by Lisa Hall
‘Really? What happened? Can you tell me?’
‘Well, they had a blazing row, right there in front of us all. And then Caro stormed out. We got the call a few days later to say that she was gone.’
‘Oh gosh. Do you think…?’
‘Ladies.’ A new voice butts in, and this time I am sure it is Sadie. A flutter of nerves stirs in my belly as I wait to hear what Sadie will say. Will she let slip anything about the party? Or will she join in their spiteful bitching about me? I almost feel sick, waiting. ‘Even if Emily is after Rupert’s money, is it any business of yours? And how dare you gossip about Caro? You’re supposed to be friends of Rupert. I strongly suggest you watch what you’re saying, seeing as you’re enjoying a night out on his dime.’ There is a pause, footsteps as the bitchy women hurry outside, and then a tap on the cubicle door. ‘Emily? It’s OK, darling, you can come out now.’
I wipe my face with a piece of toilet tissue and slide the door open, peering out cautiously. ‘Well, that was refreshing.’ I try to laugh, but as I catch sight of my reflection in the mirror, the mascara that smudges under my eyes, I want to cry.
‘Oh, ignore them. They weren’t anyone who matters, trust me. They’re just jealous that you snagged Rupert and not them.’ Sadie gives a brittle smile before turning to the mirror and swiping more bright red lipstick over her mouth. ‘Are you OK? That wasn’t the song you chose earlier, was it?’ My eyes meet Sadie’s in the mirror, and any chance I had of asking her about Caro and the night of the party slips away. ‘What happened?’
‘No. It wasn’t our choice. The singer said I left him a note but… I don’t know. It was just a silly mistake, no big deal.’ I lick my finger and wipe away the black smudges of make-up from under my eyes, so I at least look presentable.
‘Well, it gave me a jolt, so goodness knows how it made Rupert feel.’ Sadie eyes me closely. ‘They played that for Caro and Rupert’s first dance.’
‘I know. Amanda mentioned it when we went for lunch together a few weeks ago, you know when all three of us went to that new place, near the station?’
‘Oh, Emily. I didn’t realize that you knew. Are you sure you’re OK?’ Sadie’s face is creased with concern, her lipsticked mouth turned down as she gently squeezes my arm.
‘Honestly, it’s fine.’ I blink. ‘I think I’d like to just forget about it, you know? Whatever happened I don’t want to let it put a shadow over our day.’
Sadie pulls out a tiny hairbrush from her clutch bag, running it over her already immaculate bob. ‘Well, as long as you’re feeling all right. Let’s get you back out there before people start talking.’
I follow her out into the garden, back towards the hotel. ‘Sadie, those women, what they were saying… do people really think that? That I’m just out for Rupert’s money?’ Does someone want to scare me off? For a moment, I wonder whether to tell Sadie about the text message, the letter, the feeling of being watched.
Sadie stops, the shadows from the wooded area to the left of us hiding one side of her face. ‘No. Of course not. But Rupert was a very eligible widower for a while – you’re bound to have some people – some women – who are jealous. And things happened so quickly. Obviously, we all know you two are very much in love.’
‘I meant what I said in my speech, you know. That I want to live the perfect life with him. He told me that he knew immediately that I was the one for him, that he knew straight away we were meant to be together, that we’re twin souls…’ I trail off as I catch sight of someone lurking in the entrance to the woods.
‘Emily?’ Sadie turns to me, frowning. ‘Are you OK?’
‘Yes… you go on back, I’ll be in in a minute. Just need some fresh air.’
I give her a quick smile, waiting for her to move off before I turn my gaze to the woods. The figure still stands there, watching me, and a ripple of unease snakes up my back. It’s the same person, I think for a moment, the same person who was watching the house. Isn’t it? With a quick glance towards the hotel, where warm light spills out of the windows and I can make out the shadows of people dancing and drinking, I take a deep breath and turn back towards the trees, fully intending on finding out who is there and what they want from me, even though I feel as if my knees are quaking like some cartoon character. But as I step forward, the grass soft under my feet, I find there is no one there. But there was. I am sure of it. A dark silhouette watching me walk across the garden with Sadie. I rest a hand on my chest in an attempt to stop my heart from racing. Someone was definitely watching me, the only question is, who?
Chapter Twelve
Rupert watches from his comfortable position sprawled across their huge king-sized bed in their ocean view bedroom, complete with balcony, as Emily gets ready for dinner. They are on their honeymoon in an exquisite hotel in Hastings, Barbados, still another two weeks of bliss ahead of them. Rupert isn’t too sure how he feels about the hotel, despite the luxury they are surrounded by. He had left the honeymoon decision up to Emily and had been partly horrified when she had announced that Coconut Court was her first choice. He’d tried to dissuade her at first, but she had been adamant that she wanted to stay here – that she’d heard only good things, and she was only planning on ever having one honeymoon, and besides, she had already booked it. He couldn’t find it in himself to tell her that he and Caro had honeymooned on the island, albeit at a different hotel. That he had proposed to Caro on a beach not five miles away from where she was suggesting they spend their honeymoon. Sadie had told him he was mad when he mentioned it.
‘Bloody hell, Rupert… are you sure about this?’ Sadie had looked at him in horror, then at the confirmation email on the screen of his phone. ‘What if Emily finds out you went to Barbados with Caro? That you bloody proposed to Caro there!’
‘She won’t… not if you don’t tell her. Please, don’t tell her, Sadie. She’s got her heart set on it, and I don’t want to disappoint her.’
‘She’ll be more than disappointed if she ever finds out the truth.’ Sadie shoved the phone back in his direction, and he fumbled, almost dropping it. ‘You’d better hope that someone doesn’t let it slip.’
‘She doesn’t need to know,’ Rupert implored. ‘Please, Sadie. I did try to tell her in a roundabout way. I tried to persuade her that Thailand would be nice, but she wouldn’t listen, and it was too late. She’d already booked it.’
Sadie had just looked away, changing the subject, but Rupert hadn’t missed the look on her face. Now, he pushes the memory down, out of sight, convinced that despite Sadie’s disapproval, he has made the right choice. The hotel is one hundred per cent high-end luxury, and he’s determined to make new memories here with Emily over the next fortnight.
‘So, what do you think of the honeymoon so far?’ he asks Emily, as she pins her short curls up into some complicated hairstyle in front of the mirror. Her skin already glows with the beginnings of a light tan.
‘Beautiful.’ Emily meets his eyes in the mirror and smiles, a tiny lifting of her lips. ‘Everything I hoped it would be.’
‘What made you decide on this place? Apart from the reviews, obviously. I thought you’d be more… I don’t know, India, or Peru. Somewhere… less relaxing.’ Rupert genuinely is curious about Emily’s decision. The fact that he’s even had to ask her just shows how much they still have to learn about each other. He could have told you that Caro would have picked the Caribbean every time, thanks to fond memories of childhood holidays (Rupert’s childhood holiday memories were more Cornwall than Caribbean), and a love of long days stretched out on the sand soaking up the sun.
‘Someone recommended it.’ Emily pouts into the glass, pressing her lips together and checking her lipstick hasn’t gone astray.
‘Someone?’ Rupert frowns.
‘Yes, Sadie or Amanda, it might even have been Will. I don’t remember who exactly.’ Emily spins on the stool to face him, satisfied that she is finally ready to go down to the restaurant. ‘We were talking about honeymoo
n destinations and one of them recommended Barbados. Hastings. They said that you had been to the island before and you loved it, that if I wanted to make the honeymoon really special, Barbados was the place to go. And then when I found this hotel, I thought it looked perfect – the ideal place to relax after the wedding. It was pretty stressful.’ A cloud crosses her features.
Why would Sadie or Amanda recommend coming here to Emily? It’s true, he does love the island, always has done ever since Caro brought him here the first time they went away together, but he’d rather have gone somewhere different, somewhere where there was no ghost of Caro looking on. Now he’ll feel on edge for two weeks, worried he’ll upset Emily by letting something slip about being here with Caro.
‘I’m sorry again about the song cock-up. I really don’t have any idea how it happened.’
‘It’s fine, Rupert. Just a silly mistake.’ Emily closes her eyes for a moment. ‘I’d rather not think about it anymore, to be honest. Let’s concentrate on now, on being happy and making the most of our beautiful honeymoon together.’
‘As long as you are happy, Mrs Milligan.’ Rupert scoots to the end of the bed to kiss her, worried that the look on her face means she isn’t happy.
‘Of course I am.’ Emily gives him a smile, and turns to the mirror, her hands going back to fiddle with her hair again. ‘Now, are you going down to the restaurant like that, or are you going to get dressed?’
The restaurant is quiet when they arrive for their meal. Theirs is one of the tables on the edge of the restaurant floor, closest to the sea. There are no walls or windows, just a space that opens out onto the sand. A warm breeze ruffles Rupert’s hair as they wait to be seated. Tiny lights are strung across the ceiling and it is the perfect setting for romance. Rupert blinks away the vision of Caro sitting in a restaurant very like this one, just before they took a stroll onto the beach and Rupert went down on one knee in the sand, under a full moon. There is a pain, somewhere close to his heart. He still misses her, even though things weren’t perfect between them. He must be careful this evening, he thinks, not to let anything slip that will let Emily know that he’s been here before. He could kill whoever it was who recommended Barbados – why not let Emily make up her own mind about their destination?
‘Mr Milligan? How lovely to see you again.’ The maître d’ appears beside him, and Rupert recognizes him from the last time he was here, his heart leaping into his throat. He glances towards Emily, who is gazing out towards the ocean and doesn’t seem to have heard. ‘Let me show you to your table.’
Emily looks amazing this evening. She’s wearing a semi-sheer, off-the-shoulder Diane Von Fürstenberg dress in shades of green that accentuates the colour of her eyes. Rupert almost feels underdressed in his cargo shorts and pale blue Ralph Lauren polo shirt. He watches as several other guests turn to look at the pair of them as they cross the room to their table, feeling a little burst of pride that Emily, the woman all the other men in the restaurant wish was with them, is with him.
‘Have you been here before?’ Emily eyes him closely as Rupert takes his seat opposite her.
‘Errr… no, I don’t think so.’ He makes a big deal of fussing with his napkin, adjusting his cutlery so it sits dead straight on the pristine tablecloth.
‘I thought he said it was lovely to see you again?’ Emily’s brows are knitted together, and she doesn’t take her eyes off him.
‘You know how these places are, Em, they welcome you like an old friend, and then you spend more money with them. He’ll probably ply us with wine all evening.’ He feels a bead of sweat gather at the corner of his temple. Why hadn’t he just told Emily they were going somewhere else for their honeymoon, or even just confessed that he’d been there with Caro and let Emily make up her own mind? It’s too late now. He changes the subject, keen to avoid any confrontation. ‘Hungry?’
‘A little.’ Emily’s voice is quiet. She’s been subdued since they got on the plane yesterday morning, the morning after the wedding. Rupert had thought that perhaps she was hungover, that’s why she’d been so quiet, but now it’s two days since the wedding. No hangover lasts that long, and surely she can’t still be annoyed about the mistake with their first dance song, can she? After all, it was only the first few bars of music, and none of the other guests even seemed to notice it.
‘Maybe we should start with a cocktail?’ Rupert suggests, waving over a waiter and ordering two rum punches before Emily can respond. ‘We are on holiday after all.’
‘Rupert…’ Emily starts to speak, before the waiter returns with menus, giving them both a run-down on what the specials are. Rupert orders for them both – salted cod – and when the waiter finally leaves, he waits for Emily to speak. She looks a little pale under her tan, but that might just be the lighting; Rupert isn’t sure. He feels a tiny wave of panic rise in his chest. Is she about to tell him they’ve both made a terrible mistake? He can’t let her go, not now, not after he’s finally found what he’s been looking for.
‘Rupert—’ Emily clears her throat, then sips at her cocktail, wincing at the burn of rum on her tongue. ‘There’s something I should probably tell you. I wanted to wait until after the wedding…’
‘What is it?’ Rupert puts his cocktail down and leans across the table, avoiding the strategically placed candle, to grasp her hand in his. ‘Emily, whatever it is, it’s OK.’
Her face is serious as she lets him squeeze her fingers, before sliding her hand delicately away, her right hand going to her wedding ring to twist it on her finger. ‘It’s quite a big deal, Rupert. I’m not sure how you’re going to react.’
Rupert’s first instinct is to reply that of course she doesn’t know how he’s going to react, if she won’t just bloody tell him what it is that’s got her so worried. But he bites the words back, reminding himself that she’s not Caro. She can’t read him like a book, the way Caro used to. Not yet anyway.
‘I don’t know, maybe I’m just being silly… but I really don’t think I am.’ Emily shifts in her seat and looks away. ‘I am a bit worried that… well, that someone isn’t very happy about the two of us being together.’
‘What do you mean, someone isn’t happy about us being together? This isn’t about Mags, is it? She hasn’t upset you again?’ Rupert feels a familiar prickle of annoyance. He thought they were done with all of this. He was relieved when Emily hadn’t invited her trouble-making friend to the wedding.
‘No, it’s just…’ A deep red flush is staining Emily’s cheeks, and she fidgets in her chair, clearly uncomfortable. ‘I’m worried that people think I’m only after you for money – which I’m not – you know that, right?’
Rupert nods. ‘Of course I know that, but who cares about what anyone else thinks?’
‘I got a letter,’ Emily blurts out, ‘calling me a bitch. I don’t know who it was from, but it was in a bundle of post. I don’t know if it was sent to me at the flat or sent to the house. Our house.’
‘Jesus.’ Rupert sits back and shoves a hand through his hair. ‘Why didn’t you tell me? Have you still got the letter?’
‘No,’ Emily shakes her head, ‘I threw it away. I didn’t want to worry you, that’s why I never said anything. Harry called me that once or twice.’ She looks down and Rupert sees a tiny damp spot on the tablecloth where a single tear has fallen. ‘I got a text message, the night of my hen party, saying pretty much the same thing. And then some hideous woman was in the loos at the wedding, saying I was basically a gold-digger. I love you, Rupert, I just want to be with you. I don’t understand who would want to say these awful things to me.’
‘It sounds to me like someone is a bit jealous, that’s all.’ Rupert takes her hands in his. ‘It’s nothing to worry about, and I certainly don’t care what other people might think. We know this is the real deal. You and me, we’re the only people who matter.’
Emily nods, but says nothing.
‘And you certainly don’t need to worry about Harry, or Mags, or anyone
else who might want to stick their oar in. I’m here to look after you now and I won’t let anyone hurt you. Em, you’re safe with me – if I see any sign of Harry, I’ll send him packing. We’re a team. Does that sound OK?’
Emily is quiet for a moment, before she says, ‘That sounds absolutely perfect.’
They spend the next few days soaking up the sunshine, Emily arranging herself prettily on a sun lounger each morning, while Rupert pulls his slightly to one side into the shade. He burns easily and doesn’t want to look like a lobster when they both look back on their honeymoon photos. He is frantically checking emails – trying to keep up with all the work that still floods his inbox even whilst on holiday – tapping quietly at his phone screen while Emily dozes. She wants to try scuba diving later, and he absolutely has to get these figures back before lunchtime. She has still been a little subdued since their conversation over dinner, and Rupert can’t shake off the nagging feeling that there is still something bothering her. He’ll bring it up tonight at dinner, he thinks, just double-check that she is OK. He goes back to his figures, not noticing when Emily stretches and sits up, reaching over for the suntan lotion and smoothing it into her legs. He doesn’t notice when she shifts on her sun lounger, rolling over so she is propped on one shoulder, facing him.
‘Rupert.’
Rupert holds up one finger, his eyes running down the column of figures in front of him. ‘One minute, Em, I really need to get this checked and back to the office. Grab a cocktail if you want, I won’t be long.’
‘Rupert, I wanted to ask you something.’ Emily sits up, sprinkles of sand clinging to her ankles and feet.
‘Just give me a minute, please? I promise, I won’t do any more work today once this is done.’ Rupert reaches out a hand and strokes her thigh, as he saves the document and attaches it to an email. ‘There, done.’
Emily shakes her head and lowers herself back down onto the sun lounger, a frown drawing her brows together as her words come out in a rush. ‘Rupert, tell me about Caro.’
