Tim hates being a solicitor, so its a pity we cant find some way of making Blessings pay for itself. But its a bit too small to open to the public. We live in all of it and we cant just move into the modern wing three-quarters of the time, can we?
Perhaps you could open a little garden centre in the grounds?
Im not sure theyre really big enough for that, either, but its worth thinking about.
How are the wedding plans coming on?
Libby pulled a large, folded list out of the pocket of her all-enveloping blue striped cotton apron, which looked like something a Victorian maid might wear. Special licencecheck. Church, vicar, church bells, organist and photographerall sorted. Cakeyoure doing that. Invitationsalready done by those strange friends of yours, though I dont see why the cards and envelopes have to have bits of grass and petals in them.
Its because they make the paper themselves, using natural sources and inks, I explained. All recycled and biodegradable.
And why does it say on the invitations that confetti will be provided at the church door? she queried. Guests usually bring their own!
We dont want paper confetti everywhere. We need to supply a natural alternative, Libby! Perhaps something like millet, which would give the birds a feast afterwards? Yesa golden shower of millet would be lovely
I am not emerging from the church to be pelted with handfuls of budgie food, Libby said coldly.
No?
No!
Ohthen how about dried rose petals? I suggested. Ive heard of those being used.
Now, thats more like it!
Hebe Winter uses a lot of roses in the products she makes to sell in the Winters End shopperhaps she could supply us with rose petals. Shall I ask?
Yes, do. If you could sort that out for me, it would be a great help, Libby agreed. Actually, the Winters are on the guest list, since theyre friends of both Dorrie and Tim. And Ive invited a second photographer, but not an official oneNoah Sephton. He was some kind of cousin of Joes and a great friend. Hell be staying overnight, but I think Ill have to put him in the gatehouse. Ive asked Dolly Mops to come and clean it out and I thought they might as well do the flat over the garage too, though, knowing Gina, shell scrub it from floor to ceiling as soon as she gets here, anyway.
Itll be nice to see Gina again. And I think Ive heard of Noah Sephton, I said doubtfully. Didnt he take those lovely photographs of you with Pia as an infant, which are in your apartment in Pisa?
Yes, but you should have heard of him anyway, because hes quite famous for his portraits. He has an annual exhibition of his more oddball, black-and-white photos every year too, and theyre a sell-out. His last one was called Fate
I know all about fate, I said, and, as if on cue, one of the two peacocks wailed. It always gave me the cold shivers. Couldnt you try eating the peacocks? I pleaded. I hate the noise they make.
Dont be silly, they give the place class. Get over it, she said absently, looking down at the back of the list where shed jotted the names of the invited guests. There are quite a few celebs on here as well as Noah, because Tim knows Rob Rafferty, the star of that Cotton Common TV soap and one or two of the other actors, though I dont think Hello! magazine will be jostling for my wedding photos any time soon.
So youve got it all pretty well arranged?
Yes, apart from the reception venue. At this rate, well be handing out directions in the church!
Still no luck finding somewhere nearby?
No, theyre all either booked up, cant handle the numbers, or they dont do them at this time of yearor something
Oh dear, and its hardly marquee weather, is it?
I expect Ill think of something. Ill have to. I only hope the guests who are coming from a distance can find somewhere to stay on the night of the wedding!
Any word from Pia yet?
No, still not a dicky-bird since I told her I was marrying again and she put the phone down on me. Shes not answering my emails either.
She hasnt contacted me for ages, I said. She doesnt usually leave it this long.
Shes sulking, but Id like to know if she intends turning up for the wedding. It would have been lovely if shed been happy about my getting married again and agreed to be a bridesmaid, but it doesnt look likely to happen.
Once she gets over the shock shell probably get back in touch again, I said optimistically.
Id just settle for the sound of her voice telling me she was all right, at the moment, Libby admitted.
Ill try emailing her again when I get home, Libs. Perhaps shes still speaking to me.
Oh, thanks, Josieand I must take your measurements before you go, because I still have to dash down to London in search of my wedding dress and shoes, and get a bridesmaids dress for you. I should have gone before, but theres been so much to do. My practical, hard-headed friend gave a dreamy sigh. I hate the thought of being apart from Tim, even for one night. Isnt it strange?
No. And now you know how I feel when Ben goes off to London without me.
Its not the same. Youve never been in love with Ben, just loved him with blind, dogged devotion.
Not blind. You cant live with someone for that many years and not be aware of their failings. But hes such a brilliant artist, a genius, that Ive had to be the one to make allowances.
I dont see why having any kind of talent should entitle you to get away with behaving badly, she said, or selfishly. Though, actually, it usually does seem to have that effect. NoahNoah Sephton, the photographer I was telling you aboutgoes through girlfriends faster than a hot knife through butter. He says hes a romantic and believes in true love, but he never puts his money where his mouth is.
Has he never been married?
Joe said he was, briefly, when he was very young, but she died of leukaemia, so I expect it was all a bit Love Story and put him off marrying again.
Thats terribly sad! Tears came to my eyes as they usually did when I heard something touching. Its probably blighted the poor mans life.
No, I dont think so. The loveliest girls seem to fall for him and it all looks really promising, but by the time they start to hint that theyre getting serious ideas hes ready to move on.
I thought about that. Perhaps its because no one is going to measure up to his dead wife? I mean, if they were really young and not married long, the rosy glow wouldnt have worn off and, looking back, she will always seem perfect, wont she?
Or perhaps whatever he says about love, he just prefers casual sex with no commitment? Libby suggested.
That makes him sound horribleshallow and self-gratifying.
Well, actually hes not, hes really warm and nice.
I suppose hes good-looking?
She considered. You might not pick him out in a crowd straight away, but once you did, youd wonder how you missed him. Hes about six foot and slim, not exactly handsome, but hes got lovely, light grey eyes and long, long black eyelashesHis smiles sort of quirky and goes up at one side tooand his hairs almost black and goes curly if it gets damp.
She considered. You might not pick him out in a crowd straight away, but once you did, youd wonder how you missed him. Hes about six foot and slim, not exactly handsome, but hes got lovely, light grey eyes and long, long black eyelashesHis smiles sort of quirky and goes up at one side tooand his hairs almost black and goes curly if it gets damp.
You sound half in love with him yourself! I said, dismayed at this apparent lack of loyalty to Tim.
Not me! You know Im a hard-headed, marriage-or-nothing kind of girl!
Maybe, but you moved in with Tim the day after you met him, I pointed out.
Yes, well, thats different. And he proposed to me before I moved in, dont forget.
Come on, you were so love struck you would have done it anyway.
Maybe, but so was Tim, so it doesnt matter. She smiled happily. Oh, Josie, its such bliss! I only hope Pia does come to the wedding and realises how nice he is, then shell soon get over her huff and we can be one happy family.
I thought this was more than optimistic. You can see her point, Libby. She adored Joe, he was a father to her in every sense. And I think girls often get on better with their fathers than their mothers, until they get older. You were fine until she was thirteen or fourteen, and then she started seeing you as competition.
She was lovely when she was little, she agreed. Thenbam!in kicked the hormones and she turned into a sulky monster in a permanent strop.
Shell turn back into a human being again any minute now, I assured her. And if she surfaces in London, Maria Cazzini will make her come to the wedding. Maria, the formidable matriarch of the family, had married the cousin who now ran the family restaurant business. A thought struck me. You have invited your mother and sister, havent you?
Tim said I had to, Libby said unenthusiastically. Ive told Daisy shell have to keep Ma off the sauce the whole day. Im trusting her, but Ill have a hire car on standby to whisk them away if she goes off-piste. Ive booked them into a Travelodge, where I expect theyre used to getting all types, including drunken mothers of the bride.
But I thought shed joined AA and gone teetotal?
Thats what she says, but Daisy reckons shes just got more cunning about where she hides it.
It was very kind of Daisy to move her down there and look after her.
Libby gave me a scathing look. It was Joes idea. He bought them the house and paid the bills. Now I send money every month and thats another drain on my income, but at least I know Mum is eating properly and living respectably, because Daisy has control over everything.
It was some years since Id seen Libbys mother, but even semi-reformed, she was still likely to add a lively touch to the wedding proceedings, not to mention raking up the past in the minds of those villagers who were still finding it hard to accept that any daughter of Gloria Martin could possibly marry a Rowland-Knowles, so I could quite understand why Libby was reluctant to invite her. But Tim was rightit had to be done!
I emailed Pia and that night she phoned me. It was such a relief to hear her voice, even if she was in a strop.
How can Mum get married so soon? she demanded. She cant have loved Dad at all. Its indecent!
But she did love Joe very much, Pia, really she did. And its more than a year now. She and Tim just fell in love at first sight, thats all.
Shes too old to fall in love, she stated disgustedly.
Oh, I dont think youre ever too old, darling. And Tim is lovelyquiet and kind. Youll like him, honestly.
She doesnt care if Im there or not. She probably doesnt want me coming along and making three.
There youre quite wrong. She does worry about you, and Tim is really looking forward to meeting you. He hopes youll make your home at Blessings with them.
Blessings?
Thats the name of his house. Its Elizabethan, and Libbys currently designing your bedroom in one of the original chambers, so if you dont want to find yourself in a flowery bower, with the gilded rococo bed with cherubs she is talking about shipping over from Italy, you ought to get down here and tell her so.
Cherubs? she said, horrified. Then she collected herself and said tersely, It doesnt matter: Im not coming.
Where are you now?
Pisa, with Gina. But she says theyre coming here for their honeymoon, so Ill have to clear out to London then.
Look, do come just for the wedding, Pia, I cajoled. Some of the Cazzinis areyour aunt Maria, for one.
Aunt Marias coming?
Yes, shes already sent an enormous Gaggia coffee machine as a present, so I think you can take it that she approves! Im sure shell be disappointed in you if you dont comeand your mum will be deeply, deeply hurt.
There was a small silence. I might come up from London with Aunt Maria, just for the wedding, she conceded sulkily.
I think that would be a very kind and generous thing to do, I said encouragingly. And perhaps you could ring your mother and tell her? Shed love to hear from you and
No! she said explosively and slammed down the phone, her volatile and passionate Italian side clearly getting the better of her good manners. But I was sure Maria Cazzini would manage to persuade her at least to turn up on the day and be polite. I hoped so, because otherwise Libby would be devastated and it would ruin her big day.
I rang her straight away and gave her an edited version of what Pia had said, because I knew it would be a huge relief to Libby just to know she was safe and well. Whether Pia turned up for the wedding would all depend on Maria Cazzinis persuasive skills.
At dinner last night (Spanish omelette followed by a blackberry version of Eton mess), I said to Ben that he seemed to have an awful lot of calls on his mobile lately, and was everything all right?
I could tell something had been on his mind since hed come back from London, even after he told me about Mary being pregnant, but I thought perhaps it had to do with his parents. He tends not to mention them to me; theyre a thorny subject.
He took a deep drink of elderberry wine and said, Actually, darling, there is something worrying me and I havent known how to tell you. In fact, I thought it would just sort ofwell, fizzle out on its own.
That was typical of Ben. Hed let problems slide in the hope theyd either simply go away or I would sort them out for him, by which time they had generally escalated.
I leaned my elbows on the table and said encouragingly, So, what is it?
Youll probably think this sounds silly, but Im beingwell, stalked.
Stalked?
Pesteredfollowedrung up and harassed. By this woman who has been buying my workyou know, the patroness?
I nodded.
Now she seems to want to acquire me too. She must have a mental problem, because in her head shes convinced that were already having some kind of relationship. Its getting a bit embarrassing. He looked at me appealingly Ive tried distancing myself, but its very awkward.