‘Can you stand up?’ Maggie asked, getting a brief nod in return. She let go of her sister and scrambled to her feet, holding out her hand to help Emily. ‘Okay?’ She caught Susan’s eye. ‘Are you sure you can cope?’
‘It’s not a problem. The bride and groom are due to leave in ten minutes. The reception will break up then.’ Susan reassured her. ‘Don’t worry. You see to Emily and I’ll ring you tomorrow.’
‘Thanks.’ She turned back to see her sister, pale as a ghost and shaking. Even Emily couldn’t fake this level of distress and for once she genuinely felt sorry for her. ‘I’ll get my handbag and we’ll be off.’ Maggie led her sister towards the back door of the kitchen. They’d have to walk around to the front of the hotel where her car was parked but it was better than going out through the reception crowd and attracting too much attention.You can’t stand to see Chad again, can you?He’d been nothing but kind and she’d thrown his sympathy right back in hisface. ‘Come on, Ems,’ she encouraged and her sister trailed along behind her. They made it to the car and briefly Maggie considered and quickly rejected the idea of going back in to say goodbye to Fiona and Peter. She fastened Emily’s seatbelt and hurried around to get in the driver’s seat. For a second she clung onto the wheel and took a couple of slow, deep breaths.
‘Are you alright?’
Somehow she managed to nod at hearing her sister’s unexpected concern and started up the car. Maggie headed off down the long gravel driveway and drove the ten miles to their house without either of them saying another word.
* * *
‘Spill the beans.’ Tonya’s eyes gleamed at Chad. ‘Let me guess. Loopy Emily broke a fingernail?’
Maggie’s sister was obviously renowned for being a drama queen, but Chad was pretty sure there was more to it this time.
‘That’s quite enough.’ Audrey interrupted, ‘There’s a Jewish proverb that goes “What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth”.’ Her sharp gaze focused on Chad, clearly telling him not to indulge Tonya’s curiosity.
‘I have no idea, but everything seems to be fine now,’ he replied, although it wasn’t anywhere near the truth. Chad wasn’t stupid, despite the older woman’s concern and had no intention of saying anything that could be repeated or misconstrued. The loud boom of the gong silenced the room and saved him from being interrogated any more. Fiona’s father encouraged everyone to head outside to see off the newly married couple.
Chad jumped to his feet. ‘Ladies, may I escort you?’ He flashed one of his brightest smiles. Tonya instantly sprung to her feet and wriggled her hand through his arm so he couldn’t shake her off without being rude. Chad offered his other arm to Audrey and her face creased in a half smile. Graciously she allowed himto tuck her hand into his elbow and he steered the three of them out through the crowd.
‘You’re a very good liar, Mr Robertson,’ Audrey whispered. ‘I don’t wish to know what happened, but I am worried about those girls.’
‘I honestly don’t know the full story, but Maggie seemed to be handling it okay,’ he murmured, turning his head so Tonya couldn’t catch their conversation.
‘She’s always had to.’ Audrey shook her head. ‘It’s wicked that their parents made Maggie responsible for her sister when there’s nothing wrong with Emily a good spanking as a child wouldn’t have cured.’
This wasn’t the time or place to discuss Maggie’s upbringing despite his overwhelming urge to know more. He turned back to Tonya. ‘Any idea where the happy couple are honeymooning?’
‘I did hear they were going to Hawaii, but have no idea if that’s right.’ She leaned forward to give Audrey a snide nod. ‘I probably shouldn’t have told you because it’s only thegossipgoing around.’
‘Don’t try to be clever, my dear, it doesn’t suit you.’ Audrey’s sharp tone made Chad wince. Why did he get stuck trying to negotiate peace between two of the most difficult women in the room while the one he really wanted to be with had soundly rejected him?
They joined the crowd gathered around the front door of the hotel and Chad’s fervent hope was that Fiona and Peter would hurry up and leave. As soon as the confetti throwing was over he intended to politely get rid of his two companions. He’d escape to the local pub where he was staying, dump the fancy suit and drown his sorrows at the bar. Chad had managed to weasel out of Peter’s mother’s invitation to join them for a family meal later by pleading jet-lag. Lying wasn’t honourable, especially to his family, but he’d had more than enough for one day.
* * *
Maggie watched Emily’s peaceful breathing. As soon as they’d had a cup of tea her sister had fallen asleep on the sofa. At least it meant she didn’t have to keep listening to heartbroken, unanswerable questions about Jonathan’s reasons for breaking off their engagement. Maggie’s educated guess was that he’d got tired of babying Emily but what did she know? Her own experience with men could fit on the head of the proverbial pin. In between keeping an eye on Emily, earning a living and trying to get a business started the amount of time she’d had for a social life was close to nil. To say that the majority of the dates she had been on were less than stellar successes was putting it mildly.
Emily wouldn’t wake for a while so Maggie decided to take a chance. She hurried up to her bedroom, desperate to change out of the tight dress she’d been crammed into all day. As she pulled the zip down her body sagged with joy and settled back into its natural curves. Maggie tossed the offending object on her chair ready to take to the dry cleaners on Monday. Her stalwart dress was at least ten years old and had been to so many weddings Maggie was surprised it didn’t receive its own invitation. She tugged on an old elastic-waist floral skirt and a plain white blouse and shoved her aching feet into her ancient pink slippers. Next she shook out the contents of the small black bag she’d carried to the wedding and started to transfer everything back into the cavernous linen satchel she used most of the time.
From the middle of the pile Maggie picked up Chad’s business card. She toyed with it and wondered what he’d say if she rang him.You know what he’d say. He’d be concerned. Ask if you’re alright and whether he could do anything to help. Want to see you again.She let herself remember Chad’s tempting smile, the aroma of his delicious spicy cologne and the way he’d rolled up his sleeves and gone to work as if he always went to weddings and ended up helping to make the cake.
He was out of her league, if she even had a league, and it’d been a ridiculous notion from the beginning. Sometimes even her sensible, responsible self behaved foolishly at weddings — maybe it was something about all that love and hopeful optimism flying around.
‘Maggie, where are you?’ Emily’s panicked voice drifted up the stairs. She plunged back to earth. This was her life, not whatever glamorous existence Mr Chad Robertson led back in Nashville, Tennessee.
‘Coming, Ems. I was just changing.’ Apart from her clothes nothing else was going to alter anytime soon.
Chapter Nine
‘What are you doing here?’ Maggie glared out at Chad from the safety of her half-open front door. It wasn’t exactly the warm welcome he’d hoped for.
‘I came to see how you’re doing. I’ll go away again if you want.’
‘You’ve been drinking.’ She frowned and peered out around him. ‘How did you get here?’
‘I flew,’ he said dryly. ‘Believe it or not I discovered Cornwall has taxis, the same as most of the civilised world.’ The tight line of her mouth deepened and he guessed she was fighting against giving in to a smile.
