Immie’s voice is gruff. ‘A cream tea would definitely have maxed out the food-intimacy connection.’
I can’t help smiling at that. ‘Hot chocolate at the Surf Shack, I’d melt faster than you can say “Christmas muffins”.’ Although that would hardly fit with Luc’s carb ban.
Beyond the sofas, Jess is somehow propelling Luc toward us, clinking a glass at the same time and shouting for everyone to be quiet. If I wasn’t bricking it, I’d be in awe of her multitasking skill. I clench my bum really tight in the hope it’ll help me drop the inches I’ve gained since last December.
As everyone goes quiet, there’s a terrible sense of déjà vu. As Luc comes to a halt a few feet in front of me and starts to clap his hands, it’s like I’ve lived this before. I know exactly what I’ve got to do. I’m edging backwards towards the double doors to the garden. Behind my back, I locate the handle. When I push, I feel the door spring ajar. I’m just about ready to run for my life, when I look up and Rory catches my eye. You know when people talk about communicating without words and it sounds like crap. But there’s something in his gaze that freezes me to the spot. I’m not taking the easy way out any more, am I? This time, I’m not going to run. I’m going to stay and tough out whatever’s going down here.
As Jess clears her throat the look on her face is as delighted as mine is horrified.
‘Everyone. Please. Luc wants to say a few very important words to our very own, and very special, Holly.’
As Luc towers in front of me, in his sharp dark-grey suit and pristine white shirt, I can see why Jess is bowled over. All the way from America. All the way to Rose Hill Manor. Exactly a year to the second, practically, since … well, since last year. Somehow, now I’m staring up at him, my crazy heartbeat is getting more sensible again.
‘Hi again, Luc.’ I smile at him, because if nothing else, his timing is impeccable.
He clears his throat and looks around to check he’s got everyone’s attention before he begins. ‘Holly. Last year, I asked you to marry me, and at the time, due to – er – extraneous circumstances, you didn’t give me a proper answer. And I left for New York, thinking our relationship was over.’
The American twang is a shock all over again. And this is how Luc is. If there’s an audience, he’ll always go out of his way to bring them up to speed first, before he gets to the point. He’s already lost Immie with his preamble, because she’s rolling her eyes. Extraneous circumstances? He pauses for long enough for me to think that’s a bit of a strange way of describing what happened and I catch Rory sighing too, over Luc’s shoulder.
Luc clears his throat again. ‘However …’ He lets that very big word hang for a while. So long, in fact, I’m wondering if he’s forgotten what comes next in his head. Then he kicks off again. ‘However, during the year, I had time to reflect. And I decided that maybe my future was not in New York after all, but in London. With Holly.’
There’s another pause. Possibly to give me time to work out if this is about me or the job. Because, from where I’m standing, it’s not at all clear where he’s going with this.
‘So, in short …’
Which it isn’t at all, but whatever. Immie’s not the only one yawning. He’s pretty much lost me too. I think I must miss the next bit because I’m so busy frowning, looking out at the hills. But when I look back round, my eyes almost pop out of their sockets, because he’s scrambling onto the floor. Then he pulls a chunky pale-blue box out of his pocket. As he shows it around the room, his flourish reminds me of a magician with an eye on the Oscars. Then Jess hisses the word ‘Tiffany’ so loud the cows at Poppy’s farm probably heard her. There’s a rumble that goes all around the room. Realistically, stunned silencesneverhappen here, because everyone’s always got too much to say.
There’s no need for Jess to get overexcited. Even if it’s a prettier box this time, it’s still going to be his grandmother’s ring inside. Then, as he flips back the lid and does another whole-room show-off, the sparkle is so totally dazzling even I do a kind of croak in my throat.
As he looks up at me from where he’s scrunched up on one knee, the expression on his face is so earnest that, for a nanosecond, my heart squishes. Then my gaze moves on to his navy silk tie. And the slight graze on his neck where he’s shaved too closely. I can only think Americans don’t approve of designer stubble. Not that I’m shallow, but he looked so much better ‘with’ than ‘without’. All this time, despite the bling in the box, his lips haven’t deviated from their straight line. When the main words finally come out, they’re low and quite growly, ‘Holly, will you marry me?’
I’m opening and closing my mouth, and it’s nothing to do with my shock at the new ring. ‘I’m sorry, Luc, but …’
That’s as far as I get. Then Jess swoops in and grabs the box from Luc. ‘Holly, remember what you told me?’ She beams down at Luc. ‘Thank you, Luc, Holly is truly delighted, sheespeciallyloves your ring. This heartbroken girl has waited patiently for you all year. Please bear with us, she’ll be accepting very shortly.’ In one movement, she rams the ring onto my finger, then powers me backwards onto the sofa. As I land against the kind of luxurious feather cushions that hug you right back when you fall on them, someone’s clearing their throat.
‘Holly Berry, you can’t throw your life away, don’t marry him,’ It’s Rory. Every bit of colour has drained from his cheeks, but he’s still just as chilled, leaning with his shoulder on the wall, arms folded. ‘He doesn’t love you …’
Rory’s voice has kickstarted my heart again. There’s a glorious moment when it dawns on me what he’s about to say. There can only be one reason why he’s joining in here. I’m thinking,yes, yes, yes, I love you too, Rory Bad-Ass Sanderson, how the hell did I not see that before? And Rory standing up here now to tell everyone Luc doesn’t love me, but he does, is the most romantic thing I can think of in the world. So romantic, my mouth goes all sour, because I might just be going to cry. Smiling across the room at Rory and sniffing hard as he finishes his sentence, I’m already anticipating how amazing it’s going to be to snog him.
I’m aching to hear the words. ‘He doesn’t love you, Berry …’I do …
Except it isn’t that. Rory’s voice carries across the room, and it couldn’t be louder, or clearer. ‘He doesn’t loveyou, Berry … the only person Luc loves ishimself!’
I’m squirming inside for having got that so wrong.
As Rory’s words bounce off the white walls, Luc is looking up, scratching his head. ‘Who’s this Berry, anyway?’
As the murmuring around the room gets louder, Immie’s frowning and growling at me. ‘Stuff Jess! Youcan’tmarry a guy who didn’t even bother to get in touch when you told him you might be pregnant!’ Except in the end it’s indignant and horribly loud. There’s a ripple of gasps around the room, then the roar of excited chatter.
Let’s face it, this is St Aidan. Everybody cares enough to wade in when you’re at the checkout buying cereal. Getting proposed to, the discussions may take all day. I smile at Gracie, who slides off her pouffe and comes to nestle against my knee.
She wrinkles her nose. ‘Is this Luc the p …
Happily, I cut her off before she gets to the ‘puke’ bit. ‘Yes, this is Luc, and he’s come all the way from America.’ I’m sounding like a song. ‘Luc, this is Gracie.’
As Gracie puts her hand up to wave, Luc backs away as much as a man on one knee can and pulls a face. ‘I’ve consolidated a lot the last year, Holly. We’re world leaders in Sound Operating Environments now and I’m currently screaming up the ladder.’
‘Great.’ It’s so absurd, what he’s saying, that my lips are twitching. ‘I hope you’ve attached your safety harness?’
