‘When do you fly to Dubai?’ asked Cassie.
‘Not till the third of January, so there’s no rush.’
‘Has Adira guessed where you’re going yet?’ Cassie smiled.
‘Not a clue. I hope she’ll like it.’
‘I’m sure she’ll appreciate the sunshine and the warmth,’ remarked Rory looking round the beautiful, but bitterly cold, frosted fields and glistening fir trees in the distance.
‘I wouldn’t swap this for the desert,’ replied Cassie. ‘You can’t beat Christmas in Lilacwell.’
*
After such an eventful day, Cassie had forgotten to ask Rory about ‘the talk’ he had wanted. Rory too, was deep in thought about the barn. Finance-wise he thought they would manage it. He already had the bulk of the price of the barn, but he would need a loan to renovate it. Having done his research, he planned to approach the Ecology Building Society, who lent on out-of-the-ordinary projects which significantly improved a building’s eco credentials. Which was exactly what Rory intended to do; he wanted to produce as much energy as he could, as efficiently as possible by installing solar thermal power. Long term he thought they could accomplish all that they wanted.
Cassie hadn’t stopped talking about it. She was reaching fever pitch. Whereas she was visualising the decor and deciding on kitchens and bathrooms, Rory was concentrating on solar collectors and batteries. It was only in the evening, whilst they were sat having dinner in the bar, did she remember to broach the subject which had been niggling away at her. Then, on impulse, she took the bull by the horns. Why not?
‘Rory?’
‘Hmm?’ he reached for his pint glass.
‘Will you marry me?’
He stopped mid-drink and blinked. Then, putting his glass down, looked deep into her eyes.
‘In a heartbeat, Pixie.’ They sat staring at each other.
‘When?’ pressed Cassie with a smile on her face.
‘Well, we’re gonna be busy,’ he laughed, ‘and skint.’
‘Adira once commented that she thought you’d want to elope.’
‘Sounds good to me,’ he replied with a shrug.
‘Really?’
‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ Then, the penny dropped. ‘So that’s what was on your mind the other day?’ he asked grinning. ‘I thought there was something bothering you.’
She smiled, not answering. Rory took her hand in his. ‘You know I love you, more than anything?’
‘And I you,’ she gulped, on the verge of tears. She could not recall being so blissfully happy in her entire life.
Chapter 32
Today was the day. The Laurels was looking splendid, fit for the Christmas wedding it was about to host. The hall was decked with holly, berries and mistletoe entwined through the staircase spindles, all the way across the balcony, along with hanging lanterns. The Christmas tree was glimmering in all its glory, shining with fairy lights, baubles and various trinkets: some old, belonging to the family for years; some new, which Adira had bought for the occasion. The air was filled with the scent of the seasonal foliage decorations – pine cones and rustic logs covered in ivy, deep red roses, winter white lilies and cinnamon-scented candles.
The kitchen was busy with the catering team preparing mini mince pies and mulled wine, instead of the usual canapés and bubbly. Adira had opted for a real Christmas feel, having also chosen to go with traditional turkey for the main meal and Christmas pudding for dessert.
Festive hymns and carols were playing in the background and open fires crackled with warmth. It all reminded Fletcher of Christmases past at The Laurels and a profound contentment filled his soul. There was only one thing which could potentially colour this day. Alice and Rufus would be here. His brother and sister-in-law naturally would be at Jasper’s wedding, but it didn’t make matters easy for him. Still, today wasn’t about him. It was all about Jasper. Jasper and Adira, it was their special day and nothing was going to ruin it. The Laurels was a big enough place to avoid them, Fletcher told himself as he fastened his tie. He then stepped back to admire himself in the full-length mirror. Not bad, not bad at all, he thought, inspecting the dark grey morning suit. The splash of deep red in the tie and pocket square really gave the outfit that touch of style he was renowned for.
Jasper was doing the very same thing in his own room, but his mind was on Adira, not his own appearance. He worried that she wouldn’t be happy with his choice of honeymoon. She had spent so much time and energy on the wedding preparations, he only hoped Dubai would come up trumps. She, more than anyone, deserved a well-earned holiday.
Adira was way too preoccupied to think about anything beyond the wedding ceremony. She’d been up since seven a.m. sorting the flower delivery from James’s florist, overseeing the caterers and making sure all the wine and champagne had been brought up from the cellar. Her parents and gran had arrived yesterday and to her relief were quite taken with their little shepherds huts. She had made sure the woodburners had been lit in advance, making the huts nice and cosy for their arrival.
Once happy with all the arrangements downstairs, she sank into a heavenly bubble bath, then her gran was going to help her get ready. Nobody could do her hair as well as Gran. Ever since she was a little girl, Edie had brushed her golden locks till they shone, then put the strands up in elegant chignon buns, French pleats or tight, neat braids. Her mother had never had the inclination or time to spend on her hair. Today, Adira wanted to wear it down, in thick ringlets cascading down her back, the way Jasper liked it. Simple, but effective and Gran would get it just right, like she always did. Adira looked at the vintage wedding dress hanging patiently on the wardrobe. How graceful it looked with its ivory lace and beading. A frisson of excitement shot through her. She was actually getting married!
*
