A Jersey Kiss (Jersey Romance Series) Read Online Free Page A

Thatcher’s hairdo and a dollop of candyfloss.” Shani giggled and shook her head.
    “ She does the mother-of-the-bride bit to perfection, doesn’t she?” Paul said. Bea and Shani laughed. “Behave yourself girls. Now, on to lighter matters; have we all seen the ring?” He clapped his hands together. “Assuming we have, what do we all think? Shani, you first.”
    Shani mulled the question over for a second or two. “It’s pretty spectacular, that’s all I know. It must have cost him a fortune.”
    At the other side of the room Grant held up a glass and tapped it with a pen calling for everyone’s attention. “Melanie and I,” Grant said, stepping nervously from one foot to the other, “would like to thank you all for coming and sharing our celebrations with us on this steamy July evening.” Mel giggled and Bea ignored Paul’s dig to her ribs. “We’ve chosen our dream date and so that there are no excuses, we’re going to let you all know exactly when our big day will be, tonight.” He winked at Mel. “So, I want you all to keep Liberation Day free!”
    “ What did he say?” Shani hissed, her arched black eyebrows knitting together in confusion. Bea could hardly form the words. “They’re setting her wedding date for ninth of May?”
    Bea’s heart pounded so much at the prospect, that she thought the others would hear it. “It seems so,” she said, swallowing the lump in her throat.
    “ But that’ll be the first anniversary of your Aunt Annabel’s death.” Shani folded her tanned arms across her chest. “Little bitch.”
    Bea took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She caught her stepmother’s triumphant expression across the room as she dabbed her tear-filled eyes with a perfectly ironed , lace handkerchief and determined not to let Joyce see how upset this news had made her.
    “ Joyce is such a cow,” Paul said, a little too loudly for Bea’s liking. “I bet she’s done it on purpose.”
    Shani put her arm around Bea’s shoulders and she didn’t hear what else, if anything, Grant was saying. It was enough that she would have to face that dreadful day at all without having to look happy at her half-sister’s wedding.
    “Right, come on, I’m getting too irritated to carry on just standing here.” Paul cupped his ear. “Do you hear that?” he asked, grabbing Shani's hand as the speech finished and the first strains of “You’re the One That I Want” began filling the room. “Come along girls, let’s give it loads.”
    Bea let them go to the dance floor and shook her head when they waved for her to join them. The room was far too hot. Bea needed some air and, relieved to have a quiet moment, picked up her bag and gingerly crossed the room out through the open sliding doors trying her best not to wobble. She wondered if it was the sheer height of her shoes that was unbalancing her, or the overly polished parquet flooring that was the problem. She touched the cool granite castle wall before walking up to the metal railings and leaning against them, gazing across the bay where yachts moved gently in the calm sea. Bea sighed.
    “You’re not thinking of jumping are you?” a baritone voice asked from the other side of the Canary Palm next to her. “Bit of a drastic way to make your escape, don’t you think?”
    Bea wo uld recognise that brusque tone anywhere. She leaned precariously over the balcony in a vain attempt to peer around the tree. “Fancy seeing you again so soon, Mrs Potter.” He touched her shoulder lightly from behind.
    Bea swung round, embarrassed to have been caught looking the wrong way, grabbed at the palm frond to move it away from her face and slipped on the floor, landing with a heavy slap on her bum. “Ouch.”
    “ Sorry.” He unsuccessfully tried to stifle his laughter. “I didn’t mean to give you a fright. Here,” he held his hand out for her to take, “let me help you up.”
    She closed her eyes momentarily wishing he would disappear, and then