The Wishing Well
Page 29
The phone rang. Kit. “We’ll expect you downstairs in an hour, dressed in your finest, if you please. If you want to order something from room service, go ahead.”
He put down the phone before Deb could demand to know what this was all about.
* * * *
The girls and Rick went down and were shown into a room with small groups of chairs. Kit was waiting for them, dressed with unusual elegance in the sort of trousers that belong to a suit and with a silver-grey shirt that could only be real silk. He beamed at them. “Great. You’re on time. Come and sit down. We won’t start until everyone’s here. You can say hi to the others for me.”
Exchanging puzzled glances, they obeyed and he vanished through a side door.
Sue and Trev were shown in.
“Kit says to wait here,” Angie announced. “Something’s not going to start till everyone’s here.”
The door opened again and Ryan appeared, with Caitlin beside him.
Deb squealed and flung herself into her brother’s arms. “When did you fly in? Why didn’t you tell me?”
He hugged her hard. “Mum and Kit wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Wanted what to be a surprise? Do you know what this is about?”
“Sworn to secrecy. They want to tell you themselves.” He held her at arm’s length. “I’m glad you’ve put a bit more weight on. You look gorgeous.”
She smiled and smoothed out the material of her dress, which she loved to pieces, then turned to Caitlin. “You’re looking a lot better than last time I saw you, too.”
“I’m feeling better.”
“I’m glad your cousin gave up on dragging you back into the fold.”
“So am I. It was sheer chance that he met a woman who was as religious as himself and decided that the Lord had brought her to him. He phoned up to give me a lecture on reading the Bible and remembering my upbringing.”
She sighed and looked sad for a minute or two. “I haven’t heard from my parents, and I don’t suppose I will. My father can be very stubborn, but I thought my mother might . . . ” Her voice trailed away.
“That sucks.” Deb reached out to squeeze her hand in sympathy.
“Let’s not spoil the day with my problems. We want everyone to be happy.”
The sadness Caitlin was trying to banish made Deb suddenly feel like giving her another hug, a proper one. “Well, you’ve got us now. We may not be the most wonderful of families, but we’re not the worst, either.”
The door opened and Joe and Gil walked in, both smartly dressed. They were very much a couple these days, Deb thought.
“Do you know what the surprise is?” Joe asked Deb when she went to greet him and his friend.
“I think they’re going to announce that they’re getting married.”
“About time too.”
Trev walked across to join them. “Nice to see you, Joe, Gil. Do you know everyone? I don’t think you ever met Laura’s son Ryan and his partner Caitlin, did you? They had to dash back to Australia after Pop’s funeral and they didn’t come over for Mum’s.”
Everyone shook hands then sat down, fidgeting and looking at one another, wondering what was going on.
Then the door at the side of the room opened again and Kit came in, with Laura on his arm. He was wearing the jacket to his very elegant suit and a tie, something no one had seen him in before. She was wearing a deceptively simple dress and jacket in aqua silk with a pearl and gold brooch. It was the sort of outfit women know instinctively will have cost a fortune.
“Wow, Mum, you look great!” Deb said. “Now for heaven’s sake tell us what the occasion is.”
Ryan got up and went to hug Laura. “You don’t look old enough to be our mother.”
A hot blush stained her cheeks for a moment and she looked appealingly at Kit, who came forward to take her arm again.
“We have an announcement to make - well, three announcements, actually.”
He gave Laura such a loving glance that Deb felt herself soften still further towards him. Her dad had never, ever looked at her mother like that.
“First, Laura has at last done me the honour of agreeing to marry me.”
Silence, then, a babble of congratulations and noise.
“What’s the second announcement?” Trev asked. “I’m not sitting down if I have to bounce to my feet again for more congratulations.”
Laura blushed even more brightly and Kit grinned at her. “Your mother, sister and aunt is a bit embarrassed about this one, but I’m very proud to tell you that she’s expecting my child.”
Stunned silence met this news, then more congratulations and kisses.
Laura held Deb in her arms, looking searchingly at her face. “You’re not - angry about this?”
She shook her head. “I’m just stunned, Mum. I mean, you’re nearly forty-five. Is it all right? Will you be OK?”
“Yes. I’ve had some tests and there are more to come, but they think everything is quite normal.”
“Did you plan it?”
“No. We were careless. But I’m glad now.”
“So am I,” Kit said. “She kept refusing to marry me before.”
“And the third announcement?” Sue asked.
“We’re getting married in fifteen minutes’ time - which is the main reason for this gathering today.”
There was almost a riot at this, as people milled around, kissed, hugged and congratulated the two main players.
* * * *
The next half-hour passed like a dream for Laura. Kit was mostly at her side. All her family had gathered together. Even her anger at Caitlin had died down. What had happened in the past just didn’t seem important any longer. She turned to her new husband as he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to him.
“Silence, please, everyone! I’d like to propose a toast. To my wife, Laura!” Kit raised his glass of champagne.
After everyone had echoed his toast, he called for silence again. “And I’d also like to drink to my son!” He patted Laura’s stomach. “We just found out it’s a he and we’re dying to meet him.”
When that toast was over, Ryan moved forward. “Unaccustomed as I am to public speaking, I don’t feel I can let this occasion pass without saying a few words and - ”
His voice was drowned out by jeers and catcalls and it was a while before he could speak. The newly-weds didn’t seem to notice that. They were too busy beaming at one another.
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Copyright © 2005 by Anna Jacobs; published by Anna Jacobs at Belgrave House
Cover Copyright 2011 David Jacobs
Originally published by Severn House [9780727891419] in 2005
Electronically published in 2012 by Anna Jacobs at Belgrave House
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