Page 35 of One Sweet Day in Lovely Bay
Logan clinked his glass against hers. ‘To a wonderful day at the races.’ He leaned closer to Cally’s ear and lowered his voice. ‘Bloody hell, Blackcurrant. You look absolutely breathtaking. I have to be the luckiest man in here. On the planet, actually.’
Logan’s marriage certificate flashed in front of Cally’s eyes. Grrr. He wouldn’t be feeling lucky when she’d finished with him. His world might well crash down as had hers. She smiled, nodded, didn’t say anything in return, and took a sip of the champagne. The bubbles tickled her nose, the crisp, dry taste a contrast to her usual drinks. She swallowed and enjoyed her drink and continued to get lost in the sea of fabulous outfits.
As they moved further into the enclosure, Cally was quite enjoying herself. Her senses were assaulted from all directions; freshly cut grass mingled with the aroma of the racetrack itself, floral arrangements adorned every surface, the sound of a band drifted on the breeze, and all around them, people were engaged in animated conversation and very much appeared to be enjoying themselves. The pomp was doing its thing and she lapped it up.
Logan seemed to know everyone, stopping every few steps to shake hands or exchange pleasantries. Cally stood by his side, smiling and nodding but not really contributing to the conversation. Each time Logan introduced her, she felt a moment of panic, worried that her accent or pretty much anything, like, you know, moving, would give her away as an outsider. A part of her didn’t give a hoot as she stunned in her outfit.
‘And this is Cally,’ Logan told a distinguished-looking couple. ‘Cally, this is Lord and Lady Farrington. Friends of the family.’
Cally bobbed in a weird curtsy-type bowing movement and immediately realised she’d done the wrong thing. ‘Lovely to meet you.’ She squeezed her eyes together as she heard her voice come out in a strange, squeaky sort of chirp.
Lady Farrington smiled. ‘Lovely to meet you, dear. Is this your first time?’
Cally nodded, relieved to have a simple question to answer. ‘Yes, it is.’
‘Oh, you'll get used to it in no time,’ Lady Farrington assured her. ‘Why, I remember my first event. I was rather terrified I'd trip over my own feet and make a spectacle of myself! It’s the shoes on the grass that get you.’
Cally managed a genuine smile. ‘That's exactly how I feel!’
Lord Farrington chuckled. ‘The secret, my dear, is to act like you own the place, even if you don’t, though if you’re with the Henry-Hicks lot, you more or less do.’
As the conversation continued, Cally found herself relaxing ever-so-slightly. She even managed to laugh at Lord Farrington's jokes, even though most of the time, she couldn’t fully understand what he was saying. Between his mumbling, his accent, revolting throat clearing and gigantic moustache, most of the time, it seemed as if he was conversing in a completely different language.
As they moved on, Logan leaned in close. ‘All good?’
Cally flicked the switch and ignored the fact that very soon she would be blasting him with his own marriage certificate. ‘Yep, fine.’ She actuallywasfine-ish, though, which was a revelation. She was having a much nicer time than she thought she would. Strolling around in an expensive hat and swishy dress was actually not too bad at all. The good life did her well. She could get used to it. Thing was, she didn’t quite know what was coming next.
21
After another glass of champagne and something to eat, Cally and Logan stood in a viewing area, watching the scene on the track.
‘Want to place a bet?’ Logan asked.
The idea of gambling was an unfamiliar concept to Cally. She’d never quite been able to understand how gambling equated to fun. The truthful answer was no; she had little to zero interest in placing a bet. She wrinkled her nose. ‘I don't know. No, not really. I wouldn't know where to start.’
‘It's easy.’
Cally nodded. Of course it was easy for Logan. He clearly knew exactly what he was doing. ‘Yeah, actually, no, I don’t think so…’
Logan picked up on Cally’s hesitation right away. ‘We'll just put a small bet on Midnight Dancer to win. It'll make the race more exciting to watch. Trust me.’
The irony, Cally thought to herself. Trust was not something she was feeling in spades at that precise moment. Before she could protest further, Logan was leading her towards the betting stands. She blinked rapidly as she tried to work out what was going on. The process was a blur of unfamiliar terms andnumbers, but soon enough, she found herself holding a betting slip.
As they made their way back to the stands to watch the race, Cally again felt as if she was enjoying herself. It was an odd feeling: a mix of excitement and trepidation together with being dressed up to the nines and tottering around on heels under a huge, pretty hat. The atmosphere was electric, with people jostling for the best viewing positions and discussing the merits of various horses. Cally stood squinting at the track and then down at her ticket when the sound of the starting bell cut through the chatter. She found herself caught up in the excitement despite herself, cheering along with the crowd as the horses thundered past.
When Midnight Dancer crossed the finish line first, Cally let out a whoop of joy. ‘We won!’
Logan beamed, pulled her into a celebratory hug, picked her up, and spun her around. For a moment, Cally forgot about how angry she was with him and how the next day she would be telling him about what she knew, letting him know that she was aware that he’d been married and hadn’t told her. That he was a liar.
As the excitement of the win settled, they made their way towards a small circle of people where Logan’s mum and his aunt Cecilia stood chatting.
'Cally, dear, you look absolutely stunning!' Cecilia gushed as they approached. 'That dress is simply divine on you. Rather gorgeous hat, might I add.'
Cally blushed but very much liked the compliment. 'Thank you, Cecilia. You look lovely as well.'
Logan's mum smiled warmly, then turned to introduce a few family members. Beatrice, an elegant woman in a pale pink suit and wide-brimmed hat, stepped forward to air kiss Cally'scheeks. 'It's wonderful to finally meet you, my dear. We've heard so much about you.'
'Indeed. It's a pleasure to have you join us today,' Logan’s mum added.
