Gracie (9 page)

She may have thought Edward Woodfield was the man of her dreams but she was well aware that she didn’t actually know him, not in the way she knew Sean. And even without knowing him, Gracie could see that they were from such different backgrounds and class that even if anything
were
to happen between them, there was no chance his family would ever agree to them marrying.

It just couldn’t happen and it wouldn’t work, not the way it did with Sean.

‘Oh, Ruby,’ Gracie sighed. ‘I’ve not made the decision in haste, I’ve thought of nothing else. But I’ve known Sean for years, he’s a good man and I’m sure I’m doing the right thing for both of us. We’re the same kind of people: we’re both ordinary and we match. I had a bit of panic the other day, imagining something different but I’m over it now. It was so stupid. I was getting ideas above my station, as my mother would say.’

The two women smiled and waved down to the group of neighbours who were gathering on the pavement outside the hotel, all there to see the bride off. Lots of people that they knew so well, even the small staff from the hotel were out there, waiting.

‘Don’t go putting yourself down, Gracie. No one is better than you and there’s no man too good for you, not even the one whose name you told me not to say!’

Gracie and Ruby moved back from the railings and faced each other.

‘Nice of you to say it, Rubes, but that one was definitely way out of my league. A country house and a London flat and living most of the time in Africa? Can you just imagine me out in Africa? None of that is me, is it? I’m just a local girl who’s been nowhere and done nothing. I couldn’t even keep up with him in a proper conversation.’ She smiled and shook her head. ‘So, let’s go and get on with my wedding day. It’s been long enough coming! Everyone thought I was going to be an old maid.’

‘Oh Gracie, this is just so final. Are you really sure you’re doing the right thing? You can still change your mind …’ Ruby said hesitantly.

‘I’m sure. It was my very own
Brief Encounter
, like in the film. it was me being daft and getting carried away as usual, but now I’m back where I should be.’ Gracie grinned. ‘You know what a nutcase I can be. Well, this time I’m being sensible: I’m going to marry Sean’.

‘Okay,’ Ruby said with a break in her voice. ‘I suppose if that’s what you really want then it’s time to get down those stairs and off to the church.’

They made their way down to the ground floor, where Gracie’s father was waiting with Babs and George Wheaton and a very excited young Maggie.

‘Can we go now? Pleeease, I want to do what a bridesmaid does …’ the child asked, jumping from foot to foot with excitement. At eight years old, she was tall for her age and confident beyond her years.

‘Yes, we’re going in two minutes. I’m just going to get the flowers and then it’s off to the church,’ Ruby said, looking wistfully at the little girl. ‘You look so beautiful, Maggie. Absolutely beautiful!’

When she came back she handed Gracie her bouquet, gave Maggie her posy and held her own in front of her.

‘Right, Miss Impatient, to the cars …’ she said.

Gracie watched her friend smile at the child, while at the same time blinking to hold back the tears that were building. She knew it wasn’t because of the wedding but because of Maggie, the daughter Ruby could not acknowledge.

The daughter who had been born at the same time as Gracie’s own baby, eight years ago.

With her emotions heightened anyway by the stress of her wedding day, it made Gracie tearful to think of her own baby, the beautiful little boy whom she knew nothing about. But she was determined not to let anything spoil the day so she looked at her father, who was standing slightly away from the group, and forced a smile. ‘Come on, Dad, let’s get to the church. I don’t want to be late.’

Her father smiled and patted her hand. ‘You look beautiful, my little Gracie, I hope you’ll both be as happy as me and your mother, and remember, it’s not all going to be easy, marriage is give and take …’

Gracie wanted to say ‘you give and she takes,’ but she just smiled at him.

The Wheatons and the bridesmaids went ahead to the hotel car which was parked outside, in front of the bridal car. Ruby and Maggie got into the back seat as George Wheaton skilfully moved himself from his wheelchair into the passenger side, leaving his wife to fold the chair and put it in the back, before getting into the driver’s seat.

Everyone waved excitedly as they drove off, leaving just Gracie and her father on the steps, waiting for the right moment. Then, with her arm in his, they walked down to the waiting car where Dr Wheaton’s new driver stood beside the open door, waiting to help them in. As Gracie gathered up her skirt to avoid it creasing or getting caught in the door so a ripple of applause rang out from the people lining the pavement, making her blush. She paused, glanced around and self-consciously waved back.

Then someone caught her eye.

Over the top of their heads she thought for a moment she had seen
him
standing behind the small group on the nearby corner looking in her direction, but when she looked again, whoever it was had moved.

For a few moments her chest palpitated so much she feared that the fitted bodice on her dress would burst open.
Surely he wouldn’t do that? Surely he wouldn’t come here?
She asked herself in panic as she looked around again scanning every face, but there was no sign. She wondered fleetingly if Edward Woodfield had come to persuade her to go with him, to jilt Sean at the altar and run away with him to Africa. So many different thoughts flashed through her mind at that moment that she had to shake her head to rid herself of them. She looked all around her once more, just in case, and then climbed into the car to go to the church to marry Sean Donnelly.

Just fifteen minutes later, with the guests all seated and the priest at the altar, Gracie was standing in the cool of the church porch, waiting for the organist to begin playing and give her the cue to start walking. She gripped her father’s arm tight and glanced round at Ruby, who winked reassuringly.

‘Here we go, time to start walking …’ her chief bridesmaid said, as the first notes of ‘Here Comes The Bride’ echoed throughout the church.

Ruby and Maggie followed as Gracie walked down the aisle on her father’s arm. She looked straight ahead and walked confidently but when she got closer and saw Sean standing at the altar with his back to her the enormity of what she was about to do hit her and she was suddenly terrified.

As she looked at the friends and family standing either side of the aisle waiting for her to reach the altar and for the ceremony to begin, it hit her that there really was no going back. This was the moment when her life would change forever. Her chest started pounding again and her feet felt like lead weights in her dainty wedding shoes.

She thought about the signet ring nestling in her jewellery box and felt sick. She had left it too late.

Doubts and uncertainties swelled inside her and she wanted to turn around and run straight out of the church but she didn’t, instead she took the last few steps until she reached Sean’s side. She turned and handed her bouquet to Ruby, who was one step behind her. As her father stepped back, Sean turned to look at her. He smiled widely and whispered, ‘Oh my lord, but you look so beautiful, Gracie …’

Gracie blinked hard and met his gaze. She was there to marry Sean in front of their friends and families and she was sure that was the right thing to do so she forced her doubts away and smiled back. Sean Donnelly knew her and loved her, and that was the most important thing in the world to her at that moment.

Edward Woodfield was a stranger and a nice fantasy man to daydream about in her dotage but Sean Donnelly was the reality, she knew.

After the bridal car had pulled away from the hotel and driven off in the direction of the church, Edward Woodfield stepped out from the shadows of the nearby doorway. With his head down, he walked briskly in the opposite direction to the spot around the corner where he had parked his own car.

He had wanted to see Gracie, to let her know he was there and to see her reaction but when she had glanced in his direction and almost spotted him, he had instinctively jumped out the way and moved out of sight.

Common sense and his innate good manners told him that what he was doing was disrespectful to both her and her fiancé and, despite his feelings, he had no right to disrupt her wedding day. She had told him three days before, after they had kissed behind the ice cream stand, that she was to be married. He had tried to dissuade her then and there but she had been adamant.

When they had said a very formal goodbye on the beach in front of the others Edward had surreptitiously slipped the gold signet ring from his little finger and pressed it into her hand, wrapped in a piece of paper, when the others weren’t looking.

‘My phone number in Saffron Walden. Think about it Gracie, please. Just think about it and ring me at this number.’

‘I already have thought about it. I’m sorry,’ she whispered as, with no choice but to take it, she slipped it in the side pocket of her skirt.

They all said formal goodbyes to each other and went their separate ways. He had watched Gracie as she walked away and seen her look back just once. She had glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him, then turned back and walked away with Ruby.

He had watched her go and then sat down with Harry and Louisa, and tried to act as if nothing had happened.

‘Nice girls …’ Louisa said. ‘Both of them. Can you imagine being responsible for a hotel at that age? They must work really hard.’

‘I wasn’t sure about them,’ Harry said. ‘The taller one was wearing an engagement ring, I noticed, nothing like as nice as Louisa’s so I doubt they’ve got much money.’

‘Heavens darling, you’re observant! I didn’t notice a ring but I did think she was flirting with Teddy; that was a bit naughty if she’s engaged.’ Louisa paused and looked at Edward. ‘She looked as if she’s really taken a shine to you, what do you think?’

Harry laughed and answered instead. ‘I thought they were nice enough but somewhat common. Can you imagine staying in a hotel run by those two?’

‘It’s a hotel for widows and spinsters, you idiot,’ Edward snapped. ‘And at least they work for a living. You should try it sometime; you’ve done nothing apart from play at soldiers …’

Harry and Louisa both stared at him, but before they could say anything Edward started piling stuff into the picnic basket.

‘It’s time we headed back. I’ve had enough of the seaside.’

‘What’s got into you, Teddy?’ Louisa asked as she studied his face, carefully looking for a clue.

‘I just want to get back. It’s a long drive …’ He took a deep breath and forced a smile. ‘Sorry I snapped at you both. Just ignore me, the sea air has worn me out.’

Harry still looked hurt but Louisa simply stared at him knowingly.

‘You’re right, Teddy darling. It’s time to get away from here.’

Earlier that morning on the day of Gracie’s wedding and after a long sleepless night, he’d jumped into his car on the spur of the moment and driven at top speed from Saffron Walden in North Essex all the way down to Southend on the coast. Edward hadn’t given his action a great deal of thought so he didn’t really know what he was intending to do, but something inside was making him want to see what would happen.

Logically he knew there was little chance of Gracie McCabe, the girl he had met and fallen in love with, not going through with her wedding, but he still had the urge to be there and to see for certain. He just hoped it would help him deal with his irrational feelings for the young woman he barely knew.

From the moment he could walk and talk Edward had been the sensible one in the Woodfield-Barnes family. He was far more mature than his brother, who was almost the same age and, in many ways, he was more mature than either of his parents, who were both unworldly, wealthy eccentrics, wrapped up in their own little bubble of extravagant and luxurious living.

His father was a passable artist who, although he sold the odd piece of work, had an elaborate studio full of unsold canvases and his mother always described herself as an author but she had only ever sat down in front of a typewriter when she was bored and had never even finished a manuscript, let alone had anything published.

Neither of them had made any money out of any of their various ventures over the years, but they had no need to, as they lived very comfortably courtesy of a vast inheritance of estate and income from the Barnes side of the family. They divided their time between their classic country house in Saffron Walden and their art deco apartment in central London, flitting happily between the differing lifestyle of town and country, interspersed with trips to the South of France when they were bored. It was a very privileged lifestyle that they enjoyed to the full.

Edward senior and his wife Elspeth were perfectly suited to each other. They were both dreamers and they lived life with their heads in the clouds, floating happily above the nitty gritty of everyday life. They were a pleasant and popular couple who loved each other and who also loved their two sons, albeit in a rather detached way, keeping them in the periphery of their lives. When they were younger, a series of nannies and boarding schools had provided the majority of Edward and Harry’s care and then, when they were grown, the relationship had become more like one between siblings than parents and their offspring.

Their younger son Harry took after his father. He was equally airy with no real aspirations of his own, other than to be married to the seemingly vacuous but very beautiful Louisa, the daughter of a diplomat, who he had met during his enforced spell in the army. Edward sometimes wondered if she was only with Harry because of his potential inheritance, but he never said anything because they were as happy as two children in the playground.

Somehow Edward junior had missed out on the happy-go-lucky family gene and was, to his parents’ dismay, eminently sensible and down-to-earth.

Almost from birth Edward had been the serious one in the family, a bit of a loner who was happy in his own company. Growing up he was quiet and hard-working and had always liked nothing better than to shut himself away in the study with a pile of books and some complex problems to solve.