Once Upon an Island

That means for the whole month that Kate was distracted and missing girls’ nights she was actually with Michael. While I was going out on lunch dates with him he was dating my best friend.

Kate looks down at the milky tea in her cup, then back up at me.

“A twenty-nine days’ notice at the registrar is required to marry. We married as soon as our twenty-nine days were up,” says Michael. Then he kisses Kate on the check and says, “They were the longest twenty-nine days of my life.”

I’ll bet they were.

I stand up. “Can I speak to you?” I ask Kate. I nod toward the hallway. “Privately?”

She nods and stands.

“Don’t be long,” Michael says. He gives her another kiss.

I try not to let my distaste show. I hurry down the hall, through the solarium and into the back garden. When the door shuts I turn back to Kate.

The cottage garden’s spring flowers bloom in pastel pink, Easter blue and light yellow. The green foliage and stone wall provide a bit of privacy.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Kate says, before I can start in on her.

I shake my head. “I don’t think you do.”

She looks up at the weak blue sky and then back at me. Her gaze is steady and clear. The deliriously happy look that I saw earlier is gone. I take a step forward.

“Kate…”

I stop.

What exactly do I want to say?

Your husband is a sleaze? He married you out of avarice? Why did you lie to me for a whole month? What have you done?

No.

When I was younger my mom would always say something to my dad when I didn’t do what he wanted. She’d say, “Dearest, everyone has the right to go to hell in a hand-basket of their own making.” Which always meant, leave the poor girl alone, she can make her own choices.

Even if I messed up, or chose wrong, I liked that my mom gave me the choice to do so.

I reach out and take Kate’s hands. They’re cold, so I give them a squeeze. I’m in my oversized sweater and pants, but Kate’s in her tiny dress.

“Come here you,” I say. I lead her down the little cobblestone path to a stone bench and then pull her down next to me. I wrap an arm around her shoulder. “So, you’re married to Michael.”

She drops her head to my shoulder.

“I didn’t see that one coming,” I say.

She half-hiccups, half-laughs.

“Do you love him?” I ask.

“No,” she says simply.

So Arya was wrong, Kate wasn’t head over heels in love.

I nod. Then I ask, “Does he love you?”

“Probably not.”

I let out a long sigh. I lean my head against hers. What a pickle. I look up at the pale blue of the sky and the clouds flying swiftly past. A bird starts to chirp as it hops across the short garden grass.

“Not every marriage needs to be built on love,” she says.

“It’s a good start.”

“But not the only start.” She sits up straight and faces me. “La-La, I know you fancied Michael.”

I shake my head. “It’s not that—”

She gives me a disbelieving look. “But you and he would never have worked.”

“I know.” I have no arguments against that.

Kate puts on her realtor look, where she’s about to list off all the important details of a property.

“I married Michael because he has the right connections. He went to Cambridge, he runs with the right set. My mum told me my father approves of him. La-La, I’ll be seeing my family tonight for the first time in five years. Five years. Michael wants my connections. I want my family back. We both win.”

I frown. “You knew? He actually told you he wanted to marry you for your family status?”

Apparently the shock is clear in my voice because Kate smirks at me and I see that bold irreverence that I’ve always loved in her.

“At first he tried the lovestruck routine on me, all adoring and charming. You’re beautiful, you’re the sun in my sky, garbage like that.” She snorts. “Michael’s golden charm may have fooled you, but I’m not like you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

She nudges her elbow into my side. “Just that you take people based on what they present, not on what they keep hidden.”

I frown. That’s exactly the conclusion I came to recently.

She shrugs. “If someone acts like a good person, you think they are. I’m not like that. Probably because I act like a good person most of the time, but I’m not really all that good on the inside. Not really.”

“You are.”

She shakes her head. “La-La, I married the man my best friend was dating. A man she had set her hopes on. Does a good person do that?”

I see her point. But… “I still choose to think of you as a good person.”

Kate smiles. “That’s because you’re incredibly loyal. And the best friend I have.”

I nod and drop my elbows to me knees. I lean forward and stare at the little cluster of blooming candy pink hyacinth. They seem a little too happy for this conversation.

“Did you at least get a prenup?” I ask, thinking of Renee’s advice.

“What do you take me for?” Kate asks. I look over at her and she smirks. “Ironclad. I’ll come out of this smelling like roses.”

“What does Michael get then?” I ask, wondering how she convinced him to sign away his rights to any proceeds from a divorce.

“Great sex,” she says.

I fake gag and she laughs.