Chapter 22
Windflowers, St Aidan, Cornwall
Sticks and wrong ends
Tuesday
That’s how I leave things with Lando, and that’s how they stay.
As usual Tia is a rock with her support, and I do cry on her shoulder about how horrible it was being the one who ended up shouting, but as we can’t risk being overheard, our chat has been limited.
It’s only five days later that the afternoon visit from the council finally gives me something big enough to take my mind off the terrible mess I’ve made of the situation with Lando.
Tia and I get to the beach hut with half an hour to spare. Every inch of it has been scrubbed over the past week, and I start pushing the newly painted furniture around the floor, then look up at Tia. ‘We might not even need these chairs if today goes badly.’
There’s a lot riding on today for Tia too, but she manages a smile. ‘The different creams work really well. If the council say “no” you won’t have trouble selling them on.’
I pull a face. ‘The finish at Unicorn Creek was astonishing. If we do get the go-ahead, I’ll have to raise my game to the next galaxy.’
Tia nods. ‘A high standard there is great for local reputation. It was good that Lando insisted on paying Jess for the suit and the dress, even though it was his manager’s dog that jumped out of the window and knocked you over.’
The jury’s still out on whether or not it was an accident. As for the rest, it’s a relief Lando knows about Nemmie, but other than that my life feels like a car crash.
I look up at the sky. ‘I’ve added wetlands to my list of hazards to avoid when out in a wedding dress.’
Tia laughs. ‘Along with harbours, strawberry tarts and ice cream sellers.’
I sigh. ‘After all the effort we put in, I can’t believe Sav only got a handful of usable pictures.’
Tia laughs. ‘Not every guy is as good with a camera as Lando.’
I let that pass and think about what’s coming next.
‘There could be quite a few people here today. Bart’s solicitors are licensing specialists.
They’ve covered stuff like the fire risk assessment, the insurance and the design and access statements.
They’re sending a full team today because we still don’t know what the meeting is about. ’
Tia nudges me. ‘Listen to you sounding like a pro.’
I have to put her right. ‘Don’t be fooled, I’m a complete fraud in every area.’ I’m ticking off the points on my fingers. ‘I work at a wedding shop, yet I’ve never had a boyfriend. As for the rest, I’m just a mum who muddles along. How the hell can I think I can do this?’
Tia looks at me sideways.
‘You’ve raised Nemmie and been to uni, so you should be able to hold your own whatever you choose to do.’ She laughs. ‘And all of the single workers at Brides by the Sea end up in relationships sooner rather than later. Just saying.’
I laugh back. ‘There’s no danger I’ll ever be joining them.’ Through the open back door I catch sight of a guy with a briefcase, making his way along the lane, and my stomach contracts. ‘No panic, but the meeting may be incoming.’
Tia looks through the side window. ‘Jess is walking along the beach with Poppy and three good-looking guys in dark suits.’ She gives me another nudge. ‘Wouldn’t it be ironic if you ended up marrying a licensing solicitor?’
I hiss at her. ‘Not going to happen.’
‘Or the guy from the council?’
A few minutes later the man himself, whose badge says he’s called Cadan, arrives and does a double-take at how many people are here waiting for him.
After Jess has introduced everyone and we’ve all stepped up onto the verandah and filed in and out of the hut, she turns to him. ‘Why don’t you begin by outlining where we stand currently.’
Cadan looks a little bemused. ‘The application is running its course. We’ve had no negative responses from the public, and everything else appears to be in order.’
Jess’s eyes flash. ‘In which case, why are we all here?’
Cadan shuffles. ‘We rarely visit venues, but due to the unusual size and my own office being so close, I made an exception.’
Jess tilts her head. ‘And?’
He repositions his clipboard. ‘I can confirm it’s by far the smallest venue on our books. We feel the rarity value will benefit the town, so the councillors would like to make a concession with the charge.’
Poppy’s stares at him hard. ‘So this isn’t about a problem at all?’
Cadan shakes his head. ‘Far from it! We want to celebrate and support what you’re adding to St Aidan.’
I’m struggling to take this in. ‘So I don’t need my wingmen?’
Cadan glances at the crowd of suits behind me. ‘Not this time. Well done for your enterprise, and good luck with your venture. The registrars can’t wait to work here once the license comes through!’
The most good-looking of the guys in Jess’s group looks up from his file. ‘Can you give a firm indication when that will be?’
Cadan purses his lips. ‘We’re hopeful you’ll have it within the month.’
Which is better than anyone had dared to hope, but we’re not going to say that.
We all sidle down the steps and back onto the beach again. We’re about to erupt into whoops, when Cadan raises a finger. ‘You might want to pick up some cones from the council to reserve a registrar’s parking spot on the lane when the time comes.’
‘Thank you, I’ll do that.’ I’m nodding as we wave him off, dazed at how real it sounds, when an urgent yell from a figure along the sand wakes me up.
‘Watch out, Maevey!’ Shouting that, it has to be Lando. ‘Martha’s here!’
A moment later fifty kilograms of flying fur comes careering towards us. The next shout of, ‘She’s been in the sea!’ is completely unnecessary as she splatters us all with grit and salty spray. And the follow-up, ‘She got away, grab her!’ comes too late as she disappears off into the distance.
I watch her slew round in a tight half circle a hundred yards further on.
Then she’s thundering back towards us again, and this time she’s heading straight for me.
When she hits me head on at thirty miles an hour, I have no chance of staying on my feet, so I give in to the force, let my body move, and when I come to a halt, Martha’s nose is in my ear, and I’m wedged between the thighs of the hottest of the solicitors who is now sprawled beneath me across the beach hut steps.
‘I’m so sorry for knocking you over and squashing you!’
There’s a low laugh behind my back. ‘Not at all, that’s the best catch I’ve made all season. Pasco Pentreath, in case you’ve forgotten. Great to meet you close up.’
When I try to get up all I have to lever myself up on are some pin-stripe-covered knees, so I call out, ‘Can someone get hold of Martha before she runs off?’
As I look past her shoulder, Lando strides into view, his face like a storm cloud as he puts a firm hand on Martha’s collar. ‘If you’d told me you had a meeting, I’d have walked the other way.’
I sigh. ‘I’ll forward you a copy of my diary in future.’
‘I didn’t say that.’ He holds out his other hand to me. ‘Can I help you up?’
I’m weighing up if I can handle touching him, but in that second of hesitation Tia has grasped my wrists, and hauled me to my feet.
I turn to Pasco. ‘Do you need any help?’
He grins. ‘I’m good, thanks all the same.’ He does one of those moves where he just springs into the air and the next minute his brogues are lined up next to my Converse in the sand.
I look at Tia and sniff. ‘Someone here is wearing some seriously cool aftershave.’
‘Caribbean bergamot, with pineapple overtones.’ Tia grins. ‘At a guess, Creed Aventus?’
Pasco laughs. ‘That could be mine.’
Lando’s scowl darkens. ‘Or it might be Martha. She’s wearing Mont Blanc Explorer to cover the fox poop she rolled in. The top notes are very similar.’
Tia gives me a half wink. ‘Not wanting to up the stakes, but I stole Thom’s Jean Paul Gualtier Le Beau this morning, so it could be me, too. You’ll have to take your pick.’
As I smile at how competitive they are, I have one more thing to clear up with Lando. ‘Why is Martha with you anyway?’
‘Don’t ask.’ Lando looks at the sky. ‘But she has inadvertently highlighted the downside of holding weddings in a public area.’
Tia sniffs. ‘Anyone choosing Windflowers will already have embraced that a wedding on the beach implies a certain unpredictability.’ She raises an eyebrow. ‘And anyone not prepared for that can go to Silver Meadows … and pay a hundred times more for the privilege.’
If Lando is going to be this mean, he can have a taste of his own medicine.
‘Which leaves us with more licensing solicitors than we can fit on our bay view verandah, and Windflowers with the new official title as the smallest wedding venue in the area.’ I try to look nonchalant.
‘You can say “congratulations” any time, Lando.’ I take in Martha straining on the lead again.
‘Or you may just like to carry on with your dog walk and leave us to wrap up here.’
Lando coughs. ‘Good idea, sorry for the interruptions. Well done on your new accolade, Maevey. We’ll see you later.’
Jess is rubbing her hands. ‘Which leads us straight on to the next question: how best to introduce Weddings at Windflowers to the world.’
Why did I think there would be time to get my breath back?
I glance at my phone. ‘I’m doing the school pick-up shortly, but I’ll be around to talk about it tomorrow.’
Jess laughs. ‘There’s no need for discussion, Maeve! The Spring Tides Extravaganza is coming up; it’s the natural choice.’
Tia beams. ‘That’s the one where local businesses showcase their wares to fast-forward the start of the season.’
I know exactly what she means. ‘The Sunday where everyone piles into town for freebies?’ My voice jumps an octave. ‘But that’s the weekend after next!’
Jess nods. ‘Ten days gives us more than enough time to blitz Instabook and Faceplace.’
Tia gives me a nudge. ‘We’d only get bored waiting longer.’
There’s a chorus from the solicitors. ‘We’ll see you there.’
Pasco raises an eyebrow. ‘I’ll dust off the Paco Rabanne.’
At least someone’s got a sense of humour. I’m failing to see the funny side.