Chapter 20

I said yes. I'm in shock at saying it, but even as the words left my mouth, I was sure I was doing the right thing. I knew deep down it wasn't just a holiday romance. There's something between us that I can't even explain to myself. I know we haven't been together long, but when he's not with me, I feel as though something is missing. Being with him makes me feel as though I'm part of someone's life in a way I never did with Steve. My emotions are more mature. I feel more mature too. I've moved on to being someone else, Iseult instead of Izzy. A woman who knows what she wants from life.

‘I love you so much,' he said, when I accepted his proposal in the freezing garden, along with the small opal ring that he said was temporary until we could go into town and buy the one I wanted. ‘I know we were meant to be. I really do.'

‘I was afraid to be in love with you,' I said. ‘I thought it was just a brief thing. That it didn't really matter. That I didn't matter.'

‘Iseult.' He looked at me with those amazing blue eyes. ‘You matter more to me than anyone else in the world. I'm overwhelmed by how much you matter. It took me some time to realise that I've never loved anyone the way I love you. And I'm going inside right now to tell everyone, so this is your one and only chance to back out.'

‘Why would I do that?' I asked. ‘I think I fell in love with you the moment I first set eyes on you.'

‘Really? When was that?'

‘When I saw you at the White Sands. Sitting all alone at your table.'

‘Don't tell me you wanted to mother me?'

‘No.' I grinned. ‘I wanted to fuck you.'

‘If only I'd known.'

He laughed as he took me by the hand and led me back into the house.

‘Before you make a big announcement – if you truly want to do that – please let me tell Celeste,' I begged. ‘She'll never forgive me if I don't give her a heads-up.'

He shrugged, and I went looking for my best friend. She was alone in front of a sideboard laden with strawberries dipped in chocolate.

‘I'm eating far too many of these,' she said. ‘But hey, the diet starts tomorrow.'

‘The best day for a diet to start,' I agreed. ‘Listen, I've something to tell you.'

‘Shoot.'

As I spoke, her eyes opened wider and wider and she put her pina colada on the sideboard.

‘You're kidding,' she said eventually, grasping my hand and looking at the ring.

‘Nope.'

‘Are you sure?'

‘Yes.'

‘Really sure? Because—'

‘Don't give me all the reasons why it might not work,' I said. ‘I've thought of them myself. Give me the reasons why it will. Because he's going to tell everyone in a few minutes and there's no going back after that.'

‘There's always going back,' she said. ‘Oh, Izzy, he's lovely, he really is. If you're sure, I'm sure. If you're happy, I'm happy.'

‘I really am,' I said.

‘In that case . . .' she flung her arms around me, ‘con-bloody-gratulations. But honestly, you could have stiffed him for a better ring.'

I'm looking at Ariel as I stand beside Charles, feeling a little bit like his Booker Prize award. Obviously I won't feel like that all the time, but right now, with everyone's eyes on me, it's a bit embarrassing. But that'll pass. I wish I'd thought of calling Mum and Dad before Charles said anything, but my only thought was to tell Celeste before he announced the news to everyone else. I expected a few doubts from her. I'd have said the same if our roles were reversed. But I know she's happy for me. I'm happy for me. I never expected this to happen, but now that it has, it feels (despite my current embarrassment) absolutely right.

His agent-slash-ex walks up to him. She can't keep the shocked expression from her face.

‘What on earth are you doing?' she asks.

‘Ariel.' He says her name like a warning. ‘Time and place.'

‘You think this was the time and place?'

She's angry, I realise. Probably because he didn't tell her before everyone else. And I understand that. It's why I told Celeste.

‘It seemed right.' He shrugs.

I step forward. ‘I'm sorry if you've been taken by surprise,' I say. ‘But I hope we'll all get on well together.'

‘You hope . . .' She stares at me. ‘Who are you exactly?'

‘Iseult O'Connor,' I say. ‘Charles's fiancée.' I add that bit to cement my status in her head. Because even though their relationship is over, I can feel her shock. I'd be shocked too if Steve told me he was engaged to someone else, even though I don't love him any more.

‘I had no idea.'

I'm not sure if her words are directed at me or at him. I want to give the two of them a moment, but even as I turn away towards Celeste, he reaches out and grabs me by the wrist.

‘No need for you to go anywhere,' he says. ‘Ariel's being rude, but that's because she's been caught off guard. She's always rude when that happens.'

‘I am not,' she protests.

‘We'll talk later.' And he walks away from her, bringing me with him towards the other side of the room.

‘Is she all right?' I ask.

‘She hates being the last to know about anything,' he murmurs, and then smiles as people start congratulating him though mostly ignoring me.

‘Unfortunately my new editor seems to have gone before we got a chance to chat with her,' says Charles when we've finally accepted all the good wishes there are to accept.

‘I talked with her earlier,' I say. ‘She's nice. She has some cool ideas about making it more difficult to spot the murderer.'

‘You've been having editorial conversations about my book?' He looks amused. ‘I suppose you have a proprietorial interest in it, after all.'

‘I certainly have a proprietorial interest in you,' I murmur.

He draws me close to him and smiles. ‘Our married life will be so perfect. I'll write books and you can tell me what I'm doing wrong.'

‘Sounds like a plan,' I say.

And it does.

It's about an hour later when the crowd starts to thin out. Charles is saying goodbye to various people while Celeste and I sit on the comfortable sofa and discuss my newly engaged state.

‘You had a thing for him from the start,' she says. ‘I could tell.'

‘Maybe.'

‘When you came back to the room after not having sex with him . . .'

‘Hmm. I did think that was a deal-breaker.'

‘But then you did.'

‘I did. And it was wonderful.'

‘It's funny how life works out. I wonder would you have noticed Charles Miller at all if you and Steve had been at the White Sands together.'

‘No! Because I would've been at my own wedding.'

‘But if you had . . .' Celeste looks thoughtful. ‘Gosh, can you imagine – falling for someone else on your wedding day!'

‘Just as well it wasn't my wedding day so,' I say.

‘I suppose we'd better make a move.' She glances around the now rapidly emptying room. There are a few people engaged in deep conversation, probably the ones who are always last to leave any party, but the majority have now gone. Celeste opens her phone app and searches for a taxi.

‘Half an hour.' She sounds surprised. ‘Not bad if it actually shows up and we don't have to emergency-call Dad.'

‘Fingers crossed.'

I look for Charles. He's talking to Ariel. Hopefully smoothing things over with his agent-slash-now-very-much-ex.