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But worse than that. Hannah was her sister! She knew Edward was her date for the wedding. She also knew how much Rosie had been looking forward to spending the day on the arm of the most eligible man this side of the Hudson River. Did Hannah have to stealeverythingshe had, including her boyfriend?
Unbidden, her thoughts flicked back to the last incident when Hannah’s selfishness had swept her breath away, and the scolding she had taken from Lauren about not standing up for her right to pursue her own dreams without Hannah’s taking precedence.
She had been heartbroken when she found her mother’s eternity ring missing from her antique silver jewellery box whichshe still kept on her dressing table in her childhood bedroom above Hamilton’s Grocery Store where she grew up. But she had been even more devastated when she discovered that not only had the ring been removed by Hannah, but she’d also had it remodelled to her own tasteless specifications as her wedding ring.
Was this despicable, self-centred behaviour her fault, too?
She’d really struggled to forgive Hannah for her truly contemptible behaviour this time. Her sister had known how much that symbol of her parents’ happy marriage had meant to her, that she herself had planned to wear it when she eventually found someone to spend her life with, someone as dependable, honest and considerate as her father.
Unsurprisingly, when she had disclosed Hannah’s deplorable, insensitive actions to Lauren she had been clear in her diagnosis that if she didn’t get a grip on her doormat tendencies with her sister and put herself first for a change, she would be looking at her sanity in the rear-view mirror.
As usual, her best friend was right.
Rosie realised that her whole body was trembling, and sweat had caused the man-made fabric of the hideous bridesmaid dress to stick to her skin. A spasm of humiliation shot down her spine as the full impact of Hannah’s betrayal slapped her square in the face. How could she possibly endure this blissful day after the horrific scene she had just witnessed? She knew the image would remain imprinted on her mind’s eye like a photographer’s negative for the rest of her life. How could she smile as her little sister married her handsome “prince” with this knowledge bouncing around her head? It should be an occasion to wholeheartedly rejoice in, for a multitude of reasons, and now it would be a nightmare of averted glances and false smiles.All that hard slog organising every last perfect detail had been spoilt.
And how could she look Jacob in those dark brooding eyes of his with honesty and integrity when she congratulated him on becoming attached to her sister? Surely her expression would give her away; performing arts had never been her forte.
Why did this have to happen, especially today, especially when she had only just learned of the demise of her beloved aunt? She had not even been able to start grieving for her, so anxious were she and her father to protect Hannah from any distress on her special day – the best day of her life! Hannah had certainly excelled herself this time.
Enough was enough!
She made a decision, and if she failed to act upon it immediately she feared the injection of courage may seep from her bones and drain out from her tingling fingertips.
She shot up from the bed, grabbed her suitcase and began stuffing in her clothes and toiletries. An avalanche of emotions crashed through her gut, but she refused to allow them to douse her determination. For once, just this once, Rosie Hamilton was going to do something for herself. Something she truly wanted, no,needed, to do to preserve not only her sanity, but her self-worth. How she could have contemplated otherwise horrified her.
With a concerted effort, she shoved the internal self-analysis into a dark crevice of her mind to be explored on a more auspicious occasion, zipped up her bag, and sprinted down to the stairs to the foyer. Thankfully the car park was at the rear of the hotel away from the white muslin and rose-bedecked gardens.
Just as she thought she had managed to make a clean getaway, a voice as rich as melted caramel called her name.
‘Rosie? Is that you?’
She shoved her suitcase behind one of the foyer’s over-stuffed leather armchairs and turned to face Jacob, resplendent in his wedding tuxedo and carrying off the required pink cravat with aplomb. A faint hint of his wood-spice aftershave floated on the air. Rosie took in his rugged, handsome features, the way his mahogany eyes crinkled at the corners as he ran his fingers through his thick quiff of hair, the colour of liquid coal, a slight tremor belying his nerves. His broken nose only added to his attraction in Rosie’s opinion.
‘Oh, hi Jacob.’
‘Are you looking for Hannah? I don’t think you’ll find my gorgeous bride-to-be in the car park!’ He smiled and his face lit with the joy of a man about to be made the luckiest person alive. ‘Actually, I’m glad I bumped into you, Rosie. I know how much you love Hannah, and I wanted to assure you that I will do everything in my power to bring all the happiness in the state of New York to the gorgeous girl whom I will be fortunate enough to call my wife. Nothing will be too much trouble for my princess.’
Rosie’s stomach churned. Hannah did not deserve such a decent man. But, despite the pain her sister had caused, despite the gut-wrenching agony her date had bestowed upon her, there was no doubt whatsoever what her response to Jacob would be.
‘I’ve just come from her room. She’s putting the final touches to her makeup, and she’ll be down in five minutes. She doesn’t want you to see her before she makes her big entrance, so why don’t you wait for her in the garden. You could send Dad up, though? So he can escort her?’
‘Sure, Rosie. Erm, are you okay?’ Jacob rested his elegant fingers on her forearm and for the first time Rosie had to battle to prevent her tears from escaping their water-tight cage. ‘I know how hard you’ve worked to pull this wedding off. It’s a spectacular achievement, especially with your job being so full-on. Hey, if you are ever stuck for employment, there’s definitely a place for a women with your talents at my law firm.’
Rosie managed a watery smile and was relieved when Jacob turned and, as instructed, made his way back to the end of the red-carpeted aisle to await the imminent arrival of his bride.
As she made her way to her rental car, the heel of her stiletto imbedded in the gravel and she stumbled to the ground, for once grateful for the extra padding afforded by her dress. She removed her shoes and tossed them into the back seat with her suitcase. Her eyes caught on a waiter sneaking an illicit cigarette behind the lollipop bay tree on the stone front steps. Was he jeering at her naivety for believing she and Edward had an exclusive relationship? Was he laughing at her stupidity for falling for his smouldering charisma in the first place? Edward was her boss after all. All the agony columns warned against having a dalliance with your boss – it inevitably ended in tears, yours mainly.
What had she been thinking?
She slammed the door of the little red roadster and revved the engine. She flung the wayward waiter her harshest glare, stepped on the accelerator and sped down the immaculate, tree-lined driveway of the Stonington Meadows Country Park Hotel, scattering the rose-coloured gravel in her wake like a shower of confetti.
She had chosen the “flight” option. In more ways than one.
Chapter Five
Rosie drove as if her life depended on it.
Living in New York meant she did not own her own car, but each time she rented one for the weekend to take a trip out to the beach or to visit her father, she relished the feel of the wind in her hair and the warm sunshine caressing her face through the windscreen. Today, however, she noticed none of these favourite things as she slung the steering wheel around the sharp bends in the road, the scene of Edward and Hannah ensconced in a clinch amongst the starched and folded bed sheets and pillowcases replaying on a loop through her mind as though a broken film reel. But this was more in the horror movie genre than romantic comedy.
