Chapter 14 #2
‘From the time of the engagement onwards, there was a concerted effort for a spanner to be put in the works. Parties were held in our honour to celebrate the engagement but behind the scenes, it turned out that the machinations to split us up were practically Machiavellian.’
‘And this was because you weren’t their choice, I assume?’
I gave a small, humourless huff of laughter. ‘Not only was I not their choice; I wasn’t the right class, didn’t have the right education, or the right pedigree. Like I was a bloody horse!’ I laughed a little more genuinely this time.
Edward remained silent.
‘But Monty stood by me. He loved me and that was all that mattered. I think he repeated that so many times over the next few months, it almost became like a mantra. We continued to go to the parties and functions that we had before. Most of them weren’t my sort of thing but he was outgoing and most of the time, I had fun once I got there. ’
‘That is often the case.’
‘Exactly. So I made the effort but I started feeling under more scrutiny. That people were talking about me. Monty told me it was just my imagination, that everyone had come round to the idea now and it was just pre-wedding jitters, which all sounded perfectly reasonable. I’m sure some of it was my imagination.
’ Even all these years later, those words still didn’t ring true.
A glance at my companion told me he wasn’t buying it either.
‘A month before the wedding, something shifted. One night, I’d gone to dinner with his family, something that was getting more and more awkward.
I wasn’t feeling too well but Monty had said if I cancelled, they’d see it as a slight so I had to attend.
I’d nipped off to the loo at one point and as I got back to the door of the dining room, his family were having such an in-depth argument, they hadn’t seen me return.
They were speaking in low tones but not quietly enough for me not to hear the words “gold-digging whore” come out of his mother’s lips. ’
‘Emmeline. I promise you,’ Edward took my hand although I wasn’t entirely sure he’d noticed.
‘I promise you, promise you, that people like that are not worth giving a second thought to. They are small-minded, nasty wastes of oxygen and even in the short time I’ve known you, I know that you’re worth a hundred of them. ’
‘You’re very kind, Edward.’
‘No. I’m being honest, not kind.’
‘Then you’re both.’
‘I’m now wishing I’d been more honest the other night to save you having to relive this now.’
‘I don’t have to. I’m choosing to.’ I squeezed his hand and he looked down, almost in surprise.
‘This Monty put his mother straight, I assume, and demanded an apology for you?’
I studied Edward’s hand. We barely knew each other and yet I’d told him something no one else knew other than my dad and Freddy. Other people were told our break-up was mutual, that we’d rushed into it, all the old chestnuts. Freddy and Dad knew the truth.
‘That was the worst part,’ I said, my fingers touching a signet ring Edward wore on his right hand. Peacock-blue enamel, engraved with two initials on a well-worn gold band.
‘He said nothing, did he?’
I shook my head. The humiliation I felt for so long had gone now, although it had taken years to regain any sort of confidence or trust in anyone other than my immediate and very close circle.
‘Not a word. And with that, he said everything. I walked to the table, took the ring off and left. In the interests of full disclosure, it wasn’t exactly the elegant exit I’m making it out to be.’
‘Oh?’ The dark brows flickered with anticipation.
‘What I should have done was taken the ring off, placed it in a prominent position on the table and walked out.’
‘I’ll be the judge of what you should have done. What did you actually do?’
‘I took it off, dropped it from a height into the enormous, full gravy boat and waited for it to sink which it did quickly as it was a whopper of a rock. Then I picked up the boat and poured it carefully over Monty’s head and brand-new suit that we’d picked up from Savile Row the day before.
It was red-wine gravy so I’m hoping the stain never came out. ’
‘That,’ said Edward, ‘is exactly what you should have done. Excellent. And, to my mind, he still got off easy.’
‘Apparently, he married someone else three months later.’
‘Who would not have had half the intelligence, charm or humour as you.’
‘Obviously,’ I said with a grin and then, holding my napkin up like a fan and putting on my best posh voice, ‘but she does have ten thousand a year!’
‘Then,’ Edward said, joining the game, ‘he is an even bigger knave than I took him for.’
I wrinkled my nose. ‘Thanks.’
‘I mean it and I can, of course, see why you don’t want to get caught up in this ridiculous charade that my mother has set in motion. As I said, I will put it to bed once and for all, today.’
* * *
‘Do come in and say hello to Mum before I take you back. It’ll soften the blow that we aren’t, in fact, engaged to be married after all.’
‘You do realise she knows that?’ I said as he exited the car.
‘I do,’ he said, continuing the conversation as he opened my door and held out a hand to assist me.
‘But she begged me to bring you in to say hello, if you had time, on the way back. I think your plumbing going up the spout in that power cut has been the highlight of her year. Just a quick hello, and I’ll drive you back. Promise.’
‘Luckily, I like her too and I can witness you explaining that the whole fake-fiancée thing is off the table.’
‘See? Perfect. Not that I wouldn’t but still.’
I pointed towards the west of the building. ‘Is that the ballroom you were saying about?’
‘That’s it. I can show you if you like. The bones of the room are still there and it is rather beautiful.’
‘I’m just being nosy.’
‘I think I’d call you curious, as opposed to nosy.’
‘That’s because, despite how serious you look most of the time, I’ve discovered you’re actually sweet and kind.’
‘Now, if you go around spreading that sort of slander, I’ll have to get the family lawyer on the case.’
He knocked on the drawing room door as he swung a beautiful smile at me and received a, ‘Come in,’ from his mum.
‘Mother, I’ve brought—’
‘Surprise!’ The chorus of cheers rang out as we stepped in the room. Or rather Edward stepped in. I stayed outside and seriously considered running away.
Oh bugger.