Page 65 of An Enchanted Moment on Ever After Street
I slip between someone dressed as Toad of Toad Hall and someone who’s come as Paddington Bear and try my best to disappear before Mr Rowbotham notices me. I’m keeping a constant check on my phone to see if there are any emails from U.N.Known, confirming he’s actually here, but the inbox stays maddeningly quiet. From a single one-line email, I’ve arranged a whole evening’s activities around this man, and I have absolutely zero idea if he’s going to show up.
‘Any sign yet?’ Cleo is dressed as Alice in Wonderland and she slides through the gathered people towards me. The entrance hall, where the stage for U.N.Known’s speech has been set up, is gradually filling with people who have arrived for this moment, and others who have come out of the ballroom to witness the first ever public appearance of such a secretive author.
We’re standing by the stairs, lurking behind them in the hopes Mr Rowbotham won’t see me, and my eyes flit around the room, but no one who could be U.N.Known stands out.
‘He could beanyoneor he could not be here at all.’ I check my phone for the eleventy-billionth time. No new emails. And no one who’s looking around the room like they might be hunting for someone dressed as Belle. Apart from Mr Rowbotham. I shift so Cleo is standing in front of me.
‘He’ll be here. He wouldn’t let you down.’
Those words again. My eyes flick to Darcy. He’s gone to sit on the opposite side of the room, near the stage, and is stroking Mrs Potts who’s curled up on his lap. That stone in my chest gets inexplicably heavier.
‘It was okay to let him look after her, right?’ Cleo notices where I’m looking. ‘He’s brilliant with her and she looked better with the Beast. She can pass for the teapot version of Mrs Potts but no one was buying that she was the Cheshire Cat and it was too late to get her a pink and purple striped jumper.’
I laugh despite the uneasiness I’m feeling. There’s an atmosphere in the castle tonight, something in the air that makes it feel like everything is about to change, in one way or another.
‘I think she’s an emotional support cat tonight. Darcy seemed like he needed her.’
‘What happened with you two in the ballroom?’ Cleo’s oversized black bow headband flops forward.
‘Everything.’ I sigh. ‘And strangely, nothing too. It was… intense. And then it wasn’t, and now it feels like a moment we’ll never get back.’
‘Aww, don’t say that. Look at him, Mar. Until a few weeks ago, he was the terrifying shouty guy in the rose shop. And now he’s dressed as the Beast in averypublic place because he wanted to support you. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.’
‘Maybe.’ I try to shrug it off but that sense of uneasiness grows again, and only gets bigger as the lavish clock at the top of the stairway ticks closer to 7p.m.
The entrance hallway is packed to the brim by the time the clocktower outside starts striking. Seven dongs. On the seventh, Ali gets up and makes his way to the stage. His granddaughters are big fans ofOnce Upon Another Timeand would never have spoken to him again if he’d had a chance to chair a discussion with the author and turned it down.
‘Well, here we are, ladies and gentlemen.’ Ali is dressed as a middle-aged Aladdin and looks out at the gathered crowd, unable to hide the scepticism on his face. ‘It’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for.’
There’s absolute silence in the crowd. There are costumes everywhere. Mary Poppins is to my left and Where’s Wally is on my right. We’re all here, united by a love of books and a desire to meet an author who has never been met before. The entire room is holding its breath as one.
‘It’s time to welcome to the stage, the amazing U.N.Known.’ Ali looks around, looking like there’snohope of the bloke actually turning up. ‘This is a historic moment in the book world, to be granted an audience with such a mysterious writer, so let’s all be gentle with our new friend, and give him a warm welcome and show him just how much we love his wonderful book.’
The audience start clapping – a partially expectant clap and a partially muted one, subdued by the clear doubt that U.N.Known is going to be here.
I’m watching, waiting like everyone else in the room, feeling more and more nauseous with every second that passes. I’ve done all of this on a false promise and the majority of my day tomorrow is going to be spent refunding ticket prices for disappointed customers. My eyes fall on Darcy. Those blue glass eyes have found me across the room, across all the people in between us.
The sudden ding of a new email makes me jump. Seven o’clock on the dot, as though it was scheduled.
I look down to get my phone out, and when I look back up, one person who was sitting is now standing. And he’s the only person wearing a Beast costume.
What?
I scrabble to unlock my phone with fingers that have gone clammy. Because Darcy is not just standing. Darcy is making his way towards the stage.
And in that moment, I know exactly what that email is going to say.
Everything that is real was imagined once. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.
I feel like I’m hearing everything through water, and yet, nothing has ever made more sense. Ofcourseit’s him. Of course it is.That’swhy he replied to my emails when he’s never replied to anyone else’s – because they weremine. That’s why Darcy knew what U.N.Known had said in his emails when IknewI hadn’t told him. That’s why he knew they were often one sentence long. The way he said writing was his life once. He used to teach creative writing.Once Upon Another Timewas published seven years ago, probably not long before the accident. The job he loved that he couldn’t continue. No wonder U.N.Known never wrote another word afterOnce Upon Another Time. No wonder his first email told me he was dead – because that’s what Darcy felt. The Unknown Author died on the day Darcynearlydied.Everythinghe’s said makes so much sense now. EvenImentioned the similarities between them. Darcy’s initial hatred ofOnce Upon Another Timedespite claiming to have never read it. That day he bought the book in the shop. It felt important, and it was – he must have blocked out that entire chapter of his life, and buying that book was a small window back into it.
Even tonight.I’m not going to let you down.Marnie, listen, there’s something I need to tell you.
I hear Ali say ‘You?’ in disbelief as he steps up onto the stage.
‘Is this for real?’ Cleo’s practically vibrating beside me. ‘Or is he covering for the real one? No one knows who U.N.Known is so he could be, literally, anyone, and if the real one didn’t show up, you had a back-up plan of Darcy stepping in? It’s not like anyone would know, is it?’
‘This had nothing to do with me.’ I don’t know if I want to laugh or wail. ‘He’s Darcy. He’s always been Darcy.’
