CHAPTER FOURTEEN
It was another night when Delphie felt reluctant to leave the cosy fireside at Wil’s house to head back to the farmhouse. But it was late, and they’d made huge progress with their plans for the new show.
Delphie closed the notebook and handed it to Wil. ‘It’s been an exciting evening, but it’s getting late.’
‘Thank you for helping with the artwork and the ideas for the show,’ said Wil, walking her out to the hall and helping her on with her coat.
He opened the front door and they felt the cold air blow in.
‘I’ll see you tomorrow night,’ she said.
‘Yes, I’ll come by when I’ve finished at the studio.’
Delphie nodded and hurried out to her car.
As before, he waved as she drove off, feeling less inclined to let her go each time.
Delphie glanced in the mirror, seeing Wil standing there lit up in the warm glow of the doorway. Her heart ached a little as she drove away.
Arriving at the farmhouse, she hurried inside and prepared herself for a restless night. She knew how her mind sparked with ideas when tasked with making plans, designs or artwork.
Grabbing a notebook of her own, she took it upstairs and sat it on the bedside table along with a pencil, quite prepared to have her slumber interspersed with jotting down ideas for the show’s storyboard .
Before she’d even snuggled under the covers, she sat up in bed and made notes.
Wil sat by the heat of the fire’s embers reading the notebook. The storyboard sketches brought the show to life, and he found himself thinking of choreography for some of the dances they’d talked about.
But it was getting late, and he’d yet another busy day at the studio, so he put the notebook aside, turned the lights off in the living room, and headed upstairs to bed.
Unlike Delphie, he slept right through to the morning.
Delphie worked on the starry sky painting in the barn during the day, finishing it, and then got ready for Wil arriving that evening.
The farmhouse kitchen felt cosy as she checked on the roast potatoes in the oven and served up two salmon pasties made with puff pastry, garden peas sprinkled with chives, and a spoonful of cranberry sauce.
Wil had sent a message from the dance studio that he was on his way and would be there in a few minutes.
Delphie made a pot of tea and set their cups up as Wil knocked on the door.
‘Come on in,’ she called to him.
Wil walked through to the kitchen and smiled when he saw her. ‘Dinner looks tasty,’ he said, seeing their plates on the table as he went over to the sink to wash his hands .
Delphie poured their tea. ‘The roast potatoes should be ready soon.’
The oven pinged, and Wil pitched in, grabbed the oven gloves and lifted the tray of sizzling roast potatoes out and helped to serve them up. ‘I love roasties,’ he said.
Sitting down at the table, they chatted about the party night.
‘Kian phoned today to tell me that all the tickets are sold,’ said Delphie. ‘He’s arranged to come up to the barn to organise the drinks for the bar and a few other things.’
‘I’ve brought a music playlist that I use for the studio. We should listen to that this evening and agree what songs we want to use.’
Delphie felt a rush of excitement charge through her. ‘And we need to rehearse our waltz.’ She’d worn a dress and heels for dancing.
‘I’ll help you move your artwork into the farmhouse after dinner, and clear the floor so we can dance.’ He smiled at her. ‘Thanks for making dinner. It’s delicious.’ He ate another roast potato and tucked into the pastry.
Delphie enjoyed her meal too, and liked the easy rhythm between them as they sat together in the kitchen chatting over dinner.
They’d agreed the previous night that Wil’s plan to create his own show wouldn’t be a secret now. So she’d told her grandparents earlier in the day.
‘My grandparents are thrilled that The Sweetest Waltz painting was the spark that ignited the storyboard for the show. And that parts of their background will be incorporated into the dances.’
Wil smiled as he continued to eat his dinner, pleased that her grandparents were happy.
‘My gran suggested that we could use some of her vintage dresses for the styling of the costumes.’
‘That’s a great idea.’
‘I’ve had a browse through her wardrobes and added a couple of designs to the storyboard.’
Wil grinned.
‘I know,’ she said. ‘But you encouraged me to multitask.’
Wil finished his dinner. ‘I did, but let’s double up on the tasks tonight. I’ll start moving the artwork.’
‘I’ll clear the dishes and show you where I want my art studio set up.’
Agreeing to make short work of this, Delphie led Wil through to the room where she’d cleared a space for her easels and paints.
It didn’t take Wil long to lift her artwork from the barn into the farmhouse. Delphie helped, organising her watercolour paints, oils and acrylics into the dresser and drawers her grandmother used for crafting.
He admired her starry sky painting that was now displayed on an easel. ‘You’ve really captured the feeling of a night sky, and I recognise the farmhouse. The couple dancing are familiar too.’ He grinned knowingly.
‘The figures are from our quickstep video. But I added different clothes for artistic flair.’
‘What are you going to do with it?’ he said .
‘I thought I’d keep it as a memento of my time here.’
Wil nodded, jarred once again by the time stamp of her leaving.
Heading back over to the barn, Wil checked the music system and added his playlist.
They spent the next few minutes agreeing on the songs to play at the start of the party night. Then Wil suggested a couple of songs for their ending waltz.
He played the first song and took Delphie in hold. ‘This is a classic. I’m sure you know it.’
‘I do know it. It’s a lovely romantic song.’
Under the twinkle lights, they waltzed around, deciding if this song was better, or the second choice.
‘The second song would suit a waltz with more flair,’ said Delphie.
‘It would, but there’s nothing to beat a true classic, a traditional waltz danced well.’ Wil gazed down at her, still keeping her close in hold. ‘And the first song is so romantic.’
‘We should use the first one,’ Delphie agreed, hoping he didn’t sense the effect his closeness had on her.
‘I’ll play it again from the beginning.’ He hurried over and reset it, then came back and held her in a traditional hold.
And then they danced around the floor, matching each other’s movements as if they’d rehearsed it several times.
‘This waltz suits us,’ Wil said as they circled the floor .
‘It does,’ she agreed. ‘I was thinking I’d wear one of my grandmother’s dresses to add to the performance.’
‘Perfect. I’ll wear a classic suit.’
They continued to practise their routines, and set things up in the barn ready for the party.
Wil climbed up a step ladder to adjust the spotlights over the dance floor, angling them as if he was setting up a stage performance.
Delphie looked up the old video of her grandparents dancing when they were young that she’d used for The Sweetest Waltz painting.
Wil heard the song lyrics and climbed down to watch the video. ‘They dance so well together.’
‘They do.’ Delphie felt Wil’s closeness and her heart reacted stronger than ever. But she kept her conversation light to disguise the depths of her feelings. ‘My grandmother kept the dress. It’s hanging in the wardrobe.’
‘Are you going to wear it for our waltz?’ he said hopefully.
Delphie glanced up at him. ‘I thought I would. I’ve never worn it. I’d need to try it on. But the wardrobes are filled with other dresses.’
‘I’d like to see them. As you said, they could be handy for designing the costumes for our show.’
Our show . The words resonated through her. But it was true. They were creating the show together.
Wil put the ladder away, satisfied that the spotlights were sorted.
Leaving the barn, they walked together towards the farmhouse. Wil suddenly paused and clasped her hand. ‘ Dance with me,’ he said playfully, gazing up at the stars in the night sky shining above them.
Delphie smiled and began dancing with him.
‘I want to feel what it would be like for the couple in the painting,’ he said.
The low cut grass added a softness to their steps, but they danced smoothly as he held her close.
‘Nature’s dance floor feels great,’ she said, letting Wil lead them around for a few moments before they went into the farmhouse.
‘Would you like to see the vintage dresses?’ Delphie offered.
‘Lead the way.’
Upstairs, Delphie opened the wardrobes doors. ‘My grandmother kept these beautiful dresses that she wore for dancing. Even the ones after she stopped dancing professionally.’
Wil looked impressed. ‘It’s an amazing collection.’
Delphie unhooked the beautiful pink dress and held it up in front of herself to show him.
Wil stepped forward and instinctively reached out to touch the fabric, feeling the gorgeous silk chiffon of the dress that was depicted in his painting. ‘So, this is the dress from The Sweetest Waltz.’
‘It is.’ Delphie turned to look at her reflection in the mirror while holding up the dress. ‘It would be lovely to wear it for our waltz at the party night.’
‘Wear it,’ he said. ‘It’s perfect.’
Delphie nodded, planning to try it on later, and then hung it back up in the wardrobe.
She showed him various dresses, each one a vintage classic design .
‘These would add authenticity to our show if the costumes were based on them,’ he said, and singled one out. ‘This lilac dress looks like something out of a fairytale.’
Delphie lifted the wispy chiffon and silk creation from the wardrobe and let Wil have a closer look. ‘My grandmother made these dresses,’ she revealed.
Wil blinked. ‘She stitched these herself?’
‘Yes, she trained as a dressmaker in Paris and worked in French couture while she was a dancer.’
‘I noticed the sewing machine in the kitchen.’
‘Sewing is her hobby now, but...’ Delphie tried to reach a box from the top shelf of one of the wardrobes.
Wil lifted it down for her and watched as she opened it to reveal tidily folded paper patterns that her grandmother had made to create the dresses.
‘These are her patterns. She kept them all, and the dresses. There is so much more to the clothes than mementos of wearing them for dancing. She’s a skilled dressmaker and even the sequins and beading are her handiwork.’
Wil looked thoughtful. ‘Do you think your grandmother would be interested in helping us with the show’s costume designs?’
Delphie’s eyes lit up. ‘Oh, I’m sure she’d love to do that.’ She pictured her grandmother’s excitement of coming home to help design the dresses.
‘Thank you, Wil.’
‘For what?’ he said.
‘Just for being you. ’
He smiled warmly, and they continued to sift through the dresses and the patterns, and talked more about the storyline for the show.
‘Romance is at the heart of it,’ he insisted. ‘Despite the conflict, true romance needs to be the thread running through it.’
‘I should write some of these ideas down on the storyboard,’ said Delphie.
Tidying up the wardrobes, they went downstairs and while Delphie made the tea, Wil popped out to his car and came back in with the notebook plans.
‘I brought this with me, just in case we needed it,’ he said, putting it down on the kitchen table.
Delphie grabbed a pencil and jotted down the things they’d just discussed.
Wil made the tea while she did this.
Sitting down at the kitchen table, they talked about the plans for the show.
Delphie stopped suddenly and put her pencil down. ‘Our focus should be on the party night,’ she reminded them firmly.
‘We’ve got everything ready for the party that we need at the moment,’ he said calmly.
‘You’re right.’ Delphie picked up her pencil and continued to add to the storyboard.
Finally calling it a night, Delphie walked Wil out.
‘I’ll pop into the bakery shop in the morning,’ he said. ‘I’ll talk to Kian and Catriona, and see if there’s anything else we need to get ready.’
Waving to each other, Wil drove off home and Delphie went inside the farmhouse and got ready for bed .
Switching off the lights downstairs, she noticed the starry sky painting sitting on the easel in her relocated art studio.
Equipped with a hammer and nails, she put it up on the wall in her bedroom beside the original painting of her grandparents outside the farmhouse. Side by side, they showed her progression from a budding artist to an accomplished one.
Lying in bed, moonlight streamed through the window, shining a beam across the two paintings. Thinking about her art, her evening with Wil, waltzing with him in the barn, and giving him a peek at the dresses, she drifted off to sleep.
Wil sat at a window table with Kian in the bakery shop, deep in conversation, as Catriona served up two teas and a roll filled with scrambled eggs and grilled tomatoes for Wil.
Kian had his notes and tick boxed down the to–do list. ‘That’s most things done, except the actual setting up of the bar and buffet on the night. But Catriona and I have part–time staff and other folk eager to muck in. So all is fine.’
Wil saw his own face frowning, reflected in the window, in stark contrast to Kian’s cheery demeanour.
‘Relax, Wil,’ Kian told him. ‘We’ve got your back. The town has your back. Everyone’s happy that the party night is on this year. We’re up to our eyeballs in folk popping in saying they’d like to help.’
‘It’s a great community.’
‘Now get your breakfast down you,’ Kian insisted .
Wil lifted up his roll and took a bite, feeling his appetite instantly remedied by the delicious filling.
Catriona hurried over. ‘I’ve just had the lads from the local band on the phone. They’re offering to play during the party night.’
It transpired that they were the three men, two fiddlers and an accordionist from the ceilidh night at the hotel.
‘They usually play at the barn parties. I told them you’ve organised a playlist of dance music, but they’ll play two or three numbers halfway through the evening,’ Catriona explained to Wil. ‘I said yes. I hope that’s okay.’
‘Yes, that’s more than okay,’ Wil agreed. ‘They were a lively band and seemed popular.’
‘They are,’ Kian added. ‘We’ll pay them a wee bit out of the ticket sales.’
With a live band now part of the party, and with the town eager to participate, Wil saw his frown fade in the reflection, and tucked into his breakfast.
In the afternoon, Delphie watched the barn being transformed at speed. Barrels of beer were connected up ready for pouring and bottles of everything from whisky to wine were stocked on the shelves behind the bar. Kian and his helpers prepared the bar and buffet area, insisting she stand aside so they could make short work of it. Delphie kept out of their way so as not to be a hindrance.
Watching the barn buzzing with activity, Delphie’s excitement soared, and made her want to be part of this town’s close–knit community more than ever. The smiling faces, the laughter as they worked together to set up something that everyone would enjoy, warmed her heart.
She kept in touch with Wil, whizzing messages back and forth, as he was working on helping dancers online with their choreography.
And Delphie had received a message from Gareth that everything was going smoothly with her artwork for his project in Edinburgh. He’d added that Sienna and Steaphan were competing in the contest later in the city.
Do you think Sienna and Steaphan will win? Delphie wondered what Gareth thought of their chances.
I think so. Sienna is confident in their choreography. Wil did a great job, but she’s added her own special flair .
As the afternoon wore on, and the buzzing calmed to a gentle murmur of activity, Kian and the others finally headed away. Delphie thanked them profusely, and it seemed that people were looking forward to seeing her dancing with Wil, and having a fun night.
Her grandmother called to say that she was having a romantic dinner in Paris, and Delphie took the opportunity to tell her about the costume designing.
‘Oh, yes! Tell Wil I’d be happy to help you with the designs,’ said her grandmother. ‘And your grandfather and I are so excited that you’re planning a new show with Wil.’
‘We expect front row seats to the opening night performance,’ her grandfather chimed–in cheerily.
‘I promise you’ll have them,’ said Delphie .
After the call, Delphie headed over to the farmhouse and went upstairs to try the pink dress on.
It fitted as if it was made for her, and she tried on her dance shoes with it. Looking in the mirror, she saw a variation of her grandmother from yesteryear. Taking it off and hanging it up ready for the party night, she then put on the lilac dress that Wil had so admired. It fitted well too, and it did look like something from a fairytale. Deciding she’d wear it for their opening dance, the quickstep, she hung it up, closed the wardrobe doors and went downstairs to make dinner.