Page 32 of Thick as Thieves
Evie arrivesthe next day and her eyebrows go up when she sees the tent down by the Loch. “Really? You couldn’t have been more original?”
I shrug and smirk. “It works, doesn’t it.”
“Can I go see it?” She has the babies with her, as well as Betty and Tommy. “Betty, you go and get settled. Tommy and I’ll take the twins for a look.”
The nanny looks like she wants to go and see, but turns away as Aileen, the housekeeper—and my assistant midwife—comes out of the house to welcome her in. With Sorley nestled in my arms, and Tommy doing the same with Lochi, we walk down to the Loch and enter the tent.
Evie takes in the booths set wide apart on the ground floor and she baulks when she spots the stage. Her body goes as stiff as a board. I watch her gulp and blow out an indiscernible breath. She turns away from me as I watch her eyes close, and she physically pulls herself together, pushing the confidence into her voice as she asks, “Why the balcony?” her face is puzzled as she looks up at the structure.
“Come on up.” I show her the stairs and how the balcony is sectioned off into individual rooms.
“This looks complicated,” she says, peering into the makeshift rooms, a booth but nothing else in each one. “It's a bit boring for you, isn’t it? No paraphernalia.” She wafts her hand around dismissively.
“Wow, Kitten, what a difference a year makes.” I grin like a devil at her.
She starts to laugh. “But what a year. So what’s the drill?” She’s all curiosity.
“It's a masquerade, and some people have been invited as twins.” I watch her face carefully. “Anything goes as long as you can explain it. Others have been invited as singles. Singles will be given a number to go match, and they can choose the twins or singles, whatever they want.”
She’s taking it all in, and I can feel the apprehension flowing from her. I’m not sure I’ve alleviated any fears, so I continue to chat, light and breezy, hoping it puts her more at ease.
“Everyone has rooms on the estate. We’ve used the main house for very close family, but the fairy house now has twenty rooms, and there are some others across the property, all very private.”
Her face is totally blank now. Never a great Greystone look. But I carry on with the explanations.
“There’s food in the Great Hall, but as we’re short on time, there’s no sit down meal——just help yourself and see the show at any point from 11:00 p.m. til midnight, then free to do what you will.”
I open my arms out wide, grinning at her as I do. Trying to keep the positive vibe.
She looks a bit shocked, her mind going into overdrive. “I haven’t been asked to be a twin. Does that mean I’m a single then? Kell hasn’t said a word.”
“Stop worrying. Kellen will be here, and he’ll explain,” I reassure her, pulling her towards me for a hug.
But he isn’t. He isn’t here, and there’s no explanation. It’s 7:00 p.m. on his birthday and he’s still travelling. Most of the guests are on time. Kellen and my bandmates, a no show.
The decision is made to carry on without him. I go up to see Evie in her room. “Still on his way, Kitten,” I say walking in.
She’s in her bra and knickers. Betty is just taking the boys out before their dinner. At least she makes no comments about my being there.
“That’s about right, and he won’t get here. Honestly, why leave so late?” She’s annoyed with him. And I also see the anxiety in her face. She’s worried after last year, everything that happened. She needed to be comforted, reassured. Not left and abandoned. But this time it really isn’t his fault. I see all the missed calls on her phone.
“He’s been trying to call you.” I point at the phone. “They couldn’t find Gabe. He’d gone out and gone rogue. They had to call Jonno in the end, on the off chance he’d rigged his phone.” I try to explain, flapping my arms at her, mimicking them all running around like headless chickens.
She finally starts to laugh at the absurdity of it all. “Could James have not found him?”
“They’d already gone on to the next festival a few hours before, after they’d all celebrated Marcus’s early birthday bash. Gabe had gotten left in the strip club.”
She rolls her eyes. “You are all so cliché. A strip club? Really? Are we living in the 1980s?”
I sit down on the bed and pick up a photo book from the bed and start to flick through it, smiling at the photos from this year. The twins, Evie, James, Bucky, me, everyone actually. And little things, bits of baby clothing that smell like the twins.
She stands next to me, with a T-shirt on now. “Do you like it? It's his birthday present? I thought he could take us with him, wherever you all go.” She touches my hair as she says it. “I’ve started one for you for your birthday. I’m telling you now so you can ask me for it.” She looks at me with a sly smirk.
“He’ll love it, I’ll love it, yes, do me one please.” l pull her towards me, my hand on her hip. The book rests in my lap, and as she stands between my thighs, my fingers brush against her silky soft skin. I look up at her through my lashes, not bothering to shutter my emotions or my gaze. I don’t think I could if I tried.
“This is beautiful,” I mutter as I flip through more of the pages. “Some of these pictures are truly amazing.” It’s a picture perfect story. A family that loves each other. The twins as newborns. A candid shot of Marcus holding them both, his face raw with love. James and Bucky kissing Evie in Brazil. Eamonn holding the twins, sat in the bed with Evie, looking proudly at the camera.
I stop on one of me reclining in a chair with one of the boys on my chest. I remember Dad taking the photo. I was singing to Lochi. I don’t think I could describe the emotions on my face if I tried.
