Chapter Thirty-Four
Toby, bless him, was shimmering with excitement, unable to keep still. The anticipation of having his first-ever Easter egg hunt had him hopping from foot to foot, impatient to get started.
“Can I go look for the eggs, Nana Weez?” he asked hopefully. She was used to hearing him call her that now, but it still made her heart constrict. Being an honorary nana was simply the best thing.
“Not yet. We’re going to have lunch first. If you find all the eggs the Easter Bunny has hidden, you won’t want your dinner.”
“I will,” he insisted, but neither his mother nor Eloise was fooled.
“Anyway,” Eloise carried on, “you can’t go hunting for eggs until Kelly and Dylan get here.”
Toby’s eyes lit up. “Yay! Kelly and Dylan are coming!” He adored Bart’s grandchildren, and they had good-naturedly taken the little boy under their wing.
“Why don’t you go make sure we’ve packed everything?” she suggested, keen to keep him occupied until they arrived. “Mitch, would you mind going with him? Everything is either packed away, given away, or sold. There’s not much he can get up to any mischief with, but just in case.”
“Where have you hidden the you-know-whats?” Mitch whispered.
“In the garden, so you don’t have to worry about him coming across any in the house.”
“Okay, give us a shout when the others get here.”
Eloise patted his arm as he took hold of Toby’s hand and said, “Shall we take a look at your old bedroom, Toby? You might have forgotten something, like Babbit.”
“No, silly! Babbit is in Mama’s bag.”
“Are you sure? Shall we take a look anyway? I bet we’ll find something Bart and Weez have forgotten to pack.”
Toby nodded cheerfully, and Eloise smiled. He was such a happy, bright little boy: another ray of sunshine in her already sunny world.
“So, when’s the day?” Sarah asked, leaning against a kitchen counter.
“Tuesday,” Bart told her. He was checking on the leg of lamb roasting in the oven, fragrant with rosemary. It looked perfectly done to Eloise, but Bart popped it back in. “Another ten minutes, I think.”
Today was Easter Sunday. They would spend two more nights in the guest house, then she and Bart would move into their pretty little cottage overlooking the sea.
Selling both her house in Northampton and Bart’s guest house at the same time had been stressful and challenging, but they’d got through it, and the finish line was in sight.
The guest house had sold incredibly quickly, and although she had yet to complete the sale of her place, Eloise wasn’t concerned.
In some ways, the process had been less stressful for Eloise, because she had few ties to her hometown and little attachment to her house, and few of her possessions held any sentimental value.
Hannah and Lee had promised to visit, and Eloise and Bart would take a trip to Northampton once in a while, so they’d keep in touch.
Despite Bart staying in the same village, for him the move was difficult.
Eloise fully understood and completely sympathised.
He’d lived in this house for nearly forty years, and every room, every nook and cranny, held innumerable memories.
Choosing which pieces of furniture to take to the new house had been the biggest issue for him, and in the end, they’d agreed to sell the guest house fully furnished except for a few prized items and those things he’d already given to Sarah.
Eloise had also sold or donated most of hers to charity.
A new house meant a fresh start, and the cottage was small enough to furnish without incurring too much additional expense.
Ross and Amy had chosen a few of the more sentimental things and—Ah, speak of the devil, Eloise thought, as the sound of two pairs of children’s feet thundered through the house. She hurried to greet them.
The kids gave her and Bart a quick hug, then dashed off in search of Mitch and Toby.
Amy watched them go, then moved in to give Eloise a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
Ross followed suit, although rather more reserved, and Eloise could tell that this final visit to the home he’d grown up in was emotional for him.
Amy realised it too, and she slipped an arm around her husband’s waist.
Eloise said to him, “Lunch won’t be ready for a few minutes, so why don’t you go find Mitch and the kids?”
Amy turned to Eloise. “Is there anything I can do?”
“It’s all in hand,” Eloise replied, as Amy’s gaze followed her husband out the door. “Is Ross okay?”
“He will be.” Amy smiled reassuringly. “I think he just wants a final look around.”
When Ross returned with Mitch and the children in tow, he seemed happier, and Eloise guessed he’d taken the time to say goodbye to his boyhood home.
“Would you like me to carve?” he asked when Bart brought the roast to the table after everyone was seated.
“And have you hack lumps out of it? No thanks!” Bart joked.
Eloise thought how vital and vibrant he was, presiding over the table, with laughter and chatter filling the room and love and happiness reflected in everyone’s eyes, and she marvelled at how far he’d come; how far they’d both come.
When Toby had finished eating (he’d wolfed his food down at an impressive rate, and his dessert of ice cream had been demolished even faster), he cried, “Can I hunt for Easter eggs now?” as he climbed down from his chair.
Fearful of missing out on the chocolatey treats, Kelly and Dylan hastily finished their desserts.
“Of course you may,” Eloise said, handing him one of the little wicker baskets she’d bought for the occasion. Toby’s eyes shone. She gave baskets to the other two as well, both eager to find the hidden eggs despite Kelly’s conviction that, at nearly ten, she was too old for an Easter egg hunt.
Her tummy full, Eloise decided to take a moment before she tidied away the remains of the apple crumble and custard they’d enjoyed, and was just finishing the last of the elderflower cordial in her glass when Mitch cleared his throat.
He looked nervous and unsure of himself, and Eloise wondered what was the matter.
“Um, can I say something?” he began, his cheeks colouring. “I’ve got a job in a school in Bideford.”
“Congratulations! That’s fabulous news! You’ll be moving to Devon.” Eloise grinned.
“There’s something else.” The pink darkened to red.
“Go on, spit it out,” Bart urged. “I want a cup of tea to wash that crumble down.”
“Oh, right, yes.” Mitch licked his lips, and Eloise suddenly realised what this was about, and she put a hand to her mouth.
“Sarah,” Mitch said, his voice hoarse. “I’ve never met anyone as wonderful as you.
I realise we’ve only known each other for a few months, but time is immaterial when you’ve found the one you want to spend the rest of your life with.
You’re that person, and I can’t imagine a future without you in it.
” He knelt and took a black velvet box out of his pocket.
“I love you and Toby with all my heart, and nothing would make me happier than you agreeing to be my wife. Will you marry me?”
A shocked silence descended. The only sound was the distant laughter of the children in the garden.
Eloise’s heart was in her throat as she waited for Sarah’s answer.
Sarah gulped, her eyes wide and shining. Slowly, like the sun coming out from behind a cloud, a smile beamed across her face. “Yes,” she said, her voice cracking. “Yes, I’ll marry you.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “Oh my goodness, I’m going to be married!”
Mitch let out a triumphant whoop. “She said yes! Woo-hoo! She said yes.” Then he scooped her up and twirled her around, laughing excitedly.
Eloise didn’t know whether to laugh or cry—so she did both. She was utterly delighted for the young couple. They were perfect together.
Overcome with emotion, she reached for Bart’s hand, and when he squeezed her fingers, she saw he also had tears in his eyes.
She wasn’t surprised: This was an emotional time for everyone.
But it was the best time.
A new time.
A new beginning. Because this was the start of a new family: her and Bart; Ross, Amy, and their children; and Sarah, Mitch, and Toby. A found family. Her special family, and one she loved dearly, and the man at the head of it more than she’d ever believed possible.
For Eloise, every day was Christmas, and she intended to celebrate each and every one with love and joy.
And when Bart produced a bottle of bubbly and cried, “Congratulations!” and Eloise looked deep into the eyes of the man who had stolen her heart, she vowed to spend the rest of her life making him as happy as he made her.