Page 122 of The Wedding Dress Repair Shop
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Over our takeaway dinner, Honey told us about all the promotion her PR had set up for her new book. In fact, she’d already recorded three radio interviews for book programmes, and one with the arts editor of a Sunday newspaper supplement, which would appear next weekend.
‘It’ll be a non-stop round for a few days in the run-up to publication day on October the fourth, whenBloody YoungMenwill burst forth – though not literally, because then they’d have to be zombies and that’s not my genre.’
‘A different kind of book,’ agreed Thom gravely. ‘Does all the fuss die away once it’s out?’
‘No, it carries on for a bit, because I usually hog the top of the paperback bestseller list for ages,’ she said with satisfaction. ‘And of course, I want to keep it going till the museum opens anyway, because I’m featuring that and Amy Weston’s story in most of the publicity I’m doing. I’ve kept Amy’s mum updated,’ she added, ‘and she knows the museum’s opening date.’
‘I expect she’ll want to be there,’ I said. ‘I only hopeThe Upcycled Bridecrew arrive early enough to get their filming over with before we open to the public.’
‘I think they mean to rush the final sequence back to the studios as soon as they’ve shot it,’ Honey said.
‘Will you have to go away for any book events?’ asked Thom.
‘I have a book launch in London on publication day, so I’ll go down the night before, so I can spend the day doing even more events before it.’
‘Hectic,’ said Pearl. ‘I’dhatedoing that kind of thing.’
Viv laughed, which was such a surprise that we all turned and stared at her.
Honey said, ‘Viv knows me too well! I’m a total media tart.’
Then she asked me if I’d heard any more from Marco and I said no, but I had from my actor friend, Will.
Looking up at that point, I caught Thom giving me one of his dark, unfathomable looks, although I had no idea why.
I told them what Will had said and the advice I’d given him to pass on to Marco, but without revealing it came from me.
‘So perhaps now he’ll rely on Will for advice and won’t need me any more, so it won’t matter even if he does twig that I’m working at the wedding museum,’ I finished.
‘Threatening to report him to the police for stalking probably finished him off anyway,’ Pearl suggested.
Honey told us that Derek was chasing up the final paperwork for the museum, so that everything would be completed in good time.
‘The health and safety, public liability insurance and all the rest of it are signed off.’
Everything did appear to be coming together very quickly – it was just that there seemed so little time left until opening day!
‘Viv and I are off tomorrow to pack up her cottage,’ Honey reminded us. ‘Back Wednesday evening. The Rosa-May material arrives back on Tuesday, Garland, but Derek will be on hand to help if you need him. He’s looking after the house and Rory while we’re away.’
‘Andthe Genealogy Society?’ suggested Simon with a grin. ‘I take it they all still turn up on Monday evenings, whether you’re away or not?’
‘Regular as clockwork,’ she agreed. ‘Old habits die hard and, for a couple of them, the sandwiches, cake and sherry are a major draw. The family history runs a distant second!’
Rosa-May
11 June 1815
I began this account of my life on 22 May, the day after my husband’s departure for the Continent, when the full realization of my changed circumstances most forcibly struck me – and now it is 11 June and here I still remain, awaiting the summons to join him there.
Guy is not the best of correspondents, such letters as he sends being short and hurried, and though he says he longs to see me again, he does nothing to bring about this happy event!
Instead, he appears much more excited by the prospect that things were, as he phrased it, ‘shaping up towards a big battle with Old Boney!’ This is hardly news to gladden a wife’s heart.
In my last letter, I earnestly entreated him to permit me to return to London with Sara, where I might await his summons in more congenial surroundings and with the comfort of having friends nearby, but this received only a flat veto.
How long must I be stuck here in this godforsaken spot? Even my friends now seem to be forgetting me, for none of my recent letters has received a reply.
