One Winter Weekend

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

B en took Molly into his arms and kissed her. “Where on earth have you been?” he asked. “I’m so sorry.”

Molly smiled. “I went looking for something,” she said. “I needed – I don’t know – I needed to remember that Rome was the same city I knew and loved, I needed it to calm and heal me in the way it always did. And I needed to think.”

“About my mother?” Ben asked warily. “Look, I need you to know – whatever she thinks, you are the woman I—”

Molly was shaking her head rapidly. “No, no, no,” she insisted. “Not about your mum. About me .” She took a deep breath before continuing. “Ben, I’ve been unfair to you,” she began.

“No, you—”

“Please,” she insisted, “let me get this out.” She straightened her dress in front of her and continued, her voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve been very unfair to you and everyone. I wanted this wedding in Italy at Christmas. I pushed ahead with it despite what our families - both our parents wanted. And I tried to force my dream, my perfect vision of Rome on everyone.

And before you say anything, I know we both agreed on this, and that at the time it suited both of us. But if I’m being honest, you’ve given me everything I’ve wanted, while I haven’t really given much back.”

“That’s not true,” Ben argued. “Molly, you’ve been more than fair. Putting up with Mother – and Father – isn’t even the half of it. Everything’s seems to have gone wrong since we got here, and—”

“It’s all gone wrong because of me, trying to make everything perfect. And when I walked out on dinner—”

“—which you had every right to do…”

“Perhaps,” Molly admitted. “But it was still poor form. And after all your parents have done …”

A confused look overtook Ben’s face. “What are you talking about?” he asked.

“It’s okay,” she said patiently. “Caroline told me all about what your mum and dad did. About how the wedding planner I hired messed everything up, and how Fabrizio is the owner of the hotel…”

“He’s what? ” Ben gasped.

Molly titled her head curiously. “Wait…” she said, putting two and two together. “You didn’t know?”

“Know what?”

“That your mum asked for Fabrizio’s help because she’s old friends with his mum.”

Ben sat down, mystified. “I – I honestly had no idea,” he murmured. He looked up at Molly. “Mother was just in here. I read her the riot act because of how she’d acted. I… I had no idea she’d done that.” He shook his head, recalling the conversation. “But that still doesn’t excuse what she said to you and your folks.”

“No, it doesn’t,” Molly agreed. “But Ben, whatever your mum said while she was drinking, I don’t know if that means she actually believes it. She just wants the best for you, I suppose.”

“ You are the best for me,” he said, standing and taking her in his arms.

“So then, you do still want to marry me?” she asked.

“Only if you still want to marry me,” he said, adding, “and marry into my family.”

Molly half-smiled. “I think I can make do,” she mused. “Besides, we’ll only have to see them occasionally. Every other Christmas or so.”

Ben nodded. “If that, even,” he said. “We could always move somewhere they’d never come, like—”

“—Naples?” Molly joked.

Ben laughed and kissed her. “I love you, Signorina O’Brien,” he said, his heart filling up.

“And I love you, Lord Pembrey,” she teased.

“Don’t call me that,” he insisted.

“I think I will actually,” she said, smiling and holding him close.