Chapter 48
FORTY-EIGHT
Hours later, back in the barn, champagne flowed, fish and chips and sticky toffee pudding had been devoured, laughter bounced off the beams. Annie had promised that once the food service was over, everyone could join in, even Imogen.
‘We’ll show her what a proper wedding looks like,’ she’d said to Rita, grinning.
The music changed, and the room stilled for the first dance. Annie and Michael took to the floor, hands clasped, eyes gleaming. Then the opening notes of ‘Dancing on the Ceiling’ hit, and Annie’s grin widened.
Michael looked briefly terrified. ‘Lionel Richie, I’m not.’
‘Oh yes you are,’ Annie said sweetly, and immediately began spinning him.
He stumbled, then caught the rhythm, and soon they were twirling, hopping, and laughing so hard they collided with a table, with Michael ending up engulfed in the ruffles of her dress and Annie shouting that she feared she would wet herself.
Teo grabbed Jude’s hand, dragging him into the fray, and they were soon attempting something that resembled a coordinated routine, mostly involving spinning in opposite directions and nearly toppling into each other.
Zenya found herself pulled into a clumsy exchange with Priya, their laughter mingling with the music. Then, Rita spotted Thom across the room, leaning far too close to Imogen. She shook her head. That boy of hers… he could charm the birds from the trees.
Rita was just going up to check on the animals when Jago appeared. ‘Wait a sec,’ he instructed. She didn’t notice his eyes flick toward Sennen, who gave the slightest nod. Or gesture to Thom, who was about to lean back into a giggling Imogen.
He then put his arm around Rita. ‘I’m sorry it hasn’t quite been the fourth of June we both expected,’ he said softly.
‘I’m going up to sort your animals and home to sort mine.
How about you pop home, have a little rest, then come to mine for seven?
I’m cooking you dinner. No arguments. Stan says he’ll run you up. ’
Rita hesitated. ‘What about everyone here?’
Jago smiled. ‘Sennen has clearly got everything in hand and it’s basically running itself now.’
A clearly tipsy guest, singing at the top of his lungs, gyrated past them on his way to the bar.
‘OK.’ Rita nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted. There was nothing she’d love more than escaping the chaos for a cosy dinner with Jago.