by Sharon Booth
'Ours, silly.' She giggled. 'Nothing too posh, don't worry. A fabulous country house, peacocks on the lawn, ice sculptures, Jamie Oliver doing the catering, and Michael Bublé serenading us as we sign the register.'
Eliot's face must have shown his horror because she let out a peal of laughter. 'I'm joking!'
'Oh, right.' He forced himself to smile. 'Well, if you're happy about it.'
For the first time her expression showed doubt. 'Aren't you? Really? I thought —'
'Eden, there you are. Sorry, chick, but we've got work to do.' Cain caught hold of her hand and nodded towards the kitchen. 'Got to go in there.'
'The kitchen?' Eliot frowned. 'What for?'
Teddy grinned. 'The journalists want to get a picture of the wedding party thanking the staff. You know, compliments to the chef and all that jazz.'
'Like a flaming royal line-up,' Cain muttered. 'And what do you do?' He squeaked, in a terrible impersonation of the Queen, holding out his hand to shake that of an imaginary waitress or pot-washer. 'How absolutely fascinating. Thank you so much for all your hard work.' He shook his head. 'Come on, let's get it over with.' He clapped Eliot on the shoulder. 'You wanna thank your lucky stars that you're not part of this group. I tell you, there's no such thing as a free lunch and that's a fact. Always a price to pay.'
Which was very much what Eliot was afraid of.
Eden was scrutinising him. 'Are you okay? We can talk when I get back.'
He forced a smile. 'It's fine. No worries. You do what you have to do.'
She hesitated, but Cain grabbed hold of her arm and steered her towards the kitchen door before she could even begin to protest.
Eliot sighed and headed to the bar. He could use a drink. He decided, though, to stick to lemonade. One of them, he thought wryly, should be sober, and Eden had evidently had his share of alcohol as well as her own. Besides, he didn't want drink to impair his senses.
He smiled to himself, worries about the wedding banished for the night. He'd think about all that stuff later. Fact was, they were in a hotel, with a posh room and an enormous bed, and no kids to listen out for or worry about. Him and Eden, with a whole night ahead of them.
He carried his drink over to the table, noting that Emerald had left the room. She must have had enough of her father's behaviour and called it a night. He couldn't blame her for that. He felt highly indignant on her behalf when he thought about Cain missing her out of the speech like that. He couldn't, for the life of him, imagine a time when such things happened between himself and either of his own daughters. He adored Libby and Ophelia and the thought of pushing one of them out of his life like that — it was unthinkable.
Then again, he realised with a sudden lurch of his stomach, who could say they would feel the same? If they ever found out the truth about what had happened between himself and their mother, the truth about the day she died, the truth about George ... He gulped down some lemonade and tried not to think about the future. Eden was always telling him he worried too much and happen she were right. There was time enough for all that in years to come. Right now, there was only tonight.
He glanced over at the kitchen door, tutting in impatience. They'd been ages. He tried to imagine the scenario as the poor buggers in the kitchen lined up to have their hands shook by Cain, Rex, and their families. How galling to be so patronised by two blokes in their sixties, with embarrassing hairdos and kohl-rimmed eyes. As if the staff hadn't had enough to put up with today!
At least Eden would know what to say, and she'd probably be genuinely interested. She'd been to catering college herself, and she'd worked in a variety of kitchens before landing up in The Red Lion, where she'd bumped into Honey one fateful night and changed the entire course of her life.
He shook his head, marvelling at how one thing led to another. If Eden hadn't taken that awful job at the pub, she would never have gone to work for Cain, never been forced to go to Skimmerdale by the scheming Honey, never have met him. It didn't bear thinking about.
He drained the last of his lemonade and put the glass down, his fingers drumming the table. This was taking forever. He longed for bed and he wanted to get there before he got tired.
The kitchen door swung open and the journalists strode out, followed by Honey, Teddy, and their wedding party. He craned his neck, searching for Eden. She was hurrying, head down. Cain said something to her, but she didn't respond. Instead, Eliot saw her lift her head and scan the room for him. He waved, and she caught sight of him, rushing over to the table.
'Are you all right, my love? You look pale.' He put his arm around her, concerned.
'I'm fine. I think it was the heat in the kitchen, combined with all the wine I've had. I'm all hot and bothered.' She didn't look hot. In fact, he could have sworn he'd seen her shiver as she reached his side.
'Shall we go to bed?' he said, taking her hand.
'Yes please,' she murmured. 'Let's get out of here.'
****
The morning brought grey skies and the promise of rain.
'I hate British weather,' said Scarlet, shivering and pulling her jacket tighter around her body, as she stood on the driveway of Chessingborough House, waiting for her taxi.
'We're used to sunshine and warmth, that's the trouble. We've been spoilt,' Luke said, hugging her close and smiling. 'Soon be back home, baby.'
'Can't wait,' she admitted. She glanced at Jed. 'Are you sure you won't come back with us? I know what you said, but we don't belong here. Not anymore. Your life's back in the States. Can't you reconsider? For me.'
Jed shook his head. 'I'm sorry, Scarlet, but no. You know how I feel, and besides, I've already told Dad I'll be staying with him for a while.'
'Did you tell him why?'
When he pulled a face, she sucked in her cheeks. 'Good luck with that,' she said at last. 'You know what he's like. He won't be happy.'
'It's my life, not his,' Jed said. 'Anyway, here's your cab. You've got everything?'
'Everything except my brother,' she said. 'I'll miss you.'
'I'll miss you, too.' He pulled her into a warm embrace and she kissed his cheek, tears brimming in her eyes. 'Take care of her, Luke, okay?'
'No worries on that score,' his brother-in-law promised, as they shook hands.
They loaded their bags into the trunk and climbed into the back seat of the cab. Jed smiled and nodded as they waved. He raised his hand in return, and the car swept down the drive. He turned and went back into the hotel to pack. It was done. Now he had to explain everything to his father. But he rather thought he'd wait until he was at the old man's home. He didn't want to get landed with a huge bill when Cain started throwing things.
****
'For God's sake, Emerald, the ink ain't even dry on the marriage licence yet,' snapped Cain. 'Can't I have me breakfast in peace before you start on at me again?'
'No. You said we'd talk tomorrow. Well, it's tomorrow now, and I want to talk.'
'Talk about what? What are you after?'
'Who says I'm after anything?'
'When a woman tells me we need to talk, she's always after sumfink, and it's never cheap. So, if it's all the same to you, I'd rather let me bacon and eggs digest first. I ain't brought me Gaviscon with me. Big mistake.'
Emerald tutted. 'Bet you'd talk if it was Honey asking.' Not to mention that bitch, Eden.
'Not this again.' He shook his head. 'You've got to get over your obsession about Honey. She's your baby sister. Why can't you be nice to her for once? What's she ever done to you?'
'Let's not pull on that string,' she said. She sat at the table opposite him and watched in disgust as he shovelled half a sausage into his mouth. No wonder he drank antacid by the bucketful. 'I take it the happy couple got off all right?'
'Oh, yeah,' he said, and she winced. She hated it when people talked with their mouths full. He was so vulgar. She couldn't imagine what her mother had ever seen in him. 'They should be arriving at the airport about now.'
'H
mm. How lovely for them. So, if —' she broke off at a tap on the door.
Jed peered round. 'Am I okay to come in? Hi, Emerald!' He smiled at her, and she relaxed a little. A friendly face at last. 'Hey, Dad. I'm packed and ready to leave when you are.'
'Great.' Cain mopped up the last bit of egg, sausage and mushroom on his plate and gulped them down. Emerald watched in horrified fascination as a stream of yolk dripped down his chin. There was no doubt in her mind that her father had an overactive Svadhishana. His second chakra was clearly spinning out of control, leading to gluttony and addiction. Given his drug-addicted, sex-addicted past she shouldn't be surprised. He'd clearly replaced his previous addictions with a dependency on food. It was quite sad, really.
'You're going back to his place?' she queried. 'Are you staying long?'
'Well, I ...' Jed shrugged, looking awkward. 'I'm not sure what my plans are yet.'
'Be good to have you. Reckon you've earned a rest before your next tour starts.' Cain dabbed his chin with a napkin, leaned back in his chair, and patted his stomach in satisfaction. 'Great breakfast that. Sure you don't want any?'
'I don't think so,' she said, her lip curling. 'I had orange juice and a lightly boiled egg. That's enough for me.' She felt no need to mention the bowl of cornflakes, three rounds of toast and marmalade, and two pain au chocolats she'd also consumed. She wouldn't want anyone to think her second chakra was overactive. At least she paused for breath between mouthfuls of food.
'You don't eat much, do you?' he mused. 'Funny you ain't as skinny as a whippet, but you're quite meaty, ain't you?'
Meaty! She'd been called curvy, womanly and shapely before, but meaty! Bloody hell, that was all she needed to hear. Just because Honey looked like a praying mantis. She scowled. 'Right, now you've finished stuffing your face, can we have that talk at last?'
He groaned. 'Not now. I'm proper bloated. Later, okay?'
'When, later? You'll be going home soon. I'm not going to drop this, you know. I need to get something sorted.'
'Hey, Emerald, why don't you come back to Dad's house with me? I'm gonna be staying there a while, and Dad's got plenty of spare rooms. It would be great if we stayed there together. Right, Dad?'
Jed looked appealingly at his father, who stared back like a rabbit looking down the barrel of a gun.
Emerald waited, knowing full well that her father felt trapped. She could make it easy for him. Tell him she wasn't going back to the house, that she was going home instead. But where was her home, anyway? She didn't want to go back to the grotty coastal croft her mother had rented. It might as well have been in Alaska, it was so remote and cold. And she wasn't going to let her father get away with his mistreatment of her any longer.
At least his house was comfortable and warm, and had all mod cons, with hot water, and toilets that were guaranteed to flush. Besides, Jed would be there, and it would be nice to see more of him. The car hire firm was a national one. She could drop her hire car off at a depot round here, rather than back in Scotland. Sod it, she thought. Why not?
She smiled at Jed then turned her gaze on her beleaguered father. 'What a fantastic idea. I'll go and pack right now. Meet you in reception in half an hour!'
As she headed out of his room, she heard a distinct groan behind her. Somehow, she thought grimly, she didn't think it was down to Cain overindulging on the bacon and eggs.
****
Eliot felt like blasting the car horn. It was taking forever for Eden to say goodbye to everyone. He couldn't imagine why. He'd given them all a brief nod, grabbed the bags and practically run to the Land Rover. She seemed to be hugging and kissing everyone. He frowned as Jed wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. Okay, he was a nice bloke, but he barely knew Eden. He was a bit — over-familiar. Emerald didn't look so friendly, that was for sure. She had her arms folded, and even Eliot, who was no expert in body language, could tell she was giving Eden back-off signals. Not that Eden would want a hug from Emerald, anyway. She didn't seem to like her much, which was odd. He felt sorry for her. She seemed to be the black sheep of the Carmichael family, poor bugger.
Jed was chatting to Eden now. Clearly, he was telling her something amusing, because she threw back her head and laughed, as did Cain. Emerald glanced over to the car and gave him a sympathetic look, and he managed a smile because she was on the outside, like him. She gave him a small wave, and, awkwardly, he waved back. She continued to watch him, and he began to feel hot and a bit embarrassed. He turned his head, staring straight ahead, and prayed Eden would hurry up.
Finally, the passenger door opened, and she climbed in.
'About bloody time,' he growled, noting with relief that the Carmichaels had turned and headed back into the hotel. 'Thought you were never coming.'
She laughed, dropped her handbag onto the back seat, then fastened her seatbelt. 'Don't be so grumpy.'
He started the engine and, at last, they were leaving Chessingborough House behind.
'What was so funny?' he asked, cursing himself as soon as the words left his lips. Evidently, Jed had thoroughly entertained her. He'd like to know how.
'Sorry?' She was rummaging in the glove compartment, looking for a CD, and pulled an old movie soundtrack out before glancing across at him.
'Jed. Must've said summat hilarious, judging by the way you laughed.'
She raised an eyebrow. 'Yes, he did, actually. He was telling me about Lady Penrose and her gift for Honey and Teddy.'
'Huh?'
'You'll be interested in this. Remember that old lady you told me about? The one who was carrying that valise and wouldn't let you help her with it?'
He nodded. 'Aye. What about her?'
'Turns out she's Honey's maternal great aunt, and she was carrying her wedding present to the happy couple in that valise. She gave it to them last night while we were, er, busy, and Honey's horrified.'
'What was it?' He couldn't deny his curiosity was piqued. It had to be something pretty valuable, given the way the old woman guarded the bag. Probably some hideous but priceless vase, or something.
'Montague.'
'What's a Montague?' He was baffled, but his bewilderment turned to irritation when she burst out laughing again. 'Have I said summat funny?'
'No, no. But Montague is — was — her cat. A pure white Persian. She had him stuffed, and she wanted to pass him onto Honey and Teddy to care for to make sure he still had a home after she's gone. Can you imagine Honey's face!'
'Oh, right. Yeah, side-splitting.'
She gave him a sideways glance. 'What's up with you? You seem narked, for some reason.'
'Must be my turn.'
He hadn't meant to sound so snappy but, truthfully, he was confused and — if he was being really honest with himself — worried. Something had gone wrong between him and Eden last night, and he didn't understand what.
Maybe it was his fault, he mused. Maybe he expected too much, took things for granted. Yet, she'd seemed as keen as him to make the most of their night together away from the children; at one point, she'd practically been pulling him by the hand towards the stairs and it was him who'd had to remind her that she was still required at the party. Yet, when they'd finally been able to say goodnight and had slipped away to their room, she'd been tense and not in the mood for making love. He'd stared at her, amazed, as she told him she wasn't feeling up to it and needed to sleep as it had been a long day.
Of course, she had had a long day, and she'd had quite a few glasses of wine, too. He'd offered to get her some paracetamol from the car, but she'd denied having a headache. Said she was tired. She'd got into bed and then, the real killer, she'd turned her back on him.
Eden never turned her back on him in bed, ever. Even if they'd been arguing, bed was always the place they put things right. Whichever one of them was in the wrong, it was all put behind them when they climbed between those sheets. He admitted, he was always the last to give in, being a moody bugger, when all was said and done, and havi
ng far too much pride for his own good, but she'd changed him a lot. He could guarantee that, no matter what had gone on during the day, she would reach for him in bed and he would — grudgingly sometimes, admittedly — wrap his arms around her in response. The tension would ebb away from them both within seconds. They always found their way back to each other. Always.
Yet last night, she'd seemed further away from him than she'd ever been, and he had no idea what he'd done.
'What do you mean by that?' she said.
'Nowt. Forget it.' At least, he thought grumpily, Jed could bring a smile to her face, even if he couldn't.
'Is this about last night?' She folded her arms, staring out of the window. 'I'm sorry. I was out of sorts. Forgive me?'
'There's nowt to forgive,' he said, meaning it. She'd done nothing wrong. It wasn't her fault that he was paranoid, and how was she to know that the overwhelming feeling of rejection he'd experienced, lying there, staring at her back, had kept him awake for hours? It had brought back bitter memories of his marriage to Jemima, but that had nothing to do with Eden. 'Ignore me. I'm being daft.'
She turned back to him. 'Are you sure? Because you can say, you know.'
He stared hard at the road ahead, feeling stupid. How could he explain to her? How to tell her that being around people like the Carmichaels made him feel awkward, self-conscious and inferior? How to make her understand that, with Cain now paying for their wedding, he felt as if he'd let her down. That he wasn't good enough for her. And with Jed making such easy conversation with her and making her laugh, it reminded him that he was useless at explaining himself to her.
How long before she tired of him? When would the endless round of working on the farm and caring for children stop being enough for her? What if she needed more than he could ever give her? What if ... He swallowed. What if Daisy was right? Was he making the same mistake all over again?
Something had gone wrong last night, he could feel it. Something had happened. He'd lain awake, wracking his brains to figure out what. The only thing he could put it down to was when he'd tried to broach the subject of the wedding with her. Things had been fine between them before that, so she must have been upset with him, worried that he was backing out of the deal. There was nothing else he could think of. He'd done everything he could, over breakfast, to assure her that he was looking forward to the wedding and that he was grateful to Cain for offering to pay. She could have whatever she wanted now, and Eliot was glad of it. He'd been so keen to reassure her he'd almost convinced himself.