Page 68 of Electric Kiss

“That is not peanut butter on toast,” Daisy said, pointing to the scrambled egg, bacon, toast, coffee and orange juice spread. “I didn’t have half of those ingredients in my fridge.”

“No, but Maggie did. She snuck in and made this for you. She wanted to make you your pre-wedding breakfast so we could have some mum-and-daughter time.”

“I love Maggie.”

“Me too. She writes amazing letters about you all. I feel like I have been with you for the last twelve months.”

Daisy’s shoulders sagged, and she shuffled to the table.

“It does look good,” she relented.

They tucked into their food and chatted and laughed about nothing in particular. It was soon time to get ready. Daisy hadn’t thought about how she would get to the church undetected and now was in a panic in her bedroom.

“Mum!” she shouted down the stairs.

Her mum came racing up the stairs and skidded into the bathroom, looking like she was about to fight a bear if need be.

“What’s wrong?”

“How am I going to get to the church in a wedding dress and no one see me and instantly know what’s going on?”

“Oh, sweetheart. It’s winter time. You’ve got that long black wool coat. That will cover your dress, and I can take your veil, and we can put that on when we get there.”

Daisy let out a puff of air. “Right, okay. Crisis averted. Will you help me into my dress?”

“I want nothing more. This is everything I dreamed it would be. Just you and me on your wedding day, giving you away. I wish your dad was here.”

“Don’t make me cry, Mum. You’ll spoil my makeup.”

Daisy stepped into her flowing gown of white. A thousand tiny pearls seemed to dance around her as the fabric floated around her feet like a willow in the breeze. She smiled, her heart alight with joy and anticipation for what the day would bring.

Daisy studied her reflection in the mirror, her eyes dancing with joy. She was happy, and she felt it right down to her bones. Daisy would soon be a married woman. It wouldn’t matter what her brothers or her aunt did. Shewould have Nate by her side. Daisy wondered if that was how her mum felt when she married her dad. Them against the world.

Her mind drifted to Nate, the man she was going to marry. He had such a gentle soul and a kind heart. She thought of the way he had taken care of her that first time she had an episode. He didn’t shy away or think she was weird.

Somehow she knew they were meant to be together, and today was the day they would become man and wife.

She moved through the house, her steps light as she checked her clutch bag. They would come straight back to the cottage after the ceremony. Her mum would get on the next boat leaving the harbour, and Daisy’s grandparents would go back to the butcher’s, so it didn’t attract any attention. Maggie and Bailey would go back to Turner Hall like nothing had happened.

Finally, she stepped out into the sunshine, breathing in the crisp fresh air.

“Let’s do this, Mum. Can you drive?”

“I will be your chauffeur with pleasure, but I think it would be best if Bailey drove you. I’ll take the back path to the church across the graveyard.”

Bailey cleared his throat at the end of the pathway.

“Good morning, Miss Turner. You have a beautiful day for it,” he said in his low baritone voice.

“Hi, Bailey. Thank you for driving me.”

“It will be my pleasure. Even though I think these buggies are death traps.”

Maggie laughed behind him and took her mum’s arm, and they hurried off out of sight. There was an advantage to being the end cottage. To get to the church, she didn’t have to pass her brother’s cottages.

“I’ve parked the buggy at the other end. We’ll nip through those trees so we don’t pass the other cottages.”

“Good thinking Bailey. Let’s go. I don’t want Nate to think I’m not coming.”

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