Being Emerald (Skimmerdale Book 2)

by Sharon Booth

  'How's she doing?' Eden asked, knowing that Honey had been on the verge of hysteria when she'd last seen her, around half an hour previously.

  'I think she's calmed down a bit,' Scarlet drawled, surveying her reflection in the mirror. She pouted, applied more lip gloss, then put down the mirror and scanned Eden. 'Your hair's kinda mussed up. What have you been up to?'

  'Oh, hell.' Eden patted the back of her head, remembering the way Eliot's hand had cupped it as he kissed her. 'Well, it will have to do. I'm not letting them apply any more hairspray.'

  'I don't blame you. If anyone tries to light a cigarette within ten feet of any of us, we're history.' Scarlet smiled, and Eden thought that, although she was a bit full-on, she was nice enough. At least she'd always made the effort to keep in touch with her half-sister, which was more than Honey had ever done. 'Anyway, by the time her mom's through with her, I doubt she'll notice your hair.'

  'What do you mean?' Alarm bells rang in Eden's head. Freya wasn't exactly a doting mother. What was she up to?

  'I think she's trying to persuade her to take a pill. You know, calm her down. She's already given her a glass of wine. They disappeared into the bathroom ten minutes ago, and Freya was clutching the bottle. I think it's a big mistake, but apparently, we Americans don't understand anything.'

  'You're kidding!'

  Eden charged into the bathroom, not even bothering to knock, and was somewhat taken aback to discover Freya and Honey perched on the edge of the bath, each with a glass of white wine in their hand. Alarmingly, Freya was waving a box of pills under Honey's nose and urging her to take one.

  'It will put those nerves at bay, ensure you look calm and poised. Remember those dreadful wedding photos of Marion Lerwick's daughter? My God, she looked appalling. Like a bewildered beaver — all teeth and tears. That was down to nerves. Usually she looks almost passable. You don't want people saying such things about you, do you? And you're going to be in a magazine, for goodness sake. Those glossies are terribly unforgiving.'

  Eden snatched the box of pills out of her hand and gasped when she saw what they were. 'Are you insane?'

  'I beg your pardon!' Freya looked staggered that Eden had dared to speak to her in such a fashion. After all, it wasn't that long ago that she'd worked for Cain, and Freya still considered her staff. Well, those days were over, and as Honey's chief bridesmaid it was her job to look out for her. Freya could lump it.

  'If she takes one of those, she'll be so zonked out that she won't even be able to say her vows, never mind pose for photos.'

  'I'll have you know that I take eight of those, every single day for my back problems, and they don't have any effect on me,' Freya insisted.

  Probably drowned out by the effects of the alcohol, thought Eden. It was a wonder Freya's liver hadn't packed up years ago. Out loud she said, 'But you're used to them. Honey's not, and they could knock her out entirely. How would you feel if you were responsible for the wedding being cancelled?'

  'Oh, nonsense,' snapped Freya, snatching her medication back.

  'I'm not risking it.' Honey finally seemed to have found her voice. 'And I'm not having any more of this stuff, either,' she added, pouring her wine down the sink. 'I'll smell like an old lush at this rate.' She gave her mother a pointed stare, then turned to Eden. 'Where the hell have you been? I've been frantic without you.'

  'Sorry. Eliot's arrived. I needed to settle him in, show him where everything was.'

  'That's what staff are for,' said Honey. She clutched her stomach. 'Oh, God. My guts are churning. I feel sick. What time is it?'

  'Half past three,' Freya said, glancing at her watch. 'Well, if you're not going to take my advice, I see no reason to hang around. I'll be downstairs in the Barrett Browning Room.'

  Honey's eyes widened. 'You're not leaving me?'

  'Your father will be here in a minute,' said Freya. 'I hardly want to be here when he arrives. Besides, there's nothing more I can do for you, and you have your half-sister, and — her.' She gave Eden a curl of the lip, then left the bathroom.

  Honey gave Eden a beseeching look. 'Do I look all right?'

  'Perched on the edge of a bath with an empty wine glass in your hand? Not really. Good job the photographers have gone.'

  'Not gone. Circling. Like sharks. They'll be in the Barrett Browning Room, no doubt. Oh, why in God's name did I sell this wedding to them? Teddy was right. It's made it all so tacky.'

  She looked so stricken that Eden felt quite sorry for her. She held out her hand and pulled Honey to her feet. 'You look beautiful, and Teddy's going to be so proud of you. And you'll be glad you sold the wedding when the magazine comes out and you can look back on your big day in glorious technicolour. You're going to be so busy today that it will all be a haze, but you'll have a great record of it all in print, and all the people who love you and Teddy, but couldn't come to the wedding, will be able to share in it after all.'

  Honey smiled. 'Thank you, Eden. What would I do without you?'

  'You have Teddy now. You're going to be fine.' Eden knew Teddy adored Honey, and that the two of them were going to be happy. He'd transformed Honey from a spoilt, selfish brat into someone much nicer, and far more likeable. Eden wanted them both to enjoy their big day, which was why she didn't feel bad for lying about the magazine deal. She couldn't think of anything worse than turning your wedding day into a media circus, but then, she wasn't the daughter of a rock star and a top model. She was the daughter of a retired bus driver and a cleaner. There was a big difference. Thank God.

  As they heard the muffled sound of a knock on the door in the next room, Honey smoothed down her dress and flicked back her newly-curled hair. 'That will be Dad, no doubt. God, I hope he's made himself presentable. He's not happy about wearing a tux, and you know what an attention seeker he is. The slightest sniff of a camera and he's got to be the star of the show. Well, if he's in leopard skin leggings, I'll kill him with my own bare hands. Still, at least he hasn't got those awful teardrop tattoos on his face, like Rex. Poor Teddy's mortified. Fathers are such a bloody embarrassment.'

  Maybe so, thought Eden, but between them they've given you and Teddy the kind of lifestyle the rest of us can only dream about. And Honey wouldn't have had the option of a grand wedding paid for by a magazine if her dad had been someone ordinary. It was Cain and Rex who were the celebrities, not their children.

  Honey opened the bathroom door, and she and Eden stepped back into the bedroom, to see Cain standing there, looking almost normal in a tuxedo, and not even half the amount of eye makeup he sometimes wore. Eden's glance fell on a young woman standing beside him. She was undeniably attractive, with a cloud of wavy, blonde hair, large blue eyes, and a curvy figure that was showed off to perfection by the long, white dress she was wearing.

  'Hello, Honey,' she drawled, her smile strictly limited to her gloss-free mouth. 'Don't you look, er, pretty.'

  'Is this some kind of joke?' demanded Honey, who looked as if she was about to explode. 'Emerald, you total fucking bitch.'

  Eden sighed. Maybe she should run downstairs and beg some opiates from Freya, after all.

  Chapter Three

  'All right, girls. Let's calm it down, shall we?' Cain held up his hands in what he probably knew, already, was a vain attempt at keeping the peace. Eden could see the nervous expression in his eyes, and she didn't blame him. All three of his daughters together for the first time, and at least two of them, from what she could see, headstrong and fiery. This was going to be interesting, although whatever showdown was about to happen, they'd better make it quick. The wedding was due to start in less than fifteen minutes. She wondered if Eliot had found the Barrett Browning Room all right. She couldn't help imagining him in his tuxedo. Concentrate, Eden, she thought. You're Honey's bridesmaid. You don't need any distractions.

  'Nice to see you, too,' said Emerald, putting down her clutch bag and peering round the room. 'What a delightful turn of phrase from a blushing bride. Such a shame the journalist
s didn't catch it.'

  'You always were a cow,' Honey informed her.

  Justin stood up, looking a bit worried, and Eden put a reassuring arm around him. 'Can you two tone it down a bit?' she asked, nodding meaningfully at the little boy.

  'I'm quite sure I don't need to tone down anything,' said Emerald.

  'How about that ghostly look, for a start?' Honey snapped. 'Pale and interesting is so out of fashion. Buy some fake tan, for Christ's sake.'

  Emerald shrugged. 'I've been living on the Scottish coast all winter. I'm only just thawing out. A few days ago, I was pale blue.'

  ''Well, why don't you piss off back there then? You'll be costing the Scottish Tourist Board a fortune, now their monster's missing.'

  'Come on,' pleaded Cain. 'No need for all this. You haven't seen each other in ages. Can't you kiss and make up?'

  'Kiss and make up!' Honey glared at him. 'You have seen what she's wearing?'

  Cain looked puzzled. He turned to Emerald and ran his eyes over her. As Eden watched, she realised the penny had finally dropped. 'Oh.' He sighed. 'What did you wanna go and do that for, Emerald? Wear a long white dress when it's Honey's wedding day?'

  'It's the bride's prerogative to wear white,' Honey said bitterly. 'Everyone knows that. She's trying to upstage me.'

  'For goodness sake, how was I supposed to know you'd wear white?' said Emerald, sitting down on the bed beside Scarlet. 'Funnily enough, it never occurred to me. Most brides wear ivory or cream these days. You know — so they don't look like hypocrites.'

  'Ooh, cheap shot,' murmured Scarlet.

  Emerald glanced at her. 'Scarlet, isn't it?'

  'You remember me? Hey, well done. I mean, it's been, like ... How long has it been now?'

  'Twenty-two years, three months and five days.'

  They all gaped at her.

  'How the hell do you know that?' demanded Cain, sounding awestruck.

  'Because, Daddy dearest, Scarlet and Jed left for America on my fifth birthday. I remember distinctly, because Lowri brought them to see Mother and me before she left, and they bought me a doll for my birthday. I didn't even realise they were leaving. I saw Lowri and Mother talking and then I was told to give them a goodbye hug. Later, while I was waiting for you to come to my house to watch me blow out the candles on my cake, you were at the airport, having a screaming row with their mother about access rights and threatening her with the best lawyers in London. I saw the whole thing — as did most of the population of Britain — when I watched the news that evening, before I went to bed. And I still hadn't blown out my candles. Funnily enough, with you not bothering to turn up, and then realising my brother and sister were leaving the country for good, I didn't much feel like cake anymore.'

  Eden's heart melted. Poor Emerald.

  Scarlet put her arm around Emerald's shoulders. 'Aw, that's so sad. I'm sorry, sweetie. We should have kept in touch more. Things were kinda awkward with Dad an' all for a while, and then you and your mom moved to France and ... Well, you know how it is.'

  'We were only in France for a year that time.' Emerald's tone was icy. 'But yes, I know how it is. Yet you contacted Honey, even though she wasn't even born when you left?'

  Scarlet looked awkward. 'Well, you and your mom moved around quite a lot, didn't you? And when we finally got back in touch with Dad, Honey was living with him. Well, for half the year, anyway. Though, we never met until yesterday. Funny, huh?'

  'Hilarious,' Emerald agreed. 'Yet, for some mysterious reason, she still chose you to be her bridesmaid.'

  Scarlet clamped her mouth shut. Eden wondered if she'd ever be able to open it again, given the amount of sticky gloss she'd been plastering on it.

  'Is Jed here, too?' asked Emerald, a hopeful tone entering her voice.

  'He's probably in the Barrett Browning Room, as we speak,' said Cain. 'The blokes stayed over at another hotel last night, but they'll no doubt be on duty by now.'

  'On duty?'

  Cain swallowed. 'Well, er, Jed's an usher.'

  'I see.'

  Eden could see, too. Emerald was hurt, and desperately trying not to show it. 'Look, I think this is a discussion for another time,' she said firmly. 'The wedding's due to start in a few minutes, and we need to head downstairs.'

  'And you are?' Emerald raised one neatly-shaped eyebrow.

  'Eden. Honey's friend.'

  'Friend? Honey has friends? Staggering. And Little Lord Fauntleroy, here, is your son?' She looked enquiringly at Justin, who stared up at her with worried eyes.

  Cain cleared his throat. 'Er, no. This is my grandson. Your nephew. Justin, say hello to your Auntie Emerald.'

  Poor Justin looked terrified but obeyed. 'Hello, Auntie Emerald.'

  'He's your son?' Emerald looked at Scarlet, who shook her head.

  'Nope. He's our brother's kid. You know. Marcus.'

  'Marcus!' Emerald glared at Honey. 'So, Marcus's brat is your pageboy, but I'm not even worthy of being a bridesmaid?'

  'Oh, give it a rest,' Honey said. 'I didn't imagine for one moment that you'd turn up. Thought you'd be off somewhere, polishing your crystals and sniffing incense.'

  'You want to watch it, mocking other people's beliefs,' said Emerald darkly. 'Karma can be a bitch.'

  'I'm sure she didn't mean to be rude,' Cain interjected.

  'Yes, she did. She's taking the piss. I can read it in her aura.'

  'Oh, for God's sake.' Honey rolled her eyes.

  'There you go again,' Emerald snapped. 'I have to warn you, your aura's gone a distinctly funny colour. It's clashing terribly with those drab bridesmaid dresses. I must say, I'd have chosen something in a warmer colour. Far more flattering to the complexion. I can't believe you've put them in grey.'

  'They're not bloody grey, they're blue haze,' Honey corrected her. 'And I may not be blessed with the gift of reading auras, but I'll bet you a pound to a penny that yours is green. Oh, and while we're at it, I may as well tell you right now that Marcus is an usher, too, so stick that in your bong and suck it.'

  Emerald swallowed, seeming at a loss for words. Eden couldn't help feeling sorry for her.

  Honey evidently felt no such pity. 'Now, unless you've changed your mind about attending, bugger off and find something to wear that's less bridal. Dad, are you ready? Right. Come on. I've a gorgeous man waiting to marry me.'

  'Thank God for that.' Cain held out his arm to her, and she hooked her own through it. 'Half the bleeding Tory party are at this wedding, not to mention directors of most of the charities I've donated to. I'll never get me knighthood if you two start brawling. This wedding's got to be a success, right?'

  'Well, of course,' Honey said. 'Funnily enough, Teddy and I were hoping it would go well, too. Eden, can you pass me my flowers please?'

  Eden obliged, quite touched when Justin reached for her hand again as soon as she'd done as Honey asked.

  'He looks anaemic,' Emerald observed. 'I don't know how he's going to live this humiliation down. When his school friends see the pictures of him in that get-up, he'll be a laughing stock.'

  'Okay, that's enough,' Eden held up her hand. 'If you and Honey want to row, go ahead, but leave Justin out of it. He's a little boy, who's done nothing to you, so shut up.'

  'I beg your pardon!'

  'You heard. I won't have it. You're making him nervous, and he's supposed to be enjoying today. Now, if you're coming to this wedding, zip it, or push off.'

  'Have you heard the way this person spoke to me?' Emerald demanded, as Cain opened the door.

  'I have, and she's got a point. Leave me grandson alone, Emerald. I don't want to fall out with you, but keep your trap shut now, okay?'

  Eden watched as a look of rage crossed Emerald's face, and she didn't miss the poisonous look that Honey's sister gave her. She'd made an enemy there. Well, she couldn't worry about it right then. She squeezed Justin's hand and gave him a reassuring smile. Time to face the cameras. The show was about to commence.

  ****

/>   Jed directed a bewildered-looking man into a chair on the bride's side of the room, then hurried to the front to take his own seat. Beside him, Marcus cast a nervous glance at his cell phone.

  'I think you'd better turn that off, don't you?' Jed said, not without sympathy. His half-brother's wife, Janette, was due to go into labour any day, and Marcus had made it very clear that he absolutely couldn't miss the birth of his second child. He'd almost backed out of attending the event and had only agreed because Janette had insisted he take his rightful place at his sister's wedding and didn't want Justin to miss out on being a pageboy.

  'That's Janette all over,' he'd told Jed, Cain, Luke, Teddy and Rex, many times during the stag night, as the British called it, at the Chimneys Hotel. 'So unselfish and thoughtful.' He'd sung his wife's praises the entire evening and had filled them in on every stage of the pregnancy, which would have been kind of sweet another time. Right then, though, it was the last thing Jed had wanted to hear, and the rest of the party had looked bored to tears.

  It had been the quietest, most restrained bachelor party Jed had ever been on, and Lord knows, he'd been on plenty. He still had a hangover from his brother-in-law's raucous night, and that was nearly a year and a half ago. If Scarlet knew the half of what he and her husband had got up to, she might never have married Luke at all. He grinned to himself. Nothing illegal or immoral, of course — he wouldn't stand by and let anyone make a fool of his sister — but great fun, all the same. He'd expected even worse shenanigans — or better, depending on your point of view — at Teddy's bachelor party, considering the wild reputation of both their fathers. Cain and Rex, however, were apparently paragons of virtue these days, with respectable lives and well-to-do friends. Who'd have thought it?