She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “Shani went into labour during the night. She had a baby girl a few hours ago. By the time I got home, unexpectedly dosed off for longer than I’d intended and then showered, I ended up being late.” she explained, relieved to have something else to talk about. Bea nodded her head in the direction of the upstairs windows. “I’d better go and make my presence felt, before I’m missed.” She hugged him and raced up to the spare room. “Ooh, your hair looks gorgeous, Mel,” she said spotting her sister having her hair primped and curled. Before Mel could answer she held a hand up. “I’ve got exciting news. Shani’s had a little girl last night.”
Mel squealed, knocking the hairdresser’s hand away. She turned to Bea. “Is she okay? Is the baby gorgeous?”
Bea tried not to laugh at the hairdresser’s irritated expression. “Yes, they’re both doing great, although Shani’s a bit tired after everything she’s been through.”
“Melanie, sit still. You don’t have all day to get your hair done,” Joyce said, taking Mel by the shoulders and facing her towards the dressing-table mirror once again. “That’s wonderful news, Bea; now please can you get changed? You’re already late and we still have to do something with your hair.”
She held Bea’s fascinator up for the hairdresser to see. “We need this in Bea’s hair as soon as she’s changed into her bridesmaid outfit.” She smiled at Bea. “What a relief Shani didn’t spend the night here after all. It would have upset Melanie’s entire routine and imagine how ghastly it would have been if her waters had broken over my new spare linen.”
“Mum,” Mel shouted, indignant on her friend’s behalf. “What a thing to say.” Before they could descend into a row, Bea left them and went downstairs to the kitchen to make some tea and toast. She was starving and hoped that breakfast would keep her going for the next few hours.
“Coping?” asked her father, listening out for Joyce’s high-pitched voice. “I’m keeping my distance from those two.” He pointed upstairs. “They’re getting more anxious as the hours pass.”
“I know, they’re driving each other nuts already.” Bea buttered her toast and ate it hungrily.
“Thankfully the caterers are here and organised, the florist has left, and, although I don’t wish to tempt fate, it appears that we’re keeping to schedule.” He shook his head and smiled at Bea. “Apart from you, that is.”
“Beatrice, get up these stairs immediately.” Bea grimaced at the sound of her stepmother’s command.
“I suppose I’d better do as she asks,” she giggled.
After too long being made up and her hair being fussed with, Bea was relieved to be able to change in to her outfit and then help Mel with her elaborate puffball of a dress and veil. “You look sensational, Mel,” she said, happy to see her sister looking so excited. For some reason they looked even less alike today. Mel, with her shiny, almost black, hair all glossy and up in a French pleat and her with her wild blonde hair and blue eyes never managing to look very sleek. Mel looked more like Shani than she did her. No wonder people found it surprising to discover they were half-sisters.
“I do, don’t I?” she said, lifting out her skirt and smoothing down the corset of her dress. “Listen, I can hear the cars. Bea, quick, your shoes hurry up and put them on.”
Bea slipped her feet in to the towering heels and went to rescue the small bridesmaids from Joyce. The smallest one’s jaw was set and Bea could tell she was on the brink of rebellion. She took them by the hands and followed Mel and her mother out to the cars. The phone rang, but Eric grabbed it. “Get them in the car, I’ll see who this is,” he said, waving them outside.
“That was Tom,” he said, a few minutes later joining them outside. “He sends his apologies but has been unavoidably detained somewhere. He said he’ll text you.” He motioned to the back of Joyce’s head as she rearranged her wide-brimmed hat in the back of the second car. “Joyce won’t be impressed that her table plan is going to be even more out of kilter,” he said, unimpressed with the late cancellation. “At least Shani has a decent excuse for not turning up.”
Bea couldn’t imagine what Tom could be doing. It was a Saturday and surely even he didn’t have to work over the weekend.
“He said he would give you a call later and explain,” her father added, shaking his head.
Bea sighed. It didn’t bother her whether he turned up or not, but she wasn’t looking forward to Joyce finding out.
“What? Oh, Eric,” Joyce snapped, when he told her the latest news, as if it was his fault Tom wasn’t going to pitch up. “This ruins my entire seating plan, Beatrice. This really isn’t acceptable.”
“But it can’t be helped,” Bea said, slyly passing a sweet to each of the little bridesmaids. “Let’s not worry about it now. This is Mel’s big day and we need to make sure she doesn’t have any reason to get in a state about something we can’t do anything about.”
Bea settled into the back of the limousine, soothed by the smell of the vintage leather seats. Her phone bleeped. She read the text from Tom asking her to go to his apartment later. ‘I have something urgent to talk to you about and need your help. Please come round whenever you can, it doesn’t matter what time. We can have a quick chat. Tx’ He’d never asked her for help before. Bea considered his request and replied, saying she’d go to see him as soon as she could.
She put her phone into the small matching bag and closed her eyes, making the most of sitting still. Not sure how long she’d dozed off for, she was jarred awake by Joyce hissing directions in her ear.
“Get out of the car, this instant.” Bea checked her mascara was still reasonably in place and tripped out of the car. “Oof,” she said, her breath being forced out of her lungs as someone caught her at the last minute before she managed to plant her face onto the tarmac.
“You okay?” Luke asked, looking as shocked as she probably did. “That was close.”
“Stupid girl,” Joyce said through gritted teeth, grabbing the other bridesmaids and positioning them behind Mel as she stepped out of her car. “Always day-dreaming.”
Bea pushed the fascinator from in front of her eyes and back where it was supposed to be. “Thanks for catching me,” she giggled, more out of shock than amusement. “That could have been pretty embarrassing.”
“You think that wasn’t?” Mel laughed.
“Right time, right place,” Luke said, still holding on to her waist. Their eyes locked and Bea straightened her dress. Luke glanced down at his hands. “Sorry.” He let go and raised an eyebrow. “Well, I’d better get back in the church and find the groom. He only sent me out to check if you lot were on your way.”
“See you inside in a minute,” Bea said, watching him entering the church.
“I told you he’d look great in my photos,” Mel said, winking at Bea.
Eric linked arms with Mel. “When you get inside, we’ll follow on,” he said to Joyce pointedly. “Okay, girls, I think this is your moment.”
Bea watched him whisper something in Mel’s ear before giving her a kiss on the cheek. She could remember him doing the same thing to her. She gave the little bridesmaids a big smile. “Ready?” They nodded. “Come on then, let’s help Mel get married.” She motioned for them to start walking down the aisle and stepped into the cool church behind them to where Grant and Luke were standing facing the altar. Unable to wait any longer, Grant turned to look past them to the back of the church, where Mel and her father were standing. His eyes lit up in such a way Bea felt sure they’d always be happy together.
She looked to his left, coming eye to eye with Luke. Her breath caught in her throat; he looked so gorgeous. Her stomach did a lustful flip as they stared at each other. He gave her a little nod and smiled. “Okay?” he mouthed. Bea nodded, uncaring that she’d almost made a complete prat of herself outside moments before.
Joyce waved at her, breaking the spell. Bea passed Paul, already dabbing at his eyes with a hankie. Guy rolled his eyes heavenwar
d and Bea tried not to giggle. Poor Paul, the emotion of the last twenty-four hours was beginning to take its toll on him, too.
“Bea,” whispered her stepmother as she reached the end of the aisle. “We’re sitting over here. Girls, come along.” She noticed Luke talking to Grant and showing him the two wedding rings. Bea was certain Luke would be too well organised to ever forget something as vital as the rings. Grant patted his best man on the back; she was glad that Luke had been asked to take part after all.
The music changed and everyone turned to see Melanie begin walking down the aisle, one arm linked through their father’s. Bea couldn’t help smiling. She looked so beautiful and he so proud. He winked at Bea and she felt her throat constrict. Someone cleared their throat and Grant took a deep breath as he waited for his bride to reach him. Even by Joyce’s high standards, Bea could see Grant had scrubbed up well. She couldn’t help thinking how lucky her younger sister was to be marrying the man of her dreams in such beautiful surroundings.
Bea looked over at her sister and Dad walking slowing down towards them. He looked so handsome in his suit and cravat, she wished he’d kept some pictures of his wedding to her mum around for her to see; they must have made a beautiful couple. She pushed the thought away. Mel smiled from one side of the church to the other, then over at Grant, her affection for him unmistakeable. Mel held out her heavy bouquet and Bea stepped forward to take it, as arranged. She caught Luke’s eye just as a stray tear escaped down her carefully made-up cheek. His smile vanished. He stared at her briefly, before concentrating ahead of him.
The wedding ceremony was soon over, and after seemingly endless photos, Bea was relieved when they were ushered into the waiting cars to be driven back to the house for the reception. She was beginning to feel as if her body was working automatically. Bea wondered how Shani was getting on and, stifling a yawn, she took her place in the queue with the other guests waiting to walk down the red carpet past the assembled line-up. She listened vaguely to the conversations going on all around her, knowing she had never met most of these people before, and would probably never see them again.
She was grateful to finally reach Mel. Bea swallowed a lump in her throat. She felt sure her sister had never looked more beautiful or serene. She congratulated Grant and was getting into the flow of taking a hand, thanking the person who proffered it when it dawned on her that the large tanned hand she had in fact taken hold of was Luke’s.
“Why have you stopped?” he teased, his eyes glinting mischievously. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you’d kissed practically everyone else before me in the line-up.” Bea laughed, feeling strangely winded and lost for words. “Anyway, why aren’t you standing here greeting people, too?”
She lowered her voice so Joyce couldn’t hear her. “Because I was determined not to be.” She went to give him a kiss on the cheek, amused at his annoyance, only for him to turn his face at the last minute and ended up catching him on the mouth.
“That’s more like it,” he whispered.
Bea, embarrassed to have been caught out by such a simple prank, took a breath to say something to him, just as she was unceremoniously pushed forward by a tank of a woman with a harsh blue rinse. “Move along young lady, you’re not the only person in this line-up.”
Grateful not to be seated at the top table, but next to Guy, Bea couldn’t help glancing every so often at Luke who, she admitted, looked more attractive than any man deserved to.
“He really is a perfect specimen and don’t think I didn’t notice that kiss he gave you. Not what you would expect from a soon-to-be married man.” Paul sat down beside her and Guy kissed her on both cheeks. “Where’s what’s-her-face, I would have thought she’d be here taking notes and making sure her efforts over-shone Mel’s?”
Bea had forgotten about Leilani, though she couldn’t understand how she’d managed to do so. “I’ve no idea. I’m sure she must be here somewhere. I’ve been so busy refereeing the bridesmaids I haven’t had a chance to notice who was here and who wasn’t.”
“Your stepmother is ranting over there about Shani and ‘he-who-shall-not-be-mentioned’ nearly ruining her table plan.” Paul poured them each a glass of wine from bottles sitting on the table. “She wasn’t impressed with Shani’s timing, and as for Tom, well, put it this way, I hope he’s got leprosy or something nearly as horrible, because I can’t imagine an excuse good enough to allow him to cry off at the last minute like he did.”
Bea took a sip, relieved to be able to quench her thirst, the coolness of the liquid helping her to feel more awake. “Poor Shani, as if she could go in to labour on purpose.” Bea raised an eyebrow. “This hasn’t been as tiresome as I’d expected, though.”
“Yes, well you would say that wouldn’t you? Kissing the best man like you did. Slut.” Paul pursed his lips.
“Shut up, Paul,” she giggled, narrowing her eyes. “You’re sitting far too close to me to be that brave.”
As they were served their meal, Bea was glad she couldn’t see Leilani anywhere in the marquee. “I wonder where she is?”
Paul shrugged. “No idea.”
Bea just about managed to stay awake through the meal and then the speeches began. Her father’s was as beautiful as the one she recalled him giving at her and Simon’s wedding. Then Luke stood up, looking more nervous than she’d ever seen him. He looked over at her and then back down to his notes. She watched him speak and the guests laugh at his jokes and all she could think about was how much she wished he wasn’t involved in something that meant she had to keep her distance from him.
Paul nudged her. “They’re calling you, Sweets.” Bea couldn’t figure out what he meant, then Mel waved her over. “Bea, come here and get your maid of honour present.”
Bea blushed. Had they all noticed her staring at Luke, oblivious to everyone else? She walked up and took the gift, thanking Mel and Grant, before returning to her table. “Look,” she said, touched by the thoughtfulness of the present. “It’s the pink Lalique cross that I spotted in the jewellers the other week.”
The music started up and Paul groaned as the band began to play the intro to I Will Always Love You. “Oh, please no.” He put his fingers down his throat in a puking gesture. Bea pretended not to find him funny as Grant led Mel onto the dance floor for their first dance. Other couples quickly followed, eager to get up, she supposed, after so long sitting down. Bea sat feeling vaguely conspicuous when Guy and Paul’s good mood descended into a whispered row over something.
She spotted Luke coming in her direction and looked around for Leilani. “Dance with me,” he said, as soon as he reached her. Unable to think of a reason not to, she took his proffered hand. “Where’s Tom?” he asked.
“Tom couldn’t make it.” She didn’t elaborate further.
Luke stared at her for a moment, his expression softening. “I see, well I can’t honestly say I’m sorry.”
Bea thought it would be rude to agree with him. “So, where’s Leilani?” Despite herself, she was enjoying his closeness and didn’t really want to know but felt she should ask.
“California.”
“California?” She stopped moving and frowned up at him.
“Keep dancing or everyone else is going to bump into us.” He lowered his head to hers. “She’s modelling, or something. She had an offer she couldn’t refuse.”
“Just like that?” Bea concentrated on not slipping on the temporary parquet flooring; she didn’t need an encore of her clumsiness from earlier. Why would someone as clingy as Leilani leave him to fly across the Atlantic just when they should be preparing for their own wedding?
“Yes, so it seems both of us have been left in the lurch. We’ll have to look after each other for today, won’t we?” He pulled her towards him, as the band played another slow song began.
As much as Bea felt she should sensibly keep her distance from Luke, she was too tired from the excitement of the night before to fight her conscience and it felt pretty good being held
by him again.
“I’m enjoying this far too much,” he murmured in her ear, his breath sending shivers up her spine. “I wish I knew why you keep your distance from me, Bea.”
Bea didn’t reply and resisted him for a moment, then gave in to her instincts, relishing the moment of closeness whilst it lasted. The record finished and was replaced by a faster-paced song. “Let’s escape outside for a bit. You can show me round your dad’s impressive garden, and maybe we’ll get a chance to chat in peace for a bit. I need to speak to you about something.”
Intrigued, Bea let him lead her out to her father’s treasured koi carp pond. It felt a little clandestine having her hand in his, but at the same time, the pressure of his hand around hers was sublime. How can something so wrong feel so perfectly natural, she wondered, staring at his broad suit-encased back as she walked slightly behind him.
“Shall we sit over here?” he asked, pointing to the wooden bench away from the marquee, where her father came to relax every morning with his coffee, watching over his precious fish before anyone else in the house woke up and disturbed him. She sat down, relieved to kick off the tight shoes.
“You look very sexy, by the way,” he said softly, sitting down next to her and taking both her hands in his. “Bea, I have to tell you…” he began, just as his mobile rang, interrupting whatever it was he was about to confide. “Damn.”
“Ignore it,” Bea insisted, her voice barely above a whisper and not bothering to hide her frustration with the caller.
“I can’t, unfortunately.” He kissed her lightly on the lips and frowned as he answered the call. “This won’t take a moment, I promise.” He stood up and walked a short distance away with the phone to his ear. “Yes? Hi. No, it’s fine, don’t worry.”
A Jersey Kiss (Jersey Romance Series) Page 28