The Guest List (36 page)

Maybe, just maybe, her fears were unjustified.

She gave a small nod. ‘OK, just promise me that you won’t hold anything against me.’

‘Hold what against you, Danielle? The family you were born into? No family is perfect. Believe me, I know that,’ he chuckled.

‘Well, it’s just they can be a bit coarse, and loud and very Irish—’ And that moment the cabin attendant opened the outer door and Danielle immediately heard voices calling to her.

She stepped out into the bright Caribbean sun and squinted to where her family – all of them – were waiting on the asphalt.

My God, how many of them were there? she wondered, lowering her sunglasses. Nerves instinctively flooded her stomach. She tried counting. There were too many people here. And to her they were all potential time bombs, ticking away, waiting to explode.

‘Danielle! Wow, look at you, fancy-pants!’

She closed her eyes. Bloody Ben.

‘Pulling up in a private jet, no less! Like a full-on celebrity!’ Mick called out. ‘Hey stranger!’

‘Oh lord . . .’ Danielle muttered, grimacing.

Zack let out a laugh. ‘So they’re excited to see you. Big deal, there’s nothing wrong with that.’

‘Maybe some of them,’ Danielle said darkly. She didn’t hear her mother shouting out her name . . .

Cara waved happily, and Danielle looked at the blur of faces, trying to identify who was there. She straightened her shoulders and walked with purpose down the stairs onto the asphalt, like Jackie O ascending from Onassis’s boat.

Take that, Mum. Not looking so useless now, am I?

When she reached the bottom of the steps, she waited for Zack, who jogged down behind her, and took her hand. His staff would arrange to have their luggage forwarded to the resort, so all she carried was an oversize Chanel purse, the very latest, and the most in-demand of the season. She jutted her chin out, trying to convey the fact that someone would be taking care of the rest, fetching her luggage. This was how rich, successful people travelled.

She and Zack crossed the distance between her and her family.

Wow, those two are
really
pregnant, was Danielle’s first thought as she caught sight of her youngest sister and Kim
.
She tried to remember the last time she’d seen them all and realised that she truly couldn’t recall. Cara rushed forward, dragging Shane behind her.

‘Danielle!’ She threw her arms around her older sister’s neck. ‘I’m so glad you made it. This is Shane.’ She introduced the handsome young man behind her. ‘And you must be Zack! I’m so excited to meet you. I’m Cara. We spoke on the phone.’

Zack smiled his winning, all-American, poster boy smile. He leaned forward to shake Cara’s hand, but was instead met with a huge hug. ‘Oh! Yes – nice to meet you too, Cara. Congratulations. I’m excited to be here, and to share in your special day. Shane, nice to meet you too and congratulations.’

Danielle smiled proudly. What a good guy, she thought, looking at Zack as he accepted Cara’s hug and shook Shane’s hand. He really did seem happy to be here. Maybe she should just lighten up?

‘So come and see everyone. They all just got here, too,’ Cara urged. ‘Now we’re just waiting on Shane’s parents.’

‘Er, right,’ said Danielle nervously as she looked over Cara’s shoulder at the rest of the group.

Zack came to her side. ‘Relax,’ he said under his breath. ‘And smile. Cara seems great.’ She cringed even as she placed a tight smile on her face and allowed herself to be guided forward.

‘Danielle!’ cheered Kim. ‘So happy to see you again, it’s been too long. Ooh love that bag. I just read a feature about that in a magazine on the way over. It’s so roomy I thought it might be fun to use as a baby bag when the latest comes along.’

‘Thank you.’ Danielle reluctantly allowed herself to be greeted by Kim and Ben and her exuberant nieces, all the while introducing Zack to each member of her family.

‘Auntie Danielle, you didn’t say hello to Number Three!’ Olivia admonished.

‘Sorry, what?’ asked Danielle, confused.

‘She means this one,’ Kim explained, pointing to her tummy.

‘Right.’ Danielle wasn’t sure if Olivia actually expected her to bend down and speak to her mother’s stomach. She simply smiled indulgently, always uncomfortable around children. ‘And this is Heidi, and her husband Paul,’ Cara continued.

Heidi extended a hand that had until then been glued to her tummy, and offered it to Zack, who greeted her warmly.

‘Erm, congratulations on the impending arrival,’ Danielle said to Heidi awkwardly. They’d never had much of a sisterly relationship, what with there being such an age gap, and truth be told they’d never really clicked, but manners dictated she said something, didn’t they?

Heidi eyed her speculatively, sizing her up. ‘Thanks, it’s been a tough few months . . . but oh, listen to me blathering on – I know it’s impossible for someone who’s never had kids to understand.’

Much to Danielle’s surprise this childless barb cut deep, and right then she remembered exactly why she and Heidi had never had much of a relationship.

Moving along quickly, Danielle turned to her father. ‘Zack, this is my dad, Mick.’

‘Honoured to meet you Mr Clancy,’ Zack said politely and Mick beamed.

‘Ah, call me Mick,’ he said. ‘Nice to meet you too and glad this girl of mine finally allowed you to mix with us.’ Danielle felt herself relaxing a little – until she heard another voice.

‘Well, Danielle, nice of you to honour us with your presence,’ Betty said stiffly, not making any movement to move forward and greet her eldest daughter.

‘Mother,’ said Danielle crisply, working her hardest to match her tone. She took in the garish kaftan and wished that she could put a blindfold on Zack. ‘Well, I am one of Cara’s bridesmaids after all, so of course I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’

The two women engaged in a staring showdown until Zack moved forward, extending his hand to Danielle’s mother.

‘Mrs Clancy. I’m Zack Carter. It’s a pleasure to meet you.’

Having locked her gaze on Danielle, Betty finally tore her eyes away to look to Zack. ‘Yes, Mr Carter . . .’

‘Please ma’am. Call me Zack.’

‘Zack,’ she said coldly. ‘It is nice to meet you too. I was convinced for a while there that you didn’t actually exist. It wouldn’t be the first time my daughter’s misled us about something.’ She transferred her gaze pointedly back to Danielle, then quickly turned away, looking for someone else to talk to.

Danielle bit her lip and felt herself blushing. She swallowed hard, trying to bite back tears. Once again, her mother had won, thoroughly embarrassing her in the first five minutes. Jesus Christ, she had to be around that woman for the next three days. How on earth was she going to get through it?

‘It’s nothing, let it go,’ whispered Zack encouragingly and Danielle felt relieved, realising that for once she had an ally. ‘Don’t worry about her.’

‘Do you two have luggage to collect or anything?’ Cara asked.

Danielle shook her head absently, still feeling the sting of her mother’s comment. ‘No, no, they’ll have it sent it to the resort,’ she said as she waved her hand in the direction of the plane.

Cara shrugged, but looked unsure as to who ‘they’ were. The elves, perhaps?

‘But of
course
the groom’s family always throws the rehearsal dinner,’ Lauren insisted, patting Cara gently on the arm. She smiled. ‘We wanted to do something special for you. I realise that you already have reservations at the hotel restaurant and of course, whatever you want, but we insist on picking up the tab. We hope that is OK?’

Cara looked at Shane, who nodded in agreement.

‘Well, thank you both,’ she said to his parents. ‘Really, that is very kind.’

Gene smiled and squeezed her shoulder. ‘We are happy to help in any way we can, my dear’.

At least this time Shane’s parents were asking permission to do something in relation to the wedding, and truth be told, Cara did welcome her in-laws’ offer to pay for the rehearsal dinner, as the costs even for something as small as what they were doing were beginning to add up.

She smiled back at her very soon-to-be mother-in-law. Lauren was a changed woman since all that had happened in the preceding months. At least now all was on the straight and narrow.

And, most importantly, all members of the wedding party had safely arrived at the Paradise Oasis resort. Lauren and Gene were the last to arrive, not long after Cara had helped her family and friends check in to the hotel and settle in to their rooms.

‘So now that we’re all here, what’s on the agenda first?’ Lauren asked. ‘Of course, I am eager to meet your family, and to assist your mother too. I’m sure that the job of mother of the bride is not an easy one,’ she added pleasantly and Cara knew that this time she was being truly sincere in looking to help.

‘And what is the contingency plan if this blasted hurricane hits?’ asked Gene bluntly.

Cara winced.
The stupid hurricane again
. ‘Well, we don’t actually have one really. They’re hoping it’ll move off course before—’

‘Well really, it’s something you ought to be thinking about,’ Gene harrumphed. ‘The pilot on the way advised the first-class passengers that it was altogether likely to hit here.’

Lauren lightly tapped her husband on the shoulder. ‘Not
now
, dear,’ she said sharply.

Cara looked at Shane worriedly. ‘Oh God . . . what do you think we should do?’

Shane shot daggers at his father, evidently annoyed at the fact that he had been the one to bring the dreaded subject up again. ‘I think that we talk to resort management before doing anything else, don’t you? Surely they know what to do if needs be – I’m sure they’ve been through many hurricanes before.’

Cara tapped her foot nervously. ‘I just can’t believe we have this to worry about now.’

‘Now, now, it hasn’t come to anything yet,’ Lauren chided confidently. ‘Don’t worry Cara, I’m sure we’ll be able to sort something out.’

As Cara and Shane escorted his parents to their suite, they were met by Cara’s mother, who was pacing the lobby anxiously like a caged animal. Betty looked anything but calm, and the moment that she saw Cara approach she charged in her direction like a bull at a matador.

Catching sight of her mother, she secretly wished that Betty had changed out of her kaftan prior to meeting Lauren for the first time. She hated herself for thinking it, but really there couldn’t be more of a contrast between the two women; Betty in her multicoloured, oversized tent and Lauren in her chic linen trousers and Givenchy top.

Putting this to the back of her mind, she decided she had bigger things to worry about at the moment.

‘Cara! They said that the hurricane is on its way!’ Betty cried. ‘That its course is now set, and it’s definitely going to hit St Lucia! Do you think that we need to evacuate? Do you think we should get out of here? I’ve never been through a hurricane before – what if we all drown? This is a national emergency, maybe we should call the embassy and they can helicopter us out – oh hello,’ she said stopping short as she suddenly noticed Lauren and Gene’s presence. ‘I’m Betty Clancy, Cara’s mother.’

She extended her hand to Lauren, and the two women sized each other up fully. Cara swallowed hard, hoping that there wouldn’t be any problems. Up to now, Lauren and Gene hadn’t been at all shy about expressing any preconceived notions about her family in the build-up to the wedding. And Betty had also had plenty to say for herself about Lauren’s part in the troubles she and Shane had had with them recently.

But at that moment, neither woman seemed to be expressing any outward animosity.

Lauren stepped forward and grasped Betty’s hand with one of her own, patting her on the wrist with the other. Cara had to admit, she was impressed; that was practically a knock-down embrace in Lauren’s world. ‘It is so nice to meet you, Mrs Clancy. I have heard so much about you and I must apologise for our not meeting sooner,’ she cooed. While her voice was stately and she very much spoke with her usual upper-crust accent, she was nonetheless welcoming and polite.

In turn, Betty beamed. Whatever she might have thought previously about Shane’s snooty mother seemed to have vanished like smoke.

‘Oh of course, well, I am sure that you are very busy, and I completely understand that you have so much going on. I am so excited to finally meet you too. Please call me Betty. Of course, we are all going to be family shortly. That is, if this hurricane doesn’t spoil everything.’ Betty’s smile all too quickly returned to a grimace of pure worry.

‘Try not to concern yourself about it, my dear lady,’ said Lauren, her voice dripping with authority. ‘We’ll figure this all out. Come with me.’ She put her arm through Betty’s and led her off towards the front desk, barking orders the entire way. ‘You there, young man! I need to speak with the manager immediately.’

Cara had to smile, amused by the force of nature that was Lauren Richardson.
Did she really think that she could control the course of this hurricane?

‘Anyway, as things stand, and until we hear otherwise, we’re just going ahead with what has been planned,’ Shane said pointedly to his father. ‘We will deal with the weather as it happens, that’s all that we can do.’

Cara looked at her fiancé with some scepticism. Personally, she rather hoped that his mother might be a force of nature after all.

If there was anyone who could fight off Hurricane Gail, it just might be her future mother-in-law.

Danielle lounged on a sunbed by the pool, watching her nieces play in the water with Kim and Ben. Zack was still getting settled in the hotel room, and trying to find a good Wi-Fi connection.

She looked at her sister-in-law, who was very, very pregnant but still shamelessly and proudly wearing a Gucci Black bikini. She had to admit too, she was pulling it off. But then again, when you looked like Heidi Klum, you could pull off anything from a bikini to a paper bag.

Danielle smiled briefly; she had to admit, from what she’d seen of her so far, Kim did seem kind of cool.

‘Hey Danielle! Would you do me a favour?’ Kim called out from the water.