Page 85 of Coming Home to Sturcombe Bay
* * *
The seating plan for the wedding breakfast had been set up on a large easel in the ballroom. Each group was represented by a flower — a white rose, a sunflower, an orange dahlia — to match the centrepiece on each allotted table.
“That’s clever,” Cassie murmured to Lisa as they found their places. “Who thought of it?”
“Vicky. I wish I’d thought of it for ours. We just had pictures of birds.”
“Birds are nice. So long as they don’t poop on the table.”
Lisa laughed and punched her sister lightly on the shoulder. “You’re so unromantic.”
“That’s me.”
The children had been shepherded away to their own party table in the lounge, where they would have their own food and a hired entertainer, so they wouldn’t be bored by adult conversation and speeches.
The adults found their tables and sat down. Cassie was relieved to find that Liam was three tables away. She wasn’t sure that she could cope with being close to him for what was likely to be a couple of hours.
“Wow, this looks lovely,” Lisa declared as she took her seat.
“It does. Your people have done a great job again.”
The tables looked beautiful, with crisp white tablecloths and gold-edged white china, gleaming crystal champagne flutes and silver cutlery. Their centrepiece was a vase of blush-orange roses in sprays of asparagus fern.
“Has Kyra settled okay?” Cassie asked.
“Uh-huh. She’s had her feed and nappy change, now she’s asleep. Shelley’s babysitting.”
“That’s kind of her.”
Lisa nodded. “She’s a good kid. Well, I say kid — she’s twenty-four.”
“Really?” Cassie’s eyes widened in surprise. “She looks about seventeen.”
“I know. There’s not much of her, but she’s a good worker. She’s had a heck of a life.” She cracked open a bread roll and began spreading it with butter. “Grew up in care — had a whole string of foster homes. And she’s been homeless, actually slept on the streets for a while. Heaven only knows what she had to do to survive.”
“Poor thing,” Cassie murmured with sympathy. “It’s good that she’s been able to find herself a place here. How long has she worked here?”
“Almost three years. When she first arrived she wouldn’t say boo to a goose, but she’s a lot more confident now. I’ve been trying to persuade her to give it a go on Reception, but she’s not interested. Or so she says.”
Cassie slanted her a questioning glance, but at that moment their starters arrived, and she was able to focus on her plate. The food was excellent. A starter of melon with feta cheese and lemon dressing was followed by tenderloin of lamb with chargrilled vegetables.
“Oooh!” Lisa sat back with a sigh. “I don’t think I can eat another thing.”
Cassie laughed. “I bet you will when you see the desserts. Anyway, we’ve got the speeches first.”
“Ah, I might be able to manage something then. If I’m still awake.”
The speeches were more fun than they had feared. Vicky’s stepfather spoke about how happy he had been when marrying Vicky’s mother had brought a lovely new daughter into his life.
“Her mother has always advised her to be sensible — and what could be more sensible than marrying such a lovely young man as Tom?”
Vicky’s mum blushed, smiling sheepishly at her new son-in-law.
Ollie’s Best Man’s speech raised a lot of laughter, roasting his cousin with a story about him slipping in a pile of cow manure when he was due to meet a representative of the bank to discuss a commercial loan for setting up his organic feed company.
“And of course, she arrived early, so if he had been hoping his magnetic charm would swing the deal . . .”
After the speeches it was time to cut the cake. It was a splendid creation of three tiers of smooth white icing with a cascade of white and blush-orange sugar flowers down one side. The photographer captured the moment perfectly.
