The Guest List (41 page)

‘Conor, if it’s any help, I’m happy to offer my resignation. Right here, right now on the spot. I’m sure you don’t want me around the office. I think that would be a bit too much. And for the record, I also completely understand if you want to catch the first flight out of here.’

He frowned. ‘Would you shut up Cara?’

‘What?’ she said gently. ‘I’m giving you an easy out. That’s all.’

‘I don’t want you to leave the job, and I’m not going to leave either. Look, I realise this is not a normal situation, but maybe we just, you know, roll with it.’

‘Roll with it?’

‘Why not? I consider you a friend, and I hope you think of me as the same, but this honestly explains a lot.’

‘Like what?’ she asked, curious.

‘Like, well, the protective feeling I seem to have whenever you are around and how I want the best for you and for no one to ever hurt you. I feel close to you. I think you are an incredible woman.’

Cara smiled. ‘Fatherly concern?’ she said, trying to keep the laughter from her voice.

‘Would you shut it?’ Conor laughed. ‘I mean, look, maybe we aren’t father and daughter from a relationship standpoint, but maybe there is something there that my sixth sense identified when I met you. Some type of instinct. Maybe there is a part of you that reminds me of Danni, but at the same time, you’re your own person, the whole way through. Does that make sense?’

She nodded, appreciative of his comments. Appreciative that he was willing to still be a part of her life. She had to admit, she was certainly surrounded by some wise people. Maybe they could help balance out the crazy.

‘Yes, Conor. It makes sense.’

‘And look, it’s not like I am altogether just fine and dandy with all of this. This has been a serious shock to the system. And I am probably going to have to check straight into a mental hospital when we get back . . .’

‘Join the queue,’ she said.

‘But I suppose what I’m saying is, if you are willing to accept all this, so am I. And maybe, I don’t know, we can figure out how to make it fit into the rest, work and all. Maybe we can figure out our relationship. I can’t guarantee it will happen overnight, but I suppose we will figure it out as we go along.’

Cara looked at the floor and thought about the whole situation. Indeed, it was all too bizarre for words. But then again, what exactly was normal anyway?

Again, she tried to find the humour. ‘So, I have a question about how this all works . . .’

Conor looked nervous. ‘OK, fire ahead.’

‘So say I needed some money . . .’ Cara met his eyes, a smile breaking out on her face.

He snorted. ‘You go to your other dad. Smart-ass.’

The storm that had both literally and figuratively borne down upon the wedding couple and their guests eventually passed.

The group, amidst all of the new information that had been presented to them and the revelations that had been made, were able to return to their rooms late on the evening of September
12
.

‘So what’s a day in the scheme of things? Especially when you have the rest of your lives together,’ Kim laughed as, the following morning, she straightened the veil on Cara’s head. ‘And lucky number thirteen too!’ she winked.

Cara stood by the window, bedecked in all of her wedding finery. She smiled at Kim, realising that while the entire family dynamic had shifted, at least nothing had changed between the two of them. ‘You know, I think I am going to need more than an unlucky number to stop me from getting married today.’

‘Well, you have made it through plenty of obstacles at this stage. Family issues – to say the least – a prenup and potential deal-breaker, an almost break-up with your wonderful fiancé, a hurricane and then finding out your boss is your dad . . . I’d say you had a trial by fire.’ Kim’s eyes sparkled with mischief. ‘You know, if I was a bookmaker, I would place more than a few hundred quid on your marriage. I think you and Shane can get through anything.’

Cara pulled Kim close to her, tears sparkling in her eyes. ‘Thank you.’

‘For what?’ Kim said, as she returned the hug.

‘Just for being you.’

Kim waved an arm. ‘Oh stop it.’

From across the room, a knock sounded on the door. Cara and Kim turned as Heidi peeked her head into the room. ‘Knock knock . . .’ she called out.

‘Is it time?’ Kim asked, as Heidi, looking pretty in her bridesmaid dress, walked to Cara’s side.

‘It is,’ she replied. Since her little scare the day before, Cara had noticed that her younger sister had been much more at ease and relaxed, and she guessed she had Kim to thank for that too.

‘All right then. Let’s go get you married,’ Kim said, tucking her arms into Cara and Heidi’s.

As they were about to leave the room, Betty and Danielle entered, a new peace between them that was plain for all to see. It seemed confession truly was good for the soul and, with the identity of Cara’s father finally revealed, Betty’s worst fears about her daughter had been assuaged and her long-held disapproval evaporated.

Danielle and Cara had since had the opportunity to discuss at length the events of all that time ago, and while Cara still felt unbelievably hurt and betrayed at being misled about her parentage all this time, she was doing her best to try to understand and come to terms with Danielle’s decision. It was strange, but despite all she’d learned, she still couldn’t view her as anything other than her sister.

Trying to put herself in Danielle’s shoes back then, she wondered if she herself would have been able to take on the huge responsibility of caring for a young baby, especially when Betty seemed so determined that she wasn’t able for it. And they both knew how forceful their mother could be with her opinions. Danielle hadn’t a chance really. Still, she couldn’t argue that she’d had a wonderful upbringing and Betty and Mick had done an amazing job. She was thankful to Danielle for that much at least.

And she was looking forward to getting to know her sister better. Now that the secret was out, the ice had very clearly thawed between Danielle and Betty, and Cara hoped that this would all go some way to healing rifts and the Clancys being a proper family once again.

‘Oh pet, you look beautiful,’ Betty cried tearfully. ‘Oh no, I think I’m going to cry!’

Cara walked over to the woman she realised would always be her mother. ‘Thank you, Mum. For everything. I love you.’ The two women embraced and as Cara pulled away, she looked at Danielle. ‘Thank you too’.

Danielle looked at the ground, still unable to meet Cara’s gaze. ‘I’m not sure what for,’ she said nervously.

‘You made a tough decision. I can’t imagine being put in that place. But you did make the right one when all is said and done. I am lucky to have such a family.’ She embraced Danielle, who also began to sniffle. Cara pulled away and laughed. ‘Now don’t you cry too, OK? Come on, let’s get out of here quick! I want to get married before anything else can go wrong.’

The sun was heavy on the St Lucia horizon as Cara walked barefoot down the aisle of white sand, a balmy breeze on her skin, her beloved father by her side.

Mick patted her arm. ‘You are a vision, Cara. Do you know that? I want nothing but happiness for you and Shane. I’ve wanted happiness for you your entire life.’

‘Thanks Dad and I know that,’ she smiled as she looked into her father’s face. No, nothing had changed really, only for the better.

The truth might be out in the open, but her family as she knew it was much the same.

Besides, there would always be new surprises, new additions; weddings, babies, everything life encompassed.

She looked up ahead to where Shane stood in a pair of khaki linen trousers and a white cotton shirt. He was barefoot and his fair hair ruffled in the breeze. His eyes shone with love as his gaze took in Cara, dressed in white and walking towards him, their day exactly as they had pictured it so many months ago.

Shane’s parents sat with the others on chairs placed in the sand, holding hands, all pretences dropped, all worries about society a million miles away. There would be other opportunities to make the business work, and Shane had already confided that he was planning on taking a more active role in his parents’ company when they returned to Dublin, so as to help them on their way. With luck this would also help towards restoring his lost investments, which were indirectly tied up with Richardson business interests.

None of that mattered today though, not in lieu of their son’s happiness. Lauren smiled happily as she noticed the delicate sapphire necklace on Cara’s neck as she passed.

Yes, this was exactly as it should be.

As they neared the front, Mick shook Shane’s hand, wishing him luck.

He turned to his daughter and kissed her cheek, telling her that he loved her before returning to his seat inbetween his wife and Conor Dempsey.

Cara held tightly to Shane’s hand as the waves crashed on the sand before them. Regardless of the previous day, the beach sparkled anew, as if the rains from the storm had given new life and new hope to the island.

‘Cara, you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,’ whispered Shane and she smiled, in that moment completely content and at peace. She knew that this was where she was supposed to be, and she didn’t have a doubt in her heart about how right this all was.

She thought about all that had happened, everything that had taken place.

All of it had led directly to this moment and Cara took heart in the idea that this day was part of fate’s plan too. She thought about all of the people around her. Some she had loved since she was a child; some had entered her life in recent years, and with others she had only just realised how important they would be to her future.

Regardless, they were all her family and she knew they loved her.

The minister in front of them began the ceremony. ‘Cara, do you take Shane to be your lawfully wedded husband? In sickness and health, for richer for poorer, in good times and bad for all the days of your life, until death do you part?’

Cara held Shane’s hands in her own as her veil caught a breeze from the Caribbean sea. The setting sun illuminated her face as she said with confidence, ‘I do.’

‘And do you Shane, take Cara to be your lawfully wedded wife? In sickness and health, for richer for poorer, in good times and bad for all the days of your life, until death do you part?’

‘You better believe it,’ he quipped, which elicited laughter from the little group behind them. ‘I mean, I do.’

‘Then it is my honour to pronounce you husband and wife. Shane, you may kiss your bride.’

Shane pulled Cara close to him and covered her mouth with his. The kiss was deep and full of promise, for the past, present and their future together.

When they broke away and turned to their family and friends they were met with cheers and applause. Cara took in the scene, her eyes shining as she considered the faces of each and every guest smiling back at her: her sisters, her parents, her in-laws, her friends and Conor. Each of them was a part of her, and now a part of Shane too. No matter what happened, no matter what the future presented, she knew her life was better because of each and every special person in it.

Actually, her in-laws had been right, she realised then; this wedding wasn’t just about the two of them; it was about all of them. And she was fine with that.

‘Happy, Mrs Richardson?’ Shane smiled, looking down at his bride’s happy face. ‘We finally made it.’

‘Couldn’t be happier,’ she smiled back. ‘Now what are we waiting for? Let’s get this party started.’

Cara smiled at her mother sitting in a nearby pew as, bouquet in hand, she slowly walked up the aisle of St Joseph’s church. By the beaming smile on Betty’s face she could tell that her mother was overjoyed her wish had finally come true.

A big church wedding at home in Greygates, although admittedly the guest list today was also small.

As she continued her parade, she saw Kim waving from the other side of the church, a smiling, pudgy baby in her arms. Olivia and Lindsay were fussing over him, while Ben sat proudly alongside his family. Number three had made his appearance six months ago – some three weeks before due date – which meant that her sister-in-law’s hopes for a stress-free delivery hadn’t quite come to pass.

But as Kim herself would say, babies often had their own plans.

And speaking of plans . . . Cara’s gaze shifted to where Heidi and Paul sat contentedly with their gorgeous baby girl, Amelia. Another unexpected occurrence given that her sister’s ultrasound scans had indicated a boy, but again leave it to a Clancy to throw a spanner in the works.

Cara was amazed at the change in her sister recently; it was as if motherhood and its inherent responsibilities was exactly what Heidi had needed to calm her down and cast aside her self-absorption. In the end Amelia was indeed born at a private hospital, though the scented candles and Debussy soundtrack had been abandoned within ten minutes of the first contractions, and Heidi freely admitted to all and sundry – even Kim – that she’d screamed for every last painkiller known to man.

Cara winced a little, realising that she would have to face a similar scenario in just under seven months’ time. She and Shane hadn’t yet shared their good news with the rest of the family, although she was sure that Conor – who witnessed her frantic races to the bathroom every morning at work – already suspected. But if he did have any suspicions he hadn’t yet shared them, evidently waiting for Cara to confide in him whenever she was ready to.

It was strange how little their relationship had changed given what they’d learned. She still considered him her boss and great friend, and felt that the extra biological connection had enhanced their relationship rather than strained it. Although she did feel somewhat more proprietorial towards him in turn, especially since he’d started dating someone a couple of months back. Cara had been anxious to meet the woman, and having given her the once-over, eventually proclaimed her suitable enough to tame ‘Clooney’.

When she reached the top of the altar, and went to join her beloved Shane, she turned and smiled at the bride’s final approach.