Chapter Forty-One
Hattie hadn’t thought she’d be nervous about being a celebrant.
She didn’t have to learn her words by heart, she could read them if she wanted.
And although Fiona and Nick were exchanging vows, they were very short and simple.
Once she’d said her bit, the party would start.
She was wearing Mary’s gorgeous navy and cream dress which had never reached her parents’ Golden Wedding celebrations, and knowing she looked good should have given her confidence.
And yet, when she was standing at the front of the village hall – it was still pouring with rain – she felt almost overcome with twitchiness. It wasn’t even proper nerves, she realised. It was as if electricity had somehow got under her skin.
Outwardly she was calm but her blood was fizzing inside her veins. She clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention when the time had come for Fiona and Nick to walk down the makeshift aisle together, and Sheila changed the music from Fiona’s classical playlist to Pachelbel’s Canon in D.
It was a delight to watch them walk up between their friends and family. Everyone was smiling; the couple were holding hands, looking at each other, their expressions full of joy.
Hattie had practised her lines often enough so she did know them by heart.
Nick standing with his bride whom he so obviously adored and Fiona looking up at her groom, full of trust and love, was inspiring.
And although her skin still felt electrified and her heart was racing, she enjoyed saying the few lines that would unite this couple in the presence of everyone who loved them.
She took a moment to look at her audience.
She noticed Malcolm squeezing Fiona’s hand and then getting out his handkerchief and giving it to her.
She just had time to appreciate the change in him before she had to speak.
She finished with a triumphant ‘You may exchange kisses’ and the whole party erupted in cheers of congratulation as Nick and Fiona leant in for a deeply felt kiss.
Afterwards, someone put a glass of champagne into her hand but she didn’t dare drink it. She felt strange enough without adding alcohol even if she wasn’t driving. Hattie wished she’d fought to take her own car. She felt a bit trapped now.
Rose came up to her. ‘It’s a shame Luke couldn’t come.’
It was typical of Rose to get straight to the point. Sheila had invited him although Hattie had tried to imply she didn’t want him to come, and Hattie realised that part of her was disappointed he couldn’t make it.
‘Some business meeting, I gather.’
‘But it’s a Saturday!’ said Rose indignantly.
‘I know! But business goes on at weekends for some.’ Now Hattie wished she hadn’t put her champagne glass down. Her mouth had gone completely dry. ‘I must get some water—’
‘Sam? Would you be a dear?’ Rose asked her long-suffering husband.
‘For Hats, I’ll be an antelope!’
‘You think he’d wait to actually be a dad before making dad jokes,’ said Rose. ‘And no, I’m not pregnant, though I am thinking about it.’
‘Rose! That’s so exciting! I thought you were wedded to your shop.’
‘I am, but now I want a baby too.’
‘I will insist on being godmother. I’m so thrilled!’
She gave Rose a quick kiss on the cheek at the same time as Sam arrived with a glass of sparkling water.
‘Thank you so much for this,’ said Hattie. ‘I’m feeling dreadfully on edge for some reason.’
‘But you’ve done your bit – very well. You can relax now,’ said Rose.
‘I know. I think the water will sort me out.’ Hattie sipped and while it stopped her feeling thirsty, it didn’t calm her much.
She managed to chat to a few people – Fiona and Nick, some friends of Sheila’s who were also staying with her for the wedding, but then she felt she had to get some fresh air.
The rain didn’t help. She opened the back door in the kitchen of the hall and stood on the step, risking upsetting the catering staff who were all around her.
Then it happened. It was a vision. This time it was Luke she could see so clearly.
He was wearing a suit and was looking at someone in a blue dress – Hattie couldn’t see who – with love in his eyes.
There was a tiny glimpse of what looked like the lining of the jacket the woman was wearing, fabric she’d never seen before.
It was white with a small filigree pattern in blue on it, beautiful.
Frank and Fearless were standing next to what was probably the woman’s knee.
Hattie stepped out of the kitchen and held on to a garden bench until the vision and its accompanying nausea left her.
She breathed deeply for a few seconds, her brain whirling.
Then she made a decision which probably broke every rule but she found she didn’t care.
She had to act. After all, if the vision hadn’t yet happened in real life, she could stop Luke meeting the woman in the blue dress.
She went back into the building and found Rose.
‘Did you drive?’ she said.
‘Of course – what’s the matter?’
‘Can I borrow your car?’
‘Where do you want to go in such a hurry? Would you like me to drive you anywhere? It’s not Mary, is it?’
‘No. I just need to get somewhere. Immediately.’
‘You’ve had a vision, haven’t you?’ said Rose.
Hattie nodded. ‘I need to go now.’
Rose delved in her handbag and found the keys. ‘It’s Luke, isn’t it?’
Hattie nodded. ‘I have to stop him falling in love with the wrong woman!’
‘Alleluia!’ said Rose, but Hattie had gone.
Hattie was at Luke’s house almost without realising how she’d got there.
There was a strange car on the drive she knew by instinct was April’s, but she didn’t allow that to slow her.
She had her key in her hand this time, so she opened the door.
The dogs rushed up to her, jumping and yipping their welcome.
She pushed past them into the sitting room.
Luke and April were at the table with some papers – architectural drawings, perhaps – she couldn’t really make them out. They both got up when she appeared, looking guilty. ‘Hattie!’ said Luke.
Hattie didn’t reply. April looked at him, obviously acutely embarrassed. ‘I’m not going to say it’s not what it looks like,’ she said to Hattie. ‘Luke, you’re going to have to tell her everything!’ Then she picked up her handbag and left.
Hattie thought her knees were going to give way. She got herself to the sofa and sat down. She felt hot and cold at the same time. She knew it was only partly the aftermath of the vision. The rest was shock at what April had said. Frank and Fearless sat at her feet, looking anxiously up at her.
Luke came over. ‘You don’t look well. I’ll get you some water.’
He seemed concerned but no longer guilty. She took the glass when he handed it to her. ‘It’s all right,’ she said when she’d taken a sip and her mouth became less dry. ‘I know you and April are together – and – well – you’re perfectly entitled.’
When she’d been flying through the country lanes, she had been set on telling Luke how she really felt. But now it was too embarrassing to declare herself without really knowing how he felt; all she knew was that she wanted to try. The certainty her vision had given her had faded somewhat.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ Luke said. ‘Stay there and drink your water.’
He left the room and a moment later she saw him crossing the garden to his cabin. She sipped and closed her eyes. Fearless crept up on to the sofa beside her. Frank had his head on her knee. They kept her from fleeing the house but they couldn’t prevent the tears seeping out from between her lids.
Luke was back in a few minutes. He had something in his hands which he put into her lap.
She looked down to see a Bag for Life stuck up with parcel tape.
It was wrapped round something quite large and she wondered what it could be.
But what on earth was going on? She’d come here to declare herself, had her worst fears confirmed and now she was apparently about to open a present.
‘It’s for you,’ said Luke. ‘I intended to wait until Christmas to give it to you.’
There was a lot of tape, and she didn’t know where to start.
‘Here,’ he said, handing her a knife.
She took the knife but was in too much of a state to be able to think how to use it.
Luke picked up the parcel. ‘I’ll start it off for you.’
Hattie started to pull away the tape where Luke had made a cut.
‘I’m no good at wrapping presents,’ said Luke.
‘You never have been,’ she said, looking up at him. Hattie took out a white cardboard box, too big to be held in one hand.
‘Open it!’ Luke demanded.
She reached inside, thoroughly confused by a cool, smooth surface. Then she realised what it was. ‘It’s a snow globe!’ she said, pulling it free from its box.
Luke nodded. ‘Can you recognise it?’
In it was a house and as she turned it round, snowflakes danced through the sky above it.
She realised she knew it. ‘It’s Mary’s house!
’ she whispered. Luke didn’t speak as she turned the globe in her hand.
There was the water butt, the seat, the stone sinks filled with herbs.
‘It’s perfect, like in a model village or something. ’
Luke laughed gently. ‘When I realised you couldn’t buy it in the normal way, I wanted you to have it in some form or other.’
‘And so you made it for me.’ Hattie inspected it, noting the detail: the roof tiles, the double doors that opened on to the veranda; it was perfect.
She couldn’t speak or see for a few moments as tears overcame her.
She cleared her throat and blinked. ‘I don’t know what to say.
It’s wonderful. I didn’t know you could make things like this. ’
Luke relaxed. It was if he hadn’t known earlier if she’d like it or not. ‘I started building things with balsa wood when I was a boy.’
‘But it must have been so difficult to create anything so small, so detailed. And painting it.’