Nineteen
Hanna returned to Betancourt Bay the following Saturday afternoon, having spent just over a week with Susan. A week she had enjoyed far more than she had expected. She had even planned another visit, and this time, Jeremy would also be there.
It was time she put the past behind her. She had let this affect her life far more than she should have. She even admitted to herself that she had blown it out of all proportion. Yes, her boyfriend had fallen in love with her aunt and her aunt had fallen in love with him, but they didn’t do it on purpose. They didn’t set out to hurt her.
And it happened more than twelve years ago. Life was far too short to bear grudges. She should’ve done more, two years ago when the cancer scare had made her realise how much she still loved Susan. And when Susan had called, Hanna could’ve been warm and friendly, not cold and bitter. Things would be different from now on.
She was later getting home than she had planned due to cancellations on the trains, but would still be back in plenty of time to get ready for Grace’s hen night.
Wait. Was that Russell going into St Gabriel’s church as her cab had sped past?
What was he doing there at four-thirty on a Saturday afternoon? What was he doing there at all? Russell wasn’t one to attend church other than for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve and for a few special occasions like weddings, and such. Was he … was he getting married?
Of course he wasn’t. She was being stupid. But why was he there? On an errand for Griff, perhaps? This might be her chance. What better place to be alone with him than St Gabriel’s church? But wasn’t he supposed to be in London with Griff and Archie? Today was Grace’s hen night.
Now she had to know what he was doing, and the moment the cab stopped at Catkin Cottage, she asked the driver to wait while she tossed her holdalls into the hall, and then she jumped back inside, and yelled, ‘Take me to the church!’
‘On time!’ He sang back to her and grinned at her via the rear view mirror.
‘Hilarious,’ she said but she grinned and gave him a huge tip when he dropped her right outside the door.
She ran inside, her heels click-clacking on the stone floor and called out his name.
‘Russell! Russell? Are you here? Oh!’ She stopped in her tracks with a final and rather loud click-clack of her heels and stared at everyone, as they all stared back. Griff and Grace were standing face to face in front of Reverend Copeland, with Russell by Griff’s side and Hope beside Grace, while Archie and Tabby and the rest of the Eversleys, along with Hope’s boyfriend, Tom, sat in the pews.
‘Are you … are you getting married now?’
‘No,’ said Griff, grinning.
Hope burst out laughing. ‘I told you this would happen, didn’t I?’ she teased Grace. ‘We haven’t got to the part about anyonehaving objections to the wedding yet, but stick around Hanna, we’ll get there.’
‘That’s not funny,’ said Russell, looking a little concerned.
‘Is this … is this some sort of weird hen night thing then?’ Hanna couldn’t get her head around it.
‘No,’ said Grace. ‘It’s our wedding rehearsal. We had to delay it from earlier in the week because the poor reverend was unwell, and today was the only time we could all be here.’
‘Oh. Thank God.’
‘If you didn’t know this was the rehearsal,’ Griff said, ‘what made you come here, Hanna? And weren’t you calling Russell’s name?’
All eyes turned from her to Griff and back to her.
‘I … Erm … I saw Russell come in and I wondered why he was here because Hope said you’d all be in London.’
‘I see,’ said Griff. ‘Is that all?’
‘Sorry? What? I … Erm. Yes.’
‘You didn’t come racing in here to say something in particular to my brother then?’
‘Griff!’ Russell glared at him.
‘No! Absolutely not. What could I possibly have to say to … Oh sod it! Opps. Sorry vicar.’ Susan had told her that, the moment Hanna saw Russell again she should march right up to him and tell him how she felt. And that was what she had planned to do when she’d seen him from the cab. Okay, so lots of others were here, but everyone in the village would soon hear about it anyway, so what the heck? She took a deep breath while everyone stared or mumbled or fidgeted, and Russell just looked as if he was glued to the spot.
‘In case any of you are in any doubt, I don’t love Griff, I love his brother. Yes. That’s right. I love you, Russell, and even if you don’t love me, I have to tell you how I feel because I’ll explode ifI don’t. Or it’ll eat away at me forever. I love you. There. I’ve said it.’
‘Where’s Barbra Brimble when you need her?’ quipped Hope as everyone else, including Russell stayed silent.
