Kip leads the first toast. ‘To Jess and Uncle Bart, all the good luck and love in the world for your engagement.’
There’s a chinking of glasses all around the table and everyone takes a slug.
Then Bart takes over. ‘And to Immie and Chas, huge congratulations for your wonderful pregnancy news.’ There’s more gulping and some refilling of glasses.
Then Jess lifts her glass. ‘Firstly, thank you to my wonderful fiancé, Bart, for making me the happiest woman in Cornwall, if not the world. You managed to surprise me yet again. And thank you to everyone at Daisy Hill Farm and Rose Hill Manor for two years of the most fabulous weddings.’ She’s beaming round at us all now. ‘When I began Brides by the Sea all those years ago I had no idea it would grow to this, or change so many of our lives so much.’
Poppy and Rafe, and Sera and Johnny, and Lily and Kip, and Jess and Bart are all nudging each other and smiling at this point. Although, really, it’s not just couples that have sprung up around Brides by the Sea. Under Jess’s watchful eye, every one of us has had our talents nurtured, and have been pushed into more and better things than we ever thought possible.
Jess is purring now. ‘Together we make the most fantastic team. It’s not only because of the amazingly talented individuals here in this room. It’s also because we really are like one big family. So this is for all of you. It’s for all the wedding days we’ve made fabulous, and for all next year’s weddings too. May every one be spectacular!’
From the special nod she gives to Bart, she’s thinking about their very own wedding there. And what an amazing day that will be when it happens. As for me, even before Rory catches my eye and gives me a significant nod at the part where Jess talks about the team, I already know how lucky I feel to be included here and how much I want to be part of this.
‘So please raise your glasses …’
We’re all doing as she asks, but as the glasses rise a sudden wail breaks the momentary lull.
‘Waaaaaaaaahhhhh …’
Rafe jumps forward. ‘Pops, are you okay?’
As Poppy puts her glass down on the table and looks down at the floor, her face crumples. ‘Actually, I’m sorry to interrupt the toasts, but please do you have a mop?’ She hugs her bump miserably. ‘This issoembarrassing. But I think my waters just broke.’
Chapter 41
Monday 25th December
Christmas Day at Rose Hill Manor: Going downhill fast
So Poppy and Rafe leave the rest of us to finish the champagne and head off to hospital. Later, when Teddie, Immie and then Gracie fall asleep in a pile on one of the sofas, Rory suggests a walk in the snow before tea. It’s another one of those moments when my feet overrule my sensible self. Even though I’d much rather be curled up toasting my toes, watching the logs shifting on the fire, I’m out in the hall. Worse still, I’m being bullied into some salopettes and a ski jacket from Jess’s collection, which is now huge enough to take up an entire wall in the downstairs boot room. Before I know it, there’s an arctic blast whistling across the bit of my face between my hat and collar. And I’m stomping along in my wellies and snow socks beside Rory, who’s dragging one of the huge toboggans from under the tree behind him.
As we round the bottom of the lake, scramble over a fence and start to climb up the sloping field on the other side, he finally slows down enough for me to start reflecting on all the excitement. ‘Snow, Santa arriving, two proposals, an unexpected pregnancy announcement, then Poppy going into labour. This has to go down as one of the most dramatic Christmas Days ever, doesn’t it?’
‘All the more reason to finish off with some sledging, Snow Berry.’ He couldn’t sound any more enthusiastic.
Although it should be dark, there’s a half moon illuminating the lightly scudding night clouds, and the white folds of snow are shining where the moonlight catches them. Being the boy that he is, Rory’s stuffed his pockets with head torches and goggles, but it’s so bright so far that we haven’t needed them. It should take ages and a ton of effort for someone as unfit as me and stuffed full of Christmas dinner, to climb a hill this steep. But somehow my legs are flying.
As we get two-thirds of the way to the top, Rory stops and turns to look down. ‘This should do it. The ride down will be well worth the climb, I promise.’
The kick in the stomach I get from his grin turns to an anxious pang. ‘But what about your head? If you can’t play rugby, should you be hurtling downhill at a hundred miles an hour?’
He gives my elbow a nudge. ‘We’re talking about a baby slope here, not the Olympic bobsleigh team. That’s why I brought the slow toboggan. I know you won’t want to go down too fast.’
‘Me?’ I blink at him, because I couldn’t have made it clearer. I’m only here for the walk. ‘What part of “I watch, I don’t sledge” did you not get?’
His expression is so eager and hopeful. ‘But you’re doing all the scary stuff now. Every time you’ve dared to put yourself out there, hasn’t it been worth it?’
It’s not helpful that my stomach’s squishing again at the hollows in his cheekbones. ‘I really appreciate you helping me understand about Freya.’ This isn’t only to get out of sledging. I want to thank him.
He pulls down the corners of his mouth. ‘When you lose someone, especially when you’re young, it can take years to work through the grief.’
It’s nice he understands. ‘It’s funny. You don’t ever get over it. You just learn to live with how things are. But I’m really glad you knew her too.’
‘So am I.’ He nods. ‘It’s the same with heartbreak and life-changing events. There’s no easy fix. You have to do the time.’
I wrinkle my nose. Not that I want to keep going on about him, but I want to make it clear. ‘I think I’m completely over my break-up now. There really was no connection with Luc any more. But I’m glad he came back, because it let me understand what went wrong. And made me feel stronger too.’
For a moment he looks very grave. ‘I didn’t want to cause complications there. That’s why I’ve stayed back. Just so you know.’
