Chapter 21
The hens were back at Duck Pond Cottage by ten forty-five, all of them in very high spirits and tipsy on Prosecco as they piled into Jade’s kitchen for a sobering-up coffee and more chat.
‘That was so much fun,’ Ursula proclaimed as they relayed the evening’s events to an amused Elaine, who said Ben had gone off to bed so full of popcorn she was hoping he didn’t dream of it!
‘Wow, it sounds amazing. I wish I’d been there now. Not that we didn’t have a very nice night. Ben didn’t go to bed too late,’ she told Sarah. ‘And no one turned up with an abandoned animal,’ she assured Jade.
‘That’s a relief.’ Jade hugged her. ‘Thanks so much. Would you like a coffee or shall I walk back up the road with you?’
‘I brought the car, don’t worry. And I don’t need any more coffee but I’d definitely like to see the pictures you all drew.’
There was a lot more hilarity as they laid out their sketches on the kitchen table and Elaine leaned over to look, her eyes widening. ‘Wow, so they really do take everything off. Was that not a bit icky?’
‘Not at all,’ Dorrie told her. ‘Not even for an old’un like me. It was all very tasteful. The beauty of the human form.’ Her eyes shone with mischief.
‘I cannot remember the last time I laughed so much,’ Bridie added. ‘It was such a craic.’
The other women joined in and they had just as much fun chatting about the events of the evening as they’d had during them.
It was Elaine who broke up the party. ‘I should get going. It’s nearly midnight. Does anyone want a lift home?’
Ursula and Dawn both said, ‘Yes, please.’
Kate said she’d wait for Aiden to come back with the minibus. Bridie said she’d do that too, and Claire and Emma called a taxi.
‘The guys are obviously having as much fun as we did,’ Jade remarked to Sarah, as the taillights of the two cars finally pulled off into the night and the minibus still wasn’t back.
‘I bet they’ll be a lot drunker than us. Although Callum’s got a fair tolerance. He’s always been able to drink me under the table. Something about Scotsmen.’
‘Aiden’s driving the minibus because he hardly drinks anyway,’ Kate murmured, ‘so he’ll be taking care of everyone. They are late though. I wonder where they’ve got to.’
‘Callum’s friends were booked into an Airbnb on the outskirts of Salisbury, so maybe it took a while to get back there,’ Sarah suggested.
‘Yes, that’ll be it. I think Declan’s coming back here so we can travel home together.’ Bridie frowned. ‘I could give him a ring but I don’t want to sound like the nagging mum. He’s a full-grown man, after all.’
‘I’d call Ray,’ Dorrie said, ‘but he probably won’t hear his mobile.
He tends to keep it on silent.’ She yawned.
‘Do you mind if I go up to bed, Jade? I think all the excitement’s caught up with me.
Talking of which…’ She began gathering the naked man sketches from the worktop where they’d ended up.
‘I think I might just pop these somewhere out of sight.’
‘Yes, good plan. I’ll grab mine,’ Sarah said. ‘I don’t really want Ben getting an eyeful of these when he comes down for breakfast.’
Jade followed her example. ‘We should probably put some of the less, um, explicit ones in our wedding album. A nice memento for the future.’ She cleared her throat. ‘They’ll be here soon, I’m sure. Actually, I think I just heard a car.’
A few moments later, the ribald sound of men’s voices outside proved her point and then the back door opened.
Finn had told Jade earlier in the evening about his strategy to avoid getting too drunk so it was quite a shock to see him being half carried in between Ray and Callum. He was white faced and glassy eyed.
She moved forward anxiously. ‘Are you OK? I thought you were going to take it steady?’
‘He’s fine,’ said Declan, who’d followed him in, alongside Callum’s two best men. ‘He’ll just need a bucket. It’s the man’s stag night so give him a break.’
Jade shot him a glance. It wasn’t like Declan to be fighting Finn’s corner. ‘Are you the reason he’s in this state?’
‘Don’t be blaming me.’ Declan put his hands up, outraged. ‘I didn’t pour it down his neck. Your man did that all by himself.’
Finn gave the slightest shake of his head but didn’t elaborate and Jade saw Bridie narrow her eyes as her gaze flicked between Declan and Finn. She was clearly unsure which of her sons was in the wrong here.
Jade’s money was definitely on Declan. He was being far too conciliatory.
Finn straightened with what was obviously a huge effort of will. ‘I’ll be fine. I just need some coffee. I can make it.’
‘Sit down, I’ll make it.’ Ray shoved him gently towards a kitchen chair.
‘We’ll be fine here, don’t fret. You lot get on home.
’ He glanced back at Declan and the others and Jade had the distinct impression he couldn’t wait for them to go.
There was definitely more going on here than any of them were saying.
Sarah shot a glance at Callum. ‘You’re all right, are you?’
‘Aye, I’m guid.’ He gave her a sheepish grin, obviously not that sober, because his Scottish accent had grown more pronounced. ‘Are we collecting the wee lad tomorrow?’
‘Yes, he’s sound asleep,’ she told him. ‘Right then, let’s get out of Jade’s hair. Is Aiden OK to drop us all off? Is that the plan?’
‘That’s the plan,’ called out Aiden, and Jade realised he was just outside the back door. ‘You guys all ready to go now or am I coming in?’
A few minutes later, everyone had climbed onto the minibus, including Bridie, who sounded like she was quizzing a truculent Declan.
Jade, Finn and Ray sat in the suddenly quiet kitchen with the coffees Jade had just made in mugs in front of them. Finn still looked grey and Ray was obviously anxious to say something.
Jade gave him a curious glance. ‘What did happen, Ray? Was this something to do with Declan?’
‘He spiked his drink,’ Ray muttered. ‘Flaming pest.’
‘That’s outrageous.’ Jade felt a little chill of shock. ‘What with? And what for? Why would he do that?’
‘I’m pretty sure it was just vodka.’ Finn let out a breath. ‘He said he thought it would be a laugh to see me drunk. But I’ve never been good with spirits, as you know. I’ve got a banging headache.’
He told her how he’d got off his bar stool in the fourth pub they visited and virtually blacked out on the floor.
‘Shouldn’t you have gone to hospital and got checked out, Finn?’
‘That’s what I said.’ Ray shook his head impatiently. ‘But soft lad didn’t want to make it into a thing.’
‘But it is a thing.’ Jade touched Finn’s arm. ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe he’d do something like that.’
‘He’s a loose cannon. You know he is. I doubt he meant to do any real harm, but I think he must have cottoned on to the fact I wasn’t drinking much, and took it upon himself to rectify it. That’s pretty much what he said.’
‘But what if it wasn’t vodka? We should get you checked out. We could still go to A&E now.’
‘What, and sit in some uncomfortable plastic chair for the rest of the night? I’m not up for that, Jade.
Whatever it was, I’d say it was mostly out of my system now.
I just need coffee, paracetamol and a good night’s sleep.
’ He popped two tablets out of a foil wrapper as he spoke and swallowed them with a swig of his drink.
Jade exchanged glances with Ray. ‘What do you think?’
‘It doesn’t matter what I think. There’s no persuading him. I’ve tried.’
‘Did you actually try asking Declan what it was?’
‘He said it was just a couple of shots. It must have been more than a couple. But like Dad said, I didn’t want to make too much of a scene. It was Callum’s stag night.’
‘It was yours too.’ Jade sighed because she knew she wouldn’t persuade him. Finn was impossibly stubborn when he wanted to be.
There was a small silence and within it Jade felt her anger growing. She could have killed Declan. She and the hens had had such a good night at the Red Lion and all this time she’d assumed the boys were having the same in Salisbury.
‘We need to do something about Declan,’ she went on. ‘I don’t really want him at the wedding. Not if he’s going to pull stunts like that. Could you speak to Bridie?’
‘I won’t speak to Bridie, no.’ Finn’s eyes warmed slightly.
‘Lovely as she is, I don’t need my mother fighting my battles for me.
But don’t worry, I’ll speak to Declan before the wedding.
And then after the wedding I won’t need to speak to him again very often, will I. None of us will if we don’t choose to.’
Ray gave a humph of agreement and Jade nodded. She supposed he did have a point. And he did look as though he was getting some colour back in his face. That was something.
A part of her wasn’t surprised that Finn was taking it all so calmly.
Finn rarely lost his cool. When he was angry he went into an ice-cold rage, but it took a lot to spark off that rage.
He had amazing self-control. She guessed he was also keen not to harm the fragile status quo of his family now that his mother was finally back in his life.
His loose cannon of a brother would have had to really overstep the line for Finn to have retaliated tonight.
Thank goodness there didn’t appear to be any troublesome relatives popping out of the woodwork in her own recently discovered family.
Or maybe there were, and she just hadn’t met them yet.
It was a disconcerting thought, and what with that and checking to make sure Finn was OK and still breathing every hour or so through the night, Jade got very little sleep.