Chapter 26 #2
‘Isn’t it amazing?’ I said, sitting forward again.
‘Totally! Ooh, tea!’
‘Everything all right, Mum?’ Edward caught Penelope’s eye.
‘Yes, darling. They were just ringing about the blood test I had.’
‘And?’
‘All tickety-boo! A gold star for me! Hurrah!’ She giggled as she poured the tea from an antique silver teapot that was older than all of us put together.
‘Edward, Emmeline. I hate to mention it but with this party coming up, people are going to be looking for a ring.’ She tapped her own enormous, diamond engagement ring.
Edward turned his head. ‘I know you’ve been employing delaying tactics but I’m afraid she does have a point.’
I blew out a sigh. ‘I know, I know.’
‘Edward mentioned you borrowing something as you insist on him not buying you anything,’ Penelope said.
‘If you’re all right with that? Buying something is a total waste of money.’
The corner of Edward’s lips tilted up.
‘What? Why is that funny?’
He looked across at Penelope and I followed his gaze. She was also smiling. Freddy looked between the two of them then back at me and gave a shrug.
‘Whaaaaat?’
Edward laughed and, with the arm that had been resting on the back of the sofa, gave me a brief cuddle.
Penelope poured more tea. ‘It’s novel for one of Edward’s girlfriends to be concerned about him spending money on her.’
‘That’s because I’m not actually his girlfriend.’
‘Valid point,’ Edward noted before taking a sip.
‘But,’ I said, shuffling round to look at him, ‘even if I was, that’s not something I’d want. Just because you might have money doesn’t mean I’d expect you to spend it on me.’
‘I might want to,’ he replied.
‘Tough.’
For a moment, etiquette was lost and he sniggered into his teacup, trying to retain the mouthful he’d just taken.
‘Tough?’ he repeated, when he’d recovered his composure.
‘Exactly.’
‘So, you’re saying I wouldn’t be able to spend my own money how I wished?’
‘Not at all. You could spend it on anything you liked.’
‘Except you.’
‘Except me. Which I think is extremely fair.’
‘Then there we disagree.’
‘Too bad.’
‘First tough, then too bad. You really are quite the most demanding fiancée I’ve ever had.’
‘Sorry about that.’
He looked at the others. ‘Is it me or does she not actually sound all that sorry?’
Penelope sipped her tea, her eyes lit up with amusement.
‘Not sorry at all,’ Freddy replied.
‘Oi,’ I called.
‘Sorry, pal, but it’s the truth.’ She then turned her eyes on Edward. ‘And it’s also the truth that, if all this was real, she still wouldn’t want your money.’
‘That part I was in no doubt of. Right,’ he said, standing up suddenly. ‘Mother, could you help me?’
‘With pleasure.’
Edward waited as his mother led the way towards her dressing room once more and followed her in.
I looked across at Freddy. ‘What just happened?’
She scooted across and took Edward’s spot on the chair, tucking her arm through mine. ‘I don’t know but this is the best afternoon I’ve had in ages!’
‘Sorry about ruining it getting all emotional.’
She gave me a not insubstantial thump on the arm. ‘You didn’t ruin anything. I’m happy you felt comfortable enough to talk about your mum. That’s great, Emmy. And I can really see why you’ve connected with Penelope. She’s so lovely and she’s bonkers about you.’
‘She is not. She’s just kind.’
‘She is kind, agreed. But I’m using her own words. In fact, if you married Edward for real, I’m pretty sure she’d never stop smiling.’
I huffed out a laugh. ‘As much as I love Penelope…’ Alcohol was sometimes an excellent smotherer of sense, propriety and a whole load of other things but occasionally, it was also an excellent clarifier. ‘Do you know what? I do love Penelope.’
‘Aww, the feeling is definitely mutual,’ Freddy said, squeezing my arm. ‘What about Edward?’
‘Don’t push it,’ I replied, to which she let out a raucous, Freddy-like laugh that I’d missed so much.
‘As much as you love Penelope, what?’
‘Oh, yeah. As much as I love her, and clearly Edward adores her, that’s not enough for either of us to enter into marriage. It’s not the 1800s any more.’
‘But what if—’
Freddy’s ‘what if’ was destined to remain one as at that moment, Edward and his mother returned to the room. Penelope retook her seat and Edward walked over to where Freddy and I had been gossiping.
‘Do you want your spot back?’
‘No, thank you.’ Then he got down on one knee.
A small squeal escaped my best friend like a faulty helium balloon. I glared.
‘Sorry,’ she said, not looking one iota of such.
‘Emmeline Daisy Buchanan—’
‘We’ve been through all this with the Haribo.’
Edward gave me a patient look. ‘You’re rather ruining the moment.’
‘Right. Sorry. Carry on.’
Penelope dabbed at her nose with a hanky but I had a feeling she was covering a grin.
‘Emmeline Daisy Buchanan—’
‘You did that bit.’
Edward dropped his head down.
‘Emmy! Just shush and let the man speak, will you?’ Freddy flicked me on the arm.
Edward looked back up, tilted his head at me in question and I made a zippy motion across my mouth.
‘Emmeline Daisy Buchanan.’ He paused, his eyes widening just a little in anticipation before continuing.
‘Would you do me the honour of being my pretend fiancée?’ He opened a small, velvet ring box that he’d had concealed in his large palm to reveal a beautiful platinum ring with a teardrop-cut aquamarine stone in the centre, surrounded by tiny, glittering diamonds.
Freddy let out a gasp and from the corner of my eye, I saw her clamp her hand across her mouth.
‘Aquamarine?’
‘Yes.’
‘That’s my birthstone.’
Edward was looking at me as intensely as if he really was proposing. Even more so, if my prior experience was anything to go by.
‘I know.’ His words were soft and as he said them, the expression in his eyes also softened.
‘It’s beautiful.’
From the corner of her mouth, Freddy spoke, her words sounding like a bad ventriloquist. ‘You ’aven’t answered ’im.’
‘Oh.’ I let out a most unlike me giggle and Edward’s smile in response transformed his face. ‘Yes,’ I said, not taking my eyes from his.
His smile widened even more as he took the ring from the box and gently, taking my hand, placed it on the third finger of my left hand.
‘It even fits!’ Freddy squeaked.
‘We’re very similar,’ Penelope spoke and as we looked towards her, noticed her eyes were shining.
Edward bent and kissed my temple. ‘Thank you for this.’
‘You’re welcome.’
‘Back in a sec.’ He let go of my hand and crossed to where Penelope was sitting. ‘Mum, you know this isn’t real, right?’
‘Of course, darling. I’m just being a silly old thing.’
‘Never,’ he said, and wrapped her in a hug so warming, I could feel the effects from here.