The taxi driver began to swear and tried to get out to check the damage, but his door wouldn’t open.
A crowd gathered and someone yelled that they’d called the police.
With the aid of a passer-by, Molly managed to unfasten her seat belt and get her door open. As she climbed out, she had to clutch the stranger because she felt dizzy, couldn’t seem to focus properly.
The driver of the other car was holding a handkerchief to his bleeding forehead. The taxi driver was yelling at him in a language Molly didn’t recognize and gesticulating wildly.
As the argument continued, all she could think of was her daughter waiting at the church. She suddenly lost patience and yelled, ‘Never mind that, I have to get to a wedding!’
They both turned towards her looking surprised.
‘My daughter’s getting married in five minutes time.
Five minutes!
I’m going to be late.’
Just then a police car drew up and two officers got out.
Molly went across to the female officer. ‘I’m the passenger and—’
‘We need to speak to the driver first.’
‘I’m going to be late for my only daughter’s wedding.’
That got the woman officer’s attention. ‘Tough luck. Hey, John, can we take down this lady’s details first and let her go? Her daughter’s getting married today. What time at?’
Molly glanced at her watch and sobbed. ‘In three minutes’ time.’
‘You’ll never make it.’
They took her name and address, while the driver summoned another taxi by radio, but more precious minutes were ticking past. The new taxi wove in and out of traffic jams and Molly tried in vain to ring her husband, then her son, to let them know what had happened. But of course their mobiles were switched off. She could only hope they’d delay the wedding till she arrived.
She crept into the back of the church in time to hear the words, ‘I now pronounce you man and wife.’
She could only stand at the rear, tears streaming down her cheeks and watch as her daughter and son-in-law went off to sign the register.
Craig turned round, saw her and slipped out of the pew. ‘Where the hell have you been? Brian said you were ready ages ago.’
‘The taxi was involved in an accident.’
‘Only you could manage to miss your daughter’s wedding. Rachel was extremely upset.’
‘We were in an
accident
, and no, I’m not badly injured, thank you for asking, just a few bruises.’
‘It certainly didn’t affect your mouth.’
‘You could have waited for me.’
‘We did. We waited ten minutes. Rachel was nearly in hysterics. In the end, it was either cancel the wedding ceremony or get on with it. There are other weddings planned for today, you know. Those people waiting outside aren’t
our
guests. Anyway, never mind that. You’d better move to the front, so that Rachel can see you’re here.’
He grasped her arm and tugged her forward. ‘And straighten your hat. The brim’s bent. You look a mess. As usual.’
She jerked away from his hand. ‘I told you not to touch me – ever again.’
‘Don’t be such a bloody drama queen.’
Head held high, she walked to the front of the church and slid into the second pew next to her son.
Brian scowled at her. ‘What the hell happened to you? Rachel’s really upset.’
Molly was too busy fighting back sobs to answer him.
When the newly-weds came out of the door at the side of the church and began to walk down the aisle, they stopped for a moment next to her.
‘I will never, ever forgive you for this!’ Rachel hissed, not letting her smile slip. Then she moved on without allowing her mother to explain.
At the reception, pride alone kept a smile on Molly’s face. Well, she hoped it was a smile. She explained several times about the taxi accident, and only a cousin of her ex showed any real sympathy.
‘Why didn’t they take you with them in the limo?’ Sally asked, then gave her a quick hug. ‘Stupid question. Because Madam didn’t want you.’ She cast a sour look at Tasha, who was queening it as if she was the mother of the bride.
Molly didn’t trust her voice and could only hug Sally back.
‘Craig always was a selfish bastard, even when we were children. I think you’re well rid of him, actually. Not a man to grow old with, my dear cousin. Oh look, we have to sit down now. Look, if you get fed up of talking to
them
, come and chat to me once the meal’s over. Pete’s working off shore, so I’m here on my own.’
That kindness nearly destroyed Molly’s self-control, and it took her a minute of deep breathing before she could carry on round the room to the top table, where she’d been ousted from her rightful place by Tasha. She hesitated for a moment or two, feeling slightly nauseous and seriously considering going home. When she found her place, not the place the mother of the bride should be in, she shot a reproachful glance at Rachel, but her daughter gave a slight shrug and turned away.
There were all sorts of stray relatives scattered around the room to remember for ever if she fell apart at the wedding, so Molly kept it together. Just.
After an hour of sitting in stiff silence at the end of the table, ignored by her son who was in the next seat and had eyes only for Geneva, she excused herself and went to the restroom. Her head was thumping and she felt dreadful. If she’d had her proper handbag she’d have had aspirins, but she only had this ridiculous little blue thing, which barely fitted tissues, money, her house key and a comb.
She stayed in the cubicle for ten minutes, feeling sick and dizzy. But she couldn’t stay there for ever so stood up. Just as she was about to open the door, two women came in.
‘Did you see the mother of the bride roll in late?’ one asked. ‘She looked as if she’d been drinking to me.’
‘Tasha told me Craig’s ex was putting on weight. The woman must be at least a size sixteen. Talk about porky.’
As they tittered, Molly let her hand fall from the latch and stood absolutely motionless.
‘No wonder he left her. The wonder is a man like him stayed with her for so long.’
‘He’s still good looking, isn’t he, though he must be going on for fifty . . . ?’
They left and Molly crept out of the cubicle, staring at herself in the mirror. Her face was chalk white, not rosy as usual. She felt so unsteady she had to lean against the wall after she’d washed her hands. As she opened the outer door, the room spun round her and if Sally hadn’t come in and caught her, she’d have fallen.
‘Are you all right, Molly love? I was worried about you. You’ve been gone quarter of an hour and you looked so pale.’
‘I do feel . . . a bit dizzy.’
‘Look at me.’ Sally, who was a nurse, stared into her eyes. ‘You might have concussion. Ouch, look at this bruise. Good thing it was hidden under your hair for the photos. You must have hit your head in the accident.’
‘I suppose. Can’t remember.’
‘I think I’d better take you to hospital.’
‘No.’ Molly clung to Sally’s arm. ‘Just call me a taxi. I’ll go home and lie down, take it easy.’ She wasn’t wanted here, anyway.
‘You shouldn’t be on your own. I’ll come with you.’
‘No. I’ll be all right, I promise you.’
‘Are you sure? Is there someone else you can call? You really shouldn’t be alone tonight.’
‘Oh, yes. I’ve got plenty of friends.’
‘I’d stay with you, but it’s a five-hour drive back to our part of Yorkshire. I’d not have come here at all today, but Mum made such a fuss about the family showing up to support Craig. Ha! As if
he
needs our support. Look, I’ll see you into a taxi, then go and tell your family what’s happened.’
‘No. Don’t say anything. I don’t want . . . to spoil things for Rachel.’
‘But what will she think if you’re not there for the speeches?’
‘The worst. She always does lately.’
Sally gave her a sudden hug. ‘She’ll grow up now she’s married.’
Molly shook her head, wincing as it thumped with pain. The headache was getting worse by the minute and everything seemed a bit blurry. Suddenly she couldn’t move, and everything went into slow motion as she started falling. She could do nothing about it but close her eyes and let the blackness swallow her up.
She woke in a strange bed and in spite of the curtains drawn around it, the light hurt her eyes so much she shut them again.
‘What’s your name?’ someone asked.
She didn’t want to speak but they asked her again, so she said, ‘Molly.’
‘Surname?’
‘Taylor – no, Peel.’
‘Aren’t you sure?’
‘Divorced. Keep forgetting.’
‘What date is it today?’
‘Look at the newspaper. I can never remember.’ She opened her eyes again, squinting in the harsh flow of light, and found a young nurse staring at her anxiously. ‘Where am I?’
‘In hospital. You were brought in last night with concussion.’
Molly stared at her in shock. ‘
Last night?
’
‘Yes. Just look at me, please. Oh good, you’re focusing properly now.’
She realized she was wearing a short hospital gown, the sort that fastened down the back and made you feel horribly vulnerable. ‘My glasses.’
‘They’re here.’ The nurse opened the drawer next to the bed and passed her her spectacles.
With a sigh of relief, Molly put them on and the world became clearer. ‘I want to go home.’
‘You can’t leave till the doctor’s checked you out. Is there someone who can fetch you and keep an eye on you for the rest of the day? A woman called Sally brought you in, but she said she didn’t live near here. She promised to tell your son and your ex, but I’m afraid no one’s phoned.’
As that information sank in, tears welled in Molly’s eyes. They couldn’t even be bothered to look after her, could they, her precious children? Well, Rachel had some excuse. She and Jamie would be away on their honeymoon now, but what about Brian? And Craig. Her ex could have called one of her friends. He could at least have done that.
But he hadn’t.
She’d never have gone away and left one of her family alone in hospital, without even a change of clothes to go home in. Well, she wasn’t going to beg for their help now. She sat up and pushed the covers back. ‘I need to use the bathroom.’
‘Perhaps a bed pan until—?’
With only curtains round the bed and other people nearby to hear her. ‘No way!’
‘OK. Let me help you. You’re in the end bed, so it’s quite close.’
‘Why am I in a public ward? I have private medical insurance.’
‘You didn’t have anything on you to show that.’
She remembered the stupid little handbag. She’d throw it away as soon as she got home. ‘Just . . . stand outside the bathroom and let me see how I manage.’
‘Well, OK. You’re not sounding slurred.’
Molly closed the bathroom door, used the facilities, then stared at herself in the mirror, trying to smooth her hair a bit. Bruised forehead, huge bruise on her arm, but her head felt clear. Very clear. Clearer than it had been for over a year.
She opened the door, holding the open-backed hospital gown together with one hand. ‘I feel fine now, better by the minute, so I’m getting dressed and going home.’
‘The doctor hasn’t discharged you yet.’
Nearby someone moaned and asked for a bedpan.
Molly shuddered. ‘If the doctor doesn’t come quickly, I’m discharging myself.’
By the time she was dressed, they’d found a junior doctor, who looked dead on his feet. He shone a light in her eyes, watched her walk up and down the room and signed the release papers.
Her clothes were wrinkled and she looked a mess. She threw the hat in a rubbish bin near the hospital entrance. Then she called a taxi from the free phone near the entrance. At least she had some money in her handbag to pay for it.
When she got home, she saw that Brian’s car was missing. That was unusual. Tasha didn’t encourage him to stay overnight with Geneva.
The empty house seemed to echo around her, every sound she made magnified, in her head at least. She made a piece of toast, but couldn’t force more than a few bites down. Shoving the plate aside, she went up to Brian’s room. It was a mess, as usual, but she wasn’t going to clear it up this time.
If Rachel had still been at home, she would have refused to clear up after her any longer, too. Jamie was welcome to the perpetual mess.
She rang Brian’s mobile, but got no answer. Where was he?
‘What’s the point?’ she asked the empty house. ‘Why did I have children at all? Rachel believes the worst and won’t listen to me, and Brian doesn’t give a stuff about me, except when he needs an unpaid servant.’
Anger welled up so strongly she had to do something, anything rather than sit around talking to herself and waiting for her son to return. Why should she wait for him anyway? He’d not waited for her, or come to visit her in hospital.
Suddenly she knew exactly what she was going to do.
In Wiltshire Euan Santiago picked up the phone because his secretary hadn’t arrived yet. ‘Yes? Ah, Becky. How are things in the IT world?’
‘Your new website’s finished. It’s ready to go live as soon as you’ve checked it all out.’
‘Great. I’ll get on to that straight away. The sooner it’s out there, the better. I’ve got a few sales brewing by word of mouth, but I want to start selling in earnest now that we’ve got six finished houses ready to show people. I’ll get back to you by noon at the latest, then, if there are no glitches, you can put the site up on line.’
As he put the phone down, there was the sound of an outer door opening. He strode out into the reception area, having trouble keeping his voice calm. ‘You’re late again, Penny.’
She looked at him resentfully. ‘The traffic was bad.’
‘That’s what you always say.’
‘Well, Swindon’s famous for it.’