.
“Closure is good for the soul apparently.” I was still working on that with my father. Letting go of the idea that I was ever going to have him in my life the way that Natalie did. I envied her blissful obliviousness. In a way, I wished I’d never found out who John O’Connell really was.
“Are you going to join me and the girls tonight? We’re just doing cocktails and gifts. I think Keira has bought Natalie some edible underwear. Nothing crazy.”
Grace managed a laugh but shook her head. “Oh no, I’ve booked a manicure.” I glanced at her perfectly manicured hands and raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t want to intrude.”
“You aren’t intruding, you’re family.”
There was a bang on the door that I recognised as Keira’s. I rolled my eyes. “That’s Keira. Try telling her no to a cocktail and see what happens. Come in, Keira.”
She came in wearing a hotel robe and holding up two dresses.
“Which dress is less fuckable?” she asked, not bothering to introduce herself.
“Grace, this is Keira, my best friend. Keira, this is Alfie’s sister, Grace Tell.”
“Perfect. Professional opinion then?” Keira waved the dresses at her.
“The blue. A boat neck is not it for your body shape, unless you're going tits out which I don’t recommend for this venue.”
I watched Keira wrestle with the idea of going ‘tits out’ at my sister's wedding. After I gave her a look that said ‘don’t you dare’, she threw the other dress on the bed.
“Grace says she can’t join us for cocktails,” I told her. Keira scowled.
“Grace can talk shit to someone else. You’re coming. You designed the dress, right? And you’re family.” She threw herself on the bed. “Lo, who’s the cutie outside working on that sculpture with you?”
“That’s Sid. He’s my assistant.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Available assistant?”
“You’re here with Damien,” I reminded her.
“Yeah, who do you think told me there was a cutie outside?”
I blinked at her, taking a moment to process that new development. “He’s coming to the reception tomorrow. I’ll introduce you. Please don’t make my life complicated, I work with him.”
She raised her hands in the air, a look of faux innocence on her face. She grinned at Grace. “Can you believe your brother swung this place on such short notice?”
“Yes, I absolutely can.” So could I, Alfie was nothing if not a miracle worker. “I can’t believe he swung you though,” Grace smiled at me, apparently loosening up. “How did that happen? You never told me the details of how you two got together.”
Keira snorted. “You’ll definitely need a cocktail for that story.”