They ran into the cake tent and selected lots of cupcakes, all colours. But the wild berry ones were indeed blue. Then, back on their bench, they sat side by side.
“I meant it about being a good friend to you,” Liam said. “Anything you need.”
“In that case, you can start by hiding me in your room tonight.” She looked at him hopefully. “Your room doesn’t share a wall with Nicole’s.”
He stared at her; comprehension slowly changed his expression. He swore under his breath. “That’s too much.”
Yep!
“Of course, you can stay with me.”
“I can just sleep on your sofa.”
“You can have the bed; I’ll sleep on the sofa. I’ve always thought there is something very loving about sharing a room with a friend you don’t want to have sex with.”
She had to laugh with him. Even though they were both heartbroken, they could laugh.
Liam was a wonderful friend. He stayed by her side for most of the wedding until it was reasonable to leave, and then he took her to his room where she spent the night. And he was right. It felt peaceful to sleep in his room. And perhaps because she wasn’t worried about noises from next door or because she was exhausted, she slept all through the night.
______
Nicole and Gabriel were leaving on the 9 am ferry. So, Pierre stayed in Liam’s bed and let him go down to breakfast without her. There was no way on earth she could watch Gabriel leave.
Maybe…
What if…
A small hope brushed her heart like a feather.
Maybe he…
When at last she ventured out, she couldn’t help glancing at Gabriel’s room further along the corridor. The door wide stood open; the bedlinen already stripped.
Down on the first floor, even the office where she and Gabriel had worked was empty.
“Oh, there you are.” Mrs B saw her as she rounded the corner. “Emmet was looking for you to say goodbye. None of us knew where to find you. He even came up to knock on your door.”
Her heart leapt into her throat. “Where is he?”
“Oh, across the Channel by now, I should wonder.” Mrs B paused in the gallery, her eyes on the office where they had worked. “He was such a lovely young man,” she said sadly. “Came round to say goodbye to each one of us. There were a few tears in the kitchen I can tell you.”
“Did he…I mean, did he look for mebeforesaying goodbye?”
“No, no, he’d already talked to everyone and thanked us, but when he couldn’t see you, he tried to find you, said he had something to give you. But he couldn’t wait becauseHerselfwas already outside with her luggage waiting.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
What had she hoped for? An eleventh-hour change of mind? He had promised to stand by Nicole, and Gabriel was not the kind of man to break his promises.
Thirty-Two
How did the house look so empty with so many people crowded in here? Many of the guests, close friends and relations, stayed for days after the wedding. It was almost like one of those Hindu weddings that went on for several days. Yet the space left by Gabriel yawned wide like a chasm. She kept looking round when a door opened, whenever someone walked into the kitchen, every time she looked at the bike rack.
The silence from the room next to hers tormented her with visions of him and Nicole reconciling. After three days of this, Pierre realised she had a choice: unless she forced herself to swim, she was going to sink.
So, the fourth day after the wedding, she went to see Lord M. If anyone could help her it would be him.
“Selkie!” he exclaimed when he saw her come through the double doors to his study. He wasn’t alone.
