What a bitch. I’ve seen plenty of people take luggage that size onto planes. I know I should step forward and tell Richard I’m here, but something inside me needs to see what will happen next.
“Fine. I won’t bring the bag.” Glowering at her, Richard jumps back down to the floor and snaps open the clasps of his case. He grabs a couple of T-shirts, a wash bag, a pair of socks, and some boxer shorts, then kicks the case aside.
“There. This is my hand luggage.” He brandishes it all at her. “Happy now?”
The airline woman regards him evenly. “You can’t leave that case there, sir.”
“Fine.” He snaps the case shut and dumps it on top of a litter bin. “There.”
“You can’t leave it there either, sir. It’s a security issue. We don’t know what’s in it.”
“You do.”
“No, we don’t.”
“You just saw me unpack it.”
“Be that as it may, sir.”
The entire place has turned to watch this exchange. Richard is breathing hard. His broad shoulders are raised. Again I’m reminded of a bull about to charge.
“Uncle Richard!” Noah has suddenly noticed him. “Are you coming on holiday with us?”
Richard’s whole body jolts in astonishment as he registers first Noah, then me.
“Fliss?” He drops a pair of boxer shorts on the floor and stoops to pick them up, looking a little less bull-like. “What are you doing here?”
“Hi, Richard.” I try to sound nonchalant. “We’re joining Lottie. What— er—” I spread my hands questioningly. “I mean, what exactly—”
Clearly I know the gist of what he’s up to, as does everyone here, but I’m interested in the details. Does he have a plan?
“I couldn’t just sit back,” he says gruffly. “I couldn’t just lose her and walk away and never even tell her what I—” He breaks off, his face working with emotion. “I should have proposed when I had the chance,” he adds suddenly. “I should have cherished what I had! I should have proposed!”
His roar of grief rises through the silent air. The whole place is agog, and, quite frankly, I’m flabbergasted. I’ve never seen Richard moved to such passion. Has Lottie?
I wish I’d recorded his whole speech on my BlackBerry.
“Sir, please remove your case from that bin.” The airline woman is addressing Richard. “As I say, it’s causing a security alert.”
“It’s not mine anymore,” he counters, brandishing his boxer shorts at her. “This is my hand luggage.”
The woman’s chin tightens. “Do you want me to call security and have your case destroyed, thus delaying the flight by six hours?”
I’m not the only person who gasps in horror. Around us, polite murmurs of protest start swelling into hostile, pointed comments. I’m sensing Richard is not the most popular passenger in the place. In fact, I’m sensing that the boos and slow hand-claps may begin any moment.
“Uncle Richard, are you coming on holiday with us?” Noah is consumed with joy. “Can we do wrestling? Can I sit next to you on the plane?” He throws himself at Richard’s legs.
“Doesn’t look like it, kiddo.” Richard gives him a wry smile. “Unless you can persuade this lady.”
“This is your uncle?” Noah’s friend Cheryl springs into life at the other desk, where she’s been watching proceedings with a vacant stare. “The uncle you were telling me about?”
“This is Uncle Richard,” confirms Noah happily.
I should never have let him get into the habit of calling Richard “Uncle,” I think to myself. It started one Christmas and we thought it was cute. We didn’t predict a breakup. We thought Richard had become part of the family. We never thought—
Suddenly I’m aware that Cheryl is almost hyperventilating.
“Margot!” At last she manages to speak through her gasps. “You’ve got to let this man on the plane! He saved his nephew’s life! He’s a brilliant man!”
“What?” Margot scowls.
“Huh?” Richard gapes at Cheryl.
“Don’t be modest! Your nephew told me the whole story!” Cheryl says tremulously. “Margot, you have no idea. This whole family. They’ve been through such a lot.” She steps out from behind her desk. “Sir, let me take your boarding pass.”
I can see Richard’s mind whirring in disbelief. He glances suspiciously at Noah, then at me. I pull an agonized face, trying to convey the message, Just go with it.
“And you too.” Cheryl turns gushingly to me. “You must have been deeply affected by your little boy’s ordeal.”
“We take each day as it comes,” I murmur vaguely.
This seems to satisfy her, and she moves away. Richard is still clutching his underpants, looking gobsmacked. I’m not even going to try to explain.
“So, um, you want to sit down?” I say. “I could get us a coffee or something?”
“Why are you joining Lottie?” he demands without moving. “Is there a problem?”
I’m not sure how to answer. On the one hand, I don’t want to give him false hope. On the other, could I perhaps hint that all is not perfect in paradise?
“They’re renewing their vows, aren’t they?” says Lorcan over his newspaper.
“Who’s this?” Richard reacts with instant suspicion. “Who are you?”
“Right,” I say awkwardly. “Um, Richard, this is Lorcan. Ben’s best man. Best friend. Whatever. He’s flying out there too.”
Immediately, Richard stiffens into his bull-like posture again.
“I see,” he says, nodding. “I see.”
I don’t think he does see, but he’s so tense I don’t dare interrupt. He’s instinctively squared up to Lorcan, his fists clenched.
“And you are?” says Lorcan politely.
“I’m the idiot who let her go!” says Richard with sudden passion. “I couldn’t see the vision she wanted for us. I thought she was, I don’t know, starry-eyed. But now I can see the stars too. I can see the vision. And I want it too.”
All the women nearby are listening to him, rapt. Where did he learn to speak like that? Lottie would love that stuff about stars. I’ve been fumbling at my BlackBerry, trying to surreptitiously record him, but I’m too slow.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing!” I quickly lower my phone.
“Oh God. Maybe this is a bad idea.” Richard suddenly seems to come to and see himself standing in the middle of a departure lounge with underwear in his hands and an audience of passengers. “Maybe I should just bow out.”
“No!” I say quickly. “Don’t bow out!”
If only Lottie could see Richard right now. If only she could know his true feelings. She’d see sense, I know she would.
“Who am I kidding?” He sags in desolation. “It’s too late. They’re married.”
“They’re not!” I retort before I can stop myself.
“What?” Richard and Lorcan both stare at me. I can see lots of other interested faces leaning in to listen too.
“I mean they haven’t, you know, consummated it yet,” I explain as quietly as I can. “So technically that means they could still get a legal annulment. The marriage would never have existed.”
“Really?” I can see a glimmer of hope rising on Richard’s face.
“Why haven’t they consummated it?” says Lorcan incredulously. “And how do you know?”
“She’s my sister. We tell each other everything. And as for why …” I clear my throat evasively. “It’s simply bad luck. The hotel messed up with the beds. Ben got drunk. That kind of thing.”
“Too much information,” says Lorcan, and starts putting his papers away in his briefcase.
Richard says nothing. His brow is furrowed and he appears to be taking this all in. At last he sinks down on the seat next to me and savagely screws his boxer shorts into a ball. I watch him, still feeling disbelief that he’s here at all.