Page 111 of Merrily Ever After
The room fell deathly silent, and everyone stared at Emily and then at Merry.
‘What do you mean?’ Lydia demanded, her eyes narrowing. ‘Unhappy about what?’
Merry closed her eyes. ‘Oh shit.’
Emily went cold. Had she spoken out of turn? ‘I’m sorry if I—’
Lydia turned to Cole; her face stricken. ‘Harley told Merry he was unhappy?’
‘Did he?’ Cole’s brow furrowed.
Merry nodded. ‘When we went shopping for wedding outfits. He said he wished he was back in Whistler.’
Cole shook his head in disbelief. ‘That was weeks ago, and you didn’t think to say?’
Merry gulped. ‘He asked me not to say anything. I’m sorry, I didn’t know what to do.’
‘Well, clearly not this!’ Lydia spluttered.
‘And Emily seems quite well informed, considering you were supposed to be keeping it a secret.’ Cole glared at Merry, and Emily could have wept; she was horrified at what she had done.
‘I thought he was OK now,’ Merry pleaded. ‘After seeing him in the choir, I thought things had settled down.’
‘Except now our son has gone missing,’ stated Lydia. ‘So clearly he’s not OK.’
‘Enough, everyone!’ Nell held her arms out. ‘This isn’t helping.’
‘No,’ said Cole in a steely voice. ‘It certainly isn’t. Right, Lydia, we’ll go out and look for him. The shops, his friends, anywhere we can think of where he might go. I can’t drive because I’ll be over the limit. Paul hasn’t been drinking so he could possibly help too.’
‘What about me?’ Merry asked, tears shimmering in her eyes. ‘What can I do to help?’
‘You’ve done quite enough,’ Cole muttered, turning towards the stairs.
Merry gasped in shock.
Cole swore under his breath and turned back to her. ‘Forgive me, that was uncalled for, sorry.’
‘Yes, it was,’ Nell’s voice was icy. ‘We’ll stay here in case Harley turns up. You go.’
Cole nodded, shot a last apologetic look at Merry and left.
Nell wrapped her arms around Merry as she dissolved into tears. Emily watched them for a moment, feeling sick with remorse and not knowing how to make it right. Neither of them seemed aware that she was still there, so she slipped downstairs and found Will.
He took one look at her and drew her into her arms. ‘I’ve heard what’s happened, but I’m sure he’ll be OK.’
‘I hope so. I tried to help, but I made things much worse.’ She was shivering and her teeth were starting to chatter. ‘Merry must hate me.’
Will frowned. ‘That doesn’t seem very likely.’
She felt as if her insides had been hollowed out with a spoon. ‘I’m not wanted here. Not now. I’ve messed it up, Will. It’s all ruined. Let’s go home.’
Chapter Thirty-Six
Merry
The party was over. Cesca and Fliss and their families left straight away, leaving me with Astrid, Fred, Nell and Olek. As soon as I could, I slipped out through the back door, cutting myself off from the activity inside Holly Cottage: the speculation, the pacing and the cups of tea being poured and abandoned. I stepped out into the freezing velvet night, grateful for the hit of icy air. Pools of light from the windows cast a glow on the lawn, but the trees that encircled the garden on all sides felt eerily threatening in the dark.
I was frantic with worry and sick with guilt. I couldn’t even sit down without wanting to jump up again immediately. Goodness only knew how poor Lydia must be feeling.
