Gracie (32 page)

‘Edward? Blimey! What are you doing here?’ Gracie looked around nervously.

‘I’m sailing back to Africa next week and I wanted to let you know so I decided to drive down and tell you face to face …’ He paused and grinned. ‘Don’t look so shocked, I didn’t just turn up at the hotel. I telephoned when I arrived in Southend and Ruby told me you were at the shops. Luckily she gave me directions.’

‘She shouldn’t have done that.’ Gracie said, trying to compose herself and pretend nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

‘Don’t blame her, she was just trying to be nice. Did you tell her we’d spoken the other week?’

‘Yes, I did. Ruby is the only person who knows everything about me, the only person I trust with everything. And it works the other way, of course… .’

‘It must be nice to be close friends like that. I don’t think men do that sort of thing … Look, can we go somewhere to talk? I’m not trying to pressure you, just a chat, as old friends. I know your situation and I’d never compromise you.’

‘I don’t think it’s a good idea, even if you are going back to Africa. I’m still a married woman,’ Gracie said, edging away. She didn’t want to be that close to him, she didn’t want to remember their kiss.

‘You’re probably right, but you did phone me and then you stood me up so I thought it would be nice to have the catch-up we didn’t have in Melton.’

‘I’m sorry about that. I had to get back to Southend straight away. But Louisa guessed who it was, you know. You remembered me.’

She started walking but he fell into step beside her.

‘Louisa is the nearest thing to a Ruby that I have. But I don’t tell her everything, because she’s my brother’s wife, and if it came to the wire that would be where her loyalties lie.’

Gracie started laughing. ‘Sibling loyalty? Wish my sister had heard of it …’

‘Why do you say that?’

‘Never mind, it’s a long story and I have to get back to work …’

‘Well, as I’m here we might as well have that chat, don’t you think? I won’t be back in England for another three years. Let’s go and sit over there and talk.’

As Edward looked at her she could feel herself weakening, in exactly the same way she had when they’d met. But there was something different about him, and it took a moment for her to realise that beneath the beard there were scars and he didn’t lope along as he had before. And then she remembered that he’d told her on the phone that he’d had an accident.
An altercation with a tree
. She realised, looking at him, that he had made light of it. It had to have been far more than an altercation.

‘Look, you can come back to the hotel with me if you wish,’ Gracie said, softening. ‘We can talk there but I can’t be seen with you, not at this moment. I don’t want anything to go wrong with …’ She stopped herself. ‘I just don’t want to be seen doing anything untoward.’

‘Look, I’ve borrowed Harry’s car – I’ll give you a lift,’ Edward said quickly, indicating a vehicle parked a little further up the road.

‘Nice car …’ Gracie smiled as she lowered herself into the passenger seat of the dark green sports car and stretched her legs out. She tucked her shopping bag down by her feet and rested her arm on the cutaway door.

‘It’s a Triumph,’ he said.

‘I know, I can read. Now no trees this time, please,’ she said and Edward laughed.

‘Definitely no trees, especially in Harry’s car.’

Under Gracie’s directions, he drove the long way back to the hotel through the country lanes of Barling and Wakering, and then from end to end of the seafront, with Gracie holding onto her hair which was trying to stand up on end.

When they finally arrived at the hotel, Edward parked a little way away and let Gracie go on ahead before following her.

Gracie was in the lobby when he entered. ‘If you’d like to come this way, Mr Woodfield, Miss Blakeley is in her office.’

He remained straight-faced and as they walked into the office Ruby jumped up from her chair.

‘Oh my, oh my, whatever happened to you?’ she asked by way of greeting.

‘I had a car accident a while ago …’

‘Well, the beard suits you, you look very distinguished but I can’t say the same for Gracie. Your hair … have you looked in the mirror?’

Gracie blushed and tugged at her hair with her fingers. ‘Oh well, can’t be worse than the rollercoaster.’

The three of them laughed at the shared joke and it eased the awkwardness of the situation.

‘Well, I have to go and do something or other so I’ll leave you to it,’ Ruby said, still smiling. ‘But don’t forget dragon lady and satanic friend are leaving this morning. Johnnie’s taking them to the station in about an hour.’

‘Praise the Lord and bang the tambourine, I’ll be there to wave her off with streamers,’ Gracie smiled.

‘I’ll bring you tea. I’m getting good at handing out tea trays to you, aren’t I? Aunt Leonora taught me well!’

Ruby grinned as she left the room and pulled the door shut behind her.

‘Did you have the accident in Africa?’ Gracie asked, not only to break the ice but also because she was curious. If he hadn’t come up to her at the shops she doubted she would have recognised him, he looked so different.

‘No, near home. I was on the last bend before the drive when I had an encounter with a very large aged tree. The tree survived.’ He laughed. ‘And so did I. Eventually. The car didn’t make it, though! I’ve not been back to Africa yet. Saffron Walden has been my prison since the day of …’ he stopped and looked away.

‘Since the day of what?’

‘The accident, since the day of the accident. But that’s unfair of me. My family have been wonderful, especially Louisa. She’s turned out to be such a gem during my time out of action. I feel really embarrassed about how dismissive I was of her previously.’

Gracie felt a strange twinge of jealousy but quickly brushed it away.

‘How is Louisa? I know it was she who answered the phone when I rang to tell you I couldn’t meet you. And she recognised me. I can’t imagine how she did that after one brief meeting on the beach …’

‘I confided in her just a little. She’s been good to me.’

Again, Gracie felt an odd jealousy.

‘I’ll go and chase up the tea. Ruby’s rushed off her feet so she’ll probably forget.’

‘Is it okay for me to be in here? I don’t want to upset anyone, especially your husband …’

‘How much did Ruby tell you?’

‘Only that you and Sean weren’t together and that you were having a bad time.’

‘Did she also tell you that Sean and I have a baby? A daughter?’

‘No, she didn’t, I had no idea.’ The expression on his face was hard to read but Gracie had immediately decided she was going to be open and honest.

‘There are a lot of things about me you have no idea about.’

As she looked at him she remembered the day they had gone to buy the ice creams. It was a memory that she had successfully locked away but as she looked at him she was instantly transported back there. It seemed so long ago in one way, but in another it was as if it was happening all over again.

‘I hadn’t expected it to be that easy to get you alone,’ Edward said as they walked side by side as slowly as they could, towards the ice cream stand that was furthest away. ‘It’s lucky they’re all too lazy to want to go ice cream hunting.’

‘Ruby wasn’t being lazy, she knew what was happening.’

‘What did she know was happening? I need to know because I don’t even understand it myself.’

He looked at her curiously as he walked closer to her side so their hands were nearly touching. Nearly, but not quite.

‘She just knew something was up, she knows me too well,’ Gracie said without moving away, but ensuring there was no contact.

‘Yes, something was definitely up; I knew when I saw you. I want you to know I don’t make a habit of proposing to random young ladies. This has never happened to me before. Love at first sight? I always thought it was a myth …’

Gracie stopped walking and turned towards him.

‘I shouldn’t be here with you. I should have told you when we were at the beach …’

‘Don’t tell me anything I don’t want to hear, not right now, please …’ he interrupted her.

She looked at him intently. Something told her that he knew what she was going to say, that he’d already seen the ring that she had tried to hide.

‘No, I have to tell you. I’m engaged to be married.’ Embarrassed she looked down at her feet.

‘I know, I saw the ring.’

‘I thought you might have and I’m ashamed of myself for trying to hide it. But what you don’t know is that I’m getting married on Saturday. This Saturday.’ Gracie paused. ‘And I shouldn’t be walking along here with you; I should be back at Ruby’s hotel getting everything ready for the day.’

Edward Woodfield didn’t say anything; he just looked a little puzzled. She could see he was trying to absorb the information she’d just given him.

‘Is that what you want to do?’ he asked.

‘We still have a lot of preparations …’

‘I don’t mean do you want to go home, I meant do you want to get
married
on Saturday – to someone who isn’t me?’

‘Please don’t ask me that, it’s not fair.’

‘Okay. Well, let’s pretend for a few minutes that isn’t what’s happening. Let’s just walk and talk, and get to know each other …’

And they had. Then, when they were nearly back to the spot on the beach, they ducked behind the line of huts and vendor stands blocking them from sight of the others. Edward turned to her.

‘Please don’t marry someone else, Gracie. I know we’ve only just met but I feel I know you already. I wouldn’t presume to ask you to call your wedding off and elope with me but at least delay it … Please?’

She looked at him and smiled. ‘I’m sorry,’ was all she said.

He glanced around and then leaned forward, took her face in his hands and kissed her gently on the lips. She didn’t pull away, simply savoured the moment with the stranger.

By the time they got back to the group Gracie had just two thoughts in her head.

One was that she could easily fall in love with Edward Woodfield, the complete stranger.

The second was that she had to get right away from him and back to Sean Donnelly, the man she had known for so long and who she was going to marry in a few days’ time.

As she and Ruby walked away she could feel Edward’s eyes on her but she didn’t look back.

‘Come on, Ruby, keep up!’ she said over her shoulder as she walked away as fast as she could. ‘We’ve got a wedding to go to’. The faster she walked and the further she got away from Edward the easier she was able to breathe and convince herself that she was doing the right thing, even though it didn’t feel like it. She wanted to turn around and see if he was watching; she wanted to run straight back to him and see what would happen next but she couldn’t do that to Sean so she carried on walking.

‘My marriage is over,’ Gracie said to Edward. ‘He found out something terrible about me and I discovered he was having an affair with my sister. You see?’ She looked him in the eye.

‘You only know the Gracie who was on the beach than day. That wasn’t me. This is me, with more secrets than a carrier pigeon, and I’ve just had the worst year of my life.’

Once the floodgates were open, Gracie and Edward bared their souls to each other. She was all too aware of the mistakes she had made and was determined not to put herself in that situation ever again. Edward meanwhile told her about the accident and how it had happened on her wedding day. They talked and talked until there was a knock on the door and then Ruby put her head round.

‘Witches. Two, ready and waiting.’

Gracie looked at Edward. ‘I have to go.’

‘I’ll wait here …’

‘No. It’s time for you to go also. Time to go back to Africa and get your life back. We can write, we can be friends and we can wait and see what happens.’

Edward stood up and reached forward to take both her hands. He kissed her slowly on the lips as he had that day on the beach, and then he pulled away.

‘This isn’t what I want, Gracie. Friends? Pen-pals? No, I don’t have to go back. I can work in England …’

‘No,’ she interrupted him. ‘You have to go, go back and do what you love. Write to me with your address and I’ll write back. Three years isn’t that long.’ She laughed.

This time she kissed him on the cheek.

‘Goodbye, Edward. Have a safe journey.’

Gracie walked out of the office and went to say goodbye to her mother-in-law.

Ruby accompanied Edward out of the front doors, as if he had been her visitor, while Gracie went over to Rosaleen, who was standing alongside Yolande with her suitcase at her feet. There had been an easy truce brokered between them all after the incident with Fay and Gracie had felt Rosaleen thaw a little.

‘Gracie, I want you to change your mind. I want you to come to Ireland with Sean and Fay, and continue with your marriage away from the temptations that are here. We can forget about all this, no one need know anything. They needn’t even know where you all are,’ she said with a satisfied expression. ‘It would be a fresh start for everyone …’

‘I’m sorry, I really am you know. I’m so sorry it all happened, apart from Fay of course. But there’s no going back now. Sean is sure he’s staying with Jennifer and I am with Fay. Did you want to say goodbye to her? She’s upstairs with Jeanette …’

The last thing Gracie wanted was to get into another discussion with Sean’s mother. She understood her desperate desire for everything to be normal in her son’s life and for him to still be her favourite child but she couldn’t help her, she just couldn’t.

‘No. It’s too upsetting for me, especially when I don’t know if I’ll ever be seeing her again.’ Rosaleen stopped and looked towards the door. ‘Sean! I thought you weren’t going to be coming …’

‘How could I let you go without saying goodbye?’ He smiled the boyish smile that Gracie used to love but which now meant nothing to her.

‘And when will I be seeing you?’ Rosaleen asked her son as she reached out and stroked his hair affectionately, as if he was still a small boy.

Gracie knew immediately that the woman would forgive her son but it made her smile a little to imagine Rosaleen pitted against Jennifer McCabe.