Page 61 of Promise Me Ever After
“Yes, we’re just leaving Georgie’s now. We’ll be there in around ten minutes. Has Evelyn arrived yet?”
I checked I had everything I needed for later while Darcy placated our mother. She was better at it than me, I tended to run out of patience with her too quickly. Darcy ended the call.
“Ten minutes?” I raised an eyebrow. “Are we running?”
She waved her phone. “I’ll call a taxi.”
Eight minutes later we were at the hotel.
Ems waited for us behind the reception desk. “I thought you’d be here soon. Your mum’s already here.”
“Yeah, we know. She called asking how long we’d be. I’ve never got here so quickly.” I passed my rucksack over to her and gestured for Darcy to do the same. “Thanks for this, Ems.”
She handed over the key card. “I’ll make sure your bags are put in the room and I’ll see you later. Enjoy tea.”
Darcy and I made our way to the front lounge where they served afternoon tea. Mum was already seated at the table by the window which gave the best view over the marina.
“My girls!” she called. She stood up, her arms spread wide, causing the other guests to turn and stare at us.
When we reached her, she embraced us both, gathering us to her bosom.
“You look tired, Georgie, are you working too hard?” she asked after releasing us.
“She’s probably not getting enough sleep.” Darcy sniggered. “She’s got herself a toy boy.”
I shot daggers at her.
Mum’s eyebrows shot up. “You’ve got a what?”
Thankfully, I didn’t have to explain further as Evelyn, Fraser’s mum, joined us. I knew Mum would lecture me about moving too quick, and in truth I’d beaten myself up enough about this relationship with Alex without anyone else chipping in with their thoughts.
The four of us settled down at the table. I was opposite Darcy, Mum and Evelyn on the other sides of the table. A waiter arrived with a bottle of champagne and filled our glasses.
When he’d gone, Mum raised hers in the air. “To my beautiful younger daughter on the verge of new beginnings with the love of her life. Congratulations, darling.”
We all clinked glasses.
“To Darcy,” added Evelyn.
“Darcy.” I swallowed hard. Mum would have said those things to me if my wedding had actually gone ahead. If everything hadn’t turned to shit. With a sigh, I sipped my drink even though I could easily have downed it in one. Sensibly, I stopped myself. There would be time for that later.
“Veronica, have you sorted out your outfit yet?” Evelyn asked Mum. “I’m struggling to find something that doesn’t make me look too mumsy, if you know what I mean.”
“I’m the same! I thought it was just me. But I did find something at Hoopers in one of their concessions.”
Darcy and I sat in silence and exchanged glances as they discussed the trials and tribulations of looking fashionable versus not upstaging the bride. The maid of honour dresses Darcy had chosen were beautiful. She’d picked something both Stella and I would be able to wear again, although where I’d be invited to wear such a gorgeous dress, I had no idea.
The waiter came back with a silver cake stand crammed with tiny sandwiches, delicate little cakes and macarons. Despite lunch being not all that long ago, I filled my plate. Going out later, eating would be cheating and I wanted to line my stomach as much as I could now.
“Hungry, Georgie? You want to make sure you still fit into your dress,” commented Mum.
The tiny sandwich Darcy had been about to eat dropped from her hand onto the plate. “Oh, God, I hadn’t thought about that. What if I can’t fit into my dress?”
Darcy had always been as skinny as a rake. I knew what Mum was doing. She was always throwing out little comments to me, trying to make me feel bad about myself. I was the wayward older sister with a chequered past, not the stable younger sister who’d been with her soul mate since university. Even when everything had turned to shit with Russ, Darcy had been the one to comfort me and suggest moving to Ealynn Sands, not Mum. Mum had told me she thought we’d moved the relationship on too quickly, so what did I expect?
“Darcy, you’ll be fine.” I tried to signal a message to her with my eyes. “The final dress fitting is on Wednesday, right?”
My sister nodded. “But what if—”
