Chapter Twelve
The sun is blindingly bright and excruciatingly warm, so much so that I have to lather on the sun cream just to open the curtains. Still, it’s perfect weather for a summer fair.
I examine the meagre contents of my wardrobe and I opt for a thin, flowy t-shirt and a pair of denim shorts (thank goodness, I had the foresight to shave my legs last night!), toss my bag over my shoulder and head out of the door.
The village green is teeming with folk and stalls of all kinds, and there’s a buzz of excitement in the air that’s positively infectious. One stall in particular instantly captures my attention. An array of sweet cakes, brownies and cream puffs are arranged decoratively across the table, and some of them look very familiar.
‘Are these from The Cosy Little Tearoom?’ I point to a honeyed bun.
‘Well, I’m from there, I’m the baker!’ The woman behind the stall smiles proudly. ‘Hi, I’m Rachel.’
‘Ooh, I’ve heard lots about you from Holly, I’m Lottie.’ I offer my hand. ‘I have to say, your macaroons are incredible, just as good as anything I’ve ever had in Paris.’
Blushing, Rachel tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. ‘Wow, that really means a lot. Thanks.’
I’m just about to select a particularly large sticky bun when the high-pitched voice of a teenage girl calls out my name.
‘Lottie!’
I spin on my heel and spot Tanya across the green, waving both arms in the air as she sprints over. She looks younger than her fourteen years today, dressed in a pair of purple patchwork dungarees with her long, strawberry-blonde hair woven into adorable pigtails. Tailing her is Kit, and he’s looking especially tanned in a tight white t-shirt that clings to his muscles and khaki shorts, displaying an intricate sun and moon tattoo on his calf, circled by a scattering of golden stars.
‘Hi, how are you?’ I tear my eyes from his muscular leg long enough to beam at Tanya while offering him a stiff nod.
‘We’re having the best time, aren’t we, Kit?’ He grunts in response, but I can see the smile disguised beneath his attitude. ‘We came with my friends too, but they’ve all gone on the helter-skelter. I totally hate big rides, do you?’
Geez, this girl has the energy of a whippet on steroids!
‘I’m not a fan myself, to be honest.’ Trying to appear casual, I glance around. ‘Where’s Zoe?’
Somewhat awkwardly, Kit rubs at the back of his neck. ‘She’s around here somewhere. I think she was looking at the handmade jewellery, but Tanya and I fancied getting a couple of sticky buns.’
I turn my grin to Tanya. ‘I can’t say I blame you, they look delicious.’
‘Would you like one?’ Kit clears his throat. ‘I’ll treat you, if you like.’
I blink, taken aback by the offer. ‘Oh, are you sure?’
Hand stuffed into his pockets, he shrugs. ‘It’s the least I can do, seeing as you’re making my sister’s dress, and my bride-to-be’s.’
Bewildered, I accept his offer, mostly because I’m ravenous. The first bite of the bun is heaven - golden honey explodes over my tongue and the soft sponge, delicately spiced with cinnamon, is light and fluffy.
‘Good, aren’t they?’ Tanya says.
‘Mm, you can say that again!’ I reply through a mouthful of cake, and my face warms when I notice Kit’s lip quirk into a half-smile.
‘Glad you like.’ The smile swiftly dissipates as he looks away. ‘Ah, there she is.’
I follow his gaze to see what he’s looking at, and I wish I hadn’t. Sashaying across the green is Zoe, dressed in a thigh-skimming sun dress and rattan wedges. She looks lovely, as pretty as the models I used to dress. If I was basing it on appearance, I’d assume she was as sweet as sugar, but looks can be deceiving.
‘There you are!’ She plants a lipsticky kiss on Kit’s cheek and throws a sickeningly saccharine smile my way. ‘ Hi, there!’
‘Hello, Zoe.’ Self-consciously, I lick the crumbs from my lips and hold my chin as high as I can bear.
‘I’m surprised you’re here Lottie.’ She eyes me with something like suspicion. ‘I’d have thought you’d be working.’
‘The boutique isn’t open on Sundays.’
‘Well, I hope you’re slacking off today isn’t going to delay the new design for my dress!’ She barks a high-pitched laugh, as if it’s an inside joke between us and not a veiled warning.
‘Of course not,’ I reply flatly. ‘Enjoying the fair?’
‘It’s a bit boring, to be honest. There’s not much going on, is there? All these stalls flogging weird hand-made crap and silly old-fashioned games like hook-a-duck and the ring toss, I even saw a coconut shy over there! It all seems sort of stupid to me.’
‘It’s not stupid at all!’ Tanya protests, her fists trembling at her sides. ‘We used to come every year with Mum and Dad, and -’
As if to soothe her, Kit places his hands gently on her shoulders. ‘It’s alright, Tanya.’ Swiftly, he brings his attention to Zoe. ‘If you’re not enjoying yourself, why don’t you go back to the house? We’ll be along later.’
She sighs with relief, but then her glare darts between Kit and I, and I could swear they begin to narrow.
‘Oh, wouldn’t dream of it.’ She threads her arm through his. ‘This is important to you, so it’s important to me.’
With a stifled sigh, Tanya rolls her eyes toward me, and I have to hide a giggle behind my hand.
‘Come on, let’s go look around, then,’ Zoe says, her voice full of feigned excitement.
‘Great, now we’re going to have to spend the day with Madam Mardy-Pants,’ Tanya murmurs from the corner of her mouth. ‘I’d go find my friends, but I think it would be cruel of me to leave you alone with her!’
‘That’s very thoughtful of you,’ I chuckle. ‘I’m sure we can have a good time, anyway.’
Tanya pulls a severely unconvinced face. ‘We can try!’
As Zoe frogmarches Kit ahead on her arm, Tanya and I hang back a couple of paces.
‘You and Zoe don’t get on, then?’ I ask, wary of prying too much.
‘That’s an understatement - she can’t stand me, and I can’t stand her. The only reason she’s allowed me to be her bridesmaid is to please Kit.’ She lowers her voice to a whisper, though Zoe and Kit are well out of earshot. ‘Don’t tell anyone this, but I think they’re moving way too fast. I mean, they only met four months ago!’
‘Really?’ I glance at Kit’s back, he doesn’t seem the type to dive headfirst into a huge, life-changing decision after such a short amount of time.
‘Yep. It’s going to be a total nightmare when they tie the knot and she moves in properly, it’s bad enough having her at the house every weekend.’
So I guess Tanya doesn’t know about Zoe’s plans to have Kit move into her London flat …
‘I’m not sure what’s in it for her, probably the house, it’s in Kit’s name,’ Tanya continues. ‘But if you ask me, I think he’s only marrying her because he’s always wanted a family, a secure unit of his own, ever since -’
‘What are you two gossiping about?’ Zoe asks jokingly, but her eyes scream out a silent threat.
Once a mean girl, always a mean girl.
Lucy’s words echo in my ears and urge me to back away. This is preposterous , I’m an adult, I shouldn’t be afraid of bullies and traitors … and yet, sweat breaks out under my arms and I fiddle with my fingers behind my back. I can’t help it, I know what this woman is capable of.
‘Oh, just dress talk,’ I reply offhandedly. ‘Anyway, it’s been nice to hang out, but I promised my friend that I’d meet up with her. I’ll see you guys later.’
Well, it’s not a lie, Lucy did want to catch me at the fair, and it’s the perfect excuse to escape this awkward situation that’s only growing more tense. Still, I feel a little guilty when Tanya’s face drops and she toes the grass with her trainers. Something tells me she’s not going to have any fun with her brother’s fianceé, at least not without an ally. Here’s hoping she can find her friends sooner rather than later.
‘I’ll pop in when I have time to see how you’re getting on, okay?’ Zoe’s pursed lips make it clear that it’s less of a suggestion than a demand.
Disarmed by her presumptuousness, I stutter out an unsure response. ‘W-well, I might have a free appointment in two weeks -’
‘Great.’ Her red talons pinned to Kit’s arm, Zoe turns her back, already beginning to walk away. ‘Ciao!’
As the three of them stroll to the face-painting stall, Kit glances over his shoulder, and for just a moment, our eyes lock.
It’s me who breaks first, hastily averting my gaze with cheeks burning red. Mortified, I scuttle away, pretending to be deeply interested in the hand-crafted dream-catchers before me.
In an attempt to claw back some composure, I browse stalls absentmindedly for a spell before typing out a quick text to Lucy:
Hi, I’m here. Where are you?
Not a minute passes before my phone beeps back with her response:
Over by the pie-eating contest, come quick before it start!
Pie-eating contest? Just when I thought this village couldn’t get any weirder!
Dubiously, I weave in and out of peoples’ way, eyes peeled for pies. It doesn’t take long to spy the huge yellow banner above a small stage, atop which a long trestle table laid with seven fruit pies sits.
‘You made it!’ Lucy throws an arm around my shoulder. ‘Having fun?’
‘Sort of,’ I mumble. ‘What are you doing over here, anyway? Are you that desperate to watch folk stuff themselves full of pie, or something?’
‘My boyfriend is taking part.’ She rolls her eyes fondly. ‘He insists he can handle it, but I have a distinct feeling that I’ll be taking care of his poorly tummy tonight.’
The contestants take their places, and I’m stunned when I see Kit is among them. Scanning the gathering crowd, I notice Tanya cheering beside a stone-faced Zoe.
A klaxon sounds and the contest begins. The contenders dive face-first into their respective pies, sending crumbs and compote splattering all over the ground.
‘Go, Alex, go!’ Lucy calls out for her boyfriend, whistling and hooting like a banshee.
‘Go, Alex!’ I join Lucy’s chant, though my eyes won’t stop wandering over to Kit.
He looks utterly ridiculous, his face smeared with blueberry pie, that startling white t-shirt of his now forever stained. And yet, he’s beaming at his sister in the crowd, who’s keeled over with laughter, tears running down her cheeks, and instantly, I can see why he entered the silly contest in the first place.
He gobbles his pie up in less than three minutes, and once the plate is cleared, the klaxon blares through the village green a second time.
‘And the winner is … Kit Brooks!’
The crowd breaks out into a round of applause, and I find myself clapping along. Grinning from ear to ear, Kit sketches a bow as he’s presented with a small golden trophy and a bouquet of red roses, which he passes to his sister, much to Zoe’s chagrin.
After all the excitement, Lucy consoles her sticky boyfriend while I stand on the sidelines, stealing glimpses of the Brooks. Tanya is still chortling as she hands her brother a pack of baby wipes, and Kit attempts in vain to remove the mess from his mush.
There’s not many guys who’d make themselves look so daft just to please their little sister. I suppose he’s a better sport than I had him pegged as …