Page 76 of The Little Flower Shop By the Sea
‘I have an idea… I can’t promise anything, but if it works out it would guarantee you something much more memorable than a dull old country hotel. And,’ I add when I see I’ve got them interested, ‘your photos would be absolutely stunning.’
Twenty-six
Chamomile – Energy in Adversity
It’s all very well coming up with an idea, but how on earth am I going to bring it to fruition, I wonder as I tap on the cover of my notebook with the end of my pen, and take another sip of my orange juice.
I’m sitting in the Merry Mermaid waiting for Amber. This will be our first proper meeting to discuss the wedding since I put my idea to Katie and Jonathan earlier today. The shop had been unusually busy after they’d left us – looking an awful lot happier than they’d been when they arrived – and we’d not had a chance to discuss my plan any further.
My idea was for Katie and Jonathan to hold their wedding at Trecarlan Castle. I was sure I could persuade the Parish Council to agree. Why not? The place wasn’t being used for anything, and it would be a fantastic setting for a wedding.
I smile to myself as I think what Stan would make of the idea. I know he would love it. He liked nothing better than to see Trecarlan filled with people; he always said the house was miserable on its own. I knew he would agree to my idea if I could only ask him. But I didn’t know where Stan was, and no one else seemed to know either. So I was just going to have to try to persuade Caroline and the rest the Parish Council to give it the green light in his absence.
‘Evening, Poppy. On your own tonight?’ Woody asks, standing hesitantly by my table in his civilian clothes: a navy blue sweater, dark blue jeans, and a blue-and-white check shirt.
‘Yes – I mean no. I’m expecting Amber in a bit.’
Woody’s eyes light up at the mention of her name.
‘Why don’t you sit down with me, Woody?’ I say, grinning at him. ‘She’ll be here soon.’
Woody tries unsuccessfully to look cool about my invite. ‘That’s nice,’ he says, hovering by the seat next to me. ‘But it really doesn’t bother me either way, you know?’ He rubs the palm of his hand over his hair to smooth it down, and glances towards the door.
‘Yeah, right, whatever you say, Woody.’ I wink.
He pretends to be shocked, then drops the fake expression. ‘OK, you’ve found me out,’ he says, sliding into the seat next to me. ‘I do find your American friend a very attractive lady.’
I just adore Woody’s style, he’s very…proper.Yes, that’s exactly what it is. Polite and proper should be Woody’s middle names.
‘I’m sorry, how impolite of me, can I get you a drink?’ he asks, looking at my glass.
‘No, I’m fine just now, thank you,’ I say, lifting my half-drunk orange juice.
‘So what are you up to?’ He nods at my notebook.
‘Ah, it’s a long story.’
‘I like stories, why don’t you tell me?’ says Woody, glancing towards the door in case Amber has arrived.
I need as many people onside as possible if I’m going to persuade the council to let me do this. And it wouldn’t do any harm to have our local police constable as one of them. So I tell Woody about the couple and their setback, and my idea for the wedding.
‘What a lovely idea,’ he says when I’ve finished. ‘You have my blessing. I love a good wedding, me. I always end up crying though. Ruins my hard man reputation.’
I smile at him. ‘Yes, I bet it does.’
‘So how far have you got with your plans?’ he asks, sliding my notebook across the table. ‘Oh,’ he says, when he sees the blank page. ‘It’s still in the early stages then?’
I grimace. ‘The thing is, I’ve never done anything like this before. I really don’t know where to start.’
‘Teamwork,’ Woody says knowingly. ‘That’s what they taught us in the army. In a team: Together Everyone Achieves More.’
‘Cool, I like it. So you were in the army too?’ I ask, surprised by this. Gentle Woody as an officer of the law I can about believe. But a soldier?
‘I was before I joined the force. Not for too long, mind,’ he adds. ‘We weren’t really suited, the army and I.’
‘Yes, I can imagine that… I mean, I think you’re much better in charge of a small seaside community like St Felix. It suits you.’
‘Do you think?’ Woody looks surprised.
