The Duplicate Bride

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The Duplicate Bride Page 29

by Ginny Baird

“I’m not sure, but I have a hunch he might.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll think of something.” Brent closed his suitcase. “I always land on my feet.”

  “What about Hope?”

  “What about her?”

  “Are you going to do anything?”

  “I don’t know.”

  …

  The following Friday, Hope was getting ready for the pop-up when her phone rang. It was the first time she’d dressed up nicely to leave the house, and she’d decided it was time. Running to the grocery store in her sweatpants and Dancing Queen T-shirt didn’t count.

  After the pop-up, she and Iris were going for drinks downtown. Hope was meeting some of her teacher friends there and wanted to introduce her to them. Iris was the closest thing to family she had in the area, and she valued her friendship greatly.

  Hope walked to the kitchen table and picked up her phone, and her heart skipped a beat. She hesitated only a fraction of a second before answering. “Jackie?”

  “Hi Hope,” she answered, sounding exhausted. “How are you?”

  “Okay. And you?”

  “Not great,” Jackie said. “I haven’t slept in weeks.”

  “These past two weeks? How was Bermuda?”

  “Bermuda? Are you kidding? I didn’t go.”

  Hope was stunned. “But I… We saw you walking toward security.”

  “I didn’t know what I was doing,” Jackie said. “I was confused.”

  “Yeah,” she said sadly. “Me, too.”

  Jackie sighed. “So. Have you heard from Brent?”

  “Me? No. You?”

  “I don’t really expect to.” Her sister sighed. “I tried calling him.”

  “Yeah? What happened?”

  “It went straight to voicemail.”

  “I’m sorry. Did you try texting?”

  “I wasn’t sure what to say.”

  “We did a horrible thing, Jackie. I mean, I did. Mostly it was me.”

  “Hopie,” she said softly. “I read all your messages. The text messages you sent before we met up. I looked through the photos, too. Maybe a dozen times. The ones that you sent, and also the pics that got uploaded to Instagram.”

  “I’m sorry if they upset you.”

  “No, that’s not it. It was more like…they surprised me. There was something going on, wasn’t there? Something between the two of you?”

  “I swear. I never meant for—”

  “It’s all right,” she said. “I’m not judging you. Brent’s a really great guy.”

  “He is.”

  “He just wasn’t the guy for me.”

  “You mean because of the marriage of convenience thing?”

  “I mean because of everything. The two of you together in those photos, Hope? Especially during the ceremony? It’s like…you glowed. It sounds clichéd, but it’s true. If I didn’t know better, I would swear those pictures were of a real couple on their wedding day—a couple who loved each other very much.”

  Hope fell silent a moment, digesting what her sister was telling her. “So, you’re not mad that I…?” She rubbed her hand over her face. “Okay. Yeah, it’s true. I did fall for him, but I swear I didn’t mean to.”

  “I don’t think it was one-sided.”

  Hope’s heart hammered against her rib cage. “Even if it wasn’t, it’s too late now.”

  “Have you tried contacting him?”

  “Oh no, I couldn’t. If he won’t talk to you, I’m extra sure he wouldn’t talk to me. You might have committed sins of omission from afar, but I stood right there in front of him and told a bald-faced lie. Several of them, actually. And not just to him. To everybody in his family, too.” She waited a moment before asking, “Have you talked to Mom?”

  “Yeah, she’s pretty devastated about everything. She kind of knew things would go south, but she was really hoping they wouldn’t. She’s worried about you, too, Hope. She said you’re not taking her calls.”

  “I’m about to head out somewhere, but I’ll give her a call when I get home.”

  There was a lull, and then Jackie spoke. “Mom says she saw it, too. That thing between you and Brent—whatever was happening. She didn’t want either of us getting hurt, but now we both have. She feels especially bad about the Albrights. She’s going to send them a potted plant as an apology.”

  “That’s nice of her. I hope they don’t throw it out.”

  “Yeah.”

  “What about Meredith? How’s she taking all of this?”

  “Meredith’s still not totally over things but says she’ll get there eventually.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “She really didn’t like deceiving Brent and his family, and she especially didn’t like being put in the middle, but she does understand what a difficult situation it was. Especially since it snowballed so quickly, like many bad schemes do. In spite of everything and how it ended, she still says she really likes you and hopes you’ll find happiness with the right person someday.”

  “That’s sweet. I really like Meredith, too. I hope you two can make it up.”

  “We already have. We’re going to the movies on Tuesday.”

  Hope couldn’t help but wish that everyone was so forgiving, thinking of Brent. But, in her very lonely and practical heart, she knew she’d never get that lucky.

  “Anyway,” Jackie said, wrapping up their conversation. “I just wanted to call and check on you and, well, say… I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Hope. Sorry that I dragged you into this.”

  Hope wanted to say she was sorry, too, and she was, for hurting so many people. What she wasn’t sorry about, though, was getting to know and care for Brent. No matter what her future held, she’d had the good fortune to experience that little bubble of happiness with him during that glorious week in Maine.

  “Thanks for saying that. And thanks for calling. I’m sorry about the big mess we made of things, too. And especially sorry I started it by letting them believe I was you. I thought I was helping at the time, with Grandmother Margaret and all. But now I can see that the best way to help is by being our true selves.”

  “No more pretending,” Jackie said. “Those days are history.”

  “Over and done with.”

  “Love you, Hope.”

  “Love you, too.”

  …

  It took Hope another three weeks to work up the nerve to write her letter. It took her six days after that to get the courage to send it. There was so much she needed to say, and she wanted to take pains to say it carefully. Hope didn’t know if anything would come of her missive, but she suspected nothing would. In any case, she didn’t anticipate receiving a response.

  Her summer break was drawing to a close, and she hadn’t heard one word from Brent. Not that she blamed him for his silence. If she were in his shoes, she would have probably reacted the same way. Hope guessed, at this point, he had to have told his family the truth about what had happened, and they were all likely thinking her a terrible person.

  At least she’d repaired things with Jackie. She’d reestablished contact with her mom as well.

  Something positive had come from Ava’s time in Blue Hill, though. Miraculously, Gavin hadn’t ditched Ava. Even upon learning the news. According to him, the sins of the children shouldn’t be visited on their mothers or something like that. Gavin also wasn’t concerned with gossip or inserting himself in other peoples’ affairs. What mattered to him was the spectacular attraction he felt with Ava.

  They’d been a long-distance item for a couple of months now and were planning a trip to Peru soon, which was somewhere Ava had always wanted to go. Both Hope and Jackie were glad their vibrant mom had found some later-in-life happiness and that a tiny glimmer of good had come out of that calamitous wedding week.

  Hope
kissed the back of the envelope for good luck, then slid it through the slot in the mailbox outside the post office. As she drove away, her heart felt lighter. She could never completely make amends for her mistakes, but at least she’d be able to walk away from those days in Blue Hill with a clearer conscience, knowing she’d done the right thing.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Brent sat at his desk in his brownstone, going through his financial data in his accounting software program. His independent consulting business had really taken off, and he’d be hanging out his shingle soon: opening an official office. He’d perused several potential rentals and had found a nice space in the Wharf District that suited him perfectly. It was close to shops and restaurants, so it would be a fun place to work. The rent was a little high, but the visibility couldn’t be beat. Besides that, business had been good enough that Brent could afford it.

  His family had taken the news about Hope and Jackie pretty hard. No one could believe it, and everyone was extra stunned because they’d loved Hope as “Jackie” so much. She was funny and sweet…smart and caring… How could any of them have guessed?

  Brent sure hadn’t. Although, upon reflecting later, he understood there’d been subtle signs. Hope’s extra-light suitcase was the first big tip-off. Then there was her wardrobe, that flattering haircut, and her extra-warm smile… The reminiscing wasn’t helping at all, so Brent decided to snap out of it. Best to focus on work, like he’d done these past several weeks.

  With his business training and background, Brent was well suited to become an entrepreneur, and William actually had been glad to assume the reins at Albright Enterprises. Brent hadn’t fully understood that William had been hurt he’d been passed over for consideration by their grandfather. William was, after all, the oldest, but somehow Grandpa Chad never figured him first in line for the job. Not until Brent pointed out how perfect William would be at it, with his very sharp intellect and the diplomatic skills he’d honed during years spent in academia.

  Things were going well with Sofia’s pregnancy—she’d passed through the danger zone of the first trimester with flying colors, and all was on course for a healthy delivery.

  William and Sofia still wanted Brent to be their baby’s godfather, and he couldn’t very well say no. The truth was, he was honored they’d selected him for the role. While Brent’s family wasn’t Catholic, Sofia, whose background was Dominican, had been raised as one, and William had converted before their marriage.

  Brent’s phone rang beside his computer, and he picked it up.

  “Grandmother,” he said, noting the caller. “What a nice surprise. You and Grandpa still in Maine?”

  “Yes, till after Labor Day, although this time of year I tend to regret the decision.”

  Brent chuckled. “So how’s Blue Hill?”

  “Hot and buggy.” She sighed. “It’s August. How is the consulting going?”

  “Really well. Several of my old contacts have come through for me. And, you know, word of mouth. I think my reputation precedes me.”

  She laughed at his stab at humor. “Let’s hope it’s in a good way.”

  “You know you can count on me, Grandmother.”

  “I always have.” She paused and then pressed ahead. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

  Brent, who’d been absentmindedly flipping through some charts on his screen, stopped, giving his grandmother his full attention. “Go on.”

  “It’s about Hope, actually.”

  “Hope? Webb?”

  “I got a letter from her yesterday and decided to sleep on it. After some thought, I think you need to see it.”

  Brent’s heart pounded as they ended their call with his grandmother agreeing to forward Hope’s correspondence. A memory came back to him in a flash, and he recalled being in his SUV with Hope on the way to the Boston airport.

  She’d claimed people only sent snail mail when it was important. In any case, she stated that she would once she had something important to say. What puzzled Brent was why she’d decided to say it to his grandmother instead of him.

  He’d have to wait three more days and for the mail to be delivered to find out.

  …

  Hope left her teacher training seminar at the county office building feeling invigorated. The school district planned motivational and educational meetings for its teachers each year. There were additional annual kickoff events hosted at the individual school level. Hope was glad to be returning to her job. She needed something to do each day besides hide under the covers and eat Iris’s brownies.

  “How was your summer?” Jessica asked as they walked toward their cars with their teacher bags and purses slung over their shoulders. Jessica was about Hope’s age, maybe a few years older.

  “Okay. How was yours?”

  The woman held out her ring finger, displaying a pretty diamond solitaire. “Good.”

  Hope stopped walking to hug her. “How exciting! You have to tell me all the details.”

  “I will. Maybe at lunch?”

  Hope had quite a few teacher friends but was always happy to make one more. Jessica taught science, so they saw each other occasionally for cross-curricular planning but they’d never been close. Surrounding herself with more happy people seemed like the right idea. Besides that, she liked Jessica a lot and admired her as a teacher. Students totally loved her, and her classes were always overenrolled.

  “I’d love to do lunch. When were you thinking?”

  “How about that last teacher workday before our student open house? A bunch of us from the science department are getting together. No reason we can’t include some of you math nerds, too.”

  “Ha-ha, thanks.”

  “I mean it,” she said brightly. “If there’s anyone else you can think of who you’d like to have join us, that would be super. We’re meeting at that fun outdoor Mexican restaurant, and, you know, the more the merrier.”

  …

  Brent lived in one of those rare places where the mail was still delivered on foot and pushed through a slot in the front door. Each day, when he heard the mail arrive, his blood pumped harder, and he found it impossible to concentrate until he’d picked it up and fanned through it. He’d hadn’t expected the forwarded letter from his grandmother to arrive the day after talking with her, but he’d looked for it the next day. And the day after that…

  Finally, it was here.

  He set the rest of his mail on the entry table and walked into the small living room with a turret-style window. He’d furnished his place in modern decor, which was quite swanky to look at but honestly not that comfortable. He sat in a hard-backed chair, examining the envelope. It was addressed in his grandmother’s hand with her Blue Hill return address, and the envelope was thick. He guessed because she’d tucked Hope’s original letter and envelope inside.

  Brent broke the seal on the outer envelope, surprised to find his fingers shaking. Two months. It had been more than two months since he’d seen her standing there crying in the Boston airport, and they’d never officially said goodbye. A lump welled in his throat when he considered that maybe that was what Hope had done in her letter. Said farewell to all of them.

  He unfolded the piece of stationary that was decorated around the edges with blueberries. It looked like something one might find in Maine, and Brent wondered if she had bought the paper during her time in Blue Hill. Maybe on her girls’ day out with the rest of the women.

  He stared at Hope’s carefully crafted script written in blue ink pen. The letter was dated two weeks ago, and he wondered whether the letter had gone adrift in mail delivery or whether Hope had written it earlier and then waited to send it.

  Dear Mrs. Albright, it began.

  You probably think it’s bold of me to contact you this way, and I’ll totally understand if you decide not to read this letter. I sincerely hope you will
, though, because there’s so much I have to apologize for and say.

  Someone wise once said that sometimes “sorry’s not good enough,” and now I know that’s true. There’s no way to undo my deception of your grandson and your family, and I speak from the heart when I say if there was a way I could take everything back, I would.

  Brent once told me you still keep up with your friends by snail mail, and I think that’s so special, because writing things by hand requires a personal touch. It takes time and patience and much more dedication than is required for dashing off an email or a text. I’m telling you this to say that—in writing this letter—I’m acutely aware of the colossal errors I’ve made.

  One of the largest was letting you down, once you’d been brave enough to trust me and embrace me in your family. Had things gone differently, you and I might have become friends. It breaks my heart that I’ve destroyed your confidence in my character, because nothing that I did or said when we were together (apart from wrongly pretending to be Jackie) wasn’t real.

  When I first heard you doubted Jackie’s true feelings for Brent and her motives in marrying him, I didn’t understand your concerns. In some extremely misguided way, I thought I was building a bridge between your family and mine by stupidly playing the role of my sister.

  Please rest assured that I never falsified my emotions with you or anyone else in your family, including Brent. I know this sounds difficult to believe and may be hard to understand, but I didn’t just come to love Brent during my week in Blue Hill. I came to love each and every one of you. I’d never felt so welcomed or included in my life. Being a part of your warm and wonderful family, if only for a week, was like a dream come true for me that I’ll never forget.

  I hope in time you’ll be able to forgive me. But if you can’t or won’t, I’ll definitely understand. Also, please try to forgive my sister, Jackie. If there’s anyone at fault for the enormous hurt we caused, I’m far more to blame than she is.

  Finally, I wanted to address the wedding day and thank you for everything you did to help make it memorable. I’ll never forget that time spent with you and your family, and I will forever regret losing the love of your wonderful grandson.

 

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