Chapter 19 #2
‘Great to see you.’ They turned to go and I saw Harriet nudge her husband. Giles spun back, slapping himself on the forehead. ‘Totally forgot! We’ve bought a place not far from yours.’
‘Really?’ Edward seemed genuinely surprised.
‘Yes! I know. When a man’s tired of London… turns out not to be true after all. Couldn’t be more excited! And we’re having a housewarming. Do say you’ll come.’
‘Oh!’ Edward looked towards me, a question in his eyes.
Bloody hell. An actual function. With other people.
‘It would be lovely to have you there,’ Harriet said, meeting my eyes with a shy smile.
‘Thank you, we’d love to come,’ I replied before my brain caught up with my mouth and rugby tackled it to the ground. Too late. The words were out.
‘Wonderful!’
‘Excellent! Excellent! I’ll ping you over the details. See you there.’ Giles gave Edward’s hand another hearty shake and they made their way over to their own table on the other side of the dining area.
‘Did I just mess up?’ Panic was already rushing through my veins.
Edward frowned. ‘No. Why?’
‘I accepted the invitation.’
‘Yeeees,’ he said slowly, drawing out the word. ‘And?’
‘I suppose you probably should have?’
‘Why?’
‘I… I don’t know!’ I whispered. ‘I don’t know how things work here.’
‘Pretty much the same as everywhere else.’
‘That’s not true though, is it? I don’t know all the etiquette! And now there’s going to be loads of people. We’re going to be rumbled!’
Edward’s laugh was warm, genuine and unexpected.
‘Rumbled? Are we planning a heist I’m unaware of?’
I leant across the table. ‘You know what I mean.’
He leant back. ‘I do and you need to stop panicking. Giles and Harriet are lovely.’
‘They seem like they are, yes. But what about all the others? The likes of Fenella!’
‘Fenella definitely won’t be invited. Giles never did like her but he tolerated her as Verity was a sort of friend.’
‘I sense another but coming.’
‘When they got engaged, Fenella made some rather ill-advised comments about the age gap between them. Harriet’s the youngest sister of another friend, you see.
That’s how they met. It’s a ten-year gap.
Very little in the grand scheme of things and absolutely none of Fenella’s business.
Giles got to hear about it and was absolutely furious.
He may come across as blustery and as if nothing bothers him but he worships the ground Harriet walks on, always has.
So, when he got wind of Fenella’s catty comments, he cut ties entirely and made no bones about telling her why. ’
‘I like Giles.’
Edward grinned. ‘Good. As do I. He’s a very good egg.’
‘Here we are!’ The waitress brought out our puddings. Edward had been right in his recommendation.
Once we had finished, the conversation returned to its previous topic.
‘So, when your dad died, is that when you moved back in?’
‘Yes. That’s when I became “lord of the manor”.
’ He made shapes with his fingers. ‘The long-term relationship I’d been in had recently ended.
That was the Lady Susan Fenella was tactfully mentioning.
I came home from work ill one day and found her in flagrante, as they say, with the window cleaner. ’
‘Sorry.’
He shrugged. ‘There was plenty of room at the house without us tripping over each other. Barney had been working as a trader since he’d graduated and we’d all been quite worried about him for a while.
He was making a tonne of money but it was clearly at the expense of his health.
He was pale, looked tired all the time and seemed on edge.
Just before we went out on that ride, as we were pulling our boots on, he admitted to me that he was thinking of handing in his notice and taking a break. ’
‘What did you say?’
‘That I thought it was a great idea and that it’d be nice to see more of him.’
‘Did he seem pleased you agreed?’
‘He did, actually. I think he’d have done it anyway, irrelevant of circumstances, but…’
‘He was happy to have his big brother’s approval.’
The ghost of a smile lit Edward’s eyes. ‘Yes, perhaps so.’
I’d seen how Barnaby looked up to Edward and didn’t think there was any perhaps about it.
‘As it was, Dad’s accident made the decision for him. He’d accumulated a lot of leave because he was always too busy to take it so ended up home sooner than any of us expected.’
‘Your mum must have been pleased to have you both back around her?’
‘I’m not sure she even really noticed for a few weeks. She was in a detached, shocked state for a while. She and Dad had met young and been extremely happy. She struggled to remember a time he wasn’t in, and part of, her life, and honestly couldn’t envision how it could possibly go on without him.’
‘Oh, Edward. I’m so sorry. That must have been really hard, especially when you were dealing with your own, plus Barnaby’s, grief.’
‘I expect you think it’s a little odd.’
‘What?’
‘How did you put it? Living at home with Mummy.’
I covered my eyes. ‘Don’t,’ I said, removing my hands.
‘I was cross and frustrated and feeling out of place. Also, I had no idea of the backstory to the situation. That’s not an excuse.
I shouldn’t have said anything but I’m asking you to take into account mitigating circumstances. And also, to forget I said it.’
He flashed a mischievous smile and I was glad to see it replace the remembered grief on his features.
‘Oh, I don’t think so. Not for a while yet.’
‘Hmm.’
‘So yes, basically Barney and I moved back in, at which point, Mum decided she might move to your cottage.’
‘Rose Cottage?’
‘Yes. She’s always loved it and had been looking for a reason to give it a makeover.’
‘But you wanted her closer so that you could keep an eye on her?’
He pulled a face. ‘That obvious?’
‘Not at all, but in the circumstances, I’d have wanted the same. How did she take that?’
‘Better than expected, actually. I think she felt, the same as you intimated, that we might feel uncomfortable about being home.’
‘It’s hardly like you’re sharing a room! You’ve got like eighty of them!’
‘Not that many but enough, you’re right, and some had already been converted into apartments years ago for when the family had guests staying longer term.
It gave them, and us, space so it actually only took a small amount of jiggling things around for us all to be entirely comfortable and not in each other’s pockets.
Although, I have to say, it was wonderful to be close to my family again.
I hadn’t seen them as much as I should have during my relationship, something I regretted then even more. ’
I touched his hand. ‘Regrets don’t achieve anything. None of us know what’s around the corner.’
He let out a long sigh. ‘That is certainly true. For example, a few months ago, I had no real plans for a long-term relationship, let alone getting engaged.’
I grinned back at him. ‘How funny! I felt exactly the same.’
He lifted my hand and placed it against his chest in fun. ‘Must be meant to be then!’
I fluttered my eyelashes. ‘Undoubtedly.’
When he relaxed and messed about, as he was doing now, it was easy to see how he and Barney were related. I liked him like this and wondered how much more often he’d been like it before he’d taken over the title and the running of the estate.
‘Oh, now look at you two lovebirds!’ An older lady approached our table and laid her hand on Edward’s shoulder.
He immediately stood and kissed her cheek. ‘Maria, how lovely to see you. How are you?’
‘I’m fine, lovey. Just fine! Sit, sit!’
He did as he was bid and the woman held out her hand. ‘Maria O’Brady, lovely to meet you.’
‘And you,’ I replied, shaking it.
‘I’ve heard the news, of course.’
Who hadn’t!
‘But it’s lovely to be able to congratulate you both in person. I brought this one into the world, you know. The first one to smack his lordship’s bum.’
Edward blushed and I laughed.
‘Not that you’re allowed to do that these days, of course, but he wasn’t making a peep. Just a tap, mind you and then he proved he had perfect lungs after all. And Barney too. Although, of course, he came out bright and chatty so not trouble there.’
‘He always was your favourite,’ Edward teasingly grumbled.
Maria flicked him on the ear and I covered my mouth in surprise, mirth showing in my eyes which Edward noted. ‘Don’t be so daft. Never had favourites. I delivered your boss too, you know? Isaac.’
‘Did you?’
‘I did, indeed. His poor mum. He was as hefty then as he is now.’
‘Ouch.’
‘Quite. But it didn’t put her off. She had four more after him.’
‘Brave woman.’
Maria nodded sagely.
‘And now here’s one of my boys getting married, at last!
Ah, Edward, I can’t tell you how pleased I am for you.
It’s about time you took some time for yourself, found love, my dear.
’ She turned to me. ‘I’m so happy he found you.
I was over there,’ she gestured vaguely over her shoulder, ‘and I could see the difference in him already. And then he put your hand on his heart and I just about burst with happiness.’
I looked at Edward. My smile felt like it had morphed into a rictus now and I couldn’t do much about it. He smoothly took over.
‘Thank you, Maria. That’s very kind.’
‘Ah, you’re welcome, my lovely,’ she said, patting his cheek. ‘Like I said, about time you found someone that made you happy.’
‘Indeed,’ he said, which was a vague enough answer to satisfy all of us.
‘And I’ll look forward to the wedding invitation.’ She gave a big wink. ‘Perfect excuse for a new outfit!’
‘Oh… we haven’t… umm… haven’t really set a date yet.’
The last thing I wanted was for this woman to go and spend money on an outfit for an event that wasn’t going to happen.
‘That’s OK! I can wait. Although, watching you two, I’m not sure you can.’
‘Ha!’ I said, trying to make the laugh sound as natural as possible instead of swaddled in panic.
‘Sorry to interrupt.’ The waitress moved hesitantly towards the table. ‘I just wondered if you wanted tea or coffee.’