Jamie thanked them, then followed Will upstairs, picking up his bag along the way.
‘This will be your room.’ Will opened a door to reveal a small bedroom with white panelled walls and dark-wood furniture. ‘Bathroom’s next door, clean towels in the cupboard in there, and little man is asleep along the landing so keep the noise down, not that I expect you to start playing music or anything.’
Jamie smiled softly. ‘Thanks for all this, Will.’
Will patted his arm. ‘No worries, Jamie. You get yourself sorted. A good night’s sleep will do you good. Things will look brighter in the morning.’
Jamie put his bag on the floor as Will walked away. He couldn’t see how things would improve just because the sun came up. Alice never wanted to hurt her family and, because of him, she had. All those years he never said a word. What on earth possessed him to speak of it now?
He went to the bathroom and turned on the shower, knowing part of him wanted the whole world to know Alice was his wife. He only wished it was real.
As soon as the steam built and the water covered his face, Jamie let the tears fall. Life felt unfair once more.
Chapter 27
Alice
Alice felt totally exhausted. Over and over, she explained why she married Jamie, but her mother remained enraged and wasn’t listening properly. Benny asked more questions than she could handle, and Luna had arrived, telling them she sensed trouble.
A snowstorm chose to enter the fray, and now Alice was trapped inside with everyone for the night because she wasn’t about to chuck them out into a blizzard, even if they did just live around the corner.
‘Well, I can’t say I saw this one, Alice,’ said Luna, snuggling over by the wood burner.
‘It’s a bloody joke, that’s what it is,’ snapped Lizzie, slumping to the sofa, showing no signs of calming anytime soon. ‘Of all the stupid things.’
‘I think it’s nice what Alice did for Jamie,’ said Benny, leaning against the door frame of his bedroom. ‘They thought he was going to die.’
Lizzie’s hand shot out towards Alice. ‘She should have waited for his results first!’
‘Well, perhaps I wanted to marry him!’ yelled Alice. She clutched one side of her aching head. ‘Did you think about that?’
‘The lad was a walking disaster. Why would you tie yourself to something so destructive? You’re making no sense, girlie.’
‘It made sense at the time.’
Benny approached Luna. ‘Do you want some tea, Granny?’
‘I think something stronger might be in order, my boy.’ Luna pointed at the small kitchenette. ‘Drop of sweet sherry wouldn’t go amiss.’
Lizzie scoffed. ‘Yes, Mum, let’s all get drunk. Perhaps then our Alice will no longer be married to a loser.’
Alice clenched her fists. ‘He’s not a loser.’
Lizzie spun her way. ‘Why are you the only one who doesn’t remember the trouble he used to get into, hmm?’
‘I do remember. But that’s the thing, isn’t it? Heusedto do those things. He doesn’t anymore. Just because you found out we’re married, doesn’t change anything. You should still be giving him a chance.’
‘Chance? Chance!’ yelled Lizzie. ‘Don’t talk to me about chances, Alice Dipple — though I can’t call you that now, can I? AliceStark! I’ve got one daughter left, and I didn’t get the chance to see her walk down the aisle when she got wed. How do you expect me to feel about that, eh?’
‘We’re all upset by that, love,’ said Luna softly, smiling at Benny for pouring her a drink. ‘It would have been nice to have been there for your big day.’
‘It wasn’t a proper wedding. It was his bucket list, and that’s why I didn’t tell you.’ Alice slumped into an armchair. ‘You wouldn’t have let me go through with it had you known — I wasn’t stupid. I knew you didn’t like him back then.’ She shook her head. ‘I just assumed you’d be okay with him now, seeing how he’s a different person. A better person.’
‘I can sense the good in him.’ Luna raised her glass of sherry a touch. ‘He was troubled, Liz. Still is a bit, but his head and heart are in the right place now.’ She glanced at Alice. ‘You’re a good person, a little too nice at times, and perhaps you shouldn’t have married the fella, but it’s done now.’
Lizzie shook her head. ‘Why didn’t you get a divorce? Ten years, you said, and what, no mention of it?’
Alice shrugged. ‘What did it matter? Neither of us had plans to marry someone else.’
