‘I’ll look upstairs,’ said Grace, hitching up her long silk dress to climb the steps.
‘When you find him,’ called Isabella after her, ‘please tell him that I am leaving for the church in exactly five minutes, whether he’s coming or not.’
Grace ran into his study, her heels clattering on the stone floor. Gabriel was sitting in front of his computer, wearing jeans and an unbuttoned white shirt, furiously making notes on a yellow legal notebook.
‘You’re not even changed?’ she gasped.
Gabriel glanced up, then went back to his notes. ‘I don’t know if I can come,’ he said distractedly.
‘You’re kidding.’
‘CBS want to interview me tomorrow,’ he said. ‘I’m just waiting for the producer to call and confirm.’
‘Gabriel, it’s your cousin’s wedding in less than an hour! The interview can wait.’
‘The interview can’t wait, Grace,’ he snapped. ‘It’s the election in three weeks’ time.’
‘Yes, and CBS is an American cable channel.’
‘A very influential American cable channel.’
Grace squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to explode.
‘Go without me,’ he said finally.
‘Fine,’ she sighed, walking to the door. ‘Do you want to give me the present, then? I can take it to the wedding along with your apologies. ’
Several months ago, Grace had found out that Gabriel’s cousin Amelia had first met her fiancé at an exhibition of Luis Marquis, one of Parador’s most prominent sculptors. She and Gabe had commissioned him to make a small piece as a wedding gift for the happy couple.
‘What do you mean, do I want to give you the present?’ He frowned.
‘You said you’d pick it up from the Marquis studio yesterday after your meeting at the CARP office.’
‘Oh shit,’ he whispered. ‘I completely forgot.’
‘It’s fine,’ she said tersely, turning away.
‘Grace, it doesn’t matter.’
In the scheme of things, it probably didn’t matter – they could have it sent over after the wedding – but it was just one more thing which reminded her that life outside politics just didn’t exist for Gabriel any longer.
She ran back downstairs, willing herself not to cry. Caro was waiting for her at the bottom.
‘What’s wrong?’ asked her friend, kneeling down to tie pink ribbons around Olivia’s pigtails.
‘Oh, Gabe forgot to pick up the wedding present when he was in Palumbo yesterday.’
‘Don’t worry, I can go. I wasn’t really invited to the church service anyway. I’m only in it for the party.’ Caro grinned.
‘Do you mind? Take Gabe’s car. We were going to take it, but there’s been a rethink. I’m going with Isabella. We’ll see you at the reception.’
Caro ushered the twins towards their mother and gave them a stern look. ‘Now you be good for cousin Amelia, OK? No shouting out in church.’
‘Yes, Caro,’ they chorused solemnly.
Grace suppressed a smile. Who’d have thought her wild Kiwi roommate would have become such a great mother hen?
Caro ran outside while Isabella pulled on her cream taffeta coat.