Heartbeats in Moonlight

Chapter 59

"Surely she can't leave, I know she hasn't finished at David's." Jack pointed out with relief.

"She finished the design ages ago. You know she doesn't do the practical stuff. She just engages people who can, to realise her plans. They follow her instructions. She checks if there is a problem. But she leaves it to them. She also sourced the items for David's place, and he was happy with that. The project manager will finish David's place. I just hope that the project manager will meet David's expectation and meet Ella's faith in him to do the job perfectly. David wanted his place to feel like her place!"

"Oh." Jack raised his eyebrows. He didn't know that. "He wanted his place to feel like her place?"

"Yes." Amelia said and watched as Jack raised his brows. "Exactly! I wish I had the guts to bang their heads together!" Jack chuckled at Amelia. "Ella said she would check, of course, with the project manager, but she will not be around here everyday." She lifted her forehead off his shoulder and he waited for her to look up at him. She looked so sad.

Jack reached for her head. Gently Jack brushed his thumbs against her lips and changed the topic, hoping to banish the sadness he saw in her eyes. "Have I told you how stunningly gorgeous you are, Mrs Santiago? How lucky I am to have you as my wife?"

Amelia's eyes flicked up and looked into molten grey depths. "In the last ten minutes?" She smiled. "No."

Jack chuckled and leaned forward, "Must be due for a reminder then." His lips brushed against hers. Gently. "You know you've made me the happiest man on the Planet." He breathed against her lips.

"Just the Planet?" She teased, her breath already hitching. "What about the Universe?"

"Not sure there's human life form elsewhere." He pressed his lips to hers, then he lifted slightly away, "Speaking of life form. Wondered if you'd be interested in trying to create a honeymoon baby?"

"A honeymoon baby?" She giggled, as her lips quirked with delight.

He nodded emphatically, "I'm getting on, thought the sooner we start our family, the better chances of fitting in opportunity for four children!"

Amelia chuckled. "I'm all for opportunity."

"Me too, Mrs Santiago. Me too."

"Did I tell you, that I like my name? Amelia Santiago." She threw her arms around his neck and pulled his head toward her for a long passionate kiss.

Life didn't get any better than this, they both thought as their lips met.

In the marquee, Ella made her way to Seth and Evie. The bride and groom had left some ten minutes ago and Ella decided that now was as good a time as any, to head off. She knew she wouldn't tell Evie why she was leaving town, but she thought she ought to say goodbye to Evie.

Seth spotted her approach first, and smiled in welcome. He was still trying to work out how to fix what he had caused. He could see that she was still very wary of him. He could see that Ella had a smile on her lips but it did not reach her eyes.

"Hi. I'm heading off." Ella announced casually. Her eyes remained in neutral. Her voice was calm. She schooled her features.

"But it's still early." Evie told her and after Seth had given her a gentle nudge, nervously she added, "Ella, we need to talk."

"Not tonight, Evangeline." Ella smiled, but the smile barely reached her eyes. Ella was sensitive but she hid it well behind a wall. She knew if she lost her trust in friends it would take her a lot of time to recover. The quarrel between her and Evie, about Seth, had eroded their friendship. Of course she knew that Evie was standing up for Seth, but the fact that Evie didn't accepted her version of the conversation with Seth and didn't even acknowledged the fact that she had stood up for her, Evie. It would take Ella a lot of time to trust Evie again. "I'm calling it a night." She leaned in to kiss Seth's cheek.

Of course she could read his apology in his eyes. He knew, like Ella, they both had stood up for Evie. Both were supporting Evie, but unfortunately, Evie didn't recognise that, and just supported Seth. Seth, of course was pleased that she had stood up for him, but he also wanted Evie to recognised the fact that her friend had took punches to support Evie. That Ella was a really good friend. Seth recognised that. He knew he had made lots of mistakes in his relationship with Evie. And he knew that Ella would not let him get away with that, because she was a good friend to Evie.

"I wanted to apologise." Seth said bluntly, seeing that Ella brushed off Evie's request for a chat.

"Thank you. Apology accepted. I'm still a bit jeg-lagged." Ella moved away from Seth and her eyes showed she accepted his olive branch. "Take care of her." She told him softly. He nodded. But her eyes also warned him before she added, "Goodbye, Seth." Then she moved to Evie. "Bye Evangeline. Take care." That had Evie's eyes narrowing in sudden concern, both the fact Ella had used Evie's full name and her tone was unusual. Anxiety washed through Evie's body. Ella always used her abbreviated name, had done ever since Amelia had introduced them to each other, nearly two years ago. Ella's lips brushed Evie's cheek and repeated, "Bye, Evangeline."

"Ella," Her brow furrowed and she bit her bottom lip as she watched Ella. "I wanted to apologise..."

Ella interrupted before Evie could carry on, "Apology accepted. Must be the season for apologies! By the way, if you haven't heard it a thousand times tonight, that was one amazing dress you made for Amelia." She took a step away. "Amelia looked like a princess." Then with a simulated smile she said, "Sorry, I can't stop right now." Her voice suggested she had something to do.

"Ella..."

"Sorry, I have to find that head-case Ben. All the best." She looked at Seth and Evie and then walked away. It felt odd, walking away, knowing that this might be the last time she spent time with them. But she was pleased to see that Evie and Seth were happy. Evie deserved happiness: Her childhood was not exactly full of fun.

Both Seth and Evie watched Ella as she strolled away from them.

"That didn't feel right." Evie turned worried eyes toward Seth. "I'm going to talk to her. I just thought we had lots of time to sort this situation. What with Amelia's wedding, and preparing for it, and just fitting in everything, I just thought we would, you know, just talk after the wedding, maybe today, or later this week." Evie caught her lower lip between her teeth as she reran the conversation.

"I know, Evie." Seth agreed and he watched Ella walk away.

"She never calls me Evangeline. Never." She looked at Seth, "I should have done something about this earlier. At least apologised more properly or just explained why I reacted like that, after that argument." She sighed. "I can't believe I have allowed this to grow. I could have picked up the phone. But I didn't." She closed her eyes. "I knew she was standing up for me when she had that quarrel with you. I knew that. I could have thanked her, and could have told her that I can fight my own battles, even with you!" Seth smiled. "Instead, I brought up David and what I said was not right. David only said that when he was annoyed. He didn't mean it. But she will never forget it."

"Yes, she will." Seth said firmly, "She just needs a bit of time, that's all."

"Maybe. But she has had time! I really need to apologise to her. She will walk away. I know it. I need to apologise."

"You already did. She accepted it."

"No she didn't, not really. She just glossed over it."

But before they could follow Ella, one of the guests cornered Evie to ask about Amelia's dress and to ask whether Evie would consider making a bridal outfit for a more mature woman. So by the time she finished that conversation, she couldn't find Ella.