Chapter 29
‘You’re sure you’ll be all right? I can still duck out.’
I was putting the finishing touches to my outfit for Giles and Harriet’s housewarming.
Well, Freddy was putting the finishing touches to it for me.
Last night, I’d scrubbed my nails as much as I could and then set about giving them a full manicure.
Cuticles were soaked and pushed and trimmed and I painted my nails a darker pink to help hide the ingrained dirt that would need a week’s long soak to entirely remove it.
‘You will most certainly not duck out! It’s brilliant to see you dressed up. I can’t remember the last time you did this.’
I could but I didn’t want to think about that now. It was time to make new memories.
‘Do I look OK?’
‘You look way more than OK! And I’ll be fine. Isaac should be round any minute and we’re going to have a relaxed lunch and read and just sit in the garden.’
‘Anything worth nicking here?’ Isaac’s voice called up from downstairs.
‘Yep,’ Freddy called down. ‘Diamond tiara in the fridge.’
‘Right you are.’
I twiddled a curl that I’d spent quite some time putting in, having been long out of practice.
Freddy slapped my hand away.
‘Owww!’
‘Leave it alone. You look beautiful.’
I smoothed the dress unnecessarily, averting my eyes from hers.
‘You can look anywhere you want but it doesn’t change the fact.’ She glanced over at my bedside clock. ‘Come on. Edward will be here shortly.’
I slipped on the borrowed shoes, picked up the vintage Chanel clutch that Penelope had also lent me and made my way down the stairs, still getting used to the feel of wearing high heels again.
‘Bloody hell!’
‘Close your mouth, Isaac,’ Freddy instructed as she followed me down the stairs.
He did as he was told, for a minute at least. ‘I almost didn’t recognise you there, mate. Brush up all right, don’t you?’
‘He has a way with words.’ Freddy grinned, curling her arm around Isaac’s as he bent and kissed her. ‘Hello.’
‘Hello. I brought this.’ He held up a bottle. ‘It’s my gran’s homemade gin and it’s lethal. I also brought those.’ He pointed to two large bottles of tonic. ‘We’ll need them.’
‘I know you said you were planning a quiet afternoon. I didn’t realise you meant comatose!’ I gave a sniff of the gin and my eyes watered. ‘Crikey. How is your gran?’
‘Good, thanks.’
‘Still writing away?’
‘Oh yes!’
The notebook I’d seen Isaac’s gran scribbling in all those months ago on the train was her ideas book.
Apparently, train journeys were her favourite places to pick up ideas for characters and imagine who might have done what with, or to, whom.
That day, she’d just been up for a celebratory lunch with her agent after signing another publishing deal.
I still didn’t know what her pen name was and, if he was being truthful, which I thought he was, neither did Isaac.
‘If someone’s read one of her books,’ he’d told me one time, ‘she wants genuine feedback, not someone saying they enjoyed it because they know her. Infuriating as hell, though.’
‘I wish I knew who she writes as.’
‘Me too!’ he agreed. ‘I’m even looking at Richard Osman funny these days. Eh up, chauffeur’s here. Shall I get it?’ Isaac asked as he caught a glance out of the window.
‘It’s OK. I’m ready… I think.’
Isaac was already on his way to the front door.
‘I’m so bloody nervous, Freds. I think I’m going to be sick.’
She grabbed me by the shoulders. ‘You are not going to be sick. You are going to have a fabulous time and make some new friends and you’re going to look bloody amazing while doing so. Have you got that?’
I nodded. ‘You’re really quite terrifying sometimes, do you know that?’
She pulled me in for a hug and we stood apart just as Edward was entering the hallway.
‘Oh, sorry, I was just—’ I stopped as Edward was staring. ‘Is there something wrong? Is this not right?’ I felt my voice pitch and panic begin to bubble.
‘No! I mean, yes.’
‘What?’ I was almost squeaking now.
In two strides, he’d closed the gap between us. ‘No, there is nothing wrong and yes, you look perfect. And I apologise for staring but,’ he looked down at me, his voice softening as he did so, ‘you really do look perfect, Emmeline. Absolutely bloody stunning!’
Heat whooshed up my chest. This was followed by a sharp poke in the back from my bestie and a stage whispered, ‘This is where you say thank you!’
‘Thank you,’ I blurted, laughing now as we all were, the awkward, beautiful moment eased. ‘Shall we go?’
Edward offered his arm and I took it and blew Freddy and Isaac a kiss as they leant against the door frame.
‘We have an audience.’
‘Fine by me. They get to see me take the most beautiful woman out.’
‘You can knock it off now,’ I teased as he opened the door to the vintage Aston Martin and held out his hand to assist as I prepared to lower myself down into the car. I felt a tug and Edward pulled me closer.
‘Just so you know, I mean every word I say, and I will never, ever, knock it off.’
We stood there looking at each other for what seemed an age before I found the right, perfectly erudite response: ‘Oh.’
* * *
Giles turned out to be an absolute sweetheart and Harriet so kind and lovely, that having sat and chatted to her for half an hour, I felt like I’d known her for years. It was a novel experience for me and, she admitted, for her too.
‘I tend to find this sort of thing a bit overwhelming but Giles does love a party and was desperate to have one to celebrate moving to the country together. He’s already so much more relaxed than he was in the city.’
‘What about you?’
‘I’m definitely a country girl. London is great for museums and shopping, obviously.
’ Harriet had already admitted she loved a good shop and I told her I’d introduce her to Freddy, who would happily accompany her while I took a book and met up with them for fortifying cups of tea and lunch.
We were already looking at dates in our diaries.
‘But I feel at home here. I love peace and quiet. Giles does too. You know he and Edward served together?’
A stab of guilt jabbed at me. Here I was making a new friend but it was all under the pretence of being Edward’s fiancée. Hopefully, the fledgling friendship would survive the transition. I really wanted it to.
‘No,’ I replied, genuinely surprised. ‘I’m afraid I didn’t. We’ve still got a lot to learn about each other, I think.’
Understatement of the week!
‘That’s all right. Giles doesn’t always want to talk about things. I think they had some tough times. He was wounded in Afghanistan, quite badly. If it hadn’t been for Edward, I don’t think he’d be here today.’ Her big blue eyes shimmered with tears.
‘Oh, Harriet.’ I pulled her closer to my side and wrapped an arm around her. ‘But he is here and he’s great, and he’s madly in love with you!’
‘Yes!’ she said, half-laughing, half-crying now. ‘He is. I’m totally bananas about him. I can’t tell you how much.’
‘You don’t need to. It’s there for everyone to see.’
Harriet rested her head on my shoulder. ‘I’m so glad Edward’s met you. He deserves someone lovely like you at last.’
Another stab of guilt.
‘And I’m so glad you agreed to come today too. Everyone is so kind. Giles is very selective these days about who he invites.’
‘Yes, I heard that.’
Harriet looked at me. ‘Verity?’
‘The very same.’
‘I heard that Edward gave her a proper ticking off recently too!’
‘He did.’
Harriet squeezed my arm, her eyes widening. ‘Was it magnificent?’ Her hand was held up, covering her mouth, and she reminded me of the cheeky emoji which made me like her even more.
‘It really was.’
‘I knew it! God, don’t you just have to love a man who knows you can stand up for yourself but won’t take shit from anyone about you either.’
The fact that Harriet, who looked like she wouldn’t say boo to a goose, even knew a swear word, was one thing, but the ferocity and heat with which she made this statement showed me another facet of her personality.
Yes, she was petite and quiet but it was evident that in the right circumstance, this mouse would roar.
* * *
‘Having fun?’ Edward asked as I flopped down beside him.
He’d stuck beside me when we’d first arrived, introducing me to everyone.
It was impossible not to feel awkward and out of place, but Harriet had immediately rushed up and hugged me, as had Giles, and gradually, I’d relaxed.
And until I was ready to go it alone, Edward had stayed at my elbow, artfully singing my praises, boosting my confidence, making me and others laugh and little by little, the belief that I belonged there began to unfurl.
‘I am, yes. Thank you. Are you?’
‘I am. Although I must be getting old. I’m knackered.’
The sun had set long ago and plenty of people looked ready to party on for some time to come. I was not one of them.
‘You are not old. If you are, then so am I because I’m totally pooped too.’ I leant into his side and it felt natural when his arm supported me. Natural and really, really good.
‘Want to go home?’ he asked, resting his head against mine.
‘Yes and no.’
‘Meaning?’
‘Yes, because I’m exhausted and no, because I was dreading the party but it’s been absolutely lovely and then it will be over.’
‘There will be many more lovely times.’
‘Promise?’
He kissed the top of my head. ‘Promise.’ He shuffled us up. ‘Come on. Let’s go and find Giles and Harriet and say our goodbyes. You look like you could curl up and sleep right here.’
‘I think I could,’ I replied, only half-stifling a yawn.
‘Up we get.’
‘Edward?’
‘Hmm?’
‘I feel bad.’
Concern creased his features. ‘What’s wrong? Do you feel ill?’
‘No, no. Not like that.’ I pulled him away from the other guests a little more. ‘I really like Giles and Harriet. She and I have even talked about going out together.’
‘That’s great!’
‘I know.’ I reflected his smile back.
‘But?’
‘But… it’s based on a lie.’
He caught my chin. ‘No it’s not. She’s not friends with you because of me. She’s friends with you because you are you. That isn’t a lie.’
‘But you know what I mean.’
‘I do and it’ll be fine. When you’re ready, we’ll tell them. They’ll understand.’
‘Do you really think so?’
‘I know so.’ He cuddled me close. ‘Don’t worry. Look, there they are, come on.’
* * *
I slept from the moment my head hit the pillow until way after ten the next morning without even waking for a wee break.
I’d had the loveliest evening, spending hours with Edward and feeling so perfectly comfortable with him.
The only fly in the ointment had been the recurring wish I’d had that we weren’t pretending.
But I’d made that choice. He’d given me an opt in and I’d opted out.