‘It’s true.’ I meet Alice’s eyes, my gaze unwavering. ‘And I’m not sorry in the slightest.’
‘I was devastated, obviously,’ Archie says before Alice can say a word. ‘But I thought I could make it work.’
‘Oh, for God’s sake!’ I’ve had enough of The Archie Show. ‘You’re acting as though I cheated on you, but we weren’t even in a relationship! We hadn’t even kissed. I don’t like you, Archie, and never have. I only ever feigned interest to get Alice off my back.’
‘What?’ Alice’s mouth is gaping again, but my focus is on Tom and his reaction. I never wanted to let him know like this, in front of an audience of Alice, Archie and anyone else who happens to overhear, but at least it’s out there now.
‘You’re not seeing Archie?’ he asks, and I shake my head. ‘You lied about it?’
I swallow hard and nod again. This isn’t exactly painting me in the best light.
Shaking his head, Tom takes a step away from me. ‘I don’t understand.’
‘You will. I’ll explain everything. You might not like it. You might think I’m a total bitch, but you’ll know the truth.’
‘I’d quite like to know the truth myself.’ Alice’s hands are on her hips, her eyebrow quirked in a way that shows she means business. But again, I’m more interested in Tom’s reaction.
‘Please, Tom. Can we go somewhere and talk? So I can explain?’ I need to explain. I need Tom to understand that I never did any of this to hurt him or fool him. It was a stupid decision, born of frustration and self-preservation. Because if he doesn’t see that, this could be it for us. Game over before we even start the match. I’ve rejected so many guys over the past year, but I’m not ready to say goodbye to Tom. We have a chance, don’t we?
‘I need some air.’ Tom is backing away, his head shaking as though answering my internal question. I can’t let him go, not like this. But Alice’s hand is on my arm as I attempt to follow. I try to shake her off, but Alice is a feisty little one when she wants to be.
‘Is everything okay over here?’ Francelia, sniffing a bit of drama, is swooping in. She isn’t the only one to have noticed; several people are rubbernecking, ears pricked for the juicy goss.
‘Everything’s fine, Aunt Francelia.’ Archie flashes his well-rehearsed enigmatic smile. ‘I think I’ll go and check on Tom Thumb though, just to be sure.’
‘No.’ I make a fresh attempt to escape Alice’s clutches, knowing Archie will only make matters worse, but she isn’t letting go in a hurry. Archie strides away with his usual air of confidence while Alice quizzes me about her step-cousin and Tom. I tell her everything, in as few words as I can so I can try to catch up with Tom and reverse any further damage Archie might have caused in the meantime. Eventually, Alice releases me, though she doesn’t look happy about any of it. Still, I don’t have time to stick around and appease her.
Bursting from the ballroom, my head turns from left to right while I try to figure out which direction to head in. Tom wanted air, but there are so many exits from the castle. Would he head to the courtyard? The woods? Or perhaps the rose garden? Maybe he’s even gone back to the cottage, to call it quits with the wedding. To call it quits with me.
Surging forward, I head towards the pool room, so I can slip out of the door and into the field at the back, but I hear voices as I start to open the door.
‘That was a low blow, mentioning the kiss in front of everyone.’ It’s Tom, sitting with his back to me on one of the sunloungers. ‘Especially Alice. I get that you’re upset…’
Archie, who’s sitting next to Tom, barks out a laugh. He must have caught Tom before he reached the exit and now they’re sitting down to dissect everything that just happened. I need to stop this, but the laugh unnerves me. It’s a harsh sound. Cold. I decide to hang back for a moment.
‘I’m not upset. Far from it, mate, but the bitch deserves everything she gets.’
‘Easy. There’s no need for that,’ Tom says, and a little bit of hope that Tom has forgiven me flares up. If it wasn’t for his face when he found out I’d lied to him…
‘Isn’t there? She played me, and nobody humiliates me and gets away with it.’ Archie leans in towards Tom. ‘You of all people should know that.’
My cheeks are hot. I want to march into the room and tell Archie what a turd he is, but what would that achieve? If only Alice could hear Archie talking like this. Could see the real Archie and not the version he’s so good at presenting to the world.
But maybe Alice can see it for herself. Keeping the door wedged open a crack with my foot, I quietly slip my phone out of my bag and set it to record. The door creaks slightly as I need to widen the gap to capture the footage. I hold my breath, fully expecting both Tom and Archie to wheel round and catch me out, but luckily they haven’t heard a thing.
‘The silly little tart was only cosying up to me to make Alice jealous anyway,’ Archie is saying. ‘And do you know what?’ He snorts and shakes his head. ‘I was doing the same.’
‘You were trying to make Alice jealous?’
‘Yep.’ Archie sighs. ‘Didn’t work though. She’s been trying to push us closer together. She just doesn’t get it.’
There’s a pause, and I move back slightly in case their chat is over, but I keep recording. Neither makes any move, however, and then Tom speaks again, his voice laced with unease.
‘You’ve still got your little crush on Alice? After all this time?’
‘It isn’t a “little crush”.’
‘What?’ Tom shifts in his seat so he can take a good look at Archie. ‘You actually think you’re in love with her?’
‘I don’t think anything.’
Oh my God! Archie’s in love with Alice? And he’s been using me to try to make her jealous! I knew he was a creep, but still…
‘You do know she doesn’t feel the same way, don’t you?’
Archie shrugs. ‘She will do, once she realises there’s nobody else out there who’ll love her like I do. Francelia is doing a fine job of chasing them away, but I have stepped in and given her a gentle nudge when necessary.’ He laughs to himself. ‘There was this one guy who had a criminal record. I mean, he’d only been cautioned for possession of cannabis when he was fifteen, but my info was enough to convince Francelia he had to go. Bad for the family image and all that. The funny thing is, it was a much lesser offence than Alice would have been slapped with if I hadn’t convinced Old Francie not to press charges when Alice stole her necklace.’
‘She didn’t steal anything.’ Tom’s voice is firm, unwavering in its confidence.
‘We know that, but everybody else thinks she’s as guilty as.’
I press a hand to my mouth to stop myself from gasping. I’ve only gone and inadvertently proved Alice’s innocence! I can’t wait to replay this to Alice, especially as Archie seems to know this for a fact too but has kept some crucial evidence to himself. He’s well and truly shot himself in the foot.
‘But you’re not going to say anything, are you, Tom Thumb?’ Archie claps Tom on the back, quite hard. ‘Tried that already, didn’t you? And where did it get you? Nowhere. Nobody believed you – and your old pa nearly lost his job.’ He chuckles and shakes his head. ‘Couldn’t have planned it better, could I?’
Tom shrugs off Archie’s hand, which is still resting across his shoulder blades, and stands up. I try to move out of the way, to shield myself behind the door, but Tom turns around too quickly. His eyebrows shoot up when he sees me, my phone aimed at the pair. But it doesn’t matter. I have the footage I need to show Alice and Francelia and anyone else who’s been fooled by Archie.
‘The thing I don’t get,’ Tom says as he sits back down on the sunlounger, ‘is why you framed Alice in the first place. Why did you take the necklace and plant it in her room? I assume you were the one who tipped Francelia off too?’
Oh, good man! He’s fishing for more evidence! I could kiss Tom right now. Again.
‘She’d humiliated me.’ Archie shrugs, as though this alone is explanation enough for his actions. ‘Laughing at me with you and Carolyn behind my back. Stomping all over my feelings. I heard you all, taking the piss.’
So it was Archie. ‘Mr Charming’ himself set Alice up! She trusted him. Still trusts him to this day. Even I’m shocked and I already knew he wasn’t the charismatic character he presents to the world.
‘But you’ve forgiven her?’
Archie sighs. ‘I love her. I’d forgive her anything.’
I sincerely hope the feeling isn’t mutual once Alice hears his confession.