Being Emerald (Skimmerdale Book 2)

by Sharon Booth

  Much laughter ensued, as Eden's father insisted they pose for what felt like forever, while he experimented with his new camera. Beth burst out laughing as she noticed Eliot's smile was becoming more and more strained with every passing second.

  'Okay, Dad, that's quite enough,' Eden called and, to prove her point, she pushed the knife down through the stiff white icing, plunging it into the vanilla and raspberry ripple concoction beneath.

  Eliot, looking highly relieved, finally let go of his wife and ran a hand through his hair, clearly dazed by the whole experience.

  'He's doing well, isn't he?' she said to Jed, nodding over at the stoic groom. 'Although, we've tried to make it as painless as possible for him. He can't complain. He hasn't even had to make a speech.'

  'I know,' Jed said. 'I asked him if he intended to and he looked at me like I was crazy. I said, don't you wanna tell Eden how much she means to you, and thank her for marrying you?'

  Beth's mouth twitched with amusement. 'And what did he say to that?'

  'He said —' Jed puffed himself up, knitted his eyebrows together and put on a gruff Yorkshire accent, 'Eden knows all that, and I don't see why I need to tell other folk about it. Surely, they know already, else why would we be getting wed?'

  Beth collapsed in giggles as he grinned at her. 'That was quite a passable accent,' she said. 'We'll make a Yorkshireman of you yet.'

  'You two look like you're having fun.'

  Beth pulled herself together and smiled up at Cain and Emerald as they approached. She glanced at Jed and realised he was as surprised as she was to see that Cain had his arm firmly around his daughter's shoulders. Well, well. As Jed's eyes twinkled, Beth knew this would make his day. She gave a little sigh, knowing that she'd never felt so happy. Everything was perfect. She was a lucky woman.

  Cain and Emerald slipped into the seats opposite them and Cain reached over and pinched a sandwich from Jed's plate.

  Jed winked at his sister. 'You okay, honey?'

  She beamed back at him. 'I am, Jed, thank you.'

  Beth sipped some of her pink lemonade. 'We were just laughing at Eliot's attempts to pose for photographs,' she said. 'Not the most patient man in the world, is he?'

  'No,' Cain admitted, 'but give him his due. He's a good bloke. Looks after his family well, works hard.' He gave Emerald a little squeeze. 'His kids know how much he loves them and that's the main thing. Reckon we could all learn a lot from him.'

  'I guess we'll be heading back to the Cotswolds now?' Jed said with a contented sigh. He dropped his napkin on his now empty plate and leaned back in his chair, his hand still firmly in Beth's. 'Time to face reality.'

  'You ain't forgotten what I said, about that job?' Cain said.

  'Jobs,' Beth reminded him, and he nodded.

  'Yeah, jobs.'

  'I'm real curious, Dad,' Jed admitted. 'What exactly have you got planned?'

  Cain rested his elbows on the table and looked from his son to his future daughter-in-law. 'Right, here's the thing. Me and Debs were having a conversation one day about city kids — about how they never get to see a real-life farm animal or visit the countryside. Do you know, some of the poor little bleeders don't even realise bacon comes from cows?'

  Beth bit her lip, as Emerald bent her head and Jed let out a hearty laugh.

  'Bacon doesn't come from cows, Dad,' he explained. 'It comes from pigs.'

  'Eh?' Cain shook his head impatiently. 'Yeah, I meant pigs. Just got mixed up. What?' He looked round at them all indignantly. 'I knew that! Course I did! Anyway, do you want to hear this or not?'

  'Sure we do,' Jed promised him. 'Carry on.'

  'Hmm. Well.' Cain looked a bit indignant, but he evidently decided to put his embarrassment behind him. 'Thing is, things are tough for some kids out there. Not everyone's got the dosh to take their kids on holiday. Me and Debs, we were remembering how important getting away was for us when we were young. I remember, you know, the first time I ever went to the seaside, and the first time I ever went to the country. It was like another planet! Breaks my heart that some kids will never get to experience that, especially when I look at them,' he added, nodding over to where Ophelia and George were laughing and shoving each other over on the grass, while Libby lay propped up against a tree, drinking pink lemonade and watching her siblings with the detached amusement of a girl who was nearly a teenager.

  'Them kiddies, they've got a pony and hens and sheep. They know about lambing. They paddle in that there stream, and they run around with the dogs and collect eggs and have all that freedom and fresh air. Imagine them cooped up in a block of flats with no garden. They'd be different people.'

  Beth nodded, feeling sad. 'So true,' she murmured. 'It's such a shame.'

  Jed circled his glass with his finger, considering. 'So, what are you saying, Dad?'

  'I'm saying, it's time I did sumfink about it,' Cain said. 'I'm gunna set up a new charity.'

  Jed looked at him cautiously. 'More charity work?'

  'I can see you're cynical,' Cain said, 'and I can see why. I know I've been a bit half-hearted about it in the past. I didn't really get involved at all. To be honest, it was all about the bleeding knighthood. I hated Rex Scotman, but when I think about it, I was judging him by my standards. I thought he was a phoney, but I think now that he was genuine about this African charity he runs. He couldn't possibly have sustained all this effort all these years if he wasn't. I didn't get it, see? But when I thought about this cause, I got all excited about it. I can see meself dedicating the rest of me life to it, 'cos it matters. It really does.'

  Beth glanced across at Emerald, who was smiling widely. She looked like a different person, she thought suddenly. That uncertain, guarded look had gone from her eyes, and her smile was genuine. She'd always been pretty, but now she looked beautiful. Emerald evidently sensed that Beth was looking at her and met her gaze openly. The two of them shared a moment of pure happiness — no hostility, no hidden agenda. Beth thought that, one day, she and Emerald could be very good friends indeed.

  'So, what's this charity aiming to achieve?' Jed asked. 'Are you talking about city farms?'

  Cain sounded very eager as he nodded. 'Absolutely, city farms. I think they're a great idea. Get kids to muck in and help with the animals, grow their own veg, take it home with them. Can you think of anything better?'

  'No. It's a great idea,' Jed said, 'but I still don't see where Beth and I fit in?'

  'I was thinking,' Cain said, 'about buying a proper farm, out in the countryside. You know, stocking it properly with different animals and growing crops an' all. My thought was, we could get parties of kids to come and stay for the week. Kids who've never had a holiday could get away from the city estates and spend a week in the fresh air, learning all about country life.'

  Jed nodded enthusiastically. 'I love that idea,' he said.

  'Good,' Cain said. 'Cos I want you and Beth to manage the farm for me.'

  'You want —' Jed's voice trailed off as he looked from his father to Beth then back again. 'Are you sure?'

  'Look, what I know about farming can be written on the back of a postage stamp,' Cain admitted. 'You, on the other hand, spent years on your stepdad's ranch, and you've bin helping Eliot out all summer and doing a grand job from what he tells me. I mean, I wouldn't expect you to do it all alone. We could hire farmhands who know what they're doing.'

  'And what about me?' Beth said. 'I know even less than you about farming.'

  'You'd be in charge of the kiddies,' Cain said. 'I reckon they're gunna need someone around who actually cares about their welfare and wants to make sure they get a holiday to remember. Can't think of anyone better than you, Beth.'

  Beth could hardly believe it. 'I'd love to!' She turned to Jed, but there was no need to ask him how he felt about it. The smile on his face said it all.

  'Where were you thinking of buying this farm?'

  Cain rubbed his chin. 'Well,' he said, suddenly nervous, 'I was kind of hoping you'd b
e okay if it was in the Cotswolds. After all, you're about to give me my third grandkid, and I'd love to have you all close by. That's if you can stand it.'

  Beth looked at Jed, and the sparkle in his eyes gave her the permission she sought. She reached over and gave Cain a kiss on the cheek. 'We can't think of anything we'd like more,' she said. 'Our baby needs his grandpa around.' As Cain beamed at her, she turned to Emerald and added, 'and his auntie Emerald, too.'

  Auntie Emerald looked flustered.

  Cain ruffled her hair. 'Don't worry, darls, I ain't forgotten about your retreat.' He held up his hands as she started to protest. 'I know you said you'd forgo the retreat if I'd pay for this wedding but really, it didn't end up costing me nuffink, did it? Everyone round here wanted to chip in, so ...'

  'There was the money you lost on the original wedding,' she reminded him.

  'Totally worth it in the end,' he said. 'Whatever this has cost me, it got me me daughter back. Reckon it was worth it.'

  Emerald put her arms around his neck and hugged him. 'Thank you, Dad,' she said softly.

  'Then it's settled,' he said gruffly.

  She shook her head. 'No. It's not. The fact is, I'm not ready to run a retreat — or any business. I don't know enough about anything. I was so determined to make you pay for not being around that I didn't really think it through.'

  Jed frowned. 'Are you saying you don't want a retreat, Emmy?'

  'No,' she said thoughtfully. 'One day I'd like to run one, but I know that I'm not capable of it yet. There's so much more involved than reading auras, after all. I've never had a proper job. Maybe I need to think smaller to start with.'

  Cain snapped his mouth shut and blinked, clearly taken aback. 'Strewth, never thought I'd hear you say that,' he said. 'Well, okay darls, we'll have a think about it all later. For now, are you coming back to Upper Bourbury with us?'

  'If that's okay,' she said.

  'More than okay, chick,' he told her, dropping a kiss on her forehead. 'Much more than okay.'

  ****

  Eliot kicked the door closed and leaned against it, heaving a sigh of relief.

  Eden wheeled the suitcase to the side of the bed and dropped down onto the duvet, letting out a whoop. 'We did it! We got married!'

  'We did, my love. We really did.' Eliot's face broke into a huge smile and he hurried round to join her on the bed.

  'Did you mind?' she asked him, as his arm curled around her and she snuggled into his chest. 'About them finding out and taking over the wedding, I mean?'

  Eliot considered. 'I were a bit narked at first,' he admitted, ''cos it felt like, we'd taken back control, and then they'd snatched it away again.'

  'I thought you might feel like that,' she said.

  'Aye, but it didn't last long. How could it? That wedding — well, it were as perfect as it gets.' He shook his head in wonder. 'It were everything we'd hoped for from start to finish. Better. I'd never have imagined in a million years that folks round here would chip in to pay for everything.'

  'It's because they love you,' she told him. 'They know what you've been through, and they're happy to see you've come through the other side at last.'

  'Aye.' Eliot thought about it for a moment. 'Happen you're right.'

  'Wow!' Eden nudged him delightedly. 'I never thought I'd see the day!'

  'When I admitted you were right?' He laughed mischievously. 'Make the most of it, it may never happen again.'

  'No, you daft ha'porth,' she said gently. 'I mean, I never thought I'd see the day that you accepted people's sympathy and good wishes, without protesting that you didn't deserve them. That, my darling, is real progress.'

  He tilted his head to rest against hers. 'I suppose so. It's like you said, my love, I did love Jemima once, and I lost her, in more ways than one. Whatever happened in the end, I was allowed to feel that sadness, that grief. I don't know why I didn't realise that earlier. I guess I'm a stubborn bugger, when all's said and done.'

  'You are,' she assured him, 'but I wouldn't have you any other way.'

  'Does it make a difference?' he asked her softly. 'What Emerald told us? That I didn't tell her your secret.'

  Eden let out a long sigh. Her hand found his, and their fingers entwined. 'Not to me,' she admitted eventually. 'I'd already forgiven you for it, anyway. I knew that if you had told her, it wouldn't have been deliberate. But I'm glad it wasn't you, for your sake. I suspect forgiving yourself would be a much harder task.'

  'I don't think I'd ever have done it,' he confessed. 'I hated meself when I thought I'd let you down.'

  'You're only human,' she reminded him. 'We all make mistakes. The point is, Eliot, we got through it. With or without Emerald's confession, we fixed it between us, because we love each other.'

  She shifted onto her side and looked at him, her expression serious. 'You have to know that this marriage is going to be all about that. Whatever life throws at us, we're in it together. Don't be afraid that it will get too much for me, that I'll walk away. I never will. I'm yours, Eliot Harland, and that's the way it's going to stay. You're stuck with me, for better or worse.'

  'And you with me,' he promised, his eyes glittering with love. He rolled over onto his side and his finger traced the line of her cheekbone, his gaze lingering on her lips. 'It were good of Cain to pay for this night away,' he murmured.

  'And good of Beth and Jed to stay with the children for the night,' she added. 'Imagine! No getting up at five o'clock tomorrow morning. Breakfast in bed. Luxury.'

  'You missed out the most important part,' he said.

  'Oh? And what's that?' she teased.

  'A whole night in bed,' he said, pulling her to him. 'And I intend to spend every minute of it making sure this marriage is well and truly consummated.'

  ****

  Cain realised he'd made a mistake, placing a rose between his teeth, as soon as he opened his mouth to speak and the dratted thing dropped onto the carpet. He cursed and stooped to pick it up, wincing and rubbing his back. 'Bleeding hell, this isn't how it was supposed to be.'

  Warily, he looked up, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. He was pretty sure Deborah was doing her absolute best not to laugh. To her credit, she managed to keep it together as she said, 'Well, this is a surprise. I was stunned when reception rang to say you were here. Funnily enough, they never mentioned this charming adornment.'

  She stepped aside as Cain hobbled into the room, accepting the rose he offered her with great solemnity. 'Thank you. I'm touched by your thoughtfulness.'

  He wondered if she was being facetious but decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. 'I wanted to show you — that is, I wanted to prove to you how much you mean to me.'

  Deborah smiled and planted a kiss on his lips. 'I already know how much I mean to you.'

  'But do you? See, I don't think you do, Debs, cos the truth is, I wasn't even sure how much you meant to me.' His eyes bored into hers, willing her to believe him. 'I need to explain.'

  'Why don't you sit down, and I'll make us both a coffee?' She indicated the sofa and Cain limped over to it, still rubbing his back. Deborah switched on the kettle and emptied coffee sachets into two mugs.

  'Now, Cain, why don't you tell me why you're here,' she said eventually, as she handed him his drink. She settled herself on the edge of her bed and cupped her coffee, waiting.

  Cain blew on the steaming liquid but made no attempt to drink it. 'Thing is, Debs, I've been doing a heck of a lot of thinking lately. About you and me.'

  'That's good,' she said. 'So have I.'

  'Have you? Yeah, I kind of thought you would be,' he said.

  Deborah raised an eyebrow. 'Cain, whatever it is you have to say, you can say it, you know. I'd rather you were honest with me. That's all I ask. The one thing I don't want is any more lies. I've had a lifetime of them.'

  'I know, Debs. And you and me — well, we're different, aren't we?'

  'I hope so,' she agreed.

  'I mean, you and David, it was seven ki
nds of shite, wannit?'

  He noticed that her lips twitched in amusement. 'That's one way of putting it.'

  'And the thing is, me and my exes — well, it weren't much better, truth to tell. Now, I hold me hands up and I've always told you straight, ain't I, that it was at least as much my fault as theirs. I mean, probably seventy-five per cent of the time, if I'm honest. I was daft. I was touring the world with a bunch of lads, with groupies chucking themselves at us in hotel rooms and no one to tell us to get a grip and behave. We were off our heads a lot of the time. And when you're in a rock band — well your head's the size of a planet. People are so keen to tell you how fantastic you are, and you end up believing them. I was a stupid git, no denying it.' He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. 'I ain't selling meself to you, am I?'

  'It's nothing I didn't already know,' she assured him.

  'Fing is, I've cheated on nearly all my exes,' he admitted. 'But I weren't the only one. Most of them cheated on me an' all, one way or the other. Lowri had loads of flings when the kids were little, and I was away touring. Boredom, she said. Reckoned she needed to prove she was still sexy and desirable to men. Charming. And Freya — gawd, don't get me started on Freya. Sauce for the goose, she said. Couldn't really argue with her about that, but by hell I paid for it. Cost me thousands, that one. Millions.' He sighed. 'They all did, really. Every time I broke up with a bird I ended up forking out. Wonder I've got any cash left. Made me wary, you know.'

  'I know.' She smiled. 'Cain, what are you trying to tell me?'

  He took a gulp of coffee and then set his mug down on the bedside table. 'I suppose, what I'm trying to explain is, after all my exes — the ones I married, the ones I lived with, even the ones I just shagged when there was nothing else to do — well, I got wary. I knew a lot of them only wanted me for my money, and fair enough. I mean, I only really wanted them for their looks. It was a massive ego boost, having some glam blonde on my arm at an awards do or whatever. But I grew out of it, Debs. I felt lonely. I wanted more. I stopped having relationships. I kept away from women. I decided to devote meself to me kids and the charity work.' He played nervously with the sovereign ring on his little finger. 'Then you came along.'