Cornish Dreams at Cockle Cottage
CHAPTER ONE
The morning sun flooded into the room filling it with light. The frost outside added to the sparkle of the champagne that was being poured into glasses. A bed was covered with a pile of dresses and gowns and a cat slept unperturbed on a pillow of cashmere and satin.
Ariana, Countess of Hiverton, sat at her dressing table, picking up various necklaces and earrings as she tried to decide what to wear. She smiled back at her reflection and laughed up at her three sisters.
‘I think it’s the ruby necklaces and the diamond tiaras that I find the most ridiculous. You know what I mean?’
Clem laughed. ‘For me, it’s when they call me Lady Clementine. I keep wondering if some bigwig has just arrived.’
‘It’s the bank balance for me, all that money and I didn’t earn any of it.’
‘There are lots of ways to earn money, Aster,’ said Nick. ‘Although, yes, you have a point,’ she broke off laughing, ‘the bank balances are rather incredible.’
Ari joined in the laughter as the girls discussed their recent change in fortunes. It had been almost a year now since their uncle David, their mother’s brother, had died and Ari, as eldest sister, had inherited the estate and title. They had always been a very small family but today they were about to add another member. Ari was getting married to Sir Sebastian Flint-Hyssop and they were all very excited.
‘Clem, don’t you think I should get dressed now? We’re cutting it fine.’
Clem had designed and made everyone’s gowns. As this was Ari’s second wedding and her two little boys would be present she hadn’t wanted a full-on white wedding dress. Clem had raised her eyebrow at Ari’s resistance and had started sketching some ideas. In the end she had fallen in love with a simple cream, full-length duchesse satin dress with a slim skirt, falling to the floor. Over the top of the dress, Clem had drawn a large single cowl that sat on her shoulders like a cape. It was in white organza, trimmed at the top and bottom in a white satin band. Ari had gasped when she saw it.
‘Seriously, Clem, that is the most bridal dress I have ever seen. It’s almost religious.’
Her sister had protested with a huge grin on her face. ‘But there’s no veil, as requested, and no train and no lace and no frills and…’
‘… and I love it. Will you be able to make it in time?’
Despite having said that he would take time to woo Ari, Seb had not been able to wait. He wanted to marry her as quickly as possible, she felt the same, why wait? However, Ari had been worried that the speed might be too much to handle. Clem had dismissed her concerns, explaining that because the design was so simple she’d have no time issues. She would also be able to do the four bridesmaid dresses as well. ‘We’ll have our dresses in caramel and our capes in cream.’
With that decided, Clem had then flown to her sewing machine and barely came up for air as she rushed to deliver what she had promised her sister.
‘Do you know it’s incredible to think this is the sort of wedding that our grandfather must have wanted for Mummy. A big fancy do, marrying someone with a title. And he was prepared to throw her out because she chose someone who brought her nothing but happiness. Imagine how different things would have been if he had only been more forgiving. I almost feel sorry for him.’
Clem stared at her big sister in disbelief. ‘He was an arsehole.’
‘Clementine!’
‘What? He was. How can you defend him?’ Clem was used to being chastised by her sisters for speaking her mind, but she was surprised that any of them would disagree with her on this point. ‘We grew up wearing hand-me-down clothes. Eating meals that our neighbours shared with us. We didn’t have a single holiday and when Mum and Da died we were left to fend for ourselves!’
‘I’m not defending him, but could you remember not to swear in front of the boys?’
Clem looked in embarrassment at her nephews, who were now standing grinning in the doorway.
‘Little tinkers, I thought Paddy was taking care of them?’
‘I was,’ said Paddy, who walked in behind them, ‘but how was I to know when we came back from our snack, that you’d be swearing?’
‘It’s Clem,’ said Aster, ‘it would have been a pretty safe bet.’
Clem gave her a mock growl but was glad that the mood had lifted. She still couldn’t come to terms with a mother and father who could abandon their daughter for the sole crime of falling in love with the ‘wrong’ man.
‘Who were we talking about anyway?’ asked Paddy. She smiled at her sisters; between them and her two nephews there was no one she loved more in the world.
‘Grandfather.’
‘Oh yes.’ Her face fell a little. Her grandfather was the root of her mother’s banishment. ‘It’s so sad, isn’t it, that they weren’t able to see how happy their grandchildren are and meet their gorgeous great-grandsons.’
‘Is that us?’ piped up Leo.
‘Are you gorgeous?’
‘Yes!’ shouted William laughing.
‘Well, I guess it must be you two then. Now just play with your tractors whilst I sort out Mummy’s hair and face. Spit spot.’
‘About time! No one is putting their dresses on until you’ve finished with the make-up.’
‘Don’t worry, Clem,’ said Paddy hugging her sister, ‘I can do this with my eyes closed and then we can all get dressed in your gorgeous creations.’
Nick nudged Aster. ‘Shall I do your hair and you can do my face?’
‘Clown cheeks and pigtails?’
‘Absolutely!’
Paddy swatted the pair of them with her hand. ‘Behave! Nick don’t lead Aster astray.’ Which made everyone laugh. At twenty, Aster was the youngest of the five girls, but the idea of her being led anywhere was preposterous.
‘I’ll do your make-up in a minute. Let me sort out Ari, then Clem can dress her. And we can get this wedding day production line underway.’
Unrolling her make-up brushes, she started to apply a light base of colours on her sister’s face. Having been a professional model since sixteen, Paddy was a dab hand at applying the perfect make-up for any occasion and sorting out hairstyles with a flick of the wrist.
‘Do you know, I don’t care about our grandfather? I just wish Mum and Dad were here,’ said Ari, as she watched her sisters chatting.
‘I think they are. I think they are looking down on you right now, Ari, and are sending you all their love,’ said Paddy.
‘Oh damn, I think you’re going to have to do my mascara again.’
Paddy dabbed at her own eyes. ‘It’s okay, I’m using waterproof on all of us. I know you’ll think this is daft but when I’m with you four, it feels like they are here with me anyway.’
Ari nodded in agreement. ‘I’m the same when I see the things you do or say and I catch a glimpse of them. I don’t think they could be prouder than I am at how we’ve all turned out.’
There was a gentle knock on the door and Mary, Sebastian’s mother, leant around it and the girls all greeted her enthusiastically. They liked Ari’s soon to be mother-in-law and despite her being Lady Flint-Hyssop, she was down to earth and welcoming to all the sisters. In turn Mary enjoyed the company of these vivacious girls; individually they were either quiet or calm or boisterous but together they were like a flock of birds and lifted the spirits of the entire room. Once more Mary thought her son was very lucky indeed. Now she cleared her throat.
‘I think we’re ready when you are? Can I help with anything?’
Eventually, in a flurry of chiffon and diamonds, the girls slipped on their shoes and prepared to leave. They were heading to the local parish church that lay between the two estates. Having got ready at Hiverton Manor, the actual wedding reception would take place at Hyssop Hall.
***
As Lord Flint-Hyssop waited in the church foyer with Ari he gave her a very soft kiss on her forehead. ‘Do you know, I am honoured to walk you down the aisle. My only regret is that I never met your father; he must have been an incredible man, for little Lily to run off with him and for them to bring up five amazing girls. He would be so proud of you today.’ He patted her hand. ‘As proud as I am to welcome you into my family. Now shall we go and entertain the crowd?’
As the music from the organ swelled to fill the church, Ari, Tony Flint-Hyssop, her four sisters and her two sons started to walk down the aisle. In the simplicity and elegance of their outfits they almost floated, the little boys solemnly carrying the ring cushions. As Ari walked towards Sebastian he stood and watched as she moved in beauty towards him and he knew he was finally complete.
***
The ballroom pulsed with laughter and music. Champagne flowed and the wedding guests danced and drank their fill. Small children crawled under tables gathering up fallen shoes until the occasional adult leant down and waved them away. Women returning to the dance floor either did so barefoot or in shoes too small or too large. Whether they noticed or not was unclear.
Groups of friends poured each other drinks, some balanced glasses on top of each other, bow ties hung loose around necks as cigars were puffed on. The tables had been cleared by teams of waiting staff and moved to the edges of the ballroom in readiness for the dancing. Despite the wintry conditions, the ballroom glass doors were open to the wide stone patio and a few brave souls stood outside to escape the heat of the room. Those inside were glad of the cool air; girls shivered delicately as opportunistic chaps swung their jackets over the girls’ shoulders. More than one pair caught each other’s eye either for the evening ahead, or for years to come. Garlands hung from the chandeliers and party poppers lay strewn over the floor. Dancers kicked the debris to the edge of the floor and would clap and cheer as a couple would swing into a waltz or a tango, regardless of the music playing. Fathers danced with their children standing on their feet whilst their mothers watched on, chatting with family and friends as they swapped stories of previous weddings, and agreeing this was one of the jolliest in a long time.
The four sisters sat lounging back on their chairs; they had eaten enough, drunk maybe a glass too much and danced their stockings off. Now they watched Ari dance and laugh with their new brother-in-law. The Ladies Clementine, Nicoletta, Patricia and Aster had been delighted to stand behind Ariana and Sebastian and now relaxed, their duties done. More usually they were known as Clem, Nick, Paddy and Aster. Aster alone was not one for nicknames.
‘He’ll do, won’t he?’ Aster was rarely the first to comment on anything, but in this marriage she had been quite attentive. Probably because she had had to live with her previous brother-in-law whilst she waited to escape to university.
‘I suppose so,’ drawled Clem. ‘I mean he does have a title, Sir Sebastian, so it’s not like she’s marrying too far beneath her?’ At which point all the sisters burst into laughter, causing heads to turn and people raised their glasses to the happy group.
‘I hope the Countess of Hiverton remembers her dignity,’ said Nick, as the DJ loaded up an Abba medley. ‘Remember the last time she danced to Abba?’
‘I warned her those hot pants didn’t have much give in them when I made them for her,’ protested Clem but joined in with the other girls laughing at the memory of their big sister dashing off the dance floor at the local tower block’s community rooms.
Paddy hiccupped. ‘I think she looks wonderful. I don’t ever think I’ve seen her look happier.’ A loose balloon bounced over and she patted it back to a group of teenagers who were currently playing volleyball with them. ‘And I love the fact that Seb couldn’t wait any longer to marry her.’
‘Maybe she’s pregnant?’
The other girls considered it but Paddy protested it was because Seb loved her so much. Despite the family’s problems, her natural setting was blind optimism in the face of anything. She was a born romantic. Nick leant over and squeezed her twin’s hand. ‘Of course he loves her. Look at them.’
Despite the long tails of his morning coat, Seb was now strutting his disco stuff with Ari waving her arms in the air and trying to keep her tiara in place, until the two of them fell into each other’s arms laughing. As they watched, Seb pulled Ari closer towards him and started to whisper in her ear. She looked up at him smiling and then looked around the room until she spotted her sisters in a corner of the ballroom. Giving them a little wave goodnight the pair left the dance floor and headed out one of the side doors without fuss or fanfare.
Paddy looked around the room and smiled as she watched Bhupi Aunty pick up one of the canapes and pop it in her mouth. Her lips pursed and she shook her head disappointedly at Mama Vy, who withdrew her hand from the buffet. The two ladies wandered along the table surreptitiously shaking their heads until Aunty spied something and both ladies started laughing. A moment later their husbands joined them, they appeared to admonish them and then whisked them onto the dancefloor, the gold thread in Bhupi Aunty’s sari catching the light as her husband spun her around.
‘What do you suppose that was about,’ said Clem as she nudged Paddy.
‘No doubt they were unimpressed with the catering. I’m surprised they didn’t try to smuggle in a tray bake.’
‘What do you suppose they found at the back?’
‘Ari rustled up some golgappa using Bhupi Aunty’s recipe. More chillies than can be found in all of Brick Lane. Seb put a little warning flag on the plate. I’ve been watching some of the teenagers daring each other. Even Aleesha winced!’
Paddy gave a little sigh. ‘I just wish Ma and Pa could have been here. They’d have loved this.’
Clem smiled. ‘As Da would have said, this sure is some good craic! Right––’ she slapped her hands on the table ‘––let’s show them how ladies of the twenty-first century party!’
Laughing, the four girls hitched up their bridesmaid dresses and headed for the dance floor, even Aster who as a rule would prefer to sit and watch. As they began to dance they attracted the attention of curious eyes. The ballroom was filled with people from Ari’s old life as well as her new one, but all were united in wishing Ari and Seb a wonderful future together. Some in the room had watched this group grow from happy little girls, through tragedy and into confident young women. To others, Ari’s sisters were an unknown quantity.
Now they dominated the dance floor; Paddy’s and Clem’s trademark long red hair was unpinned and flowing out, Aster and Nick laughing at their exuberant sisters. As a group they sparkled like the diamonds around their throats. Dancing and spinning, they were the perfect reflection of the bride’s happiness.
Still whooping, Clem went up and had a word with the DJ and soon had drum and bass blaring out of the speakers. The teenagers in the corner finally left their balloons and surged onto the floor to join in the throng.
Gradually the older guests waved goodnight as the lights turned down and the music turned up.
‘About Cornwall,’ shouted Paddy to Nick.
‘Tomorrow,’ yelled Nick. ‘Let’s talk about Cornwall tomorrow!’