out for a walk—I must’ve been in a bad reception area.’
‘I sent you a couple of texts. Maybe they went AWOL.’
Or maybe she’d accidentally left her phone in silent mode. She took it out of her bag and checked the screen. There were three messages from Alex, all telling her to ring him urgently and not to listen to any of the messages on her answering machine until he got back to London.
She glanced at the answering machine. ‘Messages.’ The light was still flashing, so clearly he hadn’t listened to them.
‘I’m really sorry, Bel.’
‘Better find out what they have to say.’ She pressed ‘play’. The first message was from Alex. ‘Houston, we have a problem. Call me when you can—and if you’ve got other messages on the machine after this, don’t take any notice of them, OK? I’ll explain everything when I get back.’
Next was her mother. ‘Bel, Marcia just told me. It’s fantastic news—but why didn’t you tell me yourself, love? Get your diary and call me when you’re back. Your dad and I want to take you both out to dinner to celebrate. Love you.’
Then it was Alex’s mother. ‘Bel, we’re so pleased to hear the news—I wish Alex had waited until you were back from your course, so you could’ve told us together, but I know what my son’s like. He can’t wait for anything. See you soon, love. And we’re so pleased. We couldn’t have hoped for a better daughter-in-law.’
And then Saskia. ‘Oh, my God, you’re actually going to be my sister! Isobel Martin, how could you keep something like this quiet? And from me, of all people! Ring me the second you get this. I want details.’ She laughed. ‘And congratulations. This is brilliant. It’s the best news I’ve heard all year.’
Isobel sat down and looked at Alex. ‘Oh, blimey. They’re all so pleased.’
‘I know.’
‘And what course? Why does your mother think I’m on a course?’
He lifted a hand in protest. ‘She asked why you weren’t with me to share the news. I had to think on my feet. So I said the first thing that came into my head—that you were on a course. Which I know was a lie, and I know you hate lying, but what else could I do?’
‘You could’ve told them the truth.’
‘How?’ He sighed. ‘I’ve been racking my brain all the way here to work out how to fix this. Look, if you don’t mind going along with it for a while, then we can say I’ve done something terrible—I dunno, got drunk and disgraced you and gone off with another woman at a party or something—and you can break off the engagement in high dudgeon. And then we can just go back to normal.’
She shook her head. ‘Alex, that’s a hideously bad idea—it’ll hurt everyone. Your parents will never forgive you if they think you’ve treated me badly, mine will never forgive you either, and it’ll cause rifts all over the place. And I’m not going to tell even more lies. It’s enough of a mess as it is.’
‘Bel, you heard them all. They’re delighted that we’re together. It’s as if we’ve given them Christmas, a milestone birthday and a huge lottery win all rolled into one. If I tell them the truth, they’ll be so disappointed, so upset that it’s not happening. At least if we tell them it didn’t work out, it’ll let them down gently.’
‘By you being unfaithful? That’s hardly being gentle, Alex.’
‘Then I hope you’ve got a better idea, because I can’t think of any other way.’
Her mind had gone completely blank. ‘I can’t, either,’ she admitted.
‘Mum said she wondered how long it would take me to see what was right under my nose, and she’s glad I finally realised.’ He raked his hand through his hair. ‘She thinks I’ve been in love with you secretly since for ever.’
‘Of course you haven’t.’ Isobel shifted guiltily. Though could she say the same for herself? The fact that she could still remember how a kiss had felt twelve years ago …’ This is crazy.’
‘And it’s my fault. I’m sorry, Bel.’ He looked grim. ‘I’m just going to have to call everyone and put them straight. I apologise if it’s going to cause any awkwardness for you.’
‘Hey. I’ll get over it,’ she said lightly.
‘I just hate bursting Mum’s bubble. Especially as Saskia called me on my way back here and told me it’s the brightest she’s heard Mum sound in months.’
‘I know where you’re coming from. My parents have wanted to see me settled down again, too, after Gary. I think it’s because they’re …’ She bit her lip. ‘I was a late baby. Their only one. And although Mum’s a young seventy-two, she’s been talking lately about …’ She swallowed. ‘About getting old.’
‘And the fact that they’re your only family.’
Trust Alex to see straight into the heart of things. And to voice what she couldn’t bring herself to say—that when her parents died she’d be completely on her own.
He paused. ‘You know, this could be a solution for both of us.’
‘What could?’
‘Getting married. For real.’
It was a moment before she could speak. ‘But, Alex, you said you want to settle down and have a family.’
He shrugged. ‘A wife counts as family.’
‘So you don’t want children?’
He spread his hands. ‘Bel, if you want children, that’s fine by me—if you don’t, that’s also fine. No pressure either way.’
‘But …’ Panic skittered through her. If only he knew. They might not have a choice. ‘We can’t do this.’
‘Yes, we can.’ He took her hand. ‘Think about it. Our parents get on well. I like your parents and you like mine—we’re both going to have great in-laws.’
Something Isobel definitely hadn’t experienced with Gary, whose mother had always resented her. Nothing had ever been said overtly, but there had been plenty of pointed comments; Gary’s mother hadn’t taken well to the idea of his wife being the most important woman in his life. Isobel knew she wouldn’t have to put up with anything like that from Marcia, who had always treated her as a much-loved part of the family.
‘Both lots of parents are going to be relieved we’re settled down,’ Alex continued, ‘and they’ll stop worrying about us and nagging us. And we’ve got the basis for a brilliant marriage—we like each other.’
‘But liking isn’t enough,’ she protested.
‘Yes, it is. It’s better than love, Bel. It’s honest. It’s permanent—something that’s not going to change and we don’t have all these false ideals and rosy-coloured glasses, so we’re not going to get hurt. We’re going into this knowing exactly what we’re doing. Eyes wide open.’
‘I
