13. Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Thirteen
May felt a rush of pleasure at the way Cillian’s eyes widened as Saffron Manor came into view with its grand stone facade framed by the brilliant blue of the sea beyond.
‘Wow,’ he said, stopping in his tracks. ‘This is quite the place. What happened to it?’
‘Teenage foolishness.’ Daniel appeared from behind a bush, making them both jump. ‘Sorry to have startled you.’ He waved a pair of shears. ‘I was thinning out the plants over there and heard you arrive. Are you here to see the beach?’
‘Yes,’ said Cillian. ‘May thinks it would make the perfect wedding venue.’
‘I agree.’ Daniel stroked his chin. ‘As long as the weather holds. Have you thought about what you’ll do if it rains?’
May ignored the look of triumph on Cillian’s face as he recognised an ally. ‘Of course we have,’ she said, a little snappily. ‘I’ve booked the Methodist hall as our Plan B. Assuming the weather is in our favour, how do you feel about walking Alice down a sandy aisle, Daniel?’
‘I don’t care what aisle I walk her down.’ Daniel’s face turned sombre. ‘I’m just incredibly grateful I get the opportunity to do it. For a long time I never thought I’d see Alice again, never mind have her trust me with a privilege like that on her wedding day.’
The smile that lit up his face caused a pang of sadness deep inside May.
Alice and Daniel’s relationship might be complicated and marred by lost years and miscommunications, but May hoped Alice realised how lucky she was to have a father who adored her, whose eyes welled at the thought of walking her down the aisle.
May had mentally banked the lack of a father figure in her life as a reason never to get married herself.
Not that anyone would ever want to marry someone like her, someone who stuffed up every opportunity thrown her way.
Jack appeared from his cabin, a pair of sturdy walking boots on his feet. ‘Ah, you joining us, Daniel?’
‘I wasn’t planning to.’
‘Of course you should,’ said Jack. ‘You’re the father of the bride … one of the brides, I should say. And let’s face it, you know my beach better than anyone.’
Daniel’s cheeks flushed, and May wondered if he was picturing his misspent youth of beach parties and unfortunate liaisons with Jack’s daughter and May’s mother, Maz, or Tilly as she was known back in the day.
‘Well, if you’re sure.’ Daniel laid the shears on the path. ‘I’d love to join you.’
‘You might want to borrow some wellies,’ said Jack, looking at May’s sandals and Cillian’s expensive trainers. ‘No one has used the path for years, and it’s likely to be both overgrown and muddy.’
‘Don’t worry, though.’ Daniel smiled at Cillian’s raised eyebrows. ‘I’ll make sure both of those things are sorted before the big day.’
May relaxed. A muddy, overgrown path could have been Cillian’s perfect excuse for dismissing the beach once again.
With both May and Cillian clad in borrowed Wellington boots, Jack and Daniel led them behind the cabin to where a rickety gate and a moss-covered fence separated a grassy lawn from a woodland area, which led to the beach.
May caught glimpses of the sea through the leaves as they made their way to an almost invisible path.
What would it have been like to have Jack in her life when she was a child?
She pictured running down the path for sea swims and picnics, playing in the woods, having a granddad in her corner.
She pushed the wonderings aside. There was no point in regrets, and as May picked her way between the brambles, she counted her lucky stars she had him in her life now.
‘This is going to take a bit of work,’ said Daniel, leading the way and hacking at the brambles as he went. ‘Once I’ve cleared it, I’ll lay some wood chippings to make sure it’s nice and smart on the day.’
May winced as Cillian gripped her arm.
‘I’ve just had an idea,’ he said.
‘Oh no,’ May groaned.
Cillian laughed. ‘OK, so I don’t know the area at all, and this might be mad, but what if either the brides or the grooms arrived by boat?’
Daniel and Jack stopped walking and looked from each other to Cillian. ‘That’s actually not a bad idea,’ said Daniel. ‘What do you think, Jack? It’s not far by sea from Saffron Bay to your beach. I used to do it all the time in a kayak.’ He blushed again at Jack’s frown.
Jack turned the frown into a thoughtful nod and squinted at Cillian. ‘I think you could be onto something, young man. Although, would that mean Daniel couldn’t walk Alice down the aisle?’
‘What if the grooms arrived by boat, and the brides came down this path, assuming it’s cleared by then,’ said May. ‘Then both couples could be whisked off by boat for their honeymoons?’
‘Now we’re talking.’ Cillian rubbed his hands together. ‘There’s a few logistics to sort out first. Let’s get down to this beach and see what we’re dealing with.’
May estimated the walk through the woods to the beach would take about ten minutes if the path was clear. As it was, it was another forty before their feet met sand.
‘Oh, wow.’ Cillian’s eyes widened. ‘This is stunning.’
‘Isn’t it?’ said May. She had only ever approached the beach from the water before, and arriving on foot gave her a whole new perspective.
The scene was a kaleidoscope of greens, blues and yellows, trees hugging the edges of the cove where soft sand the colour of vanilla ice-cream met turquoise water.
Further out, the sea turned from blue to navy, a single white sailing boat sitting stark against all the blue.
Jack was in more practical mode. ‘Obviously you’d have a job getting power and facilities down here,’ he said.
‘It might not be that difficult if we brought everything we needed by boat,’ said Daniel. ‘We could set up a generator and maybe even hire a couple of those toilets you get at festivals. What do you think, May?’
‘What? Oh, yes, sounds great.’ She was only half listening as she watched Cillian walk to the water’s edge and take off his boots. She followed him, smiling as his toes met cold water and he did an impromptu dance. ‘Bit cold, is it?’
He turned and grinned at her. ‘Just a bit.’
‘You like it here?’
‘How could anyone not? You coming in for a paddle?’ He held out a hand, which May ignored. She slipped off her boots and entered the water a short distance away.
‘It’s hard not to feel at peace here,’ she muttered.
‘Not a feeling you’re overly familiar with?’
May turned to find Cillian staring at her. She shrugged. ‘Is anyone these days?’ Moving swiftly on, she added, ‘Where do you think the best place would be for the ceremony?’
‘Nice change of subject.’
‘It’s what we’re here for, isn’t it?’ May’s voice was harsher than she’d meant it to sound.
Cillian gave her a brisk nod and gazed around. ‘It’ll depend on the tide, I suppose, but I think the whole thing should be done facing the sea. It would look amazing in photos.’
‘It certainly would. I really hope the weather is good, because even the Methodist hall isn’t a patch on here.’ As May turned to examine her surroundings, she lost her balance. Before she could right herself, Cillian’s arms were around her.
‘You OK?’ he asked, not taking his hands from her waist.
‘I’m fine, I can manage though, thank you.
’ His hands dropped to his sides like an executioner’s blade, and he stepped away.
May cursed her rudeness. He was only trying to help.
It was the feel of his hands on her body which had led to her sharpness.
The shiver that had rippled through her wasn’t something she could explore right now.
She needed her mind clear, for Alice’s sake as well as her own.
There were secrets to keep and plans to make.
And not just for the wedding. Once the celebrations were over, she was going to have to work out how to pick up the pieces of her life.