Her sister blinked and stared at her, even more dumbfounded than she’d been a few seconds earlier. ‘Oh, God! This is really bad, isn’t it? This really is real … Olivia, it’s not you getting married on Saturday. It’s me!I’mthe bride.’
Olivia? Was that her proper name?
‘You’re Elodie!’ she said, fitting the pieces in her brain together.
A huge smile broke out across her sister’s face. ‘You remember me?’
Alice shook her head. ‘Where’s my …?’ She reached down into her bag, still slung across her body, and pulled out the wedding invitation with a shaking hand. She pointed to the names embossed in gold on the front.Elodie and Isaac.She turned it around and showed it to her sister.
Elodie took it from her, nodding gently. ‘I see … Although you usually call me “Lo”.’ She smiled before adding, ‘Even though I keep asking you not to.’
‘I lost my phone and my purse – or they got stolen – but this was in my bag. It was the only clue we had …’ She pointed to the back of the invitation, showing the time and date of the rehearsal. ‘I thought if I could just get here …’ Her voice started to crack, and she had to pause and swallow. ‘If I could just get here, then I might find somebody who knew who I was.’ Tears began to fall again.
Lo dropped the invitation and slid her arms around Alice … Olivia’s … neck and hugged her gently.
‘You found us,’ she said, her voice similarly hoarse. ‘Oh my God, Lili … I’ve been so worried about you. I wanted to call the wedding off, but Isaac said we should wait, see if the police managed to find you. If we hadn’t had news by lunchtime tomorrow, I was pulling the plug on the whole thing.’
Lili. In comparison to Olivia, it felt warm and comforting. It was what Ben had called her once upon a time. She would have to tell him what her real name was, so there’d be no—
Oh, God …Ben!
In the midst of all the drama, she’d forgotten all about him. She quickly explained how Ben had helped her get back home, but also that he might need a hand because the last time she’d seen him, there had been a security guard in hot pursuit. Of course, there was a lot more to the story, but that would have to come later.
‘Have you got a way of getting in contact with him?’
Alice reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. ‘His aunt gave it to me.’ She tried dialling, but there was no answer, which worried her, but he might be hiding from security somewhere, unable to talk. She’d try again the next moment she got a chance.
Lo peeped round the screen hiding them from the rest of the room. Alice had been aware of noises – the door opening and closing, hushed voices – as they’d been talking and had assumed the rest of the rehearsal attendees had supped back inside to get away from the cold. ‘Listen, Mum and Dad are hovering … I’d better go and explain things to them. And then we’re getting you to a hospital.’
‘I was checked over already. CT scans and everything.’
‘Don’t care. I won’t be happy until I know for sure, and neither will Mum and Dad.Do you think you’re up to seeing them?’
‘They’re here?’ For some reason, that made her feel incredibly emotional.
Lo nodded. ‘They’ve been in bits, Lil. I know you might not remember them, but do you think you could say “hi”? I’ll warn them not to crowd you.’
Alice nodded. ‘Of course.’
‘I’ll go and fetch them.’
Alice sat up straight and tried to make herself look a little more presentable by smoothing down her hair. A few moments later, a couple in their late fifties appeared around the screen. The woman’s eyes filled with tears, but she stayed where she was, hesitant about coming closer.
‘It’s okay,’ Alice said. ‘You can have a hug if you like. I’m okay.’ She could only imagine how hard it must be for them, and she would have to get used to them sooner or later. This was her family.
They both rushed forward and gathered her up in their arms. It felt a little strange being hugged so passionately by complete strangers, but not as strange as she’d expected. There was warmth and comfort, and it felt nice to be known … that she had people who loved and cared for her.
‘I’m so glad you’re safe,’ her mum said softly as she stroked her hair, and her father just let out a little sob and buried his face into her shoulder.
‘I am,’ she said. ‘And I’m home.’
Ben sat on a sectional office sofa in the security suite of Hadsborough Castle. It was full of grey furniture, much like any other office. If he hadn’t been able to see glimpses of the formal gardens outside the window, he’d never have known it belonged to a castle.
What did you expect, idiot? Suits of armour and torture devices?
He huffed softly to himself, causing Mason, who was standing against the opposite wall, arms folded across his considerable pecs, to glower at him more sternly. Ben looked away. The local police had been called. He wasn’t looking forward to talking his way out of this one.
The office door crashed open. The lanky guard who’d chased him stood in the opening. He wasn’t looking very pleased. ‘You there,’ he said, pointing at Ben, which was a bit redundant since he was the only ‘prisoner’ in the room. Ben braced himself.
