Secrets (30 page)

Chapter Seventy-Two

Everybody froze. Nobody spoke. Instead all eyes were firmly on Jake. Violet, Derek, Susie and the florist stared at Jake as if he was an alien who’d star-shipped in from another planet. The spell was broken by a wild-eyed Joe and Sanjay crashing into the room.

‘What on earth is going on?’ Joe demanded. The words had barely left his lips when his gaze fell upon Jake. He gave a hoot of laughter. ‘Jake, you bad boy! What the heck are you doing here – apart from putting the cat amongst the pigeons?’ He clicked his tongue. ‘What
is
it about you and wedding days?’

Jake gave Joe a deprecating smile. ‘Sorry, buddy. I didn’t mean it to happen like this. Poor timing on my part. But now I’m here, I’m trying to persuade your sister to marry me.’

Joe made a low whistling sound. ‘I think your timing is perfect. After all, she’s wearing the big white dress and ready to go to church.’

Janey’s eyes flashed with annoyance. ‘Joe, that is not remotely funny. I know you have the propensity to regard life as one big joke, but this really isn’t the moment for wisecracking.’

Joe shrugged. ‘The way I see it, we can either all have a hissy fit or try and make light of it.’

‘Make
light
of it?’ Derek rounded on his son. ‘I’ve spent many a sleepless night
dreaming
about seeing this young man again.’ Derek turned back to Jake. ‘I’ve wanted to punch your lights out for what you did to my daughter.’

‘And me,’ Violet chimed in. ‘Don’t forget me.’

‘Yes, dear,’ said Derek, suddenly contrite.

Jake nodded. ‘Fair enough, Derek. If you want to take a swing at me, go ahead. It’s no more than I deserve.’

Squaring his jaw, Derek pulled himself up to his full height and balled his fists.

‘Do it, Derek!’ Violet ordered.

‘Yes, dear,’ said Derek. He began dancing about on the spot and jabbing at thin air.

‘Oh don’t be so ridiculous!’ said Janey to her parents. ‘Enough of this farce.’

At that moment Susie piped up. ‘Well if Derek won’t do it,
I
certainly will.’ Lunging forward, she delivered a blistering slap to Jake’s face. ‘Take that, you smug sod!’

Jake’s hand flew to the red flare on his cheek. ‘What did I ever do to you?’ he gasped.

‘That’s for not asking
me
to dance at The Green Man all those years ago. You were a wind-up merchant. I know full well it was
me
you were making eyes at when you were crooning into that microphone, but for some bizarre reason you swerved off at the last minute and danced with Janey.’

‘Oh for–’ Janey rolled her eyes.

‘Sorry, Janey,’ Susie folded her arms across her chest, ‘but it had to be said. He was a jerk from Day One.’

‘Whatever,’ Janey muttered under her breath.

‘So,’ Joe said, ‘now that Dad’s shown us his boxing moves and Susie’s walloped Jake, are you going to put us out of our misery, Sis?’ When Janey looked at Joe blankly, he grinned mischievously. ‘You haven’t responded to Jake’s proposal.’

Janey gaped at her brother. ‘You don’t seriously expect me to give Jake an answer?’

‘Why not?’ Jake asked. ‘It was a serious question.’ Janey opened her mouth to speak, but Jake immediately cut her off. ‘Listen, everybody. Hands up,’ he held his arms aloft in a gesture of surrender. ‘What I did was wrong. I was in a crazy place because I was crazy about Janey.’ Susie let out a disparaging snort that begged to differ. Jake ignored her. ‘And I’m apologising to each and every one of you, right here, right now. I behaved like a monumental prat. I ran away leaving not just Janey, but all of you, in the lurch. But in the time I’ve been gone, I’ve made amends. Put things right. Done things properly…and legally. I’m divorced. I even have the certificate to prove it.’ He fished in his back pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. ‘Look.’ He held out the Decree Absolute to Derek for inspection. ‘So I’ll ask you again, Janey. Will you marry me?’

Janey took a deep breath. As she exhaled it seemed as though all the old heartbreak and aftermath of a wedding shambles simply fell away on the out breath. ‘Jake.’ She said his name softly, almost tenderly. She saw hope flare in his eyes. ‘It’s way too late.’ His face instantly sagged. ‘I appreciate your honesty – as belated as it is – because if nothing else it gives closure to the whole sorry saga.’

‘Janey…please.’ Jake was on the verge of tears. Nobody said a word. Everybody just stood quietly, watching a very modern drama play itself out in the lounge of an old Victorian house. ‘I love you,’ Jake whispered.

Janey smiled sadly. ‘And once I loved you too. More than words could ever say. But I’ve moved on. Found love again. I’m so blessed and grateful my life took an upturn from the depths your deception took me. So I’m sorry. The answer is no. Nothing and nobody is coming between me, my fiancé, and our future.’

There was a terrible silence. Tears were now coursing down Jake’s cheeks. He made no effort to wipe them away. He nodded slowly. ‘I understand. But can I ask you one more thing?’ Janey looked at him enquiringly. Jake caught his breath and sniffed. ‘Do you forgive me?’

Her response was immediate. ‘Yes. Of course I forgive you. But now I must ask you to excuse me. I have a wedding to go to. My wedding.’

Chapter Seventy-Three

Janey couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so hot. It was as if somebody had turned up an invisible thermostat inside her. Sweat was beading on her forehead and her armpits seemed to have sprung leaks. Tear-like rivers were rolling down the sides of her body. What was wrong with her?

‘Darling?’ Garth’s voice came from far away.

‘Hmm?’

‘You’re snoring.’

Janey’s eyes pinged open and instantly screwed up against low sunlight.

‘Oh, how embarrassing,’ she muttered.

The retired lady on the sunbed next to hers gave Janey an indulgent smile. ‘You carry on, pet. Don’t mind the rest of us listening to a few zeds. They say those who snore have the sweetest of dreams.’

Janey put her arms behind her and pushed herself into a sitting position. ‘Well as long as I wasn’t disturbing you.’

‘No chance,’ the woman grinned and swung her legs off her sunbed. Standing up, she began to roll up her towel. ‘Now if you snored like my Norman here,’ she indicated a pot-bellied elderly gent on the sunbed next to her, ‘then we’d all know about it!’ The woman threw back her head and gave a crackly laugh.

‘Take no notice of Mabel,’ said Norman, removing his sunhat and scratching a bald head. ‘When she snores, the whole house shakes.’

‘Give over, you daft beggar.’ Mabel pretended to look outraged. ‘And you can shift that well-upholstered bottom of yours and give me a hand with the towels.’ She turned back to Janey. ‘Anyway, us girls don’t snore,’ she whispered conspiratorially. ‘We purr.’

Janey giggled. ‘I like that.’

‘And she can purr all she likes,’ said Garth, ‘because I love every delicious snort and whistle.’

‘You can’t have been married very long,’ said Norman cynically. He stood up stiffly. ‘Trust me, in fifty years’ time you’ll be demanding ear plugs.’

‘It’s all lies,’ Mabel laughed. ‘Don’t believe a word, although it is true we’ve been married fifty years. In fact, we’re here celebrating our Golden Anniversary.’

‘Congratulations,’ Garth and Janey said together.

‘So how long have you two been married?’ asked Norman.

‘Ooh, let me see now,’ Garth rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ‘About fifty hours.’

‘Newlyweds!’ Mabel clapped her hands together with delight. ‘Now it’s our turn to say congratulations. I hope you’ll both be very happy.’

‘Thanks,’ Janey beamed.

‘We most certainly will,’ Garth smiled happily.

Mabel gathered up her tote bag and jammed her feet into two flowery flip-flops. ‘We’re heading back to our room to get ready for the evening. Perhaps we’ll see you later.’

Norman folded the towels under one arm before dutifully following his wife. ‘In the bar,’ he called to Garth. ‘I’ll give you a few tips for married life.’

‘There’s only one rule for a blissful marriage,’ said Mabel waggling a finger at her husband. ‘Happy wife equals happy life.’

As the elderly couple tottered off, Garth turned to Janey. ‘I hope that’s us in fifty years’ time. Come on, Mrs Davis. Fancy a last stroll along the beach before we get ready for dinner?’

‘Don’t mind if I do,’ said Janey. She grabbed her mobile phone from the little table dividing the sunbeds and parasols. It would be nice to use the camera for some selfies against the shoreline. She stood up and, pointing the mobile phone at her surroundings, took a picture. The image was instantly committed to digital memory. She looked at it, pleased. Several sunbeds were artfully arranged around a turquoise pool. In the background were a clutch of bougainvillaea-clad villas. This was Crete. Not only were they honeymooning, but Garth was also drafting the finishing touches to his latest novel.

Hand in hand, the newly-weds walked through a large stone arch that led to a long stretch of uninterrupted beach. Janey gave a sigh of pleasure. Garth squeezed her hand as they stepped onto warm golden sand that instantly sank beneath their toes.

‘How’s the novel going?’ Janey asked.

‘Yeah, good. I just need to decide which ending it’s going to have.’

‘Which ending? How many do you have?’

‘Three. I’m fairly sure which one I’m going to plump for, but I think I might need a little bit of help from you.’

‘Oh?’

‘Mm. Tell me again how Jake left Orchard House?’

‘You’re not writing about that, are you?’ Janey looked horrified.

‘Don’t worry,’ Garth assured. ‘All names will be changed. I don’t want Mrs Jones, Mrs Fosdyke and Mrs Gager gossiping and having me sued.’

Janey laughed. She cast her mind back to recent events. ‘Well, after I told Jake that I was off to get married – to you, not him – he went into complete meltdown. He flung himself at my feet. Suddenly two hands were rummaging under my long skirts. He grabbed hold of my ankles and shouted that he was never going to let go. My mother started shrieking like a banshee. She yelled at my father, “Do something, Derek.
Do
something.”’

‘And let me guess,’ Garth smiled. ‘Your dear old pa said, “Yes dear.”’

Janey giggled. ‘It’s funny now but it wasn’t at the time. My father was completely bemused. He stared at Jake, who was now bawling his eyes out, and didn’t know what to do. In the end Dad stooped down and patted Jake awkwardly on the back. He said, “There, there, old chap. Try and pull yourself together.”’

‘And what did Violet say to that?’

‘She demanded my father stop patting Jake like a dog and shift him. And Dad said, “Well I’m not sure, dear. He doesn’t seem very stable.”’ Janey paused to reflect. In all truth, pandemonium had broken out.

‘Stable?’ Violet had screeched. ‘I’m not stable either, Derek. I’m on the edge. Do you hear? The
edge
.’

‘Mr Richardson,’ Susie had stepped forward. ‘The car will be along shortly with Emma and Anna, and I have to go with them. We need Jake out of here.’

Derek had shrugged helplessly, just as the doorbell rang.

‘No, Janey…NO!’ Jake had wept. ‘Please…I can’t bear it.’

‘For goodness sake,’ Janey had cried in exasperation. ‘You’re hurting my ankles. Get off! And somebody answer that door,’ she’d yelled as the bell shrilled for a second time.

Sanjay had opened the door to a uniformed chauffeur. Much to Joe’s annoyance, Sanjay had swooned. ‘Oooh, I do like a chap in a uniform,’ he’d said, batting his sooty eyelashes.

‘Ignore him,’ Joe had said apologetically. ‘He flirts with bus drivers too.’ The chauffeur had smirked and then, seeing the commotion going on through the open door of the lounge, raised his eyebrows.

‘Somebody
do
something,’ Violet had wailed just as Jake succeeded in toppling Janey over. She’d fallen sideways, banging into Violet’s ornate coffee table which had instantly upended. As artfully arranged magazines and books had cascaded across the floor, Violet had flipped. Reaching down to the long box of flowers that the florist had carefully placed on the floor, Violet had grabbed hold of Janey’s huge bouquet. In two strides she’d reached Jake and proceeded to batter him with roses, carnations and frothy gyp.

‘No, Mum, no!’ Janey had protested.

‘You’ve taken me over the edge,’ Violet had screeched, spittle flying, complexion as purple as a beetroot.

The living room had been awash with petal confetti as Violet thrashed the living daylights out of Jake. It was only when Jake finally let go of Janey that Joe, Sanjay, Derek and the chauffeur had taken an arm and leg apiece and physically removed Jake from the premises.

‘And don’t you dare set foot in the church,’ Violet had roared.

The men had deposited Jake at the bottom of the drive. He’d not hung around. The moment his feet had touched the ground, he’d given the men one last wounded look before hastening off.

Emma, who’d been waiting patiently in the Rolls Royce, had looked on in bemusement, and little Anna’s eyes had been as round as saucers. Moments later Joe had pulled open the rear door of the Roller. ‘Hi,’ he’d said breathlessly. ‘Sorry about that. It was a rather persistent admirer of my sister’s. Meanwhile my mother has massacred the bridal bouquet.’ Emma hadn’t missed a beat. ‘Give her mine. Anna and I can share.’

‘Cheers,’ Joe had grinned. Emma had felt her heart do a flip-flop. What a handsome young man. And just as well he was gay otherwise she might have found herself flirting later on. Not that it would have meant anything. She was very happy with Adrian who was now a model partner and parent.

The wedding had eventually taken place after a forty-minute delay due to Violet needing two brandies. By the time everybody had arrived at church, Clive had been in a complete flap. Joe’s swift explanation hadn’t soothed the camp reverend who had lamented that wherever he went his flock were all slightly bonkers.

‘Poor Clive,’ Garth threw back his head and roared with laughter. The sun was turning into a sinking fireball now. He stared around appreciatively and gave Janey’s hand a squeeze. ‘But all’s well that ends well.’

‘Yes, thank goodness,’ Janey sighed. She paused to take a picture of the sky which was streaked with ribbons of peach, raspberry and gold. The picture was barely taken when her phone chirruped the arrival of a text. Peering at the message, Janey saw it was from Jake.

I’ll wait for you forever
.

Without replying, she touched the delete button.

‘Everything okay?’ asked Garth.

‘Never better,’ Janey assured.

‘Good. I have now decided which ending to give my novel. Like all good romances, it has a happy ending.’

‘I’m pleased to hear that,’ Janey smiled.

‘Come on. Let’s do a bit more strolling. There’s a lovely sunset going on over there, and I fancy the two of us walking off into it.’

THE END