Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 58

Hand in hand, Jack and Amelia passed by Ella, who simply quirked a brow at them and raised her glass in a silent toast. From a distance David saw Ella's action and he saw Amelia's response. Amelia beamed. Jack didn't want to stop, as he knew other people would start another conversation, so he ushered Amelia, and mouthed a sorry to Ella. She nodded and she stepped quietly aside.

David rubbed his palm against his lips and jaw. He was expecting to spend more time with Ella, as he thought Ella would spend more time with Amelia at her wedding. But it looked like Ella was adding fuel to her reputation as an icicle: Amelia and Jack were surrounded by their guest, Evie was here with her new husband, Seth, Ben was surrounded by lots of single women, Mallory had her family around, and he was not short of company, but Ella was happy to remain aloof at a wedding, David acknowledged.

Jack acknowledged Ella's toast, but he was still not quite sure what to make of his wife's best friend. Especially, given David's on going response to the woman. But for now Jack was giving Ella the benefit of the doubt. She was not part of the wedding party, even though he knew Amelia wanted her as maid of honour. Jack was pretty sure Ella had concocted a family emergency. She obviously wanted to avoid ruining Amelia's wedding by being in the wedding party with David. And Jack agreed. He didn't want his wedding plans to become a battleground for David and Ella. Jack was pretty sure that Ella and David would be at loggerheads before, during and after, the wedding.

But the more Jack thought about David and Ella, he wondered if there was more going on between the two. Just frustration, exasperation or plain lust?

Jack draped an arm around Amelia's waist and brought her closer. When she'd entered the church earlier today, his heart exploded with love. He could help the fact his eyes welled up with tears. He remembered he bit the inside of his lower lip when he tried to keep his emotions under control when he watched Amelia walk towards him at the altar.

Amelia and Jack emerged into the cool evening air. "Perfect." He muttered when they stepped out into the garden and he'd glanced left and right and seen the place was largely deserted, save two mothers who were watching the children running around playing.

Jack smiled and nodded at the women, but he didn't stop walking. His fingers interlinked with Amelia's as he walked them purposefully away from the marquee. The two women tracked their progress until Jack and Amelia disappeared around the corner, then the two women turned and just smiled knowingly at each other.

"This way." Amelia told him and dragged him non-too-gently toward the front of the house, the spot she'd recently visited with Ella.

"Saw you talking to Ella." Jack told Amelia. "She looks sad. Or something."

Amelia glanced at him, surprised by his astuteness. Her eyes mirrored her heart, "You never cease to amaze me." Then Amelia said on a plaintive sigh. "She's leaving."

"Leaving our reception's?" He frowned, looked at his watch, it was early to leave a reception. Jack wondered how Amelia felt about that, and hot on the heels of that thought, he had another thought. What about David? He would be upset, Jack was sure. The problem was that David's head was buried in sand.

"No. Town."

"What leaving? Permanently?" Jack scowled. Amelia nodded. Jack wondered what David would do about that.

During the recent weeks Jack realised that David really didn't know what to do about Ella. David wasn't happy when saw Ella with Ben's share-milker; he wasn't happy when Ella turned down the invitation to be Amelia's maid of honour; he wasn't happy with the fact that Ella ignored him. David was used to women who saw him as a charming chap: Kind. Attentive. Amiable. Attractive. Polite. But Ella did not succumb to his brand of charms.