‘I don’t know what you mean.’
But like Lexie, Rachel had clearly bunked off school when the acting and deception classes were taking place because her attempt at false bravado seeped from her face within seconds to be replaced by a flicker of anxiety, followed by a shoulder-droop of defeat.
‘I knew you hadn’t bought my excuses yesterday.’
‘So what’s going on?’ pressed Theo, perching on the edge of the table and folding his arms across his chest, holding Rachel’s gaze, clearly resolute about not letting her off the hook this time.
‘Okay, okay, but you can’t say anything to Zara, promise?’
Lexie nodded, a coil of dread tightening around her chest as she anticipated what Rachel was about to say.
‘Well, what I said to you in the library yesterday was true. I didn’t indulge in a sneaky tipple, I wouldn’t do that to Zara, but I was shocked, and a little worried, that I’d fallen asleep when I knew that Zara and Freya would be waiting for me for the fitting because that has never happened before. I have enough trouble sleeping in a quiet, darkened room when I go to bed, so I thought… I thought…’
‘What? What did you think?’ asked Theo, hanging on Rachel’s every word.
‘It was just my initial reaction that’s all, I’m not saying it actually happened.’
‘What?’
‘I thought someone might have put something in my drink.’
‘Oh, my God, you can’t be serious! Who would do something like that?’
‘No one. Like I said, it was just my initial reaction. I didn’t say anything at the time because I didn’t want to cause any problems before the wedding…’
‘Rachel, if someone spiked your drink then it’s a serious matter. I actually think you should think about reporting it to the police, or at the very least you should—’ began Theo, his forehead creased with concern.
Rachel’s jaw dropped and her face filled with alarm, colour rushing to her cheeks.
‘The police? No way! Oh my God, can you imagine the police arriving? I think Zara would have a nervous breakdown, not to mention what Jason’s crazy mother would do! She doesn’t think Zara is good enough for her precious son as it is – you should have heard her when she found out that Zara had been married before! A visit from the police would give her the perfect excuse to postpone the wedding, or worse, cancel it altogether.’
Rachel squirmed and her body language screamed her desire to escape from the terrace and avoid any further cross-examination, but she met Lexie’s eyes.
‘No, what I’m trying to tell you is, that’s what I thought initially, but now I’ve had the chance to think about it I have to admit that I have been tired lately because of all the anxiety about Naomi and the Italian commission, so I wanted to say that I’m sorry you were worried when you saw me in the library, sorry that you thought there was something going on, but really there’s nothing at all to worry about. Now if you’ll excuse me, I really have to go.’
‘Well, that didn’t go the way I’d planned,’ muttered Lexie, watching Rachel stalk away.
‘Crazy! Absolutely crazy! That conversation should be all the evidence you need to persuade you that I’m right about weddings needing a health warning attached to them. The whole event from start to finish just brings out the weirdness in people – and not just the bride and groom!’
‘Did you believe her?’
‘Absolutely not. She’s hiding something, but I’ve no idea what it is. I’m glad about one thing, though.’
‘What’s that?’
‘That we didn’t tell her about her bridesmaid dress. I think that might just have tipped her over the edge! Someone’s messing with her, that’s for sure, but as to who and why, well, you’ve got me there.’
‘Hold the front page! “Investigative news reporter turned wedding columnist stumped by goings on at Cornish wedding!”’ Lexie giggled, but Theo was clearly concerned for Rachel’s welfare and her heart gave a nip of something she couldn’t quite put her finger on, so she dragged her thoughts back to the job at hand – the mysterious case of the missing wedding shoes!
Chapter Eleven
‘So where do you want to start the search? Where do Jimmy Choos go when they want a breather from all the wedding madness? How can someone get so upset about a pair of shoes? Surely Zara’s brought another pair, or maybe she can borrow a pair from Rachel, or her mother. It’s not the end of the world!’
Lexie stared at him, but instead of the laughter-filled expression she expected, she saw that his face was wreathed in genuine confusion and she giggled.
‘You really haven’t been doing that wedding column for long, have you?’
‘This is my third wedding, I’ll have you know! The other two were church and village hall affairs – nothing half as complicated as this. I really don’t know how you or Marley cope with all the drama.’
‘But I thought you thrived on drama. I thought journalists were fascinated by the frailties of human nature, especially at times of great stress? Zara is stressed out – her wedding day is the most important day of her life and she wants every single detail to be perfect. I don’t know how long she’s been planning it, but it could have been for years. In fact, she could have been planning her wedding since she was ten years old. It’s not unusual, you know.’
Lexie hadn’t realised that her voice had edged up a notch, her tone indignant, and she could feel warmth seeping into her cheeks as Theo looked at her as though she’d just lost the plot.
‘Since she was ten? Really?’
Lexie’s indignation subsided, but she had inadvertently allowed Theo a glimpse of the raw, gaping wound that was just beneath the surface and she was desperate to divert his attention. She knew exactly how Zara was feeling, the churning anxiety, the episodes of panic, the increasing pressure as the day drew closer, and the ever-present stress that oozed into every part of her body so that even the most inconsequential of incidents felt like a massive deal. That was why she had sent Zara and Audrey to the spa and promised to handle the lost shoes situation.
‘Are you going to help me look for the shoes or not?’
‘Of course, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Lead the way!’
‘Thank you.’
Lexie strode into the foyer, asked at the reception desk for a key to the wedding suite, and made her way to Zara and Jason’s bedroom with Theo in tow, taking the stairs gingerly as his leg was giving him a little difficulty. He didn’t complain, but she chastised herself for not offering to take the lift and made a mental note not to forget about his injury again. She fiddled with the old-fashioned key, pushed open the door, stepped inside and paused.
‘Wow!’
The room was stunning; ornate white ceiling rose and cornices, duck egg blue walls and carpet, and transparent voile curtains flapping in the breeze at the full-height double windows, complete with a duo of upholstered window seats for guests to while away an hour or so with a good book or simply to take in the view. From their elevated position, Lexie was able to see not only the expanse of pristine lawn edged with vibrant flowerbeds and glossy-leaved shrubs, but also a full uninterrupted view of the Atlantic Ocean glimmering in the distance under a clear cerulean sky.