Page 24 of Four of Hearts

Harry turned his attention elsewhere, deciding that a pint at the Black Bull made a good deal of sense right then. A bite to eat wouldn’t go amiss either, he thought, and was soon sitting inside the pub, Smudge curled up on his feet, a pint on the table in front of him, as he waited, mouth already salivating, for the arrival of a plate of what he guessed would be a very generous portion of sausage and mash. He wasn’t disappointed.

TEN

With the chat with his cousin soon forgotten, midday burned through its hours with such eagerness, that Harry wondered if time had sped up just so he could get to the stag do quicker, even though he was absolutely dreading it. He was a private man in many ways but understood why everyone else was excited about it; knew that it was important for Ben, and secretly regretted leaving it to his little brother instead of sorting it all out himself. He was Ben’s best man, it was his job, but deep down he knew he’d hoped no one would think about it, because everything was happening so quickly.

Regardless of all that, he still didn’t want to go. Social situations, even if he came across as someone who could at best endure them, were not his happy place. Never really had been, either. He was happy in his own company, or that of a very small number of others, but no more. All that conversation, that noise, that expectation to have things to say, to be clever and funny and?—

A knock at the bedroom door and Harry was pulled from his thoughts and the fact that he’d spent the last half hour staring at his outfit for the evening ahead.

Grace entered, and Harry’s eyes near fell out of his face.

‘Holy hell, Grace...’

Grace curtsied.

‘You approve?’

Harry was speechless. Grace was the very picture of elegance, but in such an alluring way that he didn’t know whether to admire her from afar, fall to his knees, take her to bed, or all three, and in quick succession.

‘You’re beautiful.’

Grace waltzed over and stood in front of the dressing mirror she’d bought a few months ago from Tennants Auctioneers, down in Leyburn. She swished the dress from side to side.

‘Maybe I should dress like this more,’ she said. ‘What do you think?’

‘Probably not that practical for going out rabbiting, or for feeding pheasants.’

‘There is that.’

‘But yes, maybe you should. Won’t have any complaints from me.’

A horn sounded from outside the house.

‘That’ll be you, then,’ Harry said, and he stood up. ‘I’ll walk you to the door.’

Harry followed Grace downstairs, taking care not to step on the hem of her dress. Opening the front door, he saw a large minibus. The side door opened and Harry was greeted with lots of squeals and shouts and shrieks of delight, and so much material and lace and jewellery that he was put in mind of a haberdashery on wheels. He had absolutely no idea at all why he knew what a haberdashery was.

Jen climbed out of the minibus and walked over to fetch Grace.

‘What do you think, Harry?’ she asked, gesturing at her own outfit, which matched in style and grandeur what Grace herself was wearing.

‘I think we’re all a little mad, if I’m honest,’ Harry said, then he turned to Grace. ‘Have a great time. No falling in love with any Mr Darcys, you hear?’

Grace looked momentarily shocked.

‘Mr Darcy?’

Harry gave her a wink. ‘So, maybe I had to look up Pride and Prejudice, just to see what it is,’ he said.

Grace rested a gentle kiss on his scars.

‘Enjoy tonight,’ she said. ‘And promise me, you’ll try and relax and have fun?’

‘I’ll be the very definition of fun,’ Harry smiled. ‘I promise.’

And with that, he watched Grace skip after Jen, and climb up into the van. Then they were gone, except that, as they went, Harry saw someone waving to him through the back window.

Gordy? He knew she was coming to the wedding, because of course she was. He’d not given any thought at all to the fact she’d have made the journey up for the hen do as well.