Contents
Hannah — Chapter 31
Overview
Hannah feels isolated among the elite guests, noting a fleeting fear on Jules’s face before the vows. She hears eerie island lore and meets Will’s aloof father, underscoring class tensions. Wind-blown petals suggest ill omen. Rory’s hint about a brutal stag do and Charlie’s drinking spark a marital fracture.
Summary
Hannah watches the ceremony from the back, noticing Jules’s momentary terror as Jules walks the aisle before recovering into the radiant bride. While others admire the couple, Hannah searches for Charlie’s reaction but can’t see his face.
Outside, guests shower dried petals that the wind whips away toward the sea. Seeking courage, Hannah gets a gin and tonic from local student barmen, Eoin and Seán, who share unsettling tales about bog bodies and island ghosts, heightening her unease.
Hannah explores the lavish marquee, compares it to her modest wedding, and then attempts small talk with well-heeled guests who make her feel out of place. She briefly meets a boorish schoolmate of Will’s and then Will’s father, who coolly assesses Will’s career and promotes Trevellyan’s, revealing a chilling, authoritarian pride that leaves Hannah disturbed.
Spotting Charlie back with the ushers, Hannah approaches, stung when he tells her to remove her fascinator. Rory, from the stag, jovially references “last one in,” triggering Charlie’s visible discomfort and a return of the haunted look Hannah noticed after the trip.
When Hannah presses, Charlie admits the stag got to him because he’s “not one of them” but refuses details. His tone turns harsh—“I don’t want to fucking talk about it, Hannah”—confirming he has been drinking and exposing a growing rift between them.
Who Appears
- HannahPlus-one and POV; feels out of place, gathers gossip, meets Will’s father, confronts Charlie about the stag and his drinking.
- CharlieUsher and Hannah’s husband; has been drinking, unsettled by stag-do memories, snaps at Hannah.
- JulesBride; briefly appears frightened walking up the aisle, then completes the ceremony.
- Will SlaterGroom; marries Jules; his social world surrounds the couple; father’s coldness hints at background.
- Will’s fatherA headmaster; aloof and critical, touts Trevellyan’s, displays chilling detachment about Will’s success.
- RoryUsher/stag attendee; hints at a cruel stag do, triggering Charlie’s distress.
- EoinLocal student barman; shares island ghost and bog-body tales with Hannah.
- SeánLocal student barman; recounts haunted-island lore, unsettling Hannah.