Hence the plans he'd made for tonight …
The call on Patsy's phone had come from Sean, just to let her know that he and Will were about to leave Stanton Langley and head up to London for the premiere. When she told him where she was, Sean had said at once, ‘Don't bother calling an ambulance. Stay where you are. We're on our way.'
They arrived twenty minutes later, appearing through the torrential rain like two knights on a shining white charger.
OK, in a muddy grey Range Rover, but Patsy wasn't complaining. Her contractions were now less than five minutes apart and she was in a world of pain.
‘Has she had it yet?' Sean leapt down from the passenger seat and was instantly up to his knees in water. Within two seconds his hair was plastered to his head, his sweatshirt and jeans soaked through. ‘No? Jolly good. Let's get her out of there, shall we?'
‘Huuuurrrgh.' Patsy clenched her teeth as the next contraction seized her in its remorseless grip. ‘HUUURRGHHH.'
Will backed up the Range Rover, sending waves of water whooshing into the footwell of the car. Oliver and Sean linked arms and between them managed to carry Patsy across to the 4x4 and lift her on to the back seat. Oliver waded back, collected her case and locked the car. Then the four of them headed off through the biblical downpour to the hospital where Patsy was due to give birth.
Thirty minutes later, they sloshed into the car park. Will pulled the Range Rover up outside the entrance to the maternity unit and Sean raced inside, located a wheelchair and brought it out for Patsy to be loaded into.
‘I feel like a sack of potatoes,' Patsy panted as they pushed her into the reception area.
‘That's exactly what you feel like,' said Sean. ‘Only heavier.'
Despite the pain, Patsy laughed and tried to hit him. The receptionist said cheerfully to Sean, ‘So you're baby's father, I take it?'
‘Not me.' Sean shook his head. ‘I'm the ex-husband.'
‘Oh, right. Sorry! Is it you, then?' Taking in the impressively broad shoulders and huge biceps, the receptionist beamed at Will.
‘Ow, ow, wrong again.' Patsy puffed her way through the next contraction. ‘He's my ex-husband's boyfriend.'
‘But you never know,' Will said cheerily, because they were currently interviewing potential surrogate mothers, ‘you might see us back here in a year or two when we have one of our own.'
‘Right! I see!' The receptionist, who had clearly encountered every possible variation in her time, turned to Oliver and said brightly, ‘So how about you, dear? Third time lucky, or are you a taxi driver just here to pick someone up?'
‘Ow ow ow,' said Oliver, because Patsy was squeezing his hand so tightly his fingers had gone blue. Then he broke into a huge smile suffused with pride. ‘I picked her up fifteen months ago. Yes, I'm the father.'
‘Well that's great,' said the receptionist. ‘And how many of you are staying for the birth?'
‘Not me!' Will looked horrified.
‘Nor me.' Sean took the keys to the Range Rover from Will. ‘We're off to the cinema to see a film.'
Oliver rubbed his crushed fingers. ‘Looks like it's just me, then.' Then he rested his hand on Patsy's shoulder and shook his head in wonderment. ‘I'm going to be a dad. I can't believe it.'
‘I'm going to be a mum.' Patsy smiled up at him.
‘We're going to have a baby,' Oliver marvelled.
‘And it's not going to be born on the back seat of a broken-down car, thanks to us.' Sean struck a manly pose. ‘We're like gay superheroes.'
‘OK, the midwife will be along to see you any minute now,' the receptionist told Patsy before turning her attention back to Sean and Will. ‘So! What film is it you're off to see?'
‘It's called Five Days Away,' said Will.
‘Oh that one – gosh I had no idea it was even out yet! It was filmed not far from here, did you know that? Starring Eddie Tessler and Mira Knowles … ooh, I love those two,' the receptionist exclaimed. ‘I've heard it's supposed to be really good … '
Prior to the premiere, everyone had gathered in a private room at the hotel where they were staying. Champagne was served, members of the cast and crew met up once more with the characters Eddie had based his screenplay on, and the producer and director both gave brief speeches to say how incredibly proud they were of the end result.
‘Any news about Patsy?' Once the speeches were over, Eddie joined Lily, who took out her phone and checked that no new texts had come through while it was switched off.
‘Not yet. Oliver said they'll be back in touch once it's over. We're not allowed to call them because apparently she's busy being in labour and it's distracting. So who knows when we'll hear? Could be any minute now,' said Lily. ‘Or tomorrow morning.'
‘That's the trouble with babies,' said Eddie. ‘They're such divas. So self-centred and unpredictable.'
Lily said, ‘And now it's my turn to ask. Do you have any news?'
‘About what?'
‘Whatever you like. But I'm kind of wondering if there's anything you'd like to tell me about you and Mira.'
Silence. Eddie was looking at her. Finally he said, ‘Are you a witch?'
Lily grinned. ‘Considering you're actually a pretty good actor, you haven't been able to hide it very well. Even Dan noticed something was going on with you two. And he's a man.'
He gave in with good grace. ‘Oh well, we're just trying to keep the press off our backs for a bit longer. It'll come out sooner or later. Two years we've known each other, three films we've made together, and all that time we were just friends. Then a couple of weeks ago we met up in New York and everything changed.'
‘That's brilliant.' Lily truly meant it. ‘I'm so happy for you.'
‘It might not last. It's great at the moment.' As he spoke, Eddie's gaze settled on Mira across the room, talking to Will and Sean. ‘But you never know how things will work out, do you? Especially in our business.' He pulled a face. ‘I'm still pretty new to it, remember. Mira was a child star – she's been famous her whole life. She's incredible and I love being with her, but she hasn't exactly had a normal upbringing.'
Turning to look at them from thirty feet away, Mira winked at Lily. ‘On the other hand, I have amazing hearing. Ears like a bat!'
The waiters were collecting up glasses; it was time for everyone to leave the hotel and make their way across to Leicester Square.
‘Heard anything?' Coral joined Lily and Eddie while Dan and Declan went to check the cars were waiting for them outside.
‘Still no news. You look fantastic,' said Lily.
‘Do I? Are you sure?' Coral smoothed down her coffee silk dress. ‘These heels are killing me. I can't believe I'm about to walk down an actual red carpet!'
Declan was at the doorway, beckoning to them. Lily said, ‘You can take your shoes off as soon as we're inside the cinema.'
‘But I don't want to rush in,' Coral protested. ‘It's going to be my one and only real-life red carpet experience. I want to make it last as long as I can.'
Chapter 53
‘RRRRRAAARRRGGGGGHHHHH.'
Patsy was roaring now. Oh God, the unearthly noise she was making; she sounded like a wild animal, and she felt like one too. Panting hard and aware of the perspiration trickling down her forehead, she opened her eyes and gasped, ‘Sorry … I'm sorry, is this completely putting you off me?'
Oliver mopped her forehead with a wrung-out cold flannel and smiled down at her. ‘It's not putting me off you.'
‘Are you sure? Because what if you're thinking this is the most hideous experience of your life and you can't stand the sound of me howling like a … ow, like a wolf … owwww … oh make it stop … waaahhhhh!'
‘OK, listen to me,' Oliver said when the contraction had eased off. ‘You look beautiful. You're having my baby and I'm not going anywhere. I already love both of you and one of you hasn't even been born yet.'
The warmth of his reassuring words flooded through her. Patsy felt her heart swell and her anxiety recede. This wonderful man was the best thing that had ever happened to her; with Oliver at her side she could do anything, including giving birth to something the size of a prize-winning pumpkin.