Chapter 54
54
‘After Dodgy Del’s snowy surprise at the station on Christmas Eve, I can’t believe it’s actually snowed for real on my wedding day a month later!’ said Harriet, with a groan.
Libby shook her head. ‘It doesn’t matter,’ she told her. ‘It’s your big day and not even the weather can spoil it.’
‘How can it?’ said Flora, going over to the window. ‘It looks magical out there!’
It had begun to snow the day before and now, on the actual wedding day, it was still snowing. The whole area was coated in six inches of snow and chaos had ensued as to the wedding preparation.
The plan had always been for most people to walk to the tiny church in Cranbridge as Harriet wanted to go past her lavender fields, which were such a strong link to her late beloved aunt and uncle. But that was going to be impossible in deep snow with a long gown as well as the return journey to the station for the reception.
Consequently, rides had been hurriedly organised and guests were being ferried over to the church with only half an hour to go.
‘Ryan says the roads are getting worse,’ said Katy, looking at her phone and grimacing. ‘You know, this is why I used to live in a city!’ But she was smiling as she went over to fix a stray red hair of Harriet’s under her veil.
‘You look beautiful,’ said Flora.
Harriet was wearing a long gown of white silk and lace and looked every inch the beautiful bride.
Harriet blushed. ‘Well, I didn’t want anything fancy,’ she told them.
‘Simple, elegant and exquisite,’ said Katy, with an approving nod.
Libby had to agree. Harriet looked wonderful and for the first time in two days, she found that she was smiling.
It had been a wretched couple of days ever since she had walked away from Ethan. Was it possible to miss someone that much? To lose one’s oldest friend and still survive? Because she ached inside at not seeing him every day. Her skin yearned for his touch. Her mouth wanted to be kissed over and over by him. But none of that would ever happen again.
She knew she had been right to walk away. That perhaps one day, a long time in the future, she would get over him. But at the moment, she was so heartbroken that she felt that she was only functioning on autopilot just to get through each day.
Her dad had not questioned when she had arrived back home with a car full of her cooking equipment the previous day, after she had gone into the old school when she knew Ethan wouldn’t be there. But she found that he had been making her more cups of tea and giving her hand a squeeze more often than he had ever done before.
All she needed to do was get through the wedding day, she reminded herself. Ethan would be on the first plane out of there soon after and then she could relax, maybe even heal.
But she knew that her heart would never mend. It had always been Ethan for as long as she could remember. For all of her life, he had been her first and forever love. She just wasn’t his.
‘Do you love him?’
For a moment, Libby thought she had spoken out loud and then she realised that it was Harriet’s voice she had heard. She looked over to see her three best friends watching her with worried looks.
She took in a shaky breath before nodding, finally able to admit the truth to them.
‘Then you have to tell him,’ said Flora, with an impatient shake of her head.
Libby gave them a sad smile. ‘I have,’ she told them.
The truth was that he just didn’t feel the same way.
Her friends exchanged looks and then rushed forward as one unit to embrace her in a hug. For a second, she let them comfort her. And then she stepped away.
‘Right, come on, bridal party, this is supposed to be a happy day,’ she told them, despite her broken heart.
‘Shall we have another glass of champagne?’ said Katy, grabbing the nearby bottle and glasses.
‘Absolutely,’ agreed Libby.
Once they all had a glass of champagne, Katy did the toast.
‘Here’s to love,’ she said, with a smile. ‘Love for a soon-to-be married couple, love between neighbours and families, and love between friends. Best friends.’
‘To love,’ they all said in unison, clinking their glasses before taking a sip of the delicious drink.
‘But unless love comes with a snowplough, we’d better get a wriggle on,’ said Flora and they all nodded their agreement.
A few moments later, Harriet was carefully ensconced in the back of Ryan’s Range Rover, along with Paddington the dog and Flora.
Ethan had been waiting in his car. Libby knew that she would have to cope with seeing him that day and it was fine. Perfectly fine, she tried to tell herself.
Except he suddenly leapt out of the driving seat and rushed over. ‘I’ve forgotten the rings!’ he told them, hurrying away through the snow in his suit towards the school.
Libby rolled her eyes. ‘You’d all better get going,’ she told them. ‘I can check that he’s got them.’
‘Are you sure?’ asked Katy, with worried eyes from the passenger seat. ‘I could wait for him instead?’
‘You’re already in there,’ Libby told her. ‘Don’t crease your jumpsuit by getting in and out. It’s fine. We’ll be right behind you. Harriet’s the important one! See you there!’
And with a wave, she watched as they carefully drove away.
She shivered, but it wasn’t the cold winter air that made her feel that way. It was being in close proximity to Ethan once more.
But she could get through the toughest of days. Because it was Harriet’s wedding day so it was the happiest of days as well, despite her broken heart.