Page 1 of The Silent Bride
Prologue
I shouldn’t have come here today.
If I hadn’t come, then it would never have happened. He wouldn’t have seen the expression on my face. But when he turned to look at me, he froze for a second. His eyes widened and I could tell he knew. The knife in his fist was proof of that.
My chest went so tight it felt as though someone was sitting on it. Even now, I’m massaging the spot between my ribs to try to loosen it. To get my breathing under control instead of these rough gasps squeezing from my lungs. A sound I’ve never heard before.
There was no time to think. I just lifted the brass lamp and threw it as hard as I could.
She screamed, of course she did. But now she’s as quiet as the grave.
And me?
Well ... despite my jagged breathing and shaking fingers, all I feel right now is an overwhelming sense of relief.
Chapter One
NOW, 10 JUNE
This is it.The moment. After all the years of daydreaming, of failed dates and underwhelming relationships, and of finally finding the one, this, right here, right now, is the culmination of it all. The moment that I, Alice Porter, walk down the aisle to marry Seth Evans, man of my dreams.
Dad takes my arm. He’s looking dapper in a charcoal suit and burgundy silk tie, a white rose in his buttonhole, same as all the groomsmen and, of course, the groom. I can tell by the softening of his gaze that Dad is happy. He’s always been ambitious for me and my sister Elizabeth. Wanted us to have good careers and good husbands. My father is the VP of a large logistics company. Almost at retirement age, he jets across the world as though he’s twenty years younger.
Seth, my husband-to-be, is a successful London doctor, an endocrinologist, who also happens to be the only child of wealthy parents. We met in a local pub just over a year ago when he was staying in his parents’ New Forest holiday cottage with friends. I was supposed to be on a blind date that night, but got stood up. It was shaping up to be an awful evening until Seth came overand saved me from swearing off men for life. It’s been a whirlwind romance ever since.
‘Ready?’ Dad asks.
I take a deep breath and gaze down at my simple bouquet of ferns and roses, at the beaded lace bodice and silk organza skirt of my wedding gown. At the tips of my satin shoes peeking out beneath layers of tulle. Of course I’m ready. From my manicured French-tipped nails to my gleaming dark curls, I’m more than ready. I swallow, trying to summon a reply for my father, but emotion has stopped up my throat. Instead, I nod and blink, glancing ahead to see my bridesmaids come to a graceful halt at the end of the aisle.
As the Wedding March begins to play, my heart lifts. All my hopes and ambitions are finally coming true. I’m marrying my handsome fiancé, we’re moving into a beautiful home, even my career is heading in the right direction. Why am I thinking about work? Plenty of time to concentrate on that when we’re back from our honeymoon. Right now I need to soak up every second of my wedding day because I don’t plan on doing this more than once. I want this to be forever. The day that kick-starts the rest of my life.
Dad and I begin walking down the aisle, approaching familiar faces. Friends, colleagues, aunts, uncles, cousins. Everybody is here. Seth and I invited an almost equal number of guests, which is great as it balances out the church. The pews on both sides are full. Everyone is smiling, eyes filled with love, mouthing that I look beautiful.
A packed church means that it’s more than a little warm in here. We’re having a June heatwave at the moment and guests are using the order-of-service booklets as fans. But I’d rather have heat and sunshine than chilly rain. This beautiful weather is a good omen.
The clichés are true – my feet barely touch the ground. I feel as though I’m walking on air. I’m glowing, radiant, my eyes bright. As I glide down the aisle, my head feels light and my fingers and toes are tingling. I inhale, absorbing the joyful atmosphere, breathing in the scent of polished wood and fresh flowers. Wafts of perfume and cologne mingle with that faint dusty, damp odour that belongs to Ellingham’s beautiful thirteenth-century church. The same church where my parents were married. Where Elizabeth and I were christened.
It’s strange, but I don’t even feel like myself right now. It’s almost an out-of-body experience. I feel like a movie star walking the red carpet, or a model on the runway. Everyone is here for me and Seth, but all eyes are focused onme. Me and me alone. It’s actually a little unnerving. I gaze ahead to the altar and to Seth, who’s turning my way. My heart lifts as I prepare for my first glimpse of my groom on our wedding day.
Oh.
I freeze.
That’s not Seth.
I blink and shift my gaze to the left and to the right of the man standing where I’m certain my groom should be. Where is he? Where is my fiancé?
‘Alice,’ Dad hisses in my ear.
We’ve come to a halt a third of the way down the aisle. My pulse is racing and sweat begins to prickle between my breasts and under my arms. A strong scent of vanilla hits me, catches in the back of my throat, sweet and thick.
‘Alice.’ Dad tugs on my arm, but I’m still frozen in place, unable to move or speak.
I throw another panicked glance up ahead at the groom, and the groomsmen standing next to him. Why is nobody saying anything? Am I dreaming? Is this some horribly realistic nightmare?Or have I somehow got it wrong and Seth is standing in another spot? I look across to the other side of the aisle. But that’s where my bridesmaids are gathered. I drag my gaze back to the right side. To the stranger who’s looking back at me. He frowns. Maybe he doesn’t recognise me either and this is just some terrible wedding mix-up.
‘You okay?’ he mouths, his eyes filled with sudden concern. Withlove. His gaze is intimate, as though he knows me.
My heart clatters against my ribcage and blood pounds in my ears. Why is no one saying anything? Where is Seth, and why is this stranger standing in his place?
