Playing All the Angles (19 page)

“I don’t think that’s likely. So, let’s do our part to open the doors and have our own. And just think, you can gloat and feel superior about giving yourself your own party the whole time. Be a martyr! You’ll love it.”

Eve considered, first narrowing her eyes at him, then swallowed back a lump in her throat. Being pregnant meant being emotional, and she was going to be glad when that part was over. “What if they won’t come? Or what if they accept, and I’m there waiting for them, and they don’t show up?”

“Then they are terrible and we hate them. Easy. Either way we have a party, and that’s win-win to me.”

With his unflagging support, Eve started to make tentative plans for a party, a combination wedding/baby shower that all the family and friends could be invited to. It would be the first time she’d really allowed her two very separate worlds to mix, but if she was going to be happy and healthy, the blending was long overdue.

She called Marcus and told him the plan. He was overjoyed. “I wanted to throw you a party, but I thought you wouldn’t dare come if I invited your family! Whose idea was this?”

“Tad’s,” she said, telling him the basic reasoning.

“He’s brilliant. Marry him. Oh, wait—smart girl!” he said, and they both laughed. “All right, so we’re having a party. I can get you the gardens at the Savoy. Just tell me what date.”

“We’re still deciding on the date. The party for Dominic and Issie is this weekend, and that gives us a little less than a month before Tad has to leave for his job in Beijing.”

“When does he go?”

“The end of July.”

“Plenty of time,” Marcus said, and Eve could hear over the phone as he riffled through his datebook. “We could do it the middle of the month. I could have the invitations to a delivery service tomorrow morning. I just need contact information.”

“Oh, that would be wonderful!”

“Right, so, e-mail the list to me. Trust that I will have glorious invites made up in no time.”

“I’ll do it right now. Thanks, Marcus.”

“Of course. You’re going to have the most chic, most brilliant shower there ever was!”

Eve laughed, and, feeling buoyed by Marcus’s further enthusiasm to add to Tad’s, she was finally allowing herself to be excited about the prospect of throwing her own party.

“What do you mean, Eve’s not coming?” Isabelle asked her mother as she looked over the guest list for the reception.

“She’s agreed to stay away since it would upset everyone, especially Alora.”

“Did you tell her not to come?”

“No, she offered, and I told her that it was for the best. It really is, you know. We don’t want another fiasco like the one at the baby shower.”

Isabelle felt her jaw clenching. “I want Eve to come, Mum. I want her to bring her husband around so we can meet him. I want to share this with them.”

“She’s already said she isn’t coming, Isabelle. I think you should just let it go.”

“I don’t,” she insisted, then paused for a moment. “Were you planning on throwing her a baby shower?”

“What?”

“A baby shower for Eve. It’s her first baby. When is the shower?”

“There isn’t one. Your sister doesn’t want anything to do with the family, Isabelle. You should know this by now.”

“We should still make the effort. You should make the effort, Mum. She’s your daughter.”

Her mother sighed over the phone and then returned to where she’d left off when Isabelle had interrupted her. “The Bryces have confirmed. Oh, and Karen Goodwin rang me. Did you know that Patrick is in the city and working at Sacred Heart?”

“Yes, and you did too. I’m sure Alora told you that he saw to Olive when she swallowed that coin.”

“Oh, right, she did mention it. Anyway, I’ve invited the Goodwins as well. I told Karen that Patrick was always welcome, and he could bring a date if he likes.”

“It will be good to see them,” Isabelle said, keeping her voice calm. In fact, she already knew about the invitation. Patrick had text messaged her the day before when he’d received his mother’s voice mail and asked if she wanted him to come. She’d told him that she did, but she’d understand if it was too uncomfortable.

He’d sent back a response:

Wldnt miss it. xx.

So there were no surprises coming, unless he brought a date.

“I’m sorry, Mum,” she said, interrupting her mother’s words, which she’d not been listening to at all. “I have to go. Dominic’s going to be home soon, and I need to make dinner.”

She disconnected the call to her mother and dialed Eve, surprised by the male voice that answered. “Hello. Eve D’Amico-Edmunds’ phone.”

“H-Hello. Is Eve there?”

“Yes, she is. May I ask who’s calling?”

“This is her sister, Isabelle.”

“Oh, hello, Isabelle. I’m Tad. The husband.” She could hear the happiness in his voice.

“Oh! Hello. It’s nice to speak to you. I’m looking forward to meeting you in person.”

“I’m looking forward to that as well. Let me give you to Eve.”

A moment passed, and Eve’s voice came on the line, light and bright. “Hi, Issie!”

“Hi. You sound happy and honeymooning.”

“I love being married.” She sighed. “How are you?”

“I’m disappointed.”

“Well, you did marry Dominic.”

“Haha. Funny. No, I’ve just spoken with Mum, and she told me that you aren’t coming to the reception.”

“Oh. I’m sorry, Issie. I just think it would be too rough on everybody, especially Alora.”

“It’s not Alora’s party. Or Mother’s. It’s mine, and I want you to come. I want you to bring your husband so we can all meet him. I want you to be there and celebrate with us.”

“If I’m there, no one will be celebrating anything.”

“There’s nothing I can say to convince you?” Isabelle asked in a final attempt.

“I’m sorry, Issie. There isn’t. But you’ll meet Tad. You’ll be getting an invitation of your own soon, and there’s no reason in the world for you to keep away. I’m sorry, sweets. I really have to go,” Eve replied, and then she was gone.

The invitations for Eve’s party arrived the next afternoon, special delivery service. The envelopes were cloth that felt like silk, and the invitations themselves were die cut with delicate floral edges and a beautifully elegant font. The RSVP was to Marcus Rode, and the event was presented as though he was the host, with a notation that this was a party to celebrate Eve’s nuptials, as well as her bundle of joy. There was a request that, in lieu of gifts, donations could be made to Sacred Heart Hospital’s pediatrics ward.

Isabelle smiled as she read over the invitation, then called the number on the bottom and told Marcus’s assistant that she and her husband would be attending. As she was finishing up on the phone, Dominic came down the stairs after taking a shower and kissed her on the shoulder.

“Who was that?”

“We received an invitation to a party for Eve and Tad,” she said, showing him the envelope. “I was just calling to RSVP.”

“Oh? Are we going?”

“Of course!”

“Just asking.” He put up his hands. “Since they aren’t coming to ours.”

Isabelle sighed and ran through the explanation again. Dominic never listened to anything she said anymore. It was like marriage had turned him deaf.

“Is anyone else going?” he asked her.

“I’m sure they will.”

He snorted. “I’m not. Did you see that huge basket she sent Alora when we had dinner over there the other night? Not even opened. Doyle said who it was from and said she hadn’t opened the one Eve brought to the shower either. I asked why she didn’t just trash it, and he said Alora kept hoping someone would tell Eve about it. Your sisters are bitches. How’d you turn out so normal?”

“Just lucky, I guess,” she said, smiling.

“Well, don’t be too surprised if none of the rest of your family turns up to Eve’s party, especially since they didn’t plan on throwing one for her in the first place.”

“Eve’s really trying, Dominic. I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy or Tad or both, but she’s really attempting to reach out, and it’s only fair that the rest of the family meet her halfway.”

“You should tell them that, because I guarantee that you’re the only one who feels that way.”

“I’m sure Dad sees it my way.”

“And he’ll do whatever your mother tells him, too. But that’s all right. If it’s just you who shows up, at least someone did.” He shrugged and shambled off into the kitchen.

Isabelle frowned. She wanted her family to at least try. She wanted her husband to at least care. Patrick cared. She’d talked to him about it already, and though he’d made the same suggestion Dominic had, he had at least been concerned. He suggested that her family might be too afraid to go and had offered to play up the idea of the party himself. Suddenly, she wanted to speak with him, so she called out that she needed to go shopping and trotted out the front door.

He was undoubtedly working, so she headed for the hospital, sending him a text when she arrived in the visitor’s parking lot. She was almost at the door before he responded.

Meet u in caf abt 15

She went into the lobby and headed for the lifts. When she arrived in the cafeteria, she chose a table by the windows. She got them both a cup of coffee so it would be ready for him when he arrived. She’d done this a couple of times before now, stopping in to see him while he was on shift rotation so they could talk a bit while he had a break, since his days off were limited. He’d already told her he was pulling double shifts the rest of the week so he could have Saturday off for her party.

He walked in a few minutes later, looking handsome in scrubs and his white coat, and he smiled as soon as he saw her sitting there. Isabelle smiled back, feeling her breath catch at the sight of him, but managed to keep her cool.

“This is a nice surprise,” he told her, kissing her cheek before sitting and thanking her for the coffee.

“I needed to get out, and I couldn’t think of anywhere better to be.”

“What’s going on in your world today?” he asked, putting in sugar and cream. “Getting ready for your party?”

She shrugged. “All that’s left is to show up,” she said, sipping her coffee. “I’ll be glad when it’s over, to be honest.”

“Eve still not coming?”

“No, I couldn’t convince her. I did get the invitation to her do today, though,” she said, slipping it out of her purse to show him. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Ooh, nice,” he agreed, rubbing his fingers along the edge. “It’s just like mine.”

Isabelle laughed and snatched hers back. “I didn’t know you’d gotten one already.”

“Yeah.” He winked. “It was couriered in to me. Guess she didn’t know my home address. Mum even left me a voice message in spasms over going to the Savoy.”

“Mmm, I’ll bet. She always loved that place.”

“Ever since we took her there for—”

“Mother’s Day Tea! Yes!”

“And she was planning our wedding before the desserts were served, remember?” he asked.

Isabelle blushed, nodding. “Yeah. She had big plans, your mum.”

“Yeah.” He laughed, rubbing his hands around his cup. “Well…excited about Eve’s bash? Talked to your mum or Alora yet?”

“No, but Dominic’s sure they won’t come.”

“I think they will,” Patrick disagreed. “All you need do is tell them that Eve will have one over on them if they don’t. Voila! They’ll be there with bells on.”

“I hope so. I’m definitely going to talk to them, especially Alora. Do you know she still hasn’t even opened the gifts Eve gave her? Dominic said she’s just hoping someone will tell Eve about it.”

“Don’t play into it.” He shook his head and swallowed a drink. “She’d love nothing better than to get you in the middle.”

“I know. I don’t know how to stay out of the middle.”

“Anyone asking you to choose sides?”

“Alora is.”

“As per usual. Just say no. And then steal the gifts. Eve gives the best gifts.”

“Patrick!” she exclaimed.

“What? She does.”