‘So what are you two old warhorses talking about?’
Eddie looked offended. ‘Oi! Less of the “old”.’
‘We were just having a toast to a happy marriage,’ said Mac. Nina beamed at Eddie and put an arm round his waist. ‘And Eddie was also saying how glad he was that so many people made the time to come tonight.’
‘I know,’ she said, looking round at the guests. ‘Isn’t it great? Although I’m a bit disappointed that Peter Alderley didn’t even reply. What did he say when you gave him the invitation?’
Mac blinked. ‘Invitation?’
‘Yeah. I put it in with yours because I didn’t know his address.’
The Scot was still puzzled. ‘I didn’t get an invitation for Peter.’
‘You didn’t . . .’ Nina gave her husband a look of deep suspicion. ‘Eddie? What did you do with Peter’s invitation?’
‘Oh, that,’ Eddie said nonchalantly. ‘It dropped out of the envelope before I licked it. And then it somehow . . . fell down a drain.’
Nina pulled away from him. ‘Eddie! I can’t believe you did that! Especially after everything he’s done at MI6 to help us.’
‘Alderley’s a tosser, and he can’t stand me anyway.’
‘That’s not the point!’
‘Is Eddie causing trouble again?’ said Elizabeth, joining them. ‘Somehow I’m not surprised.’
‘Afraid so,’ Nina sighed.
‘Nan’s getting tired, so it’d be best if she went up to her room,’ Elizabeth told her brother. ‘But she’ll want to say goodnight to you before she goes.’
‘Well, yeah,’ said Eddie, smirking. ‘Since I’m her favourite grandchild, an’ all.’
‘God knows why. But come on over. You too, Nina, so she can have all the family together.’ She led them across the room, adding a sharp aside to Eddie as Nina detoured to put down her glass: ‘Almost.’
‘Right. Weird cousin Derek’s not here, is he?’ said Eddie.
Elizabeth had no intention of giving up. ‘You know exactly who I mean.’
‘Oh, don’t fucking start,’ he muttered.
‘You haven’t spoken to Dad for over twenty years, Eddie. His son’s got married, for God’s sake. I’m not saying you should have some big Hollywood tearful reconciliation in front of everyone—’
‘Good, ’cause
‘—but you could at least phone him.’
Eddie’s face was a cold mask. ‘Why? I’ve got nothing to say to him.’
‘And what if you and Nina have kids? Are they going to grow up never knowing their grandfather? He’s not getting any younger. Nor are you, for that matter.’
‘Tell you what,’ he said, irritation breaking through, ‘how about we end this discussion before it pisses all over, you know, the special day?’
‘Just think about it, Eddie,’ Elizabeth said as they reached Holly and Nan, waiting near the doors.
‘Already have, a long time ago. Hi, Nan!’
‘Come here, Edward!’ said Nan, and he bent to hug her. ‘Oh, my little lambchop. Married again!’ She wagged a finger in mock reproach. ‘I’m still cross that you didn’t invite me to the actual wedding, though.’
‘We didn’t have time, Nan,’ said Eddie as Nina caught up. ‘It was a bit rushed.’
‘Yeah, sorry about that,’ said Nina. ‘You forgive us?’
‘Of course I do,’ said Nan. ‘Come on, let me hug my granddaughter-in-law.’
‘You want me to walk you up to your room, Nan?’ Eddie asked.
She waved a hand at him. ‘Oh, don’t be silly! You should be enjoying your night, both of you. Holly can take me.’
Holly shot a stricken glance towards Grant, from whose company she had just been forcibly removed, promoting her mother to sigh and step in. ‘It’s okay, Nan, I’ll take you. No more champagne,’ she added sternly to Holly.
‘We’re off to San Francisco the day after tomorrow,’ Eddie said to Nan as Elizabeth ushered her to the doors, ‘but we’ll see you again before we go.’
‘It’s been so lovely to see you both,’ said Nan. ‘And I hope you have an absolutely wonderful marriage. In fact, I know you will.’
‘Thank you,’ Nina said. Nan gave them a last wave as Elizabeth escorted her out. More people were lurking outside; news of Grant and Jessica’s attendance had spread through the online social networks. The moment the doors closed again, Holly made a beeline back to Grant’s group, where she found herself in competition with both Jessica and Macy for his attention. Nina turned to Eddie. ‘What were you and Elizabeth talking about?’
‘Nothing important.’
She knew him better than that. ‘Family matters?’
‘Only one part of the family.’
‘Three guesses which?’
‘Like I said, nothing important.’ Keen to change the subject, he gestured across the room. ‘Oh, hey, there’s Rowan.’ He waved him over.
‘Careful, Eddie,’ said Nina teasingly as Rowan approached. ‘He might charm me away from you.’
‘Anyone who takes you away from me’ll regret it,’ Eddie rumbled, before giving the taller man a faintly insincere smile. ‘Hi, Rowan. Glad you could make it.’
‘Glad to be here!’ Rowan replied. ‘Sorry to have monopolised Nina recently.’
‘Yeah, it’ll be good to finally have some time alone with her tonight. That’s if she doesn’t bring a big bloody bundle of work home with her.’
‘Yes, she always has been rather obsessive when it comes to Atlantis, hasn’t she?’ said Rowan. ‘While we were setting up the exhibition, she wouldn’t even take time out for a tour of San Francisco. She’s a real slave- driver.’
‘Tell me about it,’ said Eddie. He grinned at his wife, who was struggling not to rise to the bait as the teasing was turned on her, and attempted a falsetto New York accent. ‘ “Eddie, can you move these boxes? Eddie, can you jam this booby trap? Eddie, can you kill these bad guys?” ’
‘I don’t sound like that,’ Nina objected. She looked at Rowan. ‘Do I?’
He winked at her. ‘Not at all. But I’d just like to say, Eddie, you’re a very lucky man. Congratulations. To both of you - Nina’s lucky charm obviously works for other people too.’
Nina touched her pendant, made from a broken scrap of what had turned out to be an Atlantean artefact discovered on an expedition with her parents as a child. ‘Let’s hope it keeps on doing, huh? I’d like the Treasures of Atlantis exhibition to be a huge success.’
‘It will be - and it won’t have anything to do with luck, Nina. It’ll all be down to you.’
‘And you too.’
‘Thank you.’ Rowan smiled, then kissed her.
‘Oi, oi,’ said Eddie, nudging Nina away from him. He gestured across the room. ‘Want to dance?’
The DJ was playing Ricky Martin’s ‘She Bangs’. ‘This isn’t really tango music.’
‘So, we’ll improvise. Come on.’
He led her to the dance floor. Nina put her arms round his waist. ‘Thanks for doing all this.’
‘Hey, any excuse for a booze-up.’
‘Sentimental as always, huh?’ But she could tell that under his bluff exterior, the broken-nosed, balding Englishman was enjoying the celebration as much as she was.
2
A few hours later, the party was over, and Nina and Eddie returned to their apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. ‘God, I’m exhausted,’ said Nina, stifling a yawn as she entered. ‘And there’s still loads to do tomorrow.’ She dropped heavily on to the couch and kicked off her shoes.
‘Well, at least you don’t have to deal with it on your own,’ Eddie said.
She smiled at him. ‘Aw, thanks, honey.’
