Angel Uncovered (35 page)

She had tears in her eyes throughout the ceremony.
She was very happy for Jez but at the same time
remembered her own wedding vows. They had promised
to be faithful to each other, and now look at them. They
had both been unfaithful, had broken these very vows,
and now there were Jez and Rufus embarking on their
own marriage, full of hope. Angel felt as if her own store
of it had been used up. Something had been broken in
her marriage and could never be repaired.

After the ceremony handsome young men, stripped to
the waist and wearing wide-legged purple silk trousers,
circulated with trays of champagne and pale pink
cocktails.

Cal sought Angel out. 'That was great wasn't it?' he
said, putting his arm round her.

Angel nodded. She just didn't want to be with him
right now. She was haunted by thoughts of Ethan, fearful
that she had made a mistake by telling him she didn't
want him. So she slipped away from Cal when he got
talking to one of the guests. She went inside the hotel and
locked herself into one of the bathrooms where she sat on
the edge of the bath and took out her mobile to start
typing a text to Ethan, saying that she was sorry and she
really needed to talk to him. Then she sighed and deleted
it all. There was no way he was ever going to want to have
anything to do with her again, after the way she'd treated
him.

She returned to the reception and tried to appear as
upbeat and carefree as the other guests while her heart
felt so heavy. Cal stayed close to her and again put his
arm round her. Angel had to fight the urge to tell him to
take it off her, tell him that she didn't belong to him. It
was a relief when it was time to go inside for the wedding
breakfast.

After the main course, which she picked her way
through, it was time for the speeches. Angel gave hers
first. As she loathed public speaking it was short, sweet
and to the point. She just recounted a couple of funny
anecdotes about Jez and wished the couple every
happiness. Then it was Cal's turn. In contrast, he was
extremely good at public speaking and his speech was
entertaining and funny. Angel remembered him giving
the best man's speech at Gemma and Tony's wedding
when he had ended up proposing to her out of the blue.
It had been the most romantic moment of her life . . .

Then she tuned back into this speech and was shocked
to hear Cal making it personal again. 'I've been married
to Angel for nearly two years and I'm sure you all know
something of what we've been through. There were times
when it looked like we might not last but we've pulled
through . . . we're pulling through.' He was staring right
at her, as if willing her to feel the same. 'I can't marry
Angel a second time, but I do want to declare my love for
her again – sorry, Jez, I know it's your day, but being at a
wedding, thinking about love, has made everything clear
to me. Angel, what do you say? Will you renew your vows
with me?'

Cal looked at her expectantly; the whole roomful of
guests looked at her expectantly. It was too much. Angel
tried to keep things light, but felt herself trembling
under the pressure when she replied, 'Oh, Cal, it
is
Jez
and Rufus's day, and I don't think Jez would ever
forgive me if I upstaged him. Can we talk about this
later, please?'

Cal looked momentarily shocked but quickly
recovered himself and proposed a toast to Jez and Rufus
before making his way back to her.

While Jez and Rufus worked the room he said quietly
to Angel, 'I don't feel totally humiliated then.'

'Cal, I'm sorry, but we've been through so much. I just
need more time.'

'That's exactly why we need to make this commitment
again. Then, as well as telling each other of our love, we
could get the press off our backs.'

'I don't fucking care about the press!' Angel exclaimed,
suddenly furious with her husband. 'And, remember,
you
were the one who got us into this!'

She got up and abruptly walked away. She was just
making a beeline for Gemma when the hotel receptionist
came up and informed her that a gentleman was waiting
to see her in reception.

'Well, who is it?' Angel demanded, automatically
assuming it would be a journalist.

'He didn't leave his name but assured me that he
wasn't from the press.'

Sighing, Angel turned and followed the receptionist.

When she walked into the hotel lobby she got the shock
of her life. There, sitting in an armchair and looking
more wickedly handsome than ever, was Ethan. For a
second she was almost speechless then she managed to
stutter, 'Wh-what are you doing here?'

He got up and walked towards her. 'I just had to see
you again, Angel.'

She was about to speak when Cal marched up behind
her and said angrily, 'What the fuck's
he
doing here? She
made it clear she wanted nothing more to do with you, so
get out.'

'I don't think that's true,' Ethan said quietly. 'And I
think it's Angel's turn to speak, don't you?'

'Well, you know what she's going to say, don't you?
She's already made up her mind – she's staying with me,'
Cal said, though his voice had started to falter.

Angel took a deep breath. It was now or never. She had
to make a choice . . . and then she knew with absolute
certainty who she wanted to be with. If she didn't go with
him, she would regret it for the rest of her life. So she
turned to the man she knew she had to be with, looked
him in the eye, and said, 'Ethan, take me, I'm yours.'