Chapter 12
Somehow, another week passed into the weekend ready to start the cycle over again, and once again, Bex had seen barely anything of Duncan.
She had also failed to check in any of the upstairs bedrooms to see what was stored in the cupboards and wardrobes; failed to teach Rosie any command other than catch – which didn’t feel so much like a command and more like something she actually wanted to do; and failed to get hold of Daisy for more than thirty seconds, during which her best friend promised to ring her back, only to send a message later saying she was exhausted from work and could they catch up another time.
Bex had known there would be difficulties keeping in touch with her old friends when she moved all the way up here.
Long-distance relationships of any sort were tricky, but it hurt to find out just how difficult.
Certainly a lot harder than it had been when she and Duncan had first got together and they were splitting their weekends between the two locations.
But as much as she wanted to go down to London and visit, it wasn’t possible.
Not so soon after setting up the firm and with so much to do at the castle.
Still, she hoped that in a few months, when the coffee shop on the canal wasn’t so busy, and she actually had her head on straight around the repairs, that maybe things would get back to normal between them.
There would still be the wedding to deal with of course.
‘Why are you nervous this time?’ Duncan asked as Bex checked her watch constantly, awaiting Amanda’s arrival and trying to stop the incessant churning in her stomach.
Given how nice the weather was, they had opted to sit outside, and were at one of the various patio tables that were littered among the gardens, this one at the front of the castle, which meant that they could see quite clearly when they had visitors.
Being outside also meant she wouldn’t get distracted with things inside that needed doing.
Even though it hadn’t rained in a couple of days, meaning the dripping from the roof had stopped, there was still the dodgy step on the staircase she was certain was going to collapse any day now, the wonky floorboard in the hall that Bex was terrified someone was going to trip over, and just the basic dusting of the ornaments.
Even with all the items they’d put away to save from Rosie, there were still countless vases, clocks and other decorations here, there and everywhere, all of which caught dust like their lives depended on it.
‘I’m not nervous,’ she lied to Duncan. ‘I just don’t think I’ve done quite as much homework as she’d expected.’
Duncan’s eyes narrowed on her. ‘Exactly how much have you done?’ he asked.
‘Ummm. Probably best you don’t know.’
Bex had exactly one pin attached to her Pinterest board: a picture of a dog wearing a red bow tie.
And even that wasn’t an image she wanted to show Amanda, for two reasons.
Firstly, she suspected Amanda didn’t consider walking down the aisle a ‘working dog role’.
And also, the colour was red – which wouldn’t have gone with Ruby or Rosie or any of the spaniels – and the last thing Bex wanted was for her to assume that was the colour she wanted the wedding to be.
‘You should have told me. I could have helped,’ Duncan said, reaching out and taking her hand.
‘Really, when? And do you have a preference on what colour pocket square you wear?’ she asked pointedly.
‘Do I have to wear a pocket square with a kilt?’
Bex let out a sigh. ‘I don’t know. I guess that’s another question for Amanda when she gets here.’
As silence once again took hold, Bex reached for her phone, hoping she might use this spare minute to find one or two suitable photos for her Pinterest board, but before she’d even opened the app, Amanda’s sleek green sports car trundled onto the driveway and Bex’s nervousness surged to an entirely new level.
‘Remember, it’s our wedding,’ Duncan whispered into her ear. ‘We don’t need to do anything we’re uncomfortable with.’
‘Other than invite hundreds of people we don’t know and hold it in a location that isn’t our first choice?’
‘Other than those things.’ Duncan chuckled, wrapping his arm around her waist.
‘Duncan, darling! Rebecca!’ Amanda stepped out of the car, waving enthusiastically to show that she had seen them.
Although rather than coming over to join them, she beckoned them over.
‘Fabulous, you’re outside. Duncan, darling, can you come here and give me a hand with these bits and pieces. They’re quite heavy.’
Normally Bex would have been irked at someone immediately giving Duncan a task to do, in a manner that implied she couldn’t do it as well.
Even if she couldn’t. After all, Duncan was six feet two and as strong as an ox.
If they had to test it, she could probably lift less than a third of what he could.
Normally it annoyed her. Now though, when it meant going to Amanda’s aid, she was more than happy to take a back seat.
‘After you.’ Bex smirked at Duncan, although she followed him down to the car. More out of intrigue than anything else.
By the time they’d reached her, Amanda had already opened the boot, which had been crammed full of boxes.
It reminded Bex of when she’d been getting ready to leave LochDarroch, taking Fergus’s accounts with her to sort back in London, because she’d thought there was no chance for her and Duncan.
Although she’d had a smidgen more room in her car.
Still, that seemed like a lifetime ago now and it was hard to know why Amanda would need such a lot of stuff.
Unless she was thinking of moving in until the wedding was planned.
The thought struck Bex like an icy chill.
No. Absolutely not. She couldn’t. That was the type of thing she would have had to have asked first, wasn’t it?
Although maybe it was in one of the millions of emails she’d sent that Bex had avoided reading.
With a shake of her head, Bex forced herself into reality. Even high society wedding planners didn’t move in with the bride and groom. Besides, it didn’t look like luggage. Although there were several items that looked like hatboxes.
‘You’ve got a lot of stuff here,’ Duncan remarked as he picked up one of the top boxes.
‘Don’t worry, I’m not moving in,’ she said with a high-pitched titter, although Bex felt her shoulders sag with relief, and she was pretty sure that Duncan’s did the same.
‘These,’ she said, taking a bag from the pile and adding it on top of the box that Duncan was already holding, before she went in and got another two and handed them to Bex, ‘are for today’s meeting. ’
Back at the boot of the car, she grabbed yet another two bags and handed them to Bex, even though her hands were already full of the ones she’d already been given.
‘I suspected you weren’t quite up to date on your homework,’ Amanda added with a definite roll of her eyes towards Bex. ‘And thought it might be good to bring a few things. See if anything sparks excitement. You know, makes you think, this is the wedding you want.’
Bex had to admit it wasn’t a bad idea. Although in hindsight, a couple of wedding magazines probably could’ve done something similar.
Amanda was still piling things onto Duncan.
Obviously she only wanted to make one trip, and that meant both Bex and Duncan carrying enough to dislocate their arms. But still, it was sweet of her to go to all this effort and not just chastise her for an inability to plan her own wedding.
Bex appreciated it. Almost enough to ignore the thousands of emails a day.
‘So, in the drawing room, are we?’
‘Actually, we thought we might sit outside for this one,’ Bex said, pointing to the table and chairs where she and Duncan had been when Amanda arrived. ‘Given that it’s such nice weather and everything.’
Amanda crinkled her nose, in that bunny-like way of hers.
‘These aren’t really outdoor items.’ She smiled tightly. ‘The drawing room will be fine.’
Once again feeling like she had lost control of her wedding planning before the meeting had even begun, Bex followed Amanda into the castle and the drawing room, where she placed the bags on the floor beside the table.
As she took several items from Duncan, the wedding planner looked at the laird and smiled.
‘Thank you, Duncan,’ she said, her voice somehow even more saccharine than it had been before. ‘I don’t think we’ll be needing you from here.’
‘Really?’ Bex frowned. ‘It’s his wedding too. I want him to make sure he likes whatever we choose.’
Amanda’s eyes widened, as if this was the most novel idea she’d ever heard.
‘Of course he can have an opinion. How quaint.’ She giggled.
That word, quaint, it was starting to get on Bex’s nerves.
No. She drew in a long breath. She wasn’t going to do this. She wasn’t going to be negative so soon. Not when Amanda had already been so kind to bring in all this inspiration. And there was definitely a lot. On the sofas, the chairs, the floor. It was a wonder how she had even fitted it in her car.
As Bex struggled to work out where to sit down, Amanda was riffling through the bags, bringing various items and placing them on the table.
‘Right, so I think it would be a wonderful idea if we start with flowers,’ Amanda said.
‘Once we’ve got flowers, we have colours, and we can build around that.
Themes can come from there. Now, I know wildflowers are very popular at the moment, but you’re surrounded by them here.
I can’t imagine you want them on your wedding day too. They hardly feel special.’
‘No, wildflowers are good,’ Bex jumped in. ‘Yes. I absolutely want wildflowers.’
Bex wasn’t sure if she was more surprised by her own sudden enthusiasm or by Amanda’s raised brows at the definitiveness of her answer.
‘Really? You’re sure?’