Mother of the Bride
Page 1
MOTHER OF
THE BRIDE
Marita Conlon-McKenna
TRANSWORLD IRELAND
Contents
Cover
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Also by Marita Conlon-McKenna
Acknowledgements
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Chapter Forty-five
Chapter Forty-six
Chapter Forty-seven
Chapter Forty-eight
Chapter Forty-nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-one
Chapter Fifty-two
Chapter Fifty-three
Chapter Fifty-four
Chapter Fifty-five
Chapter Fifty-six
Chapter Fifty-seven
Chapter Fifty-eight
Chapter Fifty-nine
Chapter Sixty
Chapter Sixty-one
Chapter Sixty-two
Chapter Sixty-three
Chapter Sixty-four
Chapter Sixty-five
Chapter Sixty-six
About the Author
This eBook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
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www.randomhouse.co.uk
TRANSWORLD IRELAND
an imprint of The Random House Group Limited
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First published in 2010 by Transworld Ireland,
a division of Transworld Publishers
Copyright © Marita Conlon-McKenna 2010
Marita Conlon-McKenna has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781848270374
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2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1
For James with love
Also by Marita Conlon-McKenna
THE MAGDALEN
PROMISED LAND
MIRACLE WOMAN
THE STONE HOUSE
THE HAT SHOP ON THE CORNER
THE MATCHMAKER
Acknowledgements
For my family, James, Mandy, Laura, Fiona and James, son-in-law Michael Hearty and little granddaughter Holly.
Special thanks to Mandy and Michael – a wonderful bride and groom! Also thanks to Tom and Breda for being such great in-laws. What a perfect summer wedding we all enjoyed.
To my agent, Caroline Sheldon, for all her support and belief over the years. Also thanks to Rosemarie and Jessica Buckman.
Thank you to my editor Linda Evans. What a delight to find that we are on the same page! It’s been great working together.
To all the team at Transworld UK, especially my copy-editor, Lucy Pinney, for her sensitive work on the text, and to Vivien Garrett and Sarah Whitaker. Aislinn Casey for spreading the word! Also thanks to Eoin McHugh at Transworld Ireland. Thanks for all your work on my book, it is much appreciated.
To Gill and Simon Hess, Declan Heaney and Helen Gleed O’Connor and all in Gill Hess Dublin. What a great team!
Special thanks to Francesca Liversidge for all her support and encouragement and friendship over the years.
Thanks to Grace Murphy for the medical advice. (Any errors are my own).
Thanks to Barbara MacKenzie, cake-maker extraordinaire, for all her wedding wisdom.
For all the wonderful friends who enrich my life. You are the best!
Chapter One
Helen O’Connor listened to the deep rumbling snores coming from the other side of the bed. Looking at Paddy’s contented face, as he snored on oblivious, she resisted the urge to thump him or turn him over. Instead she snuggled down under the cosy quilt, trying to lull herself into her usual deep sleep.
The house was quiet, the sound from the big grandfather clock in the hall strangely comforting as Helen turned over. She was tired, and could feel herself relax as the familiar comfort of their big bed worked its magic. She was almost asleep when the phone beside the bed began to ring. A quick glance at the bedside clock showed her that the time was after midnight. Concerned, she began to sit up as she answered it; beside her, Paddy was already beginning to rouse himself and wake.
‘Hello!’ she answered, barely able to disguise the trepidation in her voice. Calls in the middle of the night usually signalled trouble of some sort. She held her breath, anxious.
‘Mum, it’s all right. It’s Amy. I’m just phoning to tell you that Daniel and I have got engaged.’ Their elder daughter, Amy, was breathless with excitement on the phone. ‘We’re in Venice, and it’s so romantic. Dan proposed on this lovely little bridge over the canal as the sun went down, and then we went for dinner to this amazing restaurant called La Rondine. We’re so happy. Can you believe it, Dan and I are going to get married?
’
‘Amy and Dan have just got engaged!’ Helen shouted, shaking Paddy awake. ‘Oh, Amy, that’s wonderful news.’ Helen was so happy for them both. Amy and her boyfriend Daniel were touring around Italy for a week, and were flying back from Florence at the weekend. Although they had only been together for about two and a half years, Helen and Paddy had secretly hoped that this relationship would work out. They both really liked Daniel, and felt he would make a great son-in-law; everything that the parents of a daughter would wish for. ‘Congratulations to you and Dan, we’re so pleased for you.’
‘Mum, Dan and I don’t want a long engagement,’ Amy continued. ‘We want to get married next summer!’
‘Next summer!’ Helen was a little surprised. From what she could gather, weddings took a lot of organizing. Still, if that’s what Amy and Dan wanted. ‘That sounds perfect. Here, I’ll put you on to your dad. He’s dying to congratulate you, too.’
Paddy at this stage was propped against the pillows, gesticulating madly that he wanted to talk to Amy. Helen passed him the phone, and craned to listen to the conversation.
‘Amy, pet, congratulations. We’re delighted. Dan’s a lovely fellow, and I know that you’ll be happy together,’ Paddy said, trying to control his emotion. ‘From the minute I met him I knew that he would always take good care of you. And now he’s going to marry my little girl!’
‘Oh, Dad,’ Amy wailed. ‘I’m glad that you and Mum are so pleased for us. It’s just so exciting.’
‘Put Daniel on the phone a minute,’ prompted Paddy. ‘We want to tell him just how happy we are with the good news.’
They both pulled the phone off each other telling Daniel Quinn just how happy they were at the prospect of his joining the O’Connor clan. And they were both reassured by his promises to take care of their elder daughter.
‘Mammy, is Ciara there? I want to tell her too!’
Paddy yelled for their younger daughter, Ciara. Her dark hair standing on end, she arrived like a zombie in black pyjama bottoms and an ancient T-shirt, and grabbed the phone off them.
‘Hey, Amy, I can’t believe it. You and Dan getting engaged . . . it’s so grown up!’
She curled up on top of their bed as she chatted with Amy, eventually passing back the phone. Helen listened as Amy excitedly went through every detail of the proposal and told them she was sending them a photo of her engagement ring from her cell phone. Ciara went and grabbed her phone as the image appeared on the screen, and passed it to them, Helen being struck by the technology that could enable her to see the ring on her daughter’s finger, even though she was in Italy and they were back home here in Dublin. All of them admired Amy’s beautiful diamond ring.
‘It’s absolutely gorgeous.’
‘Mum, listen, we’ve got to go! We have to phone Dan’s parents and Ronan and Jess, but we’re dying to see you all next week, when we can celebrate properly together.’
‘Good night, love,’ Helen said as the call ended, Ciara, Paddy and herself all agreeing that the engagement was great news.
‘She asked me to be a bridesmaid,’ yawned Ciara. ‘Does that mean I have to wear some disgusting frilly dress or something?’
‘That’s great,’ said Helen, wondering how in heaven’s name Amy was going to get her normally Goth-styled sister into anything resembling a bridesmaid dress. ‘I’m sure you’ll be a wonderful bridesmaid and a great help to Amy.’
‘Mmmm!’ said Ciara, before giving them a quick hug and sloping off to her own bedroom.
‘That will be something to see!’ Paddy joked as he clambered back into bed beside Helen.
‘Can you believe it, Amy getting engaged and married?’ Helen fixed her pillows as she sat up in bed. Why, it only seemed like yesterday that Amy had been born and they’d brought home a wriggling, squealing baby from Holles Street Maternity Hospital, and had looked at each other with hardly a clue as to what to do with her. Somehow Paddy and herself had muddled through that first year of parenthood and survived it. The years had flown by as their young family had grown.
‘She’s thirty years old, Helen.’
‘Oh, Paddy, you know what I mean. She’s our first baby, and now she’s going to have a husband, and then a family of her own.’
‘I know, love,’ said Paddy. ‘I know.’
‘Can you believe it, Paddy, Dan and Amy engaged!’
‘Of course I can. They both love each other, and Dan is a gentleman, and I told him that I’d be delighted to have him as a son-in-law.’
‘You told him that . . . when?’
‘When he asked me for Amy’s hand; he wanted to be sure that I approved of them getting married, and would give my permission.’
‘He asked you!’ Helen gasped, incredulous. ‘When?’
‘We had lunch in town together about five weeks ago, and he told me what he was planning.’
‘Paddy O’Connor! Do you mean to tell me that you knew all about this engagement weeks ago, and you never said a word to me!’
‘Not a word! I was under strict instructions to keep it a secret. Dan wanted it to be a total surprise for Amy.’
‘Paddy!’ She couldn’t credit it, her husband of thirty-two years keeping a big secret like that from her. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I promised Dan, and you know you would never have been able to keep it in, Helen. You know you wouldn’t.’
‘I could have,’ she protested, indignantly.
‘Really?’ he said, wrapping his arms around her.
She had to laugh. Paddy knew her better than she knew herself. She had to admit that he was right. It would have been very hard to have not said something, or even not smiled every time she was around her daughter. Thank heaven for Paddy’s good sense.
Wrapped in her husband’s arms, she hoped that her daughter’s marriage would bring the same fulfilment and happiness that she and Paddy shared. Like all couples, they had endured the ups and downs that life brings, the good times and bad times, but theirs was a happy marriage, and she knew in her heart that fate had smiled down at her the night she had met Paddy O’Connor.
‘Honestly I’ll . . .’
‘What will you do?’ he teased.
A while later she listened as Paddy began to snore again. A bull elephant, a train hurtling down a track, or a juggernaut. The sounds varied but were for the most part consistent. She resisted the usual urge to nudge him, thinking instead of the wedding. There was nothing like it: a big family wedding, with aunts and uncles, cousins and relations and friends, all gathering together to celebrate Amy and Dan getting married.
A summer wedding! Could anything be more perfect?
Chapter Two
Amy looked at the sparkling ring on her finger again. She loved it! Loved the way the beautiful single diamond caught the light. Daniel had chosen the most perfect ring for her, one that fitted her finger exactly. He knew her so well, he knew just what she liked. She still couldn’t believe that they were engaged, and were going to get married and live together happily ever after. It was like a dream come true. She smiled, thinking of Dan getting down on one knee on the bridge overlooking the canal and asking her to marry him!
From the minute they had met Amy had realized that Dan was ‘the one’, the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. He wasn’t just her best friend and soulmate but the love of her life. She loved Daniel Quinn with all her heart, and now he was going to be her husband. Husband! She liked the sound of it . . . the very word . . . husband.
Her parents had been delighted, and she was sure that secretly it was a huge relief to them that at thirty years and five months she had found a husband. And not just a husband, but Daniel, who she knew they both totally approved of and liked.
‘They are over the moon. I knew they’d be!’ She laughed as Daniel began to phone his parents and friends. Just imagine! In less than a year she would be Mrs Amy Quinn!
The proposal had been so romantic. They’d been walking through the streets of Venice
as night fell. During the day Venice bustled with tourists and their cameras; groups of Japanese visitors following guides around St Mark’s Square as they tried to see all the sights; and queues for vaporetti and expensive gondola rides. But as the sun went down on the lagoon and the island emptied, the tour bus crowds left and it became a different place. La Serenissima: a place of lovers and trysts and secret history, filled with centuries of romance and intrigue. Where lovers walked hand in hand through narrow streets, and disappeared behind the shuttered doors and hidden balconies of palazzos and villas and old houses, and pledged to love each other for eternity.
No wonder Dan had insisted that they go for a pre-dinner walk far from the Grand Canal, and crossed one of the smaller bridges to a place that was quiet and beautiful, where they could watch the red sun slip from the sky and disappear into the water.
‘I wanted to be sure that we were alone.’ He had grinned, touching her shoulder.
They certainly had been alone: most people had already crammed into the bacari for drinks and to sample the tapas-like cicchetti; or were dining in the busy restaurants.
‘It’s just so beautiful here!’ she had said, leaning against him as she’d taken in the breathtaking views all around them. Amy could not believe this City of Bridges on the Adriatic, with its myriad canals, huge lagoon, and waterbuses that ferried people from place to place.
‘You know, legend has it that Italian lords and nobles of old would bring their lady loves here, to this Santo Cristo bridge, to look at the city and the water at twilight, so they could pledge their love,’ Daniel had said slowly.
Amy had held her breath, barely daring to speak, as he’d got down on one knee and taken her hand in his.
‘I love you, Amy,’ he had said, his eyes fixed on hers. ‘Will you marry me? Marry me!’
She hadn’t even had to think or hesitate for a second: marrying Daniel was all she’d ever wanted. ‘YES . . . YES . . . YES! A hundred times “yes”!’ Amy had shouted, like some crazy mad Irish woman, as Daniel had stood up and taken a small jewel box from the pocket of his trousers. Dumbfounded and delirious with happiness, Amy had looked at the perfect diamond on its slim band of gold which he’d slipped on to her finger. Dan’s long face had been intense and serious as he’d held her hand in his.