‘Up until last Friday, I’d have believed you, when she turned up and you acted as innocent as a seal pup. If you’ve always been so flaming honest, why have you been lying about it all week?’
‘I didn’t want to upset you.’
‘Well, guess what: I’m abit upset.’
‘I’m so sorry about that, my love. I was going to talk to you about it as soon as the wedding was over. You can understand that today is not the day.’ Gabe glanced around the room of gobsmacked guests. ‘Now is not the time, or the place.’
‘Maybe you should have thought about that before you let her bewitch you, just like her mother. I cannot believe you are falling for the same tricks all over again. Have you asked yourself what she’s really after? Apart from a free holiday? Her mother’s left her high and dry, so now here she is, wheedling her way into everyone’s affections, conveniently falling for the heir to the farm. She’s after her share of the land she’ll never get to inherit, because you saw sense and left that leech back on the mainland where she belonged.’
‘You’re wrong,’ Pip said, but the hint of doubt in his voice was devastating. At some point, he had let go of my hand.
‘Do not refer to Emmie’s mother that way,’ Gabe said, clearly struggling to remain calm. ‘Whatever misplaced gripe you have with Nellie, these accusations are unfounded, unkind, and, more to the point, make absolutely no sense.’
I could only sit there stricken, dying inside. Wishing more than anything I’d never come here while begging my legs to start working so I could leave.
Rosemary dismissed her husband with a snort of contempt.
‘If I’m so wrong, Philip, then what? Is she after taking you away? Robbing our farm of its rightful owner, just like her mother tried to?’
‘No.’ Pip shook his head, distraught. ‘She wants to stay.’
‘Hah,’ Rosemary scoffed. ‘That snooty old cow tried to fool us with that one, too. Lasted less than a year. You think this girl can hack island life? Look at her. We’ve hatched chickens with more meat on them. Learn from your da’s mistake. Mainlander women have no understanding of commitment. No thought for eight generations of Hawkinses, working themselves to the bone to hand something of value on to their children.’
‘Please, Ma, try to calm down so we can talk about this sensibly,’ Lily said, attempting to manoeuvre her mother away. ‘Let’s go back to the house, where it’s quieter.’
‘And leave her with you all? To spin more lies!’
‘She can come too.’
‘I will not have that girl in my home.’ Rosemary’s face crumpled as the anger gave way to heaving sobs. ‘Not until you admit that she’s your daughter!’
‘What?’ Every ounce of colour drained from Gabe’s face. I couldn’t look at Pip, who must have felt sickened.
‘Rosemary, this conversation needs to continue in the house.’ Richard, who had watched all of this unfold with no discernible expression, hauled himself to his feet, unmistakably assuming the authority of the older brother.
With no small amount of fuss and borderline hysterics, Aster and both her sons, Rosemary and her four children trooped over to the kitchen, me trailing dismally behind them, upon Gabe’s insistence.
We left Malcolm to round up his children, and get them safely home to bed, while Hugh oversaw the abrupt halt to festivities.
‘I’m so sorry,’ I whispered to no one in particular, once we’d gathered around the table. ‘I’ve ruined the wedding.’
‘If only it was just the wedding,’ Rosemary hissed. She had refused to sit down.
‘Don’t take this upon yourself,’ Richard said. ‘It wasn’t your intention for anyone to find out today. And it wasn’t your choice to keep your identity concealed in the meantime. This is why we don’t do secrets.’
He scowled at his brother. ‘Truth will always come out, usually at the worst possible time.’
‘Can we please get back to the slightly more urgent issue of whether Da is Emmie’s father?’ Violet asked, her face a brittle mask.
‘There is no issue,’ Gabe said, with a weary sigh. ‘Emmie must be younger than Pip.’
‘How old are you?’ Iris shot at me.
‘Twenty-six.’
‘There you have it.’ Gabe looked at Rosemary, eyes imploring. ‘We were married for four years before she was born.’
‘And?’ Rosemary’s rampant fury had cooled to icy rage. ‘We all know how you felt about that woman. The mainlander who drove Gabriel Hawkins out of his mind with lust. And who conveniently opened a shop in the only airport that flies to Siskin. I wonder what made her decide to do that? No chance at all of you bumping into each other while off on one of your conferences. Or how about when you insisted on seeing our children to boarding school?’
