Chapter 44
FORTY-FOUR
‘Darling Reet, the London cavalry has arrived.’ An excitable Kelly flew out of her car and ran towards Rita, who was reaching in the back seat for pastries. ‘And oh my God look at your belly, aw… I’m so happy for you.’ Kelly hugged her tightly.
‘Shit, Kel, not too tight. You’ll crush the buns.’
‘Ha! I will, that; you’ve got two of ’em cooking in that oven of yours now.’ Kelly then looked to the empty space where the Cosy Café had been. ‘Flipping ’eck, you were lucky the barn, farmhouse and annexe didn’t all go up too.’
Rita nodded. ‘I know, someone was looking out for us, that’s for sure.’
Inside, the Nook was already humming. Tea was being drunk and voices overlapping, in expectation of Sennen taking command of the pre-event debrief.
Zenya was curled into a beanbag, both hands wrapped around her mug, with Teo leaning against the newly placed jukebox beside her, bracing himself for the next two days to come. Priya hovered close, ostensibly there to help, but really, and no one was fooled, to spend time with Zenya.
‘Right,’ Kelly announced, dumping her huge tote bag by the door. ‘Who’s panicking and who’s pretending not to?’
Rita was just putting the pastries out for everyone to help themselves when Jago appeared, striding towards them with an enormous bouquet of flowers. Stan swiftly followed.
‘Good luck, special ladies.’ He handed the flowers to Rita with a grin that softened the whole room. ‘Not that you and Sennen will need it. Me and Stan are on hand to fetch, carry, lift, shift, anything you need.’ He winked at Rita. ‘Definitely no lifting for you, madam.’
Rita’s eyes shone. ‘I’m pregnant, not incapable.’
‘Pregnant and very precious, that’s what you are.’ Jago kissed her lightly on the cheek.
Rita felt a little warm flush creep up her neck. ‘Oh, get a room, you two.’ Kelly smirked.
Sennen smiled. ‘Thank you, Jago, that’s lovely. But you do realise the wedding’s not until tomorrow.’
‘I know, I know,’ Jago said quickly. ‘But tomorrow will likely be madness.’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Anyway, I need to get back. The coach and horse are arriving at midday.’
‘The horse?’ Kelly perked up.
‘Yep, just to up the drama, the bride is arriving in a Cinderella coach, pulled by a white horse… down the uneven drive.’ Rita managed a smile. ‘I can’t wait to meet her; with all this pageantry, she’s bound to be something else!’
Sennen reddened. ‘She really is and I already know you will love her, Mum.’
‘Jesus, I was happy in the registry office in Hackney with two strangers we dragged off the street for witnesses, when I married my old man,’ Kelly muttered.
‘I’ve even put extra hay in the stable,’ Jago added proudly. ‘And its name is Lucky Star, so that’s got to be a good sign.’
Sennen was already back in work mode, notebook open, pen poised.
‘Right. Yurts ready, tick. Tables laid out in barn for inspection by the bride, tick. Hire chairs arriving for the Singing Tree ceremony at midday, tick. They can go up first thing, so they don’t get any morning dew on them.’ She looked to Stan.
‘Aye, Miss Sennen, I can do that for you on the trailer, then get back in time to decorate it.’
‘Decorate a trailer?’ Kelly screwed up her face.
‘Yes, the wedding guests are going up on it. I’ve made a special rail for them to hold on to.’ Sennen ran a pen down her list. ‘Priya, you’re greeting the Passion Flowers florist van at ten a.m. tomorrow.’
Priya nodded. ‘All set.’
‘Pedestal arrangements to come up to the Singing Tree, then back down to the barn after the ceremony. Actually, Jago, if you could do the second run in the Defender, amazing.’
‘Sure.’
‘Mum, FYI caterers are coming at eight to get organised. So, your kitchen needs to be clear.’
Rita rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. ‘Don’t worry, it’ll be clean as a whistle.’
‘Thanks, Jago, for lending us the extra fridge; it makes more sense than ferrying stuff to yours.’ He nodded in appreciation. Sennen flipped a page. ‘Teo, are you all set to bring the yurt guests down for breakfast?’
Teo gave a mock salute. ‘Sí, sí, shuttle service fully operational. And I won’t spare the… horses.’
A ripple of laughter ran through the room.
‘Perfect, Teo. And I’ve told the bridal party they can use the upstairs of the annexe to get ready so they have all the mod cons, mirrors, hot showers. No excuses for meltdowns, then.’
Rita laughed. ‘You’d better warn Hilda that’s happening, then, and maybe the guests that my dear mother-in-law has no filter.’
Jago grinned, giving a quick wave. ‘Right, I’ll leave you to it, then. Don’t work too hard, yeah?’ With that, he headed out.
‘What time is the actual ceremony?’ Kelly enquired.
‘Good point.’ Sennen grinned. ‘Twelve thirty up the top. The bride wants everyone to see her grand entrance in the carriage obviously, so she is arriving outside the barn at twelve ten precisely.’
Kelly raised her eyes. ‘Obviously.’
‘The groom is going to be here to witness it, too; she wanted this bit of drama for him as well, as he has no idea at all of what’s happening all day, to be honest.’
‘I hope he isn’t expecting a five-star hotel,’ Rita laughed.
‘He will be getting a five-star service so that’s what counts,’ Sennen added seriously.
‘Umm. What else? Oh yes, so Stan is set to whip everyone up the top of High Meadow in the trailer, which includes the celebrant, who is arriving at eleven thirty. Kelly, can I task you to meet and greet her, please?’
‘Course, love, what time did you say again?’
Sennen’s forehead furrowed. ‘Eleven thirty, she’s called Amanda Crispin.
Her number is on the notes sheet I will be giving everyone after this.
’ She cleared her throat. ‘And Mum is bringing the bride in the Jimny so she can walk down the makeshift aisle that is going to be lined with rustic-chic metal buckets, filled with coastal wildflowers. Each one a gift for guests to take as a keepsake with an extra pack of wildflower seeds, which I thought was a nice touch.’
‘I love that.’ Priya nodded.
‘Oh, and another thing,’ Sennen thought aloud. ‘The harpist has her own van. Zen, could you, or maybe Priya, look after her too?’
They both nodded.
Rita looked slightly pensive. ‘I’m worried if the bride is arriving in a Cinderella carriage, can we assume she will be wearing some kind of meringue affair? Which may well not fit in the Jimny.’
‘It’s all fine, Mum,’ Sennen soothed, then looking to her phone that had just buzzed, added, ‘OK, that’s her; they are running half an hour late. Good luck, everyone.’
All of a sudden, Thom came running in. ‘Shit, sorry I’m so late. I err… had to see a man about a dog.’
‘Yeah, yeah.’ Sennen winked at him. ‘You overslept, I know it.’
‘Morning, love.’ Rita lifted her hand, then froze.
‘Wait, stop! I’ve just remembered something important.
Imogen’s coming to stay in a yurt.’ She threw her hands up.
‘She’s the reporter from our retreat, the one who wrote that scathing article about us and Rosecliff Barns.
She’s bringing a friend, apparently, in case the friend wants to have her wedding here…
though I know she’s really just coming to report on the day.
Not a single thing can go wrong in front of her.
Not one.’ She paused, taking a breath. ‘So… let’s be nice.
Let’s pretend we haven’t even seen her other article. Deal?’
‘Stupid cow,’ Kel added.
‘None of that, Kel.’ Rita was serious. ‘Even you need to pretend you like her. Finally, thanks again, everyone, for all that you’ve done to help after the fire. I feel blessed to know you all.’ She began to well up. ‘Damn these hormones.’
‘Any news on how it might have started, yet?’ Zenya asked.
‘Not confirmed, but on that note, I don’t want a bad word said against Rosecliff Barns in front of Imogen either.’
Thom and Sennen’s eyes narrowed at this comment, but they said nothing.
‘Right, everyone,’ Sennen then shouted. ‘Let’s get this show on the road!’
Taking a breath, Rita took them all in, especially her two kids, and the thought of Chloe and her unborn baby tugged at her unexpectedly.
You couldn’t choose the family you were born into; some people had a good start, some didn’t.
It made her realise just how lucky she was to have this strange, wonderful constellation of people orbiting her life like a hive of bees, each moving to their own rhythm yet somehow working together perfectly.
A rush of love swept through her.