Chapter 21 - Edith
EDITH
Sitting in the beautiful gardens surrounding The Garden Café, Edith gazed out at the view.
The air was fragrant with summer blooms, their sweetness mingling with the tang of sea salt.
Bees drifted lazily between the flowers, and somewhere beyond the hedgerow came the murmur of conversation and the soft clink of cups.
She loved this spot, perched at the highest point in the gardens, where the bench offered a clear view of the beach and the endless stretch of sea beyond.
It was quiet here, a place to retreat, to think, to simply breathe.
How could anyone fail to relax in a setting like this?
It was a haven from the pressures of everyday life.
With just over a week to go until Titus and Finn’s wedding, she needed a moment to catch her breath.
This was the first of three weddings she had planned for the summer, but somehow this one felt heavier, more personal, more important, because they were her friends.
And of course… because Wyatt was the best man.
Not that she thought that he would judge her.
At first, yes, but now that she’d seen more of him, she could see that he was more reserved than she recalled.
That he wasn’t arrogant or brash, that he seemed to carry a heavy burden that was weighing him down more by the day.
And that made her sad because even though he had hurt her by abandoning her, she didn’t want to see him in pain.
Her phone pinged, so she exhaled and pulled it from her bag, then swiped the screen.
It was Finn.
Edith,
We have an emergency!!!
Where are you? x
Her heart sank. What could have happened now?
I’m at the café. Where are you? x
Finn replied:
Be there in five. x
As a wedding planner, it was her job to deal with wedding emergencies, and so she would deal with this one. It probably wasn’t something awful, but even so, she stood up and gathered her things, then wandered down to the café to meet him.
Five minutes later, she sat at a table inside as Finn and Reggie arrived.
They both looked harassed, and she suddenly wished she had a vodka in front of her rather than a glass of water.
Finn was usually such a chilled person, but as the wedding had got closer, he’d turned into a bit of a bride-zilla — or was that groom-zilla?
‘What’s wrong?’ She went to stand up, but Finn put up a hand.
‘No need to get up.’ He looked around. There were a few customers in the café, but most were sitting outside enjoying the fine weather. ‘Reggie came home from school today to find that his wedding shoes had arrived. You remember we ordered them in London?’
‘The very expensive Italian suede leather shoes?’ she asked.
‘The very ones.’ Finn nodded.
Reggie opened his rucksack and pulled out a box that he set on the table.
Out of nowhere, Pearl appeared and whisked the box off the table. ‘Oh no! No! No! No!’
‘What is it?’ Finn asked. ‘The box is clean.’
Pearl shook her head at him. ‘Never put new shoes on the table.’
‘What?’ He frowned.
‘My dear old gran used to say it was bad luck, and while I’m not sure I believe that, it’s not worth taking the risk, is it?’ Pearl cocked her head to one side and smiled at Finn.
He paused as if he was about to argue but then shrugged. ‘Good point. Not worth the risk.’
‘Can I get you all something?’ Pearl asked.
‘Something refreshing?’ Finn asked.
‘We have a delicious elderflower lemonade that Ellie made this morning,’ she said.
‘Perfect!’ Finn nodded.
‘And for you?’ Pearl asked Edith and Reggie.
‘Yes please,’ they both replied.
‘Coming right up.’ Pearl handed the box to Reggie then went to the counter.
‘So what’s wrong with the shoes?’ Edith asked.
‘More than one thing.’ Reggie opened the box, and Edith winced as a strange smell hit her. ‘They smell like they just came from a farm.’
‘Oh…’ Edith wrinkled her nose. ‘Perhaps the smell will fade and is just strong because they’ve been in the box? You could air them for a bit?’
Reggie seemed to consider her suggestion, but Finn said, ‘There’s more. Put them on, Reggie.’
Reggie sat down, slipped off his trainers then slid on the loafers and stood up.
‘Now show her.’ Finn gestured at the café floor.
Reggie walked towards the counter and back again, and silence fell in the café. A sense of horror washed over Edith. With every step, the shoes made a loud noise like someone had sat on a whoopee cushion.
‘He can’t wear those!’ Finn shook his head. ‘How can he walk down the aisle in them?’
‘I see your point,’ Edith agreed.
Reggie walked towards them again, his face flushed. ‘Bit embarrassing, right?’
‘Not so much party shoes as farty shoes!’ Pearl said as she arrived with their drinks.
Edith met Finn’s eyes and watched as his face turned from a grimace into a full-on grin.
‘F-farty shoes!’ He sniggered, and Edith laughed too. She glanced over at Reggie to see that he was grinning now. They all laughed until tears ran down their cheeks, and Edith had to dig in her bag for a pack of tissues.
‘Oh goodness, me. I needed that.’ She sniffed. ‘But you are right; we need to sort this. Those shoes need to go back, for starters, and we need to find you an alternative, Reggie. Can’t have you farting your way along the aisle.’
Reggie shook his head in mock exasperation. ‘My mates will be there, and I can’t have them seeing me wear these. Or smelling them. I’d never live it down.’
‘You’d be the life and sole of the party for sure!’ Edith said, stifling a giggle.
Reggie grimaced at her. ‘Really?’
Pearl, who was still at the table, said, ‘If Reggie walked down the aisle in those, the guests would think he was very un-fart-unate!’
‘Oh, my god!’ Finn covered his face with his hands. He was laughing so hard he was shaking. ‘What if… when the time comes to say our vows, the celebrant says to the guests, “If any of you have any objections, fart now or forever hold your briefs?”’
Edith folded over and held her belly as laughter consumed her and her friends.
Finally, as the laughter ebbed, Edith steadied herself.
She drank some of the elderflower lemonade, which was light and refreshing and helped her to cool down.
Laughter really was the best medicine, and the joy hung in the air — a shared time of joking, a moment that would become a treasured memory.
It was awful that the shoes were so bad, but it could be remedied.
She would get on the case as soon as they’d finished their drinks and calmed down a bit.
When her phone pinged and she reached for it, she was still smiling, which made the message she’d received even harder to digest.
‘Oh god! Oh, no… Not that!’ she said, her phone sliding from her hand as a chill crept down her spine.
‘What is it?’ Finn asked.
She swallowed hard, not wanting to tell him but knowing there was no alternative.
‘The smelly, squeaky shoes… They’re the least of our problems.’