Page 144 of The Wedding Dress Repair Shop
‘She’s right, Ididdeserve it,’ admitted Len. ‘But I’m really glad you’re alive and happy, Amy.’
‘So, it’s a wedding dress story with a surprisingly happy-ever-after ending,’ said the journalist brightly, snapping his notebook shut. ‘Could I take a quick pic of you and your new fiancé, Amy?’
While they were doing that, I looked around for Sonia and found her backed against the wall, looking strangely deflated and shrunken.
All the watchers on the other side of the rope barrier had been silent all this time, but now a buzz broke out, rather as if a play had ended and the lights gone up.
I could see Thom, Pearl and Simon among the audience and I made my way over to them, pausing by the now tearful Sonia Weston.
‘Why don’t you come along with me, Sonia, and I’ll give you a nice cup of tea in the staff room, before we call a taxi to take you to the station?’ I suggested.
‘Oh, yes, please!’ she gasped gratefully, and let herself be ushered out and downstairs.
When she was in the staff room, she recovered some of her composure and tried to tell me she’d never had any note from Amy, so the accusations had all been unjust.
‘And I really don’t know why she should tell such fibs!’ she finished.
I made soothing noises, but it was a huge relief when Derek, having heard what had happened – and by then I should think everyone in the building had – came in and offered to run her to the station.
‘You are a star!’ I whispered in his ear as he followed her out.
He grinned and hissed back: ‘Exit, bag and baggage!’
45
Flight of Fantasy
I stayed in the staff room and had a soothing cup of coffee myself, then Thom came in and told me that Amy, her fiancé, her ex and his wife had all adjourned together to the Sun in Splendour.
‘And Amy says you can keep the dress on display, so long as you change the end of the story.’
‘Well, that’s good!’ I said, then sighed. ‘I’d better go and circulate among the visitors again, I suppose. Is Honey still signing books?’
‘Yes, and Viv’s been standing next to her, opening them ready for her to sign. You’d think her agent would have done that, butshe’smore interested in talking to your friend George.’
‘I noticed they seemed to be getting on really well, too,’ I agreed.
‘Love seems to be in the very air of the museum, doesn’t it?’ he said. ‘Despite the whole doomed-bride scenario.’
‘They weren’talldoomed. Some of the stories are tragic, but several are funny or have a happy ending of one kind or another.’
‘I hopewe’llhave a happy ending of the traditional variety,’ he said, putting his arms around me and pulling me close for akiss. ‘Did I tell you how very beautiful you look today and how much I want to marry you?’
I looked up, startled, and he kissed me again, then said ruefully, ‘This wasn’t the moment I meant to ask you … I know you need time to get used to the idea of our new relationship and I wasn’t going to rush you, but … well, I couldn’t help myself!’
He took a small box from his pocket and opened it. On a bed of dark green velvet lay an amber Bakelite ring.
‘Oh, how lovely!’ I said. ‘How can I resist it?’
‘I was hoping it wasmeyou couldn’t resist. I don’t know if it will fit your finger or not, although it is quite small.’
But it did fit, sliding on easily, the most perfect engagement ring ever! I knew then that Thom and I were the perfect match, even if it had just taken us a very long time to find out.
We had to go back out eventually and I couldn’t bear to take the ring off, so our sudden engagement wasn’t going to be a secret for very long.
Honey had just finished signing for the last of the very long queue and said almost all the copies of the new book had gone – and so had Viv, who’d retired to the house to start preparing for the buffet supper Thom, Simon, Pearl and I were all invited to.
‘She’d had enough of crowds for one day, anyway.’
