Page 16 of The Wisteria Tree Cottage

‘My favourite ice cream is honeycomb,’ Tierra said. ‘Especially the one with crunchy bits in it. What’s your favourite, Bear?’

Bear’s eyes were locked on Meadow’s when he answered. ‘Strawberry, always has been, always will be.’

Meadow’s heart was suddenly beating so hard in her chest she felt sure everyone at the table would hear it.

CHAPTERNINE

The first yurts and tents started arriving for Dwelling not long after Meadow and Indigo arrived at reception. Meadow decided she’d be better placed outside in an attempt to direct proceedings, which was not easy when the organisers and workshop leaders were so laid-back they were horizontal. The field where the festival was taking place was right behind the reception area and was normally used for camping. There were a number of people milling around saying hello to each other as cars and vans drove around aimlessly looking for the best plot, despite there being an actual plan telling them where they were all supposed to set up.

It was like this every year: the organisers would have a strict plan of locations for the workshops, tents and food stalls and a tight schedule for when the workshops and bands would be on and every year people just suited themselves with where they would go, what time they would run their workshop or play their songs. Yet somehow this laid-back attitude not only worked but was completely contagious. Guests who had never been before would invariably get a bit annoyed that the wood-whittling workshop was an hour later than advertised or perhaps on a different day entirely, but after hanging around with the organisers and regular guests for an hour or two they all mellowed out and just accepted that the workshops would happen at some point. There was no rush, no panic, it was what it was and it would never change.

Meadow spotted Greta talking to one of the stall holders who was selling candles, while Lucien, one of their housekeeping crew staff, was admiring the wooden ornaments on another stall and Sharon Ecclestone, one of their regular guests at Wishing Wood, was chatting to a lady with a gigantic harp.

Meadow looked around and saw Amelia flirting with an older gentleman dressed in a splendid purple cloak with a silvery beard curled into a point. Amelia seemed to be going all out lately to find herself a man. Meadow had to admire her confidence with men. Amelia was in her eighties and was fabulously glamorous but Amelia knew that. Maybe Meadow should ask her for some tips.

Meadow glanced around for Star and spotted her sitting on a chair having her hair braided with pretty ribbons and beads by one of the regulars, Leah, who was wearing a long flowing beaded dress of every colour in the rainbow.

Meadow gave up directing cars and vans to where they should be going as no one was paying her any attention anyway and wandered over to talk to them.

‘Star, you look beautiful, Leah is doing a wonderful job,’ Meadow said, giving Leah a big hug. It was then that she noticed the large baby bump. ‘Oh congratulations.’

‘Thank you,’ Leah said, a huge smile across her face. She gestured to a young man in a red velvet waistcoat with curly hair tied back in a short ponytail, currently entertaining the smaller children with his fire breathing. ‘It’s Charlie’s in case you were wondering. We finally decided to stop messing around with the best friend thing and become a couple, as we should have been all along. One night we were sitting out, watching the stars, putting the world to rights as we always do, and he suddenly stopped and said he loved me. I told him I loved him too and there was no going back after that.’

Meadow smiled, she knew Leah and Charlie had been friends as far back as Dwelling had been running and even longer than that. Meadow had originally thought they were a couple as they were so close. It was funny to think that what they were looking for was right under their noses the whole time.

‘The carousel kind of love or rollercoaster love?’ Star said, as she admired her braids in the little hand mirror.

Leah frowned slightly in confusion and then her face cleared as if she understood. She had a knack of seeing things that others didn’t. ‘Rollercoaster love presumably being the exhilarating ups and downs, the delicious stomach-churning loops and the screams and shouts of pure and utter joy? And I guess carousel love is slow, steady, constant, the kind of love you have for your best friend? I can tell you that with Charlie it’s definitely a bit of both.’

Meadow smirked and shook her head. They had clearly defined the difference between family love and romantic love over breakfast and now Leah was blurring the lines all over again.

‘Charlie is my best friend and he always will be and I love him as a friend – that constant companion, that loyal, unwavering kind of love – but when I kiss him, when I… cuddle him in bed, when I look at him sometimes and realise he is my forever, it’s pure, wonderfully delicious rollercoaster love. And I wouldn’t have it any other way,’ Leah said.

Meadow knew exactly what she meant.

‘Mummy and Bear have carousel love and River and Indigo have rollercoaster love,’ Star said, passing Leah a purple ribbon to use in her hair.

‘Did River get himself a girlfriend?’ Leah said, incredulously, weaving the ribbon into Star’s hair.

‘A fiancée actually. She’s five months pregnant too. They are completely head over heels in love with each other, I’m really happy for them,’ Meadow said.

‘That’s wonderful news. Oh, I’m so pleased for him. I never thought he would ever settle down. He always seemed so distant and lonely. I’m glad he found someone to love him for who he is.’

‘Indigo is lovely, you’ll really like her.’

Leah smiled and then frowned again. ‘And what’s this about you and Bear having carousel love?’

Meadow forced a smile on her face. Leah had been telling Meadow that she was destined to be with Bear for years. ‘We’re friends.’

‘Uh-huh,’ Leah said, not sounding like she believed Meadow for one second.

‘But one day their love might change just like yours and Charlie’s love changed,’ Star said, knowledgeably.

‘It might change, yes,’ Leah stared at Meadow with wide comical eyes, as if that was the most obvious thing in the world.

‘And then Bear can put a baby in Mummy’s tummy for her to grow and they can get married and he can live in our treehouse with us.’

‘It’s funny you should say that, Star, because knowing I was going to be seeing your mummy today, I did her cards for her last night,’ Leah said, talking of the tarot cards she always carried around with her as if they could predict the future or answer an important question.

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