Epilogue
THREE MONTHS LATER
‘Thank you all for coming,’ Rosie said, her gaze taking in the crowd gathered on the lawn out the back of Willowdale Hall. ‘This is an exciting moment for Oliver and me and it’s such an honour to see so many of you here today – friends, family, neighbours, colleagues. As you all know, I love Willowdale Hall and I believed it could become great again. It has a history of being a place of safety and of healing – a place of convalescence for officers injured in World War I and a school for evacuees from Tyneside during World War II. Inspired by that, Oliver and I had a vision to make this a place where people can escape and heal. Last September, the arrival of our wonderful Emma and her seven gorgeous alpacas signalled the start of that…’
She waved in Emma’s direction and Emma put her hands in the air, smiling as the crowd applauded.
‘Today we’re celebrating the first phase in our accommodation, creating luxurious rooms where guests can find peace and escapism. The boat house behind me has had a few struggles and Oliver and I were going to have it dismantled but my amazing mam, Alice, convinced us to keep it. And then along came our exceptionally talented conservation architect, Mel, with a vision to take the broken pieces and turn it into something astonishingly beautiful.’
She paused for more applause and I smiled, cringing at being the centre of attention – even if only for a moment – but appreciative of Rosie’s kind words.
‘Thank you to Flynn and his team for their work and to Mel again for her beautiful interior design. We’d originally talked about getting the boat house ready for the summer season but, considering it’s the last Friday in August, you can guess how that went. Mel came up with the genius idea of running a competition where people could nominate someone they know who’s had a tough time and could really benefit from spending a weekend for two away from all their worries in a place designed for peace and healing. We were in tears going through the entries and our heart goes out to all the people who are facing challenges in their lives right now. No way could we just pick one winner as originally intended so we chose three. The first winners will be staying next weekend but we wanted to give you all the first glimpse. Are you ready?’
Oliver passed her a pair of scissors.
‘We considered several names but, in the end, we settled for something simple which says exactly what it is. I’m delighted to declare The Boat House officially open!’
Rosie cut the turquoise ribbon to cheers and another round of applause, then invited the guests to look around. Alice and Xander were in the first group.
‘There’s something in the lounge I think you’ll appreciate,’ I told Alice before she stepped onto the wraparound terrace.
It had been such a delight to furnish The Boat House in restful colours. I’d loved sourcing the furniture and fabrics but the most precious purchase for me had been the kintsugi vase in Alice’s honour. I’d found one in shades of blue, grey and green to match the landscape but the green was also a nod to the green man who’d haunted her for so long. I’d particularly loved how one of the gold repairs ran right through the green section and was certain she’d see the relevance when she saw it.
The Boat House was small so the tours were quick. Alice and Xander reappeared shortly after and Alice rushed over to me, arms outstretched, and hugged me close.
‘I saw it and I loved it. Thank you for doing that. I noticed the colour too. It’s absolutely perfect.’
‘No, not perfect,’ I said, smiling at her. ‘It’s exquisitely flawed like you and me.’
We hugged again and I counted my blessings that I’d met this wonderful woman who’d taught me so much and whose friendship I would value forever.
One of the grand function rooms had doors out onto the garden so they’d been opened up. There was a bar and buffet set up in the room and chairs and tables both inside and out. All my family had been invited and I noticed Georgia in deep conversation with Rosie. It looked like they were scheming something because they kept looking in my direction and smiling.
‘What are you two up to?’ I asked, joining them.
‘Ooh, you’ll find out soon enough,’ Georgia said, winking at me.
It was a wonderful evening and I basked in the compliments for the design of the building and the interior. I even had a few enquiries as to whether I could be commissioned for home interior design. It was flattering but that wasn’t my job – it was simply something I happened to enjoy and occasionally got involved in if the client asked me. The conservation architecture would always be my number one passion. Actually, number two. My husband would forever be my number one.
Flynn and I hadn’t wanted to make a fuss about remarrying last Friday but we couldn’t leave out either of our families. We’d made so many new friends through Willowdale Hall who’d been part of our journey back to each other who we couldn’t miss out either so we’d had a small ceremony with just Dad, Georgia, Mark and Flynn’s parents in attendance but ended up having quite the party in The Hardy Herdwick afterwards. It seemed only fitting that we celebrated our second chance in the place where we’d first met.
‘Your wedding gift finally arrived,’ Alice said, taking me to one side. ‘Have you got a minute?’
She led me through the function room and into the library. We’d said no gifts but most guests had ignored that.
‘Apologies again that it didn’t arrive on time,’ she said, picking up a wrapped box.
‘Should I have grabbed Flynn?’ I asked, suddenly registering that a wedding gift would be for both of us.
‘No, it’s fine. It’s obviously for both of you, but it’s more for you and I think you’ll be quite amused.’
I removed the wrapping paper, opened up the box and lifted out an object encased in two pieces of polystyrene. Removing one piece, I saw what Alice meant about me being amused.
‘A kintsugi vase,’ I said, laughing. I studied the stunning vase in pinks and reds with gold ribbons running through it. ‘It’s perfect.’
‘No. It’s exquisitely flawed,’ she said, copying my statement from earlier. ‘Just like you and me. Great minds, eh?’
I hugged her. ‘Great minds indeed. Thank you for this. I love it. And I appreciate the colours too.’
‘Now that you’ve got colour back in your life, it had to be done.’
I packed the vase away and we returned to the function room and it was then that I spotted what Rosie and Georgia had been up to. Arnie from The Hardy Herdwick was setting up a karaoke machine.
‘Not a chance!’ I said as Georgia grinned at me.
‘It has to be done. And you know what we’re singing, don’t you?’
I grabbed a glass of wine from the bar. ‘I’d better get a couple of these down me first.’
An hour later, Georgia and I picked up a microphone each as the opening bars to Zoe’s ‘Sunshine on a Rainy Day’ sounded. I rolled my eyes at her but sang along to the first verse anyway, encouraging the guests to join in with the chorus. As we approached the end of the first chorus, Georgia handed her microphone to Flynn and he smiled as he took over singing.
During the instrumental break, I lowered my microphone.
‘I thought “Ain’t No Sunshine” was your song.’
Flynn lowered his microphone too. ‘It was, but I might have overplayed it while you were away.’
Microphones raised once more, we finished the song with the help of the guests before retrieving our drinks and swiftly making our way outside before we were roped into singing anything else.
The sun was setting and The Boat House looked stunning against an orange-hued sky. Everyone was either in the function room or just outside so we headed down the lawn, along the wraparound terrace, and stopped on the deck.
‘I really am so sorry I took your sunshine away,’ I said.
‘It was raining,’ he replied, pulling me close. ‘And now you’ve brought me the sunshine after the rain and all is good in the world again.’
As he kissed me slowly and tenderly, I felt as though my world had finally shifted back onto its axis, although not on the same axis as before. Flynn and I had eventually found our way through the storm and, although we’d emerged into the sunshine, we weren’t back to where we’d started. We were now in a new and different world. This new world would always be tinged with sadness because Noah and Mum were missing from it. A world in which my dad was trying hard to adjust to life without the woman he loved, sometimes taking strides forward but frequently stumbling and occasionally falling. But this was also a world full of hope and second chances – the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – and I would be forever grateful to the wonderful people in my life who’d helped me see that. This new world wasn’t perfect but it was exquisite in its perfections, just like me, Alice, Dad, Flynn and everyone else I knew who’d overcome adversity or was battling to do so, facing one day at a time with courage and hope.
When we pulled apart, I turned to look back at Willowdale Hall and smiled as Emma’s words came back to me from the day I met her – We’ll soon have you all relaxed and any wounds healed . That’s exactly what had happened. This beautiful place which I’d fallen in love with as a child really did have the power to heal and what a gift it was to be working here, married to Flynn again, business partners once more, playing my part in bringing the sunshine after the rain for Rosie and her family and all the guests who stayed here.
I ran my fingers along the necklace I was wearing – the delicate silver chain Noah had given me for my fortieth birthday – and I had a sudden vision of him and Mum hugging each other as Mum whispered to him, I was right about your parents. Magnets . But I’m always right.
Maybe not always but, on this occasion, she absolutely was.