Echoes of Grace

by Caragh Bell

  She pushed him playfully. ‘Not that I’m aware. Nor do I talk in my sleep like other people.’

  ‘I’m not delirious any more.’

  ‘No.’ She reached out and stroked his cheek. ‘You’re not.’

  No one spoke for what seemed like the longest time. He took her hand in his and kissed her palm. Slowly, his lips moved upwards towards her elbow. Finally, he pulled her close and kissed her lips, gently and thoroughly. She relaxed totally and melted into his embrace, savouring the contact. It had been so long: so long since she’d been touched.

  ‘Oh, Ella, are you sure?’ he murmured into her neck. ‘I don’t want you to regret this.’

  She pulled at his T-shirt. ‘I could never regret this,’ she said honestly. ‘You saved me, Will. I don’t want to be anywhere else.’

  Chapter Thirty-five

  ‘Harry? It’s Aurora.’

  ‘Yeah? You got three minutes.’

  ‘I’m coming to New York. I’ve decided to take the plunge.’

  ‘That’s awesome. Was there anything else?’

  ‘Well, Daddy gives me an allowance but I will need to work . . .’

  ‘I’ll look into it. There’s a new show goin’ down about President Eisenhower. It’s a period drama. You could be an extra or something.’

  ‘That sounds lovely. I’ll ring you when I arrive.’

  ‘You do that.’

  ‘Oh, and Harry?’

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Have a wonderful day.’

  He paused for a moment and then laughed loudly. ‘Why, you too, Lady Mary. You too.’

  Aurora zipped up her suitcase and checked her gold watch. It was almost time to leave. Laura had texted saying that she would meet her at JFK so she needn’t worry about taxis. She had offered her a room at Christian’s apartment until she got sorted. ‘It’ll have to be Luca’s old room,’ she said. ‘Hope that’s okay.’

  After a few weeks, the plan was to find her own place. Harry had secured an audition for the following Tuesday and if that went well, she could move forward.

  Ophelia had cried when she told her that she was leaving as it meant that she would be moving out of their little flat. ‘I’ll find a replacement,’ her friend sobbed, ‘but it won’t be the same.’ Marianne had been equally sad. ‘I’ll miss you, my love,’ she said, kissing her over and over. ‘Go and shine! Be the star I know you are!’

  Justin had called and called but she hadn’t picked up. Not once. He was dead to her now. She had no intention of ever seeing him again. In the end, she blocked his number. It seemed to be her only option. However, she did read some of the texts he sent. They ranged from conciliatory to angry. Yes, he was sorry – yes, he was too drunk and acted out of character – yes, he was high on cocaine. Could she ever forgive him? Then the tone changed. How dare she ignore him? How dare she not pick up? He had made her and this was the thanks he got?

  In the end, Bertie called from the Maldives and pleaded with her to make contact with his wayward nephew. ‘He’s dreadfully sorry, my darling. He should never drink whiskey.’

  She wondered whether he really wasn’t aware of the role cocaine had played in the debacle. She explained that it was too late to repair the relationship. It was ruined.

  Bertie, sensing that he was getting nowhere, let it go. ‘This won’t affect our friendship, I hope,’ he said.

  She assured him that it wouldn’t and told him to call her when he was in New York and they could do lunch.

  Henry and Gloria had been delighted at her news. They agreed with Harry – America was the place to be if one wanted to be famous.

  ‘Just don’t stay away too long,’ Gloria pleaded, kissing her forehead. ‘We’ll miss you.’

  Aurora fingered the fuchsia necklace around her neck. What would her mother think of her flight to America? She had been successful in her day but had shunned the limelight at the peak of her career. No one understood why she left the West End and returned to Dublin. Googling Grace Molloy didn’t give much information. There were just press releases and pictures from shows. There was a tabloid article on her wedding to Henry and a few reviews of her plays. In the past, she didn’t know how many times she had typed her name into the search engine and gazed at the results. Now, she avoided it. It was an impersonal business as the whole world had access to that information. She was her daughter, not some random person surfing the net. She didn’t want flimsy information from secondary sources. Henry remained as tight-lipped as ever and her maternal grandparents were dead. The information well was dry and she just had to accept that her mother would remain an enigma.

  So, she was off on an adventure to the city that never sleeps. She had emailed Lydia, assuring her that she would fly back for the wedding, and asking her to let her know what songs she wanted at the church. She was really excited about going to Italy and she had already warned Harry that she needed that week off.

  ‘Borealis?’ came James’ voice from downstairs. ‘We have to go.’

  He had offered to take her to the airport as everyone else was working. She smiled and at the last minute took the picture of the two of them from its place on the wall. It was her favourite: the picture at her birthday a few years back. She slipped it into her bag and activated the pulley handle.

  ‘I’m coming!’ she called as she closed the door behind her.

  Chapter Thirty-six

  ‘Please tell me you’re joking.’ Laura stared at Christian in disbelief. ‘No contact at all?’ It was two months later and just a few days before Luca and Lydia’s wedding. As father of the groom, he was expected to fly to Italy early to organise the French cousins and help Luca with some last-minute arrangements.

  He nodded and picked up his suitcase. ‘That was the brief. Just when we’re in Venice, baby. Then, when it’s over, we’ll get out of there.’ He opened a drawer of the bureau next to his bed and took out his passport. ‘My flight is in a couple of hours so I’ve got to go.’

  Her eyes filled with tears. ‘It’s so humiliating.’

  He came and cupped her face with his hands. ‘It means a lot to Luca. He doesn’t want his mother upset. I’ve got to do what’s best.’

  ‘Christian, we’re engaged! Have you forgotten that? Next month I’m going to be your wife. How can you let them treat me that way?’ She pulled back, her face sulky.

  ‘Keep that quiet for the moment,’ he said in alarm. ‘Don’t do anything crazy, you hear me?’

  ‘I can’t even tell my own family,’ she said petulantly. ‘All because of your bloody ex-wife.’

  ‘Laura!’ he said, exasperated. ‘The wedding is in a week. When it’s over, we can do what we like. I owe this to my son. You got that?’

  She turned away. ‘Fine. Just go. Play happy families. I’ll pretend we’ve never met.’

  ‘That could be interesting,’ he said, grabbing her waist. ‘It’ll be like the old days . . .’

  ‘Just go.’ She wriggled out of his grasp. ‘Ring me when you land.’

  ‘I love you.’ His brown eyes were serious. ‘Stay strong. Just one more week and we’re free.’

  ‘It’s fine for you,’ she said with tears shining in her eyes. ‘You never have to explain or feel like an outsider. Blimey, Gloria isn’t your biggest fan, but you never let it affect you.’

  ‘What do I care?’ he said with a shrug. ‘Everyone else is incidental. Remember what I said that night I proposed?’

  They had been on a long weekend at a hotel in Varadero, the famous Cuban resort. It was there, after a delicious dinner at an old mansion, that Christian had reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.

  ‘Laura, will you be my wife?’ he said.

  It had been a complete shock as marriage was not something they ever discussed.

  ‘But why?’ she asked confused. He was just divorced and she had never once insinuated that a long-term commitment was what she wanted.

  ‘Hey, you know I don’t do romantic,’ he answered. ‘Will you just put o
n the goddamn ring already?’

  ‘But why?’ she repeated.

  ‘Because I love you. Because you’re beautiful and sexy and I love your British accent. Because I want to grow old with you. Does that answer your question?’

  ‘What about your family? What will they say?’

  ‘They can say what they like. All I want is you.’

  Now he brought her back to the present, demanding again, ‘Do you remember what I said?’

  ‘“All I want is you,”’ she said softly.

  ‘You got that right. Now stop being a diva. It’s only one more week. Then we can tell the world.’

  ‘We bloody have to, Chris. We only have a month to our big day. People need to book flights and get time off from work.’

  ‘That’s the advantage of a small wedding. No stress.’ He kissed her nose. ‘See you in Venice, baby.’

  Laura met Aurora for dinner at Patricio’s, Christian’s favourite restaurant in Manhattan. They were flying out to Venice together the following day. The restaurant was packed to the brim with diners, and soft music played in the background. The island was quieter than usual in August; a lot of its residents went up to the Hamptons for the holidays to escape the stifling heat.

  Laura beckoned at the waiter. ‘Can you bring us some water, please? Evian.’

  ‘Sure, lady. Coming right up.’

  ‘So, the “brief” from Luca is that we can’t interact at all.’ Laura scowled.

  Aurora sipped her wine slowly. ‘Well, I can see both sides, Laura.’

  ‘Yes, but I’ll be his wife soon.’

  ‘A fact that no one is aware of. Be fair about this.’ She gave her a stern look. ‘I’m the only person you’ve told, am I right?’

  Laura nodded. ‘Chris doesn’t know that, of course. He made me swear to keep it quiet when he proposed.’ She held up the sparkly solitaire on her left hand. ‘I suppose I’ll have to leave this behind too.’

  Aurora nodded. ‘It’s pretty hard to miss it.’ She pulled Laura’s hand towards her for closer inspection. ‘I mean, it’s huge.’

  ‘Yes – yes, it is,’ she agreed in satisfaction. ‘My dream ring.’ She sighed. ‘He’s adamant that we have a tiny wedding: just immediate family. He doesn’t want any fuss.’

  ‘What do you want?’ asked Aurora. ‘I mean, he seems to be the one making the decisions all the time.’

  ‘Look, small is fine with me. Just a couple of witnesses at the ceremony and then a dinner at the hotel.’

  ‘So it’s definitely Antibes then?’

  ‘Definitely. I confirmed it last week. The rooms are booked and there’s availability at the town hall.’ She smiled dreamily. ‘Remember, I told you – we stayed there on our first mini-break – when he took me to Cannes? It has a special place in my heart.’

  ‘So the next hurdle will be telling the family.’ Aurora giggled. ‘What will Gloria say? She’s hoping you two will spilt up.’

  ‘Oh, I’m well aware of that.’

  ‘Look, when all’s said and done, I’m sure she’ll be thrilled for you. We all will.’

  ‘If it wasn’t for Luca’s bloody wedding,’ said Laura grimly. ‘I know I seem like a spoilt brat, but it’s very hard to be relegated down to a nobody when I spend my days wearing this!’ She flashed the ring again.

  ‘Look, it won’t be so bad. We’ll only be in Venice for two nights. I’ll be there and so will James, therefore lots of family support.’ Aurora’s eyes sparkled. ‘I still can’t believe he’s going. It’s just wonderful.’

  Lydia had phoned Laura in a tizz two weeks before, saying that her photographer had broken his leg. She couldn’t find anyone to fly to Venice at such short notice – was there anyone in London that she would recommend? Laura had suggested James. Within hours he was part of the wedding entourage. Laura was thrilled. She needed all the support she could get. Now, with Aurora and James by her side, she could face anything.

  Aurora had screamed with delight when she heard the news. She hadn’t seen James in months and missed him terribly. What added to her glee was when he emailed saying that he would be going solo as Claire had her sister’s hen weekend in Brighton at the same time. James alone was far better than James with Claire. Even Laura agreed that his fiancée was on the domineering side. Plus, it was as clear as day that Claire didn’t have much time for his family, especially Aurora.

  ‘We’ll have such a blast,’ said Aurora joyfully. ‘All we’re missing is Will for a full family holiday.’

  ‘He’s superglued to Ella at the moment,’ said Laura. ‘I mean, honestly. She has another month to go. He has his pager on high alert all the time.’

  ‘They’re so cute though,’ said Aurora her expression softening. ‘The way he looks at her, Laura. It’s so sweet.’

  ‘Yes, they’re quite the couple.’

  The main courses arrived. Laura had opted for monkfish and Aurora had chosen risotto.

  ‘More wine?’ asked the waiter, staring at Aurora.

  Laura shook her head reluctantly. ‘We’d love to but we have to travel tomorrow.’

  Aurora stared at her in surprise. ‘I don’t think I’ve ever seen you refuse wine.’

  ‘I want to look amazing when we hit Italy,’ she explained. ‘Laura with a hangover and jet lag is not the image I want to present.’

  They arrived at Marco Polo airport at 4 p.m. local time.

  ‘It feels like we’ve been travelling for days,’ grumbled Aurora, her hair sticking to her neck in the heat. ‘Where’s the hotel again?’

  Laura checked her phone. ‘We’re at the Belmond,’ she said. ‘It’s a five-star by Saint Mark’s Square. Let’s just get a taxi.’

  ‘Right.’ Aurora put on giant Bvlgari shades. ‘It’s a shame James couldn’t get the same flight as us. I hope he’ll be okay.’

  ‘He’s due in an hour,’ said Laura, waving at a taxi. ‘He’s a big boy and has travelled the world. Why wouldn’t he be okay?’’ She narrowed her eyes.

  ‘I just meant, it would have been fun if we were all together, you know?’

  Laura yelled as a taxi pulled to a halt in front of them.

  ‘Vaporetto?’ asked the driver, smiling at the two women.

  ‘Good Lord, no,’ said Laura in horror. ‘I loathe that overcrowded floating bus. To a water-taxi rank, grazie.’

  ‘Prego.’

  Molly and Samantha were in the foyer of the hotel when they arrived.

  ‘Hey, bridesmaids!’ said Laura, pecking them both on the cheek. ‘We’re in dire need of a stiff drink.’

  Molly laughed. ‘Well, there’s plenty of that here. We had a crazy night last night. The two families went out for a meal and then we hit the residents’ bar and, well, here we are. Dehydrated.’

  Samantha rubbed her temples. ‘Bellinis. They’ll plague you to have Bellinis. Be strong and say no. They could kill you.’

  The receptionist had excellent English and within minutes they had their room key.

  ‘We need to freshen up,’ said Laura, hoisting her bag onto her shoulder. ‘See you at the bar in an hour?’

  Molly nodded. ‘Hair of the dog is the best option,’ she said.

  Samantha groaned. ‘I don’t think I can, Mol. I’ve already thrown up twice.’

  ‘Oh, get a grip, Sam,’ said Molly in disgust. ‘This is a wedding. It’s your duty to go mad. Take some paracetamol and you’ll be a new woman.’

  Colin was sitting by the pool when they arrived back downstairs. He had a giant cocktail in front of him and was talking to a young man with glasses. On his right was another guy reading a newspaper who Aurora recognised as Val, Colin’s boyfriend.

  ‘Laura! Aurora! Join us!’ Colin waved madly at a waiter who hurried over. ‘Two more of these beauties,’ he said, pointing to the cocktails on the table. Then, turning to the girls he said, ‘You just have to try this drink. It’s delish.’

  ‘Hi, I’m Joe,’ said the young man on Colin’s left. He was dressed in a brown shirt, cream chinos
and wore Buddy Holly style glasses. ‘I work with Lydia and Colin at the magazine.’

  ‘Hello,’ said Aurora shyly. ‘I’m Laura’s sister.’

  ‘How are things?’ said Val to both girls before turning back to his paper.

  ‘Val!’ said Colin in exasperation. ‘Would you put that stupid paper down?’

  ‘No.’

  Joe laughed. ‘So, you’re the singer,’ he said conversationally. ‘Colin has been raving about your talent.’

  Aurora blushed. ‘Gosh, I hope it goes well tomorrow. I won’t have the added courage of gin like the last night.’

  ‘Just get tanked up tonight and top it up in the morning,’ drawled Joe. ‘Problem solved.’ He moved closer to the group. ‘By the way, I have scandal.’

  Laura laughed out loud. ‘Oh, Aurora. Joe is the king of gossip. He’s better than Facebook for news.’

  ‘I am pretty good,’ he admitted. ‘Anyway, I was passing a bedroom on my way down here – the door was ajar and I heard raised voices. Naturally I stopped to tie my shoelace.’

  ‘Naturally.’

  ‘Anyway, who was it but the bride and groom!’

  ‘Those two? They’re always fighting,’ said Colin dismissively. ‘Then they make up and it’s all hunky dory again. I’ve given up getting involved.’

  ‘This sounded serious. He was shouting about his mother and she was screaming back about some friend of hers.’

  Laura gulped. ‘And?’

  ‘And then they closed the door. I was disgusted.’ He picked a piece of pineapple from the cocktail stick in his glass. ‘It was just getting to the good part.’

  ‘As I said, nothing to worry about,’ insisted Colin. ‘Luca and Lydia have what I call a passionate relationship. Deep down, they are devoted to each other.’

  ‘They’d bloody want to be. It cost me a fortune to get out here,’ said Joe.

  ‘It’s the stress of the wedding,’ said Val, folding his paper. ‘Lyd was pretty pissed last night too which doesn’t help. We all know what hungover Lydia is like.’