Page 103 of Christmas at Sturcombe Bay
The service ended, and everyone crowded out into the churchyard to pose for photographs, clapping their hands together and hunching their shoulders against the icy cold.
“Heavens, she must be freezing in that dress,” Jess murmured to Julia as Cassie laughingly swung little Robyn around while the photographer clicked away.
Julia’s eyes danced. “I don’t think she’s even noticed. I’ve never seen anyone look so happy.”
“Mmm.”
From the corner of her eye, Jess noticed Paul strolling towards them, and turned quickly away, crossing to where Kate and Debbie were standing with little Amy. The little girl had a tub of bubble-mix, and was laughing as the bubbles glittered in the winter sunshine.
“Wasn’t it a lovely wedding?” Debbie sighed. “I’m so happy for them both.”
Kate laughed. “They certainly waited long enough for it. Everyone thought they’d get married ten years ago.”
“Oh, but they were far too young then,” Debbie protested. “Cassie was only eighteen when she went away. Now she’s had all her adventures, and she’s home for good.”
“Mummy, Mummy, look!” Amy’s eyes were alight with excitement. “The horses have come.”
Tom Cullen was leading two horses under the lychgate — Missie, Cassie’s favourite, a pretty bay with a white blaze down her nose and one slightly crooked ear, and Gitana, Liam’s beautiful black mare.
“Wow!” Jess laughed, her eyes wide. “They really are going to ride them down to the hotel?”
“Of course.”
The horses’ manes and tails were plaited with white ribbon and tiny silk flowers, and they stood posing for the photographer like supermodels.
Liam cupped his hands and lifted Cassie easily into the saddle. She gathered her dress carefully to avoid the stirrups as Liam swung himself up onto Gitana, and his dad handed Robyn up to him to settle on his pommel.
There were more photographs, and then the couple turned the horses and rode out through the lychgate, ducking their heads to avoid the crossbeams, all the guests streaming after them for the short walk down the hill to the hotel.
* * *
“Well, well, will you just look at this!” Arthur gazed round in amazement as he stepped out of the newly installed lift. “Who’d have thought it?”
Alex laughed. “It’s certainly looking better than the first time I saw it.”
Six weeks ago it had been nothing but a dusty, empty space, with the windows boarded up and only one dim light bulb working. It had been a lot of hard work to get it finished in time, but now the big room above the swimming pool had been transformed from an afterthought into a wonderful new facility.
The boards had all been removed from the long windows around three sides and they’d been thoroughly polished, giving a spectacular view out over the gardens and the wide sweep of the bay. The cool December sunshine flooded in, brightening the whole room.
A light beechwood floor had been laid, the back wall painted a sandy-cream, and the ceiling was dotted with recessed LED lights that could illuminate the space brightly or be dimmed to a subtle glow.
Once it was fitted out, there would be a business suite and conference room up here, as well as the gymnasium, the spa and the hairdressers. But today it was the perfect venue for a wedding reception.
A long buffet table had been set out on one side of the room, flanked at each end by a Christmas tree decorated with baubles and fairy lights.
“Ah, now this looks good.” Arthur had made a beeline for it. “How on earth did Chef manage to get all this done, with all them Christmas lot here as well?”
“He had a little help.” Alex smiled as Arthur reached out greedily to snatch a fruit kebab. “Kate made the mince pies and tacos, and Vicky did the sushi.”
“Sooshee? What’s that? Not for me. I’ll have one of them sausage rolls, thank you very much.”
“You have to wait until the bride and groom get here,” Alex reminded him.
“Pah! They’d better hurry themselves up, then.”
“They’re just having a few more photos taken down on the terrace.”
“Haven’t they got enough? Must have taken more’n a hundred already.”
