A Wedding at The Cornish Garden Café (The Cornish Garden Café #5)

Chapter 1 Edith Whitlock

EDITH WHITLOCK

‘What do you think?’ Titus Pinnock emerged from the changing rooms of the small wedding boutique with a broad smile on his handsome face. Holding out his muscular arms, he turned slowly.

Edith Whitlock folded her arms and waited for Titus’ fiancé, Finn Mason, to pass judgement. She was trying to give the happy couple space to make their own decisions while also being supportive.

‘Hmmmm…’ Finn rubbed his chin with thumb and forefinger. ‘I’m not sure.’

‘I kind of like it,’ Finn’s ex-wife, Thora Mason, said with a smile.

‘But is beige really the colour we want for our suits?’ Finn asked.

Titus strode over to the full-length mirror and studied his reflection.

The beige suit complemented his warm brown skin, the floral waistcoat adding a touch of elegance.

The material of the suit had a sheen that caught the light as Titus moved, and Edith thought it might work well for a summer wedding.

But both of the soon-to-be newlyweds had to love it.

Otherwise, they’d have to find something else.

‘May I make a suggestion?’ Edith asked.

‘Please do!’ Finn nodded.

‘How about trying a few different colours and styles and then narrowing it down? You don’t have to decide today anyway, do you?’

Finn wrinkled his nose. ‘We don’t, but the idea of coming all the way to London several times to look for suits isn’t that appealing.’

‘It’s fine,’ Titus rolled his eyes. ‘It does us good to get out and about.’

‘You love London, but it’s not for me… I find it far too busy. You know how I like the space and freedom of being near the sea.’ Finn went to Titus and placed a hand on his shoulder then met his eyes in the mirror.

Titus covered Finn’s hand with his own. ‘I do, my darling, but I also want this to be right. We’re only getting married once and I want to make sure we have the perfect suits.

’ He turned his head to look at Finn, who leant in and kissed his fiancé’s cheek.

‘We probably should have come suit shopping sooner, but I thought we’d find something off the peg no problem at all. ’

‘I know you, so did I. And we probably still can.’ Finn turned to Edith. ‘I think you’re right, Edith. Let’s try a variety and take it from there. But I want lunch after this, OK?’ He nudged Titus. ‘Man’s got to keep his strength up, right?’

‘Of course. I have the perfect place in mind.’ Titus flashed him a grin.

While Finn and Titus tried on more suits, Edith sat on a damask velvet chaise longue in the airy changing rooms and checked her phone.

She had a few emails from other clients, so she responded to them quickly and then put her phone away.

Today, her time belonged to Finn and Titus.

She didn’t always help with choosing wedding attire, but Finn was an old friend and he’d asked her to accompany them.

Following a Christmas proposal at The Cornish Garden Café in the village of Porthpenny, where they all lived, the happy couple had decided to marry this July.

Finn had asked Edith to help with the planning, and she’d been delighted to accept.

She loved her job as a wedding planner, but whenever she got the chance to work with friends, it was even better.

Next to her on the chaise, Thora sipped from the flute of champagne she’d accepted. ‘Isn’t this lovely?’

Thora, a pretty woman with brown eyes, curly brown hair, and a cute dusting of freckles, smiled.

Like Finn, she was in her forties. She worked at the café in Porthpenny and walked dogs for locals.

Edith thought being out in the fresh air and so active all the time benefited Thora because her skin glowed with health and vitality.

‘It’s wonderful.’ Edith nodded. ‘I’m so happy the boys are going to tie the knot.’

‘Me too,’ Thora agreed. ‘They’re perfectly matched.’

Watching Finn, Titus and Thora interact with the easy warmth of old friends, Edith felt a niggle of envy under her ribs.

Her own family life had never been noisy or full of laughter.

Her mother, Marianne, had worked long hours at the care home, coming home bone-tired and smelling faintly of antiseptic and lavender.

There’d been no father to share the load — he’d left when Edith was small — and her grandparents were already gone by then.

Marianne never complained, but she also never talked about love, as if it were something best not trusted.

Edith had learned early to fill the quiet with her own plans and to depend on no one but herself.

Until she’d met him… the one man who’d taught her how dangerous falling in love could be.

‘How’s Lucas?’ Edith referred to Thora’s partner, keen to put her own past from her mind.

Lucas Grant had returned to Porthpenny the previous winter to take care of his father’s affairs.

Edith knew from what Finn had told her that Thora and Lucas used to date when they were younger and that they’d realised old feelings still simmered.

It was clear to everyone that Thora and Lucas were madly in love and belonged together.

‘Oh he’s a dream.’ Thora blushed, and her eyes closed for a moment longer than a blink as if she was picturing him. ‘It’s so lovely being with Lucas again.’

‘You’re glowing with happiness,’ Edith said. ‘Where is he today?’

‘At my place with Barry and the twins.’

Barry was Thora’s rescue chihuahua. People knew him as Big Barry because he thought he was much bigger than he was, and he had a BIG personality.

‘He’s dog-sitting then?’ Edith said.

‘And teen sitting.’ Thora laughed. ‘Not that I don’t trust Rosie and Reggie, but I feel better knowing there’s an adult in the house overnight.’

With the journey to London taking over four hours by train, they’d decided it would be better to stay overnight in a hotel.

It would also give them more time to shop and enjoy their time away.

Edith was happy with the plan as she liked London.

She also knew that she might find inspiration for other weddings while she was there.

She’d already grabbed some brochures from a few bridal boutiques and taken some photos of suits, dresses, and accessories for the mood boards she created for couples she worked with.

‘Do you want a refill?’ Edith pointed at Thora’s glass.

Thora raised the empty glass. ‘Don’t mind if I do. Are you having one?’

‘Not yet. I need a clear head for work.’ Edith tapped the side of her head, then stood up and went to the table with the wine cooler. She filled Thora’s glass with champagne and then grabbed another bottle of mineral water for herself.

‘Thank you!’ Thora said as she accepted the glass. ‘I probably shouldn’t, but it’s very nice.’

‘Of course you should. This is a celebration of love.’ Edith gestured at the two men, who were now wearing emerald-green morning suits. Finn was tying Titus’ bow tie and giggling as Titus complained about it being too tight.

‘It is indeed!’ Thora sat back on the chaise and sipped her drink, looking relaxed and content. ‘I’m so glad they invited me today.’

‘I don’t think Finn would have it any other way.

’ Edith knew Finn adored his ex-wife, and that they were very close, which was good for them and for their children.

Not all divorced couples got on so well.

In her business, she’d dealt with all sorts of different family dynamics over the years, and some were very difficult to navigate.

When parents divorced, the bride or groom often faced challenges as they tried to please everyone.

Edith always maintained a professional air in such circumstances while encouraging the bride and groom to ensure that they made the wedding about them and not about other people.

After all, it was their big day. Yes, having family and friends there was important to many people, but it should never become about keeping other people happy at the expense of the happiness of the couple getting married.

It was pointless to try to please everyone because someone would always be offended.

One wedding Edith had planned was for a bride whose parents had divorced when she was a teenager.

When her partner had proposed, she’d been delighted, but then the doubts had set in.

Even though the bride’s parents had divorced over twelve years earlier, the mother still bore a deep hatred for her ex-husband.

The bride was understandably worried about how this would impact her big day.

Edith strove to remain impartial, knowing that there were at least two sides to every story, but she had seen the stress and anxiety it had caused the bride.

At every turn, the bride’s mother had griped and moaned, seemingly desperate to make the wedding about her.

It was textbook toxic narcissist behaviour, and at more than one point the bride had sobbed to Edith that she should just cancel the whole thing.

However, with the support of her fiancé and Edith, they’d organised things so the wedding was the one the bride wanted, while putting in place some measures to placate her mother.

If she’d been in a similar position, she imagined she’d have called the whole thing off and fled to Gretna Green or Las Vegas.

Of course, that would have enraged the bride’s mother, but in her place, Edith felt she’d have endured that aftermath to escape the controlling behaviour.

However, she was the wedding planner and there to help not interfere, and so she kept her opinions to herself and made things as stress-free as possible for the bride and groom.

Just over an hour later, some decisions had been made about suits, measurements and deposits taken, and the four of them made their way out to the street.

Portobello Road was buzzing with life on the sunny May day.

While the bridal party discussed where to go next, Edith surveyed the area, taking in the scents, sounds, and sights of bustling Notting Hill.

With it being Friday, the market was busy.

Everywhere she looked, vendors flogged their produce and wares to shoppers — from fruit and veg to clothing, antiques, and flowers.

Edith happily followed Finn, Titus, and Thora around the stalls.

Aromas of crepes and spices filled the air, making her mouth water, and somewhere in the market a saxophonist played uplifting pop songs.

‘I feel like I’m in a movie,’ Thora said with a laugh.

‘It has that effect, doesn’t it?’ Edith replied.

‘I keep thinking Hugh Grant is going to walk past,’ Thora winked.

‘I wish!’ Edith sighed. She’d always thought the actor was gorgeous in that quintessentially upper-class English way, though she wasn’t sure she’d be able to lower her emotional barriers even for him.

A chance to find out would be nice, though — despite the fact that at sixty-five, he was more than twice her age.

‘Oh don’t get Titus started on Hugh Grant!’ Finn shook his head. ‘He’ll go on for hours about how hot Mr Grant is and how he met him once when he was in London having cocktails.’

‘It’s true.’ Titus nodded. ‘He was not only even more handsome in the flesh but also polite and gracious, and he happily posed for a photo with me.’

‘I’d love to see that,’ Edith said.

Titus pulled his phone from his pocket, but Finn held up a hand. ‘Not now! You can show off later. Otherwise, we’ll be here all day looking through Titus’ celebrity gallery.’

‘You have photos of you with other celebs too?’ Edith asked.

‘Indeed I do.’ Titus nudged his fiancé with a smirk. ‘And it’s not like I go looking for them either. Celebs just seem to be magnetically drawn to my aura. Next thing I know, they’re asking to pose for photos with me. I even gave one seriously dishy Hollywood star a massage once.’

‘Who was it?’ Edith asked with amusement.

Titus tapped the side of his nose and winked. ‘I can’t tell you the name as I’m bound by the sacred masseur code of confidentiality, but let me tell you that his body was—’

‘Titus!’ Finn glared at him. ‘Not now, please.’

‘Sorry.’ Titus grinned at Edith. ‘I’ll tell you more later, although I don’t have any photos of that time because… well… you know. It wouldn’t be right to take photographs of unsuspecting clients when they’re in the altogether. Nor would it be legal.’

‘No. I would think not.’ Edith swallowed her laughter.

‘Right then, Team Wedding… Let’s go and get something to drink.’ Finn took Titus’ arm. ‘I don’t know about you, but all that modelling of suits has made me thirsty.’