Page 68 of A Wonderland Wish on Ever After Street
‘What I think is that all along I’ve thought Tabby was sabotaging what we’ve been doing because she wanted the building… but if she didn’t… if shehasn’t… who has?’
He sighs and looks up at me. ‘Oh, come on, really? How many times do we have to go through this?’
‘Until it makes sense! Why would anyone sabotage our bakes? The only possible explanation is that it’s someone who wants The Wonderland Teapot to fail so they can step in when it does. Whoelsewould be lurking on the sidelines, waiting on tenterhooks for me to crash and burn?’
He gets up and tries to pace too, and a couple of people moveaside to give him more space. ‘Whywould I do that? I’m not going to be accused of something I haven’t done. And if you don’t believe me, that’s up to you. I can’t prove it either way so there’s no point in trying. I’ve done nothing but help you, and if you can’t see that…’ He sighs and turns away, a wobble in his voice. He’s clearly hurt and it makes my heart constrict and the urge to go and slip my arms around him dances just out of reach.
Am I being too harsh? I’ve never doubted him for a second, but now, everything is blurred. He’s been dishonest about something so important, and now I’m questioning if there was a hidden agenda behindeverything. I’ve once again started to rely on someone who’s turned out to be unreliable. Last time, my plans fell through because my ex let me down, and Istillhaven’t learned the same lesson. Staying at home and shutting out the world was the right idea – I should’ve stuck with that.
‘Since the moment I walked in on that first morning, theonlything I wanted was for it to succeed, because it’s brilliant. Because you’re brilliant, and because you belong on Ever After Street.’
‘We agree with that.’ Marnie nudges me kindly. Bram and I are both het-up: both our voices are rising, I’m wringing my hands together and he’s pacing with angry stamps, and she’s trying to defuse matters.
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. The past two months are playing out in my mind like a DVD stuck on repeat, except it’s like I’ve watched the film without understanding the dialogue and suddenly someone’s put the subtitles on. ‘You even told your father about the food poisoning. Which you had every right to do, obviously, but I was surprised.’
‘No I didn’t. I don’t tell my father anything.’ He fixes me with a hard stare. ‘Butyoutold Tabby.’
I think back to what he means. After the food poisoning. The day both Tabby and Bram were fully back inwork and I wanted him to take longer off. I was worried about him, I kept checking to make sure he was okay, and Tabby noticed and asked why I was so bothered. I said he hadn’t been well, and she’d jokingly said, ‘It wasn’t food poisoning, was it?’ and I’d laughed just a tad too hysterically, and my overcompensation was clearly enough to tip her off.
‘I’ve done nothing but throw myself headfirst into this and I’velovedevery minute of it. I’ve loved every minute with you. I’ve been… God, I’ve beensohappy with you. I’ve looked forward to seeing you every morning.’ He shakes his head and sits down again with a sigh. ‘And this is what you think of me. For the past couple of months, I’ve been so secure because we’ve had each other’s backs. So comfortable in my own skin becauseyouliked me. And this one thing… you’re going to let it make you doubt everything you know about me?’
‘One thingyoulied about!’ I snap at him, even though it makes my stomach plummet with guilt. Do I really doubt everything I know about him? The beautiful soul I’ve got to know behind the loud character, something he’s never hidden from me… Ican’tbelieve there was anything false about that, and yet, it doesn’t fit with the bitterness he’s just admitted to. He was angry at first. Resentful. He never showed a hint of that to me. He hid it behind his sunny Hatter smile. How many other things have been hidden behind card tricks and mixed-up sayings that made me laugh out loud while he was seething on the inside? ‘Don’t try to make me feel like I’m doing something wrong by not trusting you when you haven’t been honestandhave let me carry on believing that all the problems were down to your ex on a quest for revenge, and not…’ I trail off. I can’t bring myself to say outright that he is the saboteur. It doesn’t sit right, despite all this.
‘Well, unless the tearoom really is full of gremlins, ithasto be one of the three of us, and it wasn’t me or you.’
‘How can I ever believe that?’ I say quietly as sad realisation hitsme. This changes everything, whether I want it to or not. The one thing I thought I knew about him was that he was too honest for his own good, but he’s let me down – as peoplealwaysdo. Iwantto believe him, but Ican’t.
‘Because you know me better than that.’ His eyes are damp and it makes my heart jump into my throat and feel like it’s beating there. I’mstillfighting the urge to hug him because it’s natural to comfort someone you care about when they’re upset.
I hadn’t realised how much this would hurt him. I didn’twantto hurt him. I know he’s let me in where he’s always kept others at arm’s length. I know he’s opened up to me, but that doesn’t excuse what else he’s done. It doesn’t change the outright lies. And it doesn’t take away the main thought that’s filling my brain. Was he trying to help me – or was he trying to make sure that he won’t be second choice next time?
Silence falls. I can see the others getting twitchy. They want to say something, do something,anythingto disperse this awkwardness. Lissa goes to speak and then thinks better of it. So does Darcy, but he also reconsiders before any words come out.
With hindsight, maybe thiswasa conversation Bram and I should have had in private to spare the others witnessing the supernova explosion of our relationship.
‘There you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere!’ After a few endless minutes of uncomfortable silence, the door opens and Mrs Willetts bursts in. ‘After a heck of a delay and many panicked phone calls, the wedding cake has finally arrived and Laura wants to cut it immediately and pose for photos. Hurry up, Bram! You too, Cleo! Laura wants to thank you personally and asked me to send you in if I found you. Should’ve known I’d find you together.’ She waggles her wiry eyebrows, clearly not having a clue what she’s just walked in on.
Bram pinches the bridge of his nose. ‘It’snot a good time.’
‘Your family will have my guts for garters if I let you miss the cutting of the cake. I can handle your father, but I’mnottangling with your sister on her wedding day. Now, come on, off with you.’ She pushes at his shoulder hard enough to get him moving, and he looks back at me.
I have no intention of getting involved in this and I’m about to tell Mrs Willetts to tell Laura I’ve already left when her age-spotted hand wraps around my wrist in a vice grip. ‘You too, Cleo, you’re not getting out of it that easily.’
I feel like Bram and I are naughty children being marched to the headteacher’s office as she drags us through the vast hallway and towards the wedding party’s ballroom, and no amount of wriggling persuades her to free either of us.
We’re both still protesting as she pulls us into the ballroom and the three of us make enough of an entrance that every eye in the room swivels towards us, and the only thing that finally makes Mrs Willetts let go is the squeaky sound of wheels on the wooden floor from behind, and a shout of, ‘Coming through!’
All three of us dive in different directions as a trolley is wheeled in, carrying the most beautiful wedding cake. It’s four tiers high with a plastic bride and groom on the top, and decorated with cream coloured butter icing and delicate iced pink roses and has green leaves around the base of each tier as iced rose petals float down the sides to the tiers below.
Also on the trolley are custom-made stands displaying matching cupcakes in a waterfall formation. Matchingrosecupcakes… Oh no. Ohno. It can’t be. Notthosecupcakes.
It’s all right, I tell myself. No one will know. Only Mr Hastings and Mrs Willetts were at the interview. They won’t recognise them. I don’t know if the other man is here as well, but he wasn’t overly interested at the time. No one will remember a few cupcakes so many weeks later. Of course they won’t.
‘Oh, hurrah!’ Mrs Willetts squeals in delight. ‘Finally, your rose cupcakes! I knew you wouldn’t withhold them at a wedding. I’ve been wanting another one of these since the day we met. You don’t mind, do you?’ She helps herself to one from the stand and peels the case off eagerly.
‘Oh, I, er…’ I stumble over my words, trying to think of an excuse to sidle out quickly, but as I turn around, I’m standing face to face with the woman I bought that cake stand and those cupcakes from two and a half months ago.
‘Oh, it’s you.’ She raises a finger in recognition. ‘I don’t remember all my customers, but it’s impossible to forget someone who buys half the display. What a small world to run into you here.’
