A whole team of florists and caterers arrived to decorate the marquee, laying tables and arranging party favours. I mooched around in Pearl’s shadow as she directed operations. I took Laurie and Phoebe on a tour of the grounds, carefully avoiding the kitchen garden and the greenhouse.
‘This all needs a good tidy up,’ Phoebe said, stepping through the long grass and gesturing towards the unkempt shrubbery with its overgrown rhododendrons, brambles, and holly bushes.
Ivy came with us, my one source of comfort in the whole sorry mess. After a while, I offered Uncle Laurie the chance to push the pram. Phoebe refused point blank.
‘She is your great niece,’ I pointed out. Phoebe didn’t want to acknowledge any sort of relationship. ‘It’s bad enough that she kept the boy, let alone give a home to his dubious offspring,’ I heard her hiss to Uncle Laurie at one point.
It was tempting to take Uncle Laurie aside and confide. He was a sensible man, good at dishing out sound advice. He would undoubtedly urge caution, demand hard evidence. I had none, just the horrible knowledge that the guy who had let me down before had done it all over again.
Chapter Thirty-Three
I’d arranged to meet Anita at seven-thirty. Rather than drive myself, I asked Nev to take me and collect me at eleven. He didn’t look too thrilled with the arrangement, but was as impeccably polite as always.
‘Busy day tomorrow, miss,’ he reminded me.
‘I am aware of that Neville.’ I replied, wondering if he was reluctant to stay out late because he had a final canoe training run through the reed beds.
‘You seem a bit on edge,’ Anita remarked as I ordered a second glass of wine before she was even a quarter of the way through her first.
‘You know me and weddings,’ I replied. ‘They always make me nervous.’
Anita was pleased to report that the publishing contract had been signed with the infamous trade unionist, and he was now ‘all mine’.
‘And he can’t wait to get the ball rolling,’ she told me. ‘As a young man, Ian Tate held the country to ransom in the 1980s, and he won’t let you forget it. Good luck. He’s got two ex-wives and a couple of rather well-known mistresses to pacify, so you’ll need all your skills of discretion to keep him on track. I imagine it’ll be a bit of a roller-coaster ride.’
‘Another one? Just what I need,’ I said.
It was actually quite a relief to see Nev waiting outside the hotel at ten forty-five.
Saturday morning dawned sunny and clear. The perfect day for a wedding. My dress hung on the door of my wardrobe, matching shoes lined up on the floor. I peered out of the stable block windows towards the river, where all was quiet and calm. Of course it would be – what was I expecting, a pirate ship and the entire Spanish Armada?
The hair and make-up party had been booked for seven-thirty. The stylist, Charlene, was a close friend of Rita’s. Naturally, Pearl and Jack had spent the wedding night ‘apart’ and Pearl’s first floor bedroom was a hive of frenzied activity.
Ivy was fractious, as if she could sense that for once she wasn’t the centre of everyone’s attention. Phoebe looked on with disapproval while I rocked and jigged her up and down, trying all the usual tricks to calm her.
‘Here,’ Rita said eventually, holding out her hands. ‘You look all over the place this morning, Rebecca. You can ask me, you know. I’d love to have a go.’
Without hair and make-up, I realised Rita was probably a lot older than I’d first thought. Our body clocks were probably ticking away at the same frantic rate of knots. No wonder she was so desperate for a baby. I immediately regretted I hadn’t made more attempts to befriend her. We were the same age, living in the same household. I’d had Freddy to lavish those maternal feelings on, she had no-one. Was it so wrong to condemn her and JJ for using whatever means they had to try for a child? If I was in that position, would I have done the same thing?
I felt a few stirrings of guilt that I had only added to their difficulties by supporting Gerald Kimble’s claim to his mooring and digging up a past that was long buried. What right did I have to barge in on other people’s lives when I knew so little about them?
Within minutes, Rita had lulled Ivy back to sleep.
‘You’re a natural, Marguerite,’ Charlene remarked. ‘You must be so excited. I bet the next few months can’t go quickly enough for you. It must be amazing, after all those years of trying, to know that you’ve got your own little one on the way.’
Rita beamed. Instinctively all eyes in the room were on her stomach.
‘You mean it’s worked?’ Pearl was dumbfounded.
‘Yes.’ Rita looked like a cat with the cream. ‘We weren’t going to say anything until after the wedding, because obviously this is your day, not ours, but yes, our last round of IVF worked. Early next year, Ivy will have a little playmate.’
‘That’s wonderful news, congratulations,’ I said, genuinely pleased for her. I would definitely make more effort in future to get to know Rita better. I had been far too judgemental.
‘You’ll have to make some changes to your lifestyle.’ Pearl’s lips were pursed. Her thunder had been well and truly stolen and she knew it.
‘It looks like JJ’s already found a buyer for the Aqua Riva, so when that’s sold at least we should be able to get on and get the house finished,’ Rita explained. ‘JJ’s negotiated a good price for her, nearly what he paid. She’s not being collected for a couple of weeks, which is just as well as apparently as he’s mislaid a set of keys. Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if the one of the lads on the marina hadn’t pocketed them and was taking the boat for a midnight spin. Bloody thing has guzzled a whole tank of marine fuel in less than a week. I’ll be glad to see the back of it.’
Pearl raised her eyes skywards. ‘JJ should be putting his money back into the business, not farting about with that fancy house. Perhaps you ought to remind him about his father’s loans, Rita dear, before you go choosing decorations for the nursery.’
‘It is a shame JJ didn’t think about selling his speedboat earlier,’ I said, trying not to think about Freddy and the set of missing keys. Surely he wouldn’t be so stupid. ‘Then he might not have needed to threaten poor Gerry Kimble to get his hands on those few extra berths.’
‘I heard the paperwork had turned up,’ Pearl threw in. ‘Who found it?’
‘Jack, apparently,’ Rita said. ‘Anyway, that was a business matter. Our private finances are separate. Sailor Gerry will drink himself to death in a few years’ time anyway and JJ will get the mooring back.’
‘If you’re lucky, it could happen sooner than you think,’ Charlene added. ‘I saw the old boy just the other day, teetering along the Hard, drunk as a skunk. Wouldn’t take much, would it, for him to fall in? One push and JJ could have his pontoon back tomorrow.’
‘I’ll suggest it,’ Rita laughed.
All thoughts of potential friendship vanished. Had my meddling actually made Gerry’s situation worse? Before I’d poked my nose into things, it had only been his boat that was under threat, now it seemed his life could be in jeopardy. He really would have to watch his step.
‘I think Ivy needs to go into her crib,’ I said, almost snatching the baby out of Rita’s murderous arms.
Rita refused to give up her prize. ‘I’ll do it,’ she insisted.
‘Right,’ Charlene said, swirling Pearl round so that we could all admire her immaculate make-up. ‘Who’s next?’ She smiled at Phoebe. ‘Shall we do the bride’s mother?’
‘Bride’s mother?’ Phoebe gasped in horror. ‘I’m her sister. Her younger sister.’
‘Only by eighteen months,’ Pearl pointed out. She patted Charlene’s arm. ‘Don’t worry, dear, you’re not the first person to make that mistake.’
We were done. Despite my misgivings, I did look good. The bridesmaid dress Vera had designed fitted perfectly and accentuated my curves without making me look dumpy or buxom. Charlene had done wonders with my hair, and my face glowed. If only
Nick could see me now…
But he couldn’t, and I didn’t want him to. I never wanted to see him again. Every hour that passed was an hour closer to the end of the day. Whatever was going to happen in Kerridge would soon be over, and I could begin a new life, yet again.
The doves and the owl were on standby in their cages. The caterers were in full swing, the marquee was a floral fantasy. The vow ceremony was taking place in the open air, under an archway smothered with lavender, love-in-the-mist, and delphinium sprays, to match the wedding bouquets.
Pearl looked magnificent. Vera had created a very simple shift dress in ivory, accessorised with a pure silk lilac pashmina. A fascinator picked up the colours of both. Pearl’s trademark honey-coloured hair was softer now, streaked with ash blonde. I was welling up with pride. She looked happy and relaxed, a very different mother from the one I had grown up with, but one I loved just the same.
We posed for photographs on the front steps, and then Freddy took her arm and led her to the waiting car. We had hired a company for the transport as Heather and Nev were needed at Rivermede to ensure everything was ready for when the guests began to arrive.
Freddy looked very grown up. The weeks of working outdoors had filled out his body and tanned his face, so that he’d lost his gaunt, Gothic-ness. His hair was freshly washed and tamed. He looked resplendent in his suit, finally giving in to Pearl’s demands and wearing a purple waistcoat to match Jack and JJ. His only rebellion – a loose cravat, not a tie – gave him an attractive, rakish appearance.
The simple civil ceremony took less than fifteen minutes. Pearl had her wish; she was Mrs Jack Robshaw of Rivermede, Kerridge. I prayed to a God I rarely believed in, please, please don’t let anything bad happen today. And then I realised I was really praying to Nick, just hold off whatever it is you have planned for a few more hours. Please don’t spoil my mother’s big day. Again.
Lunch had been booked in a restaurant close to the registry office. I pushed food around my plate while for once Rita ate like a horse. As the waiters offered us champagne, she declined and asked instead for sparkling water, which of course, led to an inquest and the confession of the pregnancy. Jack was overjoyed.
‘You’ve made my day,’ he said, much to Pearl’s irritation. I saw her give him a dig in the ribs. He dug her back. ‘A new generation at Rivermede,’ he winked. ‘Look how much pleasure Ivy’s brought you. They will grow up friends.’
JJ looked appalled at this thought but took the congratulations. I momentarily wondered if the baby would bear any resemblance to its grandfather, Gerald Kimble, and secretly hoped that it would.
Jack proposed a toast, and while we waited for more champagne to arrive, JJ took me to one side.
‘I understand you were the one who found that paperwork,’ he said. ‘Why couldn’t you just leave it alone?’
‘Because you were persecuting an innocent old man,’ I replied. ‘You’re a bully. And incidentally, should anything happen to Mr Kimble in the near future, I will make sure the police carry out a full investigation.’
He stared at me quite blankly. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘It means I know people, too, Mr Robshaw,’ I replied.
When the meal was over, the moment I was dreading arrived. It was time to return to Rivermede. Was it too much to hope that perhaps we had missed all the action? Perhaps the ‘shipment’ had arrived early. Perhaps nothing had or was going to happen at all.
Guests lined up on the lawn to greet the wedding party.
‘You look stunning,’ Anita whispered to me. ‘Absolutely beautiful. Are you sure there aren’t any eligible men here we can snare for you?’
There were none. Sailor Gerry was definitely off the guest list, and if Max van der Plaast had been issued with an invitation, he had obviously declined because he had his drugs run to organise. And as for Alex the Twitcher, he would hardly turn up now.
Pearl and Jack repeated their vows in front of one hundred and fifty witnesses, and the well-trained owl delivered the rings with precision. The Kerridge Pops Choir rose from the seated crowd flash-mob style. Even I had to admit it was a pretty impressive performance.
I kept a continual lookout over my shoulder. Freddy remarked I was making him nervous.
‘What are you so worried about?’ he hissed. ‘You’re not the one making a speech.’
‘I’m nervous for you,’ I lied.
The sensible, level-headed side of my brain told me I was being ridiculous. The creative, over-imaginative side told me it was perfectly reasonable to expect an entire fleet of gangster speedboats, guns blazing, to roar up the river at any moment.
In the warmth which soon became the heat of the marquee, we ate more food, while the recently released doves re-assembled on the lawn. Pearl and Jack had their first dance. It was a short, awkward waltz to a bad cover of Thinking Out Loud by the jazz band Pearl had engaged for the evening’s entertainment – an amateur quintet who came on no-one’s recommendation but advertised their services in the church magazine. Jack rarely left his wheelchair, and I admired the effort it must have taken to don his uncomfortable prosthetic so that he could partake in the first dance. He and Pearl were good for each other, and I sincerely hoped they would be happy for many years to come.
Chapter Thirty-Four
As dusk fell, I slipped away from the marquee and down to the shore. I’d had champagne with my lunch and one to be polite on arrival, but then joined Rita on the sparkling water for the rest of the evening, conscious that at any moment I might be required to dive into the River Deane to rescue an entire troupe of sea scouts.
All was quiet on the water. The tide was on the rise. Another hour or so and the creek would be fully accessible, the perfect conditions for a landing of contraband. There was no sign of the sea scouts. There was nothing to do but wait. And hope.
I heard footsteps on the gravel.
‘Hello, gorgeous.’
I turned at the sound of his voice.
‘What the hell are you doing here?’
Nick had his baseball cap low over his head. He wasn’t dressed for a wedding. He wore black jeans and a bomber jacket.
‘Just hoping for a glimpse of the most beautiful bridesmaid in the world,’ he said, sliding his arms around my waist.
‘Get off me,’ I hissed, edging out of his reach. ‘How dare you come here.’
‘You invited me, if I remember rightly.’
‘You haven’t adhered to the dress code,’ I pointed out. I couldn’t keep the sarcasm from my voice. ‘Why aren’t you on your stake-out?’
‘It could be hours yet,’ he said. I took a step back. He looked perplexed. ‘What’s up, Becs?’
‘What’s up? What do you mean what’s up? I’ve sussed you out, Nick.’
He stared at me. ‘Sussed me out?’
‘‘Freddy went out with Max the other evening. He told me they stopped on the way back for a drink with one of Max’s mates, someone Max referred to as The Tsar who has a boat at Helme Point. Do you think I’m stupid? All this time you’ve been stringing me along, haven’t you? Do you know, I seriously thought for one minute a few days ago, that we had something good? That we could be happy together, and yet you’ve done it again, haven’t you? You’ve lied and cheated.’
Nick shook his head. ‘You’ve got this so wrong, Rebecca. Why would you even think—’
‘Oh, stop denying everything,’ I hissed. The gate was still ajar. Once on the other side with it firmly shut, he couldn’t get to me, he couldn’t get into Rivermede. He would be out of my life, excluded like a bad dream. ‘Even your name fits, when I think about it, doesn’t it? All that old Russian aristocracy, Tsar Nicholas, Tsar Alexander…’
Pearl stood just behind the gate with Pippadee tucked under her arm.
‘Rebecca, you left the gate open. Pippa could have got out, she could have been anywhere.’
‘Sorry, Mum.’
Nick came to an abrupt halt behind me. Pearl regarded him
suspiciously.
‘I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure,’ she said, holding out her free hand. ‘You must be Alex from the quiz.’ She stepped to one side, her face impeccably polite. ‘Please, come on in and join us for a drink.’
‘No, Alex has to be somewhere else right now,’ I said. I pushed past her and kicked the gate shut with all the force I could muster in stilettos.
‘Goodness me,’ Pearl exclaimed. ‘What was all that about? Chrissie said he was a bit of an oddball, but there’s oddballs and then there’s oddballs, Becca. I’d keep well away from that one, if I were you. Do you know who he reminded me of? Nick Quinlan. He looked decidedly shifty, and as for that outfit. What a bizarre choice for a wedding guest. At least, for all his faults, Nick knew how to look good in a suit. And why on earth were you arguing about Russian Tsars?’
Why on earth indeed? How could I answer that? ‘Quiz question, Mum.’
‘Oh, I see. There was Ivan the Terrible remember, he was a Tsar; and Katherine the Great. Peter the Great, too, of course. Talking of which, I hope he’s got everything under control at the marina. I’ve been so looking to the torchlight parade ever since he first mentioned it.’
‘Peter the Great?’
‘Yes, that’s what they call him at the club because he’s so good at organising everything. He’s just popped out to the get the flotilla started. It should be along in about twenty minutes or so. Won’t it be perfect?’
Pete the harbourmaster had a boat moored on the marsh. He also had a beard and was about fifty. Did he have a northern accent? I couldn’t recall, but it was quite possible. I tended to switch off whenever he started talking, but we had had that conversation about Tristram Markham… Had I got this all so wrong again? What an idiot I’d been. How could I have doubted Nick?
‘Fancy you forgetting Peter the Great,’ Pearl chuckled to herself. ‘Don’t you remember Ivanka the serving girl in Summer at the Winter Palace? She could trace her ancestry right back to Peter—’
Your Secret's Safe With Me Page 24
