Five women stood near the reception desk, Maddy standing slightly apart from the others, in a soft jumper. She looked a little overwhelmed by the group around her.
Then she turned, freezing at the sight of Eva. It was very clear in that moment that Hannah hadn’t told her that Eva was coming.
A slightly orange woman spotted her. ‘Oh, good,’ she said cheerfully. ‘You found us.’
The other women turned. They were an eclectic bunch.
Eva straightened automatically. ‘Hello,’ she said.
Hannah beamed. ‘Everyone, this is Eva. The wedding planner. She came!’
Eva’s eyes drifted back to Maddy. Maddy was still staring like someone who had bitten into a sandwich and found it full of bees.
‘We’re a party now!’ Hannah continued happily and started listing the itinerary.
Eva nodded where appropriate, only half listening. Because Maddy had unfrozen. She stepped forward slightly, as though pulled by something she didn’t entirely control.
‘You came,’ Maddy said.
Eva felt the urge to explain her reasoning, to yammer out some kind of excuse. She resisted it. She didn’t yammer. ‘It appears so.’
For a moment, neither of them said anything else.
Then Hannah clapped her hands, and Eva and Maddy snapped to attention. ‘Right! Check-in time. Rooms first, champagne later.’
Eva fiddled with a loose thread on her sweater. ‘Was this… unexpected?’ she asked carefully.
Maddy gave a small, breathless laugh. ‘A bit.’
‘I wasn’t entirely sure it was appropriate,’ Eva admitted.
‘You came anyway.’
Eva could only say, ‘I suppose I did,’ to that.
‘Well,’ Maddy said after a moment, ‘I’m glad you did.’
Eva did not immediately trust herself to answer. Because the same question lingered.
What the HELL are you doing?
Nineteen
Maddy trailed behind the others into the lobby. Every step made her more aware of Eva, who had arrived almost like an afterthought but now dominated Maddy’s awareness.
Hannah turned from the reception where she’d been in consultation for several minutes. ‘We’ve got rooms sorted! Bride, you’ll have the suite at the end of the hall with the Mother of the Bride! Mary and Aria next door! Eva, you’re with me.’
Maddy’s mother beamed. ‘Oh, how lovely!’
Mary slipped up beside her. ‘Excited?’
Maddy nodded. ‘Mmm.’
Aria was inspecting a jug of water sitting on the reception desk. ‘There’s cucumberandmint in the water? What’ll they think of next!’ she exclaimed, adjusting her big specs. Maddy forced a polite laugh.
Eva stood just behind her, suitcase in hand, composed as ever. She didn’t flinch at Aria’s grandmother-on-crack vibe or Hannah’s dictatorial exuberance. She simply existed in the room with a kind of controlled authority that made Maddy want tostick closer, like Eva was an umbrella that could shield her. Maddy supposed that made the rest of them a shit storm.
Hannah clapped again. ‘Time to drop off bags! Lounge for welcome drinks in five!’
