Page 89 of The Little Flower Shop By the Sea
‘Good, thanks. Katie and Jonathan seem happy, anyway.’ I give them a wave across the table.
Katie blows me a kiss in return.
‘So, Jake, what are you doing for the wedding?’ Ash asks, as Jake attempts to summon Miley so he can slip away from the meeting.
When Jake turns to face us, his eyes fall on Ash’s arm placement.
‘I’m providing the flowers,’ he says quickly, about to turn away.
‘Is that it?’ Ash asks lightly. ‘I’d have thought as a member of Poppy’s committee you’d have been doing more than that?’
Jake eyes me briefly, before returning his gaze to Ash.
‘And I’d have thought as Poppy’s boyfriend you’d have been doing a bit more to help than propping up the bar.’
‘Good point, mate,’ Ash agrees, lifting his pint. ‘Poppy, your wish is my command. I’ll doanythingyou say.’ He winks at me, and I know he’s not talking about the wedding.
Unfortunately, so does Jake. He deliberately turns away and engages Belle in conversation. Belle seems more than happy to oblige.
‘Charming,’ Ash says. ‘Seriously, though, Pops, whatcanI do? I feel I’m letting you down.’
‘Of course you’re not,’ I reply, my mind still on Jake. Is Ash’s presence bothering him that much? Or is this just my heart overriding my brain when it comes to Jake? I haven’t seen much of him lately. Other than helping out with the wedding, and delivering flowers to the shop, Jake appears to have been giving me a wide berth. ‘There’ll be something for you to do on Saturday for sure.’
‘Right, until then my job will have to be keeping the boss happy, won’t it?’ he says, kissing my neck.
‘You’re doing a very good job of that already,’ I tell him, and as I reach up to kiss him, I try to erase all thoughts of Jake permanently from my mind.
Thirty-one
Stephanotis – Happiness in Marriage
The wedding, to my absolute delight – is a huge success.
In the days beforehand we’d cleaned, scrubbed, and polished the areas of the castle that would be on show to the guests, with help from the local Brownies, Guides, Cubs and Scouts. Then teams of ladies from the Women’s Guild had decorated the entrance hall with homemade bunting and ribbons, and the ballroom with white tablecloths, shiny cutlery and pristine white crockery, to brighten up the mahogany tables we’d found hidden in cupboards at the side of the ballroom.
Caroline has tried to be involved, as I’d thought she might, making sure people did not stray away from the areas of the castle I’d agreed with the Parish Council would be used for the wedding. When she’s tried to take over anything else, I’ve been quick to step in and put her in her place. Something she has not taken kindly.
Amber and a small team of helpers have decorated both the ballroom and the castle entrances with a mixture of flowers that are perfect for a wedding: pinks – pure love; stephanotis – happiness in marriage; pink roses – grace; purple roses – enchantment; calla lilies – modesty; and stocks – you will always be beautiful to me. The flowers look fabulous, and everyone has been commenting on them. Even I can see what positivity and joy they’ve brought to the wedding, and to the guests who are taking such delight in them.
The mother of the groom informs me ecstatically that the Merry Mermaid’s catering is absolutely delicious. And Ant and Dec’s profiterole tower and extravagant wedding cake go down a storm with the wedding party and guests alike.
So the wedding is a triumph. Not only for Amber and me, but for the whole of St Felix.
It’s evening now and the mahogany tables have been pushed back by a team of helpers from Bronte’s school (who’ve also doubled as waiting staff), to allow room for dancing. The band is currently playing rock ’n’ roll tunes from the fifties and sixties while people jive and twist on the dance floor.
‘We did it,’ Amber says, as we watch the happy couple dancing. Katie has her long white skirt pulled up above her knees so she can move with ease, and Jonathan, who’s very red in the cheeks, has lost his jacket and tie and rolled his sleeves up. The crowd applaud as he scoops up his new bride and twirls with her in his arms. ‘We somehow pulled off a wedding, Poppy!’
‘I know, it feels great, doesn’t it? Mind you, it wasn’t only us – it was the whole of St Felix that pulled together to create this.’
‘Just like they did with our shop. Oh, what a wonderful place this is!’ Amber sighs euphorically. ‘I can’t imagine this happening in the States.’
‘I can’t imagine this happening anywhere I’ve ever lived either. Apart from Bronte’s mates, who deserve a bit of cash for the work they’ve put in, everyone that came forward and offered their help did it for free. All Katie and Jonathan had to do was cover our expenses and the cost of the food. This entire wedding happened purely out of the goodness of peoples’ hearts – it really is amazing.’
‘You see there are some good people out there,’ Amber says pointedly. ‘You shouldn’t judge everyone by past experiences. I know I don’t.’
I turn towards her.
‘No offence, Amber, but you haven’t had the same background as me. Life’s been pretty shitty in the past.’
