Epilogue
EPILOGUE
It’s going to be a beautiful day. I can tell because, although it’s not yet six in the morning, the sunlight is streaming through a tiny chink in our thick bedroom curtains. Beside me, Jock appears to be fast asleep, although the way he opens his eyes and stares at me when I gently brush his lips with mine indicates that he’s probably been awake for a while, the same as me. Even though we’ve been working and living together for six months now, I still have to pinch myself sometimes when I wake up and see him lying next to me. Abby was initially sceptical about hiring what she saw as an unknown, but I put my foot down this time, and she changed her tune pretty quickly after she tasted his food. After a lot of legal threatening on both sides, Emilio’s company agreed to sign over the staff they’d hired, but it turned out that Abby had an even better trick up her sleeve, namely Flo. It was Flo who got the word out among her influencer buddies, and between them they generated a real buzz online about McLaughlin at The Mermaid. The restaurant is now fully booked weeks in advance for both lunch and dinner, although not today because it’s closed for a very special function.
‘Cup of tea?’ I ask.
He smiles. ‘Is that “Would you like a cup of tea, Jock” or “Would you get me a cup of tea, Jock”?’
‘The first, actually, but don’t let me stop you if you prefer the second.’
He stretches luxuriantly and yawns. ‘It’s OK, I don’t mind making it. You stay here and run through all the lists in your head another time.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘I can practically hear your brain whirring. How much sleep do you think you got?’
‘Not much,’ I admit. ‘A couple of hours, maybe.’
‘You’ll be fine, you know that don’t you? It’s not like this is the first wedding reception we’ve done here.’
‘You’re right, but these aren’t just any guests. I want it to be as perfect as it can be for Ella and Noah.’
‘If something goes wrong, we’ll deal with it like we always do.’
‘And how’s that?’
‘Fudge it like mad and hope they don’t notice,’ he says with a grin as he swings his legs out of the bed and stands up, peering carefully out of the curtains. ‘They’ve lucked out with the weather,’ he observes.
Although I’m mildly annoyed that he’s read me so easily, I do love how well he knows me, I reflect as I allow my brain to run through the mental checklists for the umpteenth time. The wedding is at one, and they’re taking pictures in various locations afterwards. All being well, we’re expecting them to arrive at around three thirty, when we’ll serve welcome drinks and canapés on the beach and also check in the guests who are staying overnight. They’ll be sitting down for the wedding breakfast at four, which is the point that I will hopefully be able to start to relax as they’ll be Jock’s responsibility from then until the end of the party at midnight.
Even though I trust the housekeeping staff implicitly, I’m still going to check every room forensically before the wedding guests arrive to make sure that everything is exactly how I’d expect it to be. Ella dropped off her and Noah’s overnight stuff yesterday; they’re going to go back home before heading off on honeymoon to Crete on Monday so it was just a small bag of essentials. I’ve suggested to her that any other guests who are passing on the way to the wedding can also drop their luggage beforehand to save dragging it in through a throng of wedding and other hotel guests later.
‘How are the lists shaping up?’ Jock asks as he hands me a mug of tea.
‘I think they’re all right. A few things to do. What about you?’
‘I’m pretty happy. They’re all dishes we know, so we should be good.’
‘Have you got enough time after the breakfast service to prep?’
‘Relax. We prepped as much as we could yesterday, so hopefully there isn’t that much to do.’
‘You sound so calm. Aren’t you nervous at all?’
‘Of course I’m nervous! I want it to go well just as much as you do.’
‘It’s funny,’ I muse as I sit up and take a sip of my tea. ‘Do you remember talking about our dreams when we were in London? Who’d have thought that we’d end up here?’
‘Here is better than my dreams,’ he says.
‘You sound very sure.’
‘I am.’ He leans forward and kisses me. ‘My original dream didn’t have you in it. What about you? Still hankering after that country-house hotel?’
‘Nah. This is better.’
‘Because it has me in it?’ he prompts.
‘You’re incidental,’ I tell him with a laugh. ‘It’s Margate I’ve fallen in love with.’
‘Ouch,’ he says, clutching his chest dramatically.
‘Of course it’s better because you’re in it,’ I tell him. ‘I love you. You know that.’
‘It never hurts to hear it again.’
When the guests start to file into the lobby a little after half-past three, my nerves dissipate instantly as I swing into action, issuing room keys, relieving people of their luggage and supervising the distribution of drinks and canapés. Ella and Noah are the last to arrive; she looks absolutely radiant in a simple but elegant wedding dress that flatters her figure beautifully, although I can’t help wondering with a smile whether she’s wearing her steel-toe-capped builder’s boots underneath it. Seeing Noah in a suit is also a surprise, although not as much as seeing John in one. He doesn’t look entirely comfortable in it and keeps tugging at the collar of his white shirt. The reason quickly becomes obvious; the way his neck is spilling over the top of it means it must be at least one size too small.
‘Is it a bit tight?’ I murmur as I hand over their room key.
‘Fucking strangling me, Flops,’ he murmurs back.
‘I reckon, now that the service and photos are done, you could undo the top button of your shirt,’ I tell him. ‘You’d be a lot more comfortable.’
‘That might be true, but that doesn’t solve the problem with the ones over my stomach,’ he complains. ‘I thought they were going to ping off when I was sitting down in the church earlier. I must have put a bit of weight on since the last time I wore this shirt. How I’m going to make it through the wedding breakfast without accidentally exposing myself is anyone’s guess.’
‘I said you should have tried it on before today, didn’t I?’ his wife scolds mildly. ‘I could have got you another one.’
‘Yeah, well,’ he replies. ‘There’s nothing that can be done about it now.’
‘I wouldn’t be so sure,’ I offer.
‘Are you going to tell me you’ve got a stash of white shirts hidden away somewhere?’ he asks.
‘No. But part of my job is knowing how to solve problems like this. Come with me.’
I lead him into the office behind the reception desk and, after a quick internet search and a couple of calls, a fresh shirt in a larger size is making its way in a taxi from one of the menswear shops in town. When it arrives, a few minutes later, I leave him in peace to get changed and I’m relieved when he reappears with a smile on his face.
‘Better?’ I ask.
‘Much. I tell you what. You’re quite good at this hospitality gig, Flops.’
‘Praise indeed.’ I laugh. ‘Now, go and have fun.’
After a while, the guests are called into the dining room to take their places and await the bride and groom. The lobby empties swiftly and soon it’s just Ella, Noah and me left in there.
‘Thank you again for this,’ Ella says. ‘I can’t believe Atkinsons are picking up the tab either.’
I smile as I glance up at the picture of Reginald and Annie above the reception desk. ‘It’s company policy to contribute to employee weddings.’
‘We’re ready for you now,’ the MC interrupts, cutting off further explanation.
I hover in the doorway as the MC announces Ella and Noah and the dining room erupts with applause. Once they’re seated, the service starts and appears to flow seamlessly. After the main courses have gone out, I risk stepping into the kitchen to check up on Jock.
‘All OK?’ I ask him.
‘Yup. A couple of glitches, but nothing serious. How’s it looking out there?’
‘Everyone looks like they’re having a great time. James’s wine choices seem to be going down well too, if the number of empty bottles stacking up is anything to go by.’
‘That man is a walking encyclopaedia of wine. I’m so glad we’ve got him on board. Do you think he and Abby will marry?’
‘I wouldn’t be surprised. They’re very different, but they seem to work really well together.’
‘What about us? Could you see yourself married to me?’
‘What brought that on?’
‘I don’t know. We’ve talked a lot about commitment, but never marriage. I was just interested, I suppose.’
‘So it’s a hypothetical question,’ I clarify.
‘As opposed to?’
‘A proposal.’
He thinks for a long time before replying.
‘I think it depends on your answer,’ he says. ‘If it’s no, then it was a hypothetical question and I’ll never mention it again. If the answer is yes, however…’
‘And they said romance was dead.’ I laugh, before clocking the expression on his face. ‘Oh God, you’re serious, aren’t you?’
‘I wasn’t to begin with, but it seems to have gone there. Will you marry me, Beatrice? I realise this is a bit sudden, and probably not the most romantic environment, so I’ll understand if you need time to think.’
I look around the pristine kitchen. Nobody has noticed our conversation; everybody is concentrating on their work, but I realise something.
‘It’s the perfect location,’ I tell him. ‘Right in the beating heart of our favourite place in the world. I’d love to marry you.’
‘Really?’
‘Were you expecting me to say no?’
‘No, I guess… Oh, wow! I really want to kiss you right now, but I don’t think the food hygiene people would like it.’
‘Kiss me later. I’d better get back.’
I’m in a daze as I wander back to the dining room. Did that really just happen? Somehow, I’d always expected it to be a magically romantic moment when someone proposed to me, rather than a curious question over the kitchen pass that escalated rapidly. As I think about it more, however, I realise that it’s typical of us. He did catch me by surprise, but once I’d got over the initial shock, it was totally obvious what my answer would be. Doing my best to snap back into work mode, I cast my eyes automatically around the guests to check if anyone needs help. Ella and Noah look as happy as songbirds, chatting with the other people on the top table. Abby is deep in conversation with James on one of the other tables, while her father chats easily with the woman on his left. John is looking relaxed and gives me a little wave when he spots me. I’m feeling stupidly happy, and it takes me a minute to realise I’m not alone.
‘This is superb,’ Flo tells me. ‘I mean, I knew it would be, but I just thought I’d tell you anyway. How’s it all going? You look pleased.’
‘I am, but that’s not why I’m smiling. Jock just proposed.’
‘ What?? ’ She looks outraged.
‘Is it bad form to propose at someone else’s wedding?’ I ask, trying to work out what she’s so upset about.
‘No, it’s not that. It’s just seriously off to propose when you’re both working. He could have taken you out for dinner at least.’
‘I think it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. It’s fine.’
She’s silent for a moment. ‘Can I be a bridesmaid?’ she asks. ‘I’ve loved being a bridesmaid for Abby.’
‘Of course.’ I laugh. ‘You and Abby and Ella can all be bridesmaids if you like.’
She grabs me in a fierce hug. ‘I’m so happy for you. I’d better get back to my duties.’
I glance around the room once more, smiling as I catch various people’s eyes. I’ve always accepted that loneliness comes with the territory in a job like mine, and it was a sacrifice I made happily for the work that I love. Now, however, standing in the dining room of my own hotel, surrounded by people who have become close friends and with the man I love so much just the other side of the pass, I realise that I don’t need to make that sacrifice any more. I thought I’d always miss the bright lights of London, but I don’t.
This is where I belong, and exactly where I want to be. The man of my dreams has just proposed. And, hopefully, somewhere up there, Reginald is cheering us on.