Page 48 of The Wedding Cake Wish
I cast him a scornful glance. ‘Notthathigh.’ Eagerto prove my athleticism, I make for the gate and hoist myself up onto the firstwooden slat. Then I climb to the next but one, which is quite a stretch for myshortish legs.
‘Rubes, there’s no need to do that – ’
‘It’s fine.’ I wave away his concern. ‘I just need to get myleg over then jump down.’
‘Yes, but – ’
‘Honestly, I can do this.’
Hudson clearly doesn’t have much confidence in me. But thatonly makes me all the more determined to scale this pesky bloody gate – eventhough I’m now actually stuck on the top, balancing precariously, with amassive drop down to the grass below.
‘Don’t worry. I’ll catch you,’ says Hudson. ‘I just need to...um...getto the other side. Hold on.’
Suddenly the gate is moving. ‘Whoah! What are you doing?’ Igasp.
He grins up at me. ‘I’m opening the gate. It wasn’t locked.’
‘What?’ Wobbling alarmingly, I grasp for Hudson’shand.
‘I did try to tell you but you seemed determined to do anEdmund Hillary on me.’
He’s trying not to laugh and I grit my teeth. ‘I’ll get downmyself, thank you.’
‘Okay.’
I manage to turn myself around and start climbing down,getting to the bottom with no assistance at all.
‘Very good,’ says Hudson, his mouth twitching suspiciouslyas he watches me clap my dirty hands self-consciously on my jeans.
‘Come on, then. Let’s go.’ I march off across the grass,feeling like an utter pillock.
It feels magical, though, being in such an amazing place.
Everywhere I look there are trees and beautifully landscapedareas. In the distance, beyond a stunning walk of pleached lime trees, is amassive fountain. Beyond that, I can see a huddle of wooden buildings, one ofthem standing much higher than the others.
‘We’re not going to find Rory here,’ says Hudson, as wereach the pleached limes. ‘But this place is amazing. We’ll come back tomorrowfor the opening.’
‘We should leave.’
‘Yeah, come on.’
But just as we turn to go, there’s a shout behind us. Andwhen we turn back, a woman in jeans and a T-shirt is marching towards us,gesticulating furiously.
‘Oh, help,’ I murmur, my stomach swooping. ‘I think we’re introuble.’
CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE
‘We’d better stay and face her,’ murmurs Hudson. Heplasters on a charming smile and walks towards the woman, who practically hassteam hissing from her ears.
‘Gaynor? Where the bloody hell are you? This is your fault!’she barks, pausing in her angry march towards us to search the horizon for theunfortunate person named Gaynor.
A young girl comes running along the lime walk. ‘I’m here.What’s wrong?’
‘What’swrongisthis!’ She points at usaccusingly. ‘Two bodies that shouldn’t be in here until tomorrow!’
‘Oh.’ The poor girl looks flummoxed. ‘I’m really not surehow that happened...’
‘How did you get in?’ the woman demands, breaching thedistance between us in several angry strides.
