I sink my teeth into the cake cube and the buttery sweetness of nutty almond explodes with the tartness of rich cherry. However much I’m dreading the extravaganza and imagining every disaster that a day with Lando could bring, for the next five minutes, all I have to think about is eating cake.
35
Brides by the Sea, St Aidan, Cornwall
Celebrity status and dancing in the rain
Sunday
‘Okay, kiddies, for one day only please… forget the fighting and give me happy faces!’
If Tia is laying down the ground rules as we step out onto the mews the next Sunday, it’s only because we haven’t had a proper smile from Lando in weeks.
I’m one of his biggest critics, but if someone offered to swap out the short-tempered misery we’re stuck with now and bring back the easy-going edition, I’d agree in a heartbeat. What’s worse, every time I look at his permanent scowl, I know his glares and glowers are my fault; the more he’s around me, the more I’m picking up how much he hates me for everything I’ve done.
I thought it would pass if I waited long enough, but it’s so bad now he won’t even meet my eye. As I step out onto the cobbles, swish my snowy skirts free of my western boots and readjust my slipping Bardot neckline so my boobs aren’t entirely on show, his eyes are firmly fixed a foot above my head. But with the couple of hours we’ve got ahead of us, I’ve got more to worry about than him.
However busy the town was for the spring tides festival, the summer extravaganza is way more popular, and with the sky finally clearing after a couple of wet days, the streets are already bursting with visitors. Lando’s got a long list of places for us to visit in the pocket of his and Oliver’s favourite dark suit. Between us, I could do with him wearing anything other than that one, because his moody expression doubles the smoulder effect and kicks the flutters in my chest into overdrive.
But realistically, with summer well underway, this whole fiasco can’t go on much longer. Tia’s got a Polaroid camera as well as her phone and our job for the day is to take as many instant photos as we can at the participating businesses around town, and just to add to the fun, Dale, Zara, Nemmie and Angel are parading along with us.
Officially this is to showcase Sera’s lovely flower print bridesmaids’ dresses, which are a cascade of frills, but we all know that Thom’s broken jaw and facial injuries are taking forever to heal, and Tia is trying to make it up to the girls for their disappointment at the postponed wedding.
As for me, I’ve been dreading today ever since Jess and Lando first dreamed up their extended scheme, and adding the kids to the mix makes it next level. I know I’m on dangerous ground, but they’re clutching their baskets of Weddings at Windflowers luggage labels with shells attached, darting around the street, determined to do a great job of pushing the publicity into the hands of anyone who’s interested and probably lots of people who aren’t, and I can’t deny them the enjoyment. All I can hope is that with so many people around, Nemmie will simply disappear and become part of the crowd for Lando.
We’re barely three steps out of the shop when two women rush up to us. The first one stares.
‘Are you the bride and groom in the competition?’
I’m opening my mouth to tell her we’re not, but Lando gets in first. ‘We are, yes.’
The second woman comes to joins her. ‘And is it true the prize is a beach hut wedding?’
Lando ignores my agonised stare and carries on. ‘If you’re married already, you can have a beach hut picnic instead.’
The first woman nods. ‘Or a vow renewal would work.’
The second woman pulls her arm. ‘In that case we’d better get searching for clues!’
We watch them rushing off down the mews, then I turn to Lando. ‘Are you planning to let me in on the secret?’
Lando squirms. ‘We’ve supercharged our business scheme.’
My eyebrows go high. ‘We?’
Lando tilts his head to one side. ‘I’ve put codes on all our pictures around town, and Jess is paying for the prize for the person who collects the most.’
If anyone other than Lando had come up with this, I’d be over the moon at the brilliance. As it is, I pull a face. ‘So you’re doing a treasure hunt, where people compete for a beach hut wedding?’
Lando nods. ‘They’re giving out flyers on the streets to explain. It’ll raise the profile of Weddings at Windflowers, Brides by the Sea and local businesses, all at the same time.’
Dale joins in with a grin. ‘So it’s a win-win!’
Nemmie purses her lips. ‘No, it’s actually a win-win-win!’
Lando’s frown lines deepen. ‘I haven’t personally counted the wins, but I know the Chamber of Commerce couldn’t be happier.’
Tia’s nodding enthusiastically. ‘Visitors love an incentive.’ She peers along the mews. ‘They also love celebrities. It looks like someone else has recognised you.’
