One Winter Weekend

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

D own the hall, Ben was practically screaming into his own phone.

“What do you mean , ‘I forgot my suit?’ Why did you not just wear it on the plane? … No, Mark, I don’t. Just… just stop off somewhere and buy one. It is Italy after all, home of well-cut suits. Yes. Okay. Half-eleven. I’ll see you there.”

He hung up the phone and ran his hands through his hair. Once again, his idiot brother was throwing a monkey wrench into the best-laid plans.

How could Mark possibly have forgotten his suit? He was the best man . It was the one thing he was asked to bring. He wasn’t even responsible for the rings. He – that was –

A sudden panic came to Ben’s mind. Oh God , he thought, what did I do with the rings?

He first checked the room safe, but he didn’t even remember using it, and sure enough, they weren’t there.

Neither were they in or under the bed, in the bathroom, or on the desk.

He eyed his suitcase and, in a moment of pure hysteria, grabbed the entire case and attempted to flip it upside-down over his head.

Unfortunately, being less than coordinated on even his best day, he tripped on the suitcase table and went tumbling forward, knocking the side of his head on the edge of the cabinet and sending clothes and toiletries flying every which way.

He cursed loudly and stood, noticing a sharp pain at his temple. He went to look in the mirror for what he already presumed was there – and sure enough, a long trail of cut skin and blood streaked down the side of his face.

What a start to your wedding day…

He had just begun to clean up the blood with a washcloth and some soap when a knock came at the door. He opened it to find, much to his surprise, his father standing outside. The chipper look on James’ face turned to horror when he saw his son’s face – and astonishment when he saw the state of the room.

“Good Lord, Ben,” James said, shocked, “what in heaven’s name happened in here?”

“I – er—” his son stammered, “I couldn’t find the rings. And I kind of – you know –panicked.”

To his utter surprise, James burst out laughing. “Ben, old boy,” he said, the sounds of his laughter echoing off the tiles in the bathroom. He was laughing so hard, he couldn’t even get the next sentence out, so instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, black velvet box and opened it. Inside were two gold bands.

Ben closed his eyes in exasperation with himself. “Oh,” he said slowly, “I… am such… an idiot …”

James shook his head and handed the box to his son. “Nonsense, my boy,” he said, “you’re just nervous. As you should be. Today’s a big day.”

“One you don’t approve of,” Ben said glumly.

“Now, whatever gave you that idea?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Ben replied sarcastically. “How about everything that happened yesterday?”

“You mean, that business with your mother? Ben, your mother is the love of my life, but she and I are by no means a single mind. Believe it or not, she’s really just trying to help. And she’s scared. She’s losing her baby boy after all.”

“What? But you’ve still got Mark.”

“Mark is… a sweet boy. But you know as well as I do, he’s incomparably stupid.”

Now it was Ben’s turn to laugh. “He is, isn’t he?”

“Absolutely,” James responded. “But Ben: your mother may have her faults, but she is also immeasurably sensible. And her worry isn’t so much that Molly won’t be good for the title; it’s that she won’t be good for you . All we want is to see you happy.”

“But don’t you see? I am happy.”

“I know, son. I know.”

“So why these shenanigans then, Father?” Ben asked. “Why allow Mother to treat the O’Briens like her inferiors?”

“Your mother is going to apologise to them this morning. Most of what happened was because of the wine. Your mother’s tongue was loosened, and she made some very poor choices with what was being said. I seem to remember something similar happening a few Christmases ago.”

“That business with the McGanns?”

“Precisely right,” James agreed. “What started it all was your mother making an ill-advised comment on Lady McGann’s –erm – ample posterior.”

“Oh God.”

“You have no idea. It took six dinners between me and that insufferable Earl of Cheshunt to get things back on track. ‘Your mother has a history of saying ill-timed, ill-advised things. But she isn’t bad by any stretch. In fact, she quite often has a very lucid understanding of the situation. And her worry in this case is that through your association with Molly – and the O’Briens generally – you will forget about the title, and hurt your children’s chances at the finest things you always had access to.”

“I never wanted access, Father,” Ben insisted.

“I know that, but that’s hardly the point. Don’t you want the best for your children, whenever you may have them?”

“Of course I do.”

“Well, that’s all we ever wanted for you, too.”

Ben closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. “I know, Father. And I appreciate it – all of it.”

“Right then,” James said, ready to change the subject. “Let’s get you cleaned up and ready. It’s not every day a future Earl of Daventry gets married in Rome.”