Page 46 of Forbidden Dark Vows

Bill claps my shoulder, shakes my hand, and his congratulations are lost in the rising sound of voices all around us. Donna is hugging Ruby tightly, examining the ring, holding it up to the light so that she can get a better look.

And suddenly everyone in the pub congratulates us. So many faces. So many handshakes and hugs. And the landlord cracks open another bottle of champagne—on the house.

Ruby is surrounded by women all oohing and aahing over the engagement ring, and she goes with them, moving with the crowd, a glazed look in her eyes whenever I get the chance to look at her. It seems everyone wants to celebrate our engagement; everyone wants to share our excitement; everyonehas already dismissed the brief appearance of the cops as nothing.

Apart from the one person who matters.

I’m gutted. I’m disappointed that I didn’t give Ruby the special proposal that she deserved, but like a fish swimming against the tide, I’m starting to believe that it was always destined to be this way. No point fighting it now. I did what I had to do, and although it’s a relief to get the ring out of my pocket and onto her finger, I have no idea how she feels about it.

“I feel like we’ve stolen your thunder today.”

Bill stands next to me, a glass of champagne in his hand, and watches the group of women congregated around Ruby all raising their own drinks in a toast. Donna’s voice is the loudest, and no mistaking the raucous laughter.

“Not at all. If anything, I should apologize to you—this is your wedding day.”

A silver-haired man wearing a tweed jacket over a claret-colored waistcoat comes over with another bottle of champagne. “I hear congratulations are in order. Oh, how I envy you having the rest of your life together ahead of you.” He winks at us and walks away.

“I hope you and Ruby didn’t have any other plans for today,” Bill says. “It’s party time.” He rejoins his new wife, slipping a hand around her waist and kissing her on the lips.

Each time I try to get close to Ruby, to get a moment alone with her, it seems that the rest of the world has other ideas. The music gets louder. People are dancing. Champagne and beer and spirits mixed with soda keep appearing in my hand. And my brain getsfoggier and foggier, the niggling feeling still there, but clawing now at the fuzzy surface of my liquor-soaked brain cells.

I need to talk to Ruby…

Suddenly, I’m seated back at our table. I don’t even know how I got here, but the room is starting to sway a little, and I have the overwhelming urge to go outside, breathe in the cold air, and down a bottle of water.

“Here.” Ruby puts a pint glass of clear liquid in front of me. “Water. You look as if you could use it.”

“Ruby?” I guzzle half the water without coming up for air.

“Wow, you’re drunker than I thought you were.” She’s smiling, so I know she isn’t angry with me.

“I’m so sorry, Ruby.” My voice hitches in my throat.

She blinks, her expression unreadable, or maybe it would be if I hadn’t drunk so much champagne. “Sorry for what?”

“For not proposing to you properly. I wanted to get down on one knee…”

My stomach lurches, and I pause, waiting for the water to settle. I should go back to our room, sleep it off, attempt this conversation with a clear head in the morning, but it can’t wait. I have to let her know how I feel.

“I didn’t want to just spring it on you like that.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Harry.”

The water is already working its magic, reviving, reenergizing, clearing some of the cotton candy from my head. “I didn’t knowwhat else to do. I didn’t want them to take you home, take you away from me.”

She narrows her eyes and gives me a sideways smile. “Is that the only reason you proposed?”

“No!” I say too quickly. “No, I meant it the first time I asked you, in the hospital. I’ll mean it every time I ask you, Ruby, until you say yes.” Because it suddenly occurs to me that she hasn’t accepted … yet.

“How long have you had the ring?”

“I bought it in Edinburgh. With breakfast. I mean, I didn’t buy it with breakfast, I bought it that morning. Then, the cops arrived at the hotel, and the moment was gone, and, well, I was waiting for the right moment.”

She chews her bottom lip and raises her hand in front of her face to study the diamond.

“Do you like it?”

Her smile is gentle, genuine. “It’s beautiful, Harry. I couldn’t have chosen a more perfect ring myself.”

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