Page 64 of An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street
He drops to one knee, producing a ring box from his pocket and flipping it open to reveal a diamond engagement ring that’s at least three times the size of the one I once threw out the shop door at him. ‘Marry me, Marnie. Again. Let me make it up to you. The one thing your mum wanted was to know she didn’t have to worry about you being alone. The size of this diamond proves that I can offer you the world and no one would turn that down based on one minor indiscretion.’
‘It also proves that you think money is the only important thing in life.’ Instead of feeling angry at him, I suddenly feel incredibly sorry for him. There’s aBeauty and the Beastquotefor any occasion and it brings to mind one about a man Beauty’s sister had married.A gentleman, extremely handsome indeed, but so fond of his own person, that he was full of nothing but his own dear self. Rick struts around, driving a car that most people couldn’t dream of affording, wearing clothes that cost more than anyone would ever reasonably spend on clothing, throwing money at every problem that comes his way. I think of Darcy, the way he not only helped me with the garden, but inspiredmeto do it myself. If Rick had been in my life then, his response to Mr Rowbotham’s letter would have been to pay him off, and if that failed, then to pay for some kind of landscaper to come in and make the garden look like it belonged to a country estate. He’s a lost soul with such a vapid personality that maybe he feels his moneyisall he’s got to offer anyone, and I never realised that before. Maybe what Rick needs is to find someone who loves him, but that person will never be me.
I go over, cover his hand with mine and forcibly close the ring box. ‘No, Rick. Not just no, butnever. I’m sure you’ll be the perfect guy for some girl, but we aren’t right for each other. I deserve someone who loves me and supports me and champions me. Someone who stepsmilesoutside of their comfort zone just to be there for me. Someone who makes me laughandcry in a good way. And you do too. So please hear me once and for all. This has to end. I will never, ever have anything to do with you again. I don’t love you – I never did, just like you never loved me. You want the feeling you had back then of being part of a family. Of being a rock when I needed you, but you don’t wantme. Yes, my mum loved you, but she wouldhatethe amount of times you’ve used her memory to try to manipulate me. She would want me to be happy, and if she had lived longer, she’d have realised that would never be with you.’
He splutters, staring up at me open-mouthed. ‘Do you know how much this cost? Most girls would be floored by such a gesture!’
‘Yes, but I’m not one of them. I like books and drinking tea and eating biscuits. I don’t want to zip off to Paris for the weekend at the drop of a hat. I want to curl up on the sofa in front of a crackling fire with someone, cuddling up as we read our respective books. I always, always preferred the Beast to any of the traditionally handsome Disney princes. Most kids had a crush on Aladdin or Prince Eric, but mine was always on the Beast. And that never changed as I grew up and it still hasn’t. Please excuse me.’
He’s still down on one knee as I walk away, but I don’t get very far before he shouts after me. ‘You’re leaving me for thatabomination? Thatmonster?’
It rubs me up the wrong way and all the goodwill I was trying to channel towards him flies off through the ballroom’s windowed ceiling. ‘Leaving you? Rick, we broke up a year ago! There is nothing to “leave”. Our relationship is well and truly over. Don’t ever call Darcy that. He is the furthest thing from a monster.You, on the other hand…’
‘Darcy? That’shisname? Hah!’ He laughs to himself so much that he overbalances and has to put both knees on the floor to steady himself. ‘Well, well, well. Ain’t the world a remarkable place?’
‘What?’ I ask, clearly missing something. There’s no way Rick knows Jane Austen well enough to know who Mr Darcy is. I doubt he’d even be able to identifyPride and Prejudiceas being a book. If Rick knows anything about Jane Austen, he probably thinks she’s famousforbeing on a ten-pound note.
‘Oh, don’t you worry about it, Marn. Who doesn’t love a weird and fateful coincidence, eh? Enjoy the rest of your evening.’
I grab the chance to escape the ballroom, although his sudden change in tone leaves me with a sinking feeling – the kind that Belle gets when Gaston sings ‘The Mob Song’ and starts leading a gang of villagers to storm the enchanted castle with battering rams.
19
Back in the entrance hall, the costume ball is well underway in the opposite ballroom, and out here, it’s nearly time for U.N.Known to take the stage. I told him to come and find me dressed as Belle, but I’ve been hidden away in the ballroom for well over an hour now, so I’ve got no idea if he’s here or not.
Darcy is standing to one side in his Beast costume, and now he’s got Mrs Potts in his arms.
‘Hi.’ I go to stand beside him and reach over to give her a head rub, brushing my hand against his arm as I pull back.
‘Hi.’ He glances down at me and jiggles his arms gently to indicate my cat, who looks happy and relaxed with him. ‘Cleo let me take her for a while. I needed her calmness.’
‘Are you okay?’
He makes a non-committal noise. ‘You?’
‘Yeah. I’m sorry about that, that was the worst timing.’ I feel awkward and the atmosphere between us is awkward, like something’s shifted in the last five minutes. ‘You know there’s nothing between me and him, right? It was over long ago, he just refused to listen.’
‘I know.’
I touch his arm again, letting my fingers linger on his blue suit sleeve. ‘Later, I hope we can continue where we left off.’
The Beast head looks down at my fingers on his arm. ‘Well, you might not want to. Marnie, listen, there’s something I need to tell you. I’m…’ His head lifts towards the door. ‘Mr Rowbotham.’
‘You’re Mr Rowbotham?’ I say in confusion.
‘No.’ He laughs a nervous laugh and inclines his head towards the open doorway. ‘He’s just arrived. And he looks… wet.’
I follow his gaze towards the castle foyer, the ornate doors wedged open to invite guests in, where Mr Rowbotham has appeared, looking so drenched that someone could’ve dumped an entire lake on him. He’s creating his own puddle where he stands and holding onto a limp umbrella that looks like it gave up the ghost a good few hours ago. ‘Which probably means he’s been outside to inspect the garden and I’m about to be evicted.’
I try to sound casual, but my heart is in my throat and a stone of dread has settled in my chest cavity. I should go over and speak to him immediately, but maybe it will be a good thing if he mingles a bit and sees people enjoying themselves, and maybe he’ll be in a better mood after he’s dried off. I see Witt intercept him and offer him a towel, while one of the catering staff hired for the night furtively mops up the puddle.
‘Hey.’ The brown fur paw reaches out and holds my elbow and waits until I look up and meet the eyes of the Beast mask. ‘Not on my watch.’
I casually slide behind Darcy, intending to hide on the sidelines for a while before facing Mr Rowbotham. ‘I don’t think “your watch” has much to do with his attitude towards non-green-fingered bookshop owners.’ I briefly cover his hand with mine. ‘But whatever happens, thank you. The past six weekshave been the best time I’ve ever had, and all of that is because of you.’
‘Marnie…’
Mr Rowbotham looks up from rubbing his dark hair dry with Witt’s proffered towel and his head swivels in our direction. We stand out because Darcy’s costume is two feet higher than everyone else, and my skirt is big enough to need its own post code and I’m not going to be able to hide for long. ‘I’ll catch you later.’
