Sometimes it seems that observers see more than the people who are themselves involved. Holly and Adam were both astonished that the news of their engagement and impending wedding came as no surprise at all to their friends. Phoebe and Steve, delighted to be prospective parents, had on their return from Australia been married quietly in the small chapel at the Manor.
‘And you’ll do the same, of course, though not as quietly,’ Phoebe said. ‘And have the reception here. It will be our gift to you.’
‘We couldn’t possibly accept. How could you think it?’
‘Well unless you’re planning on having hundreds of guests it’ll be work as normal for the catering department. If it’ll make you feel better, Holly, you and Adam can provide the wine.’
‘We couldn’t.’
‘Because of misplaced reservations or because it’s not the sort of wedding you want to have?’
‘Of course I’d love to have a wedding at the Manor, Adam too I’m sure, but I couldn’t possibly take advantage of our friendship like that.’
‘Actually you’d be doing me and Steve a favour. One thing we’ve never done here is hold a wedding – apart from our own – but if you think about it it’s a beautiful venue. We can get them to do a spread in the parish magazine. I love the idea. It would add another string to our bow and help us decide how to proceed with Steve’s place. We could turn it into a spa hotel and maybe also do weddings there. It’s not quite as big as the Manor but not far off and the grounds there are beautiful as well though not extensive as he had to sell off some of the land to raise money. They’re in a bit of a mess at the moment to say the least but it won’t take long to get it back into shape once we get started. There’s the most amazing folly there. I must take you to see it sometime.’
Holly smiled fondly at her friend. ‘Is there ever a time you don’t get your own way?’
Phoebe knew she’d won. ‘Rarely, but never mind that. We’ve a lot of planning to do. The first thing we need to do is look at wedding dresses.’
‘I thought I’d wear a suit.’
‘Well you thought wrong. This may not be the biggest wedding in the world but it’s going to be traditional and the bride will wear white.’
‘Even if the bride doesn’t want to?’
‘No, of course not, but I can’t believe you don’t want to waft down the aisle in a beautiful billowing gown.’
Holly’s eyes were sparkling. Of course she wanted a traditional wedding. Nothing lavish like the one Harry had insisted on but an intimate affair where she knew everyone. She hadn’t enjoyed the first time when people who were almost strangers were invited because they might advance Harry’s career. She’d found it all somewhat overwhelming, not what she’d dreamed about at all. Well, that was all behind her now and no one was going to bully her into having something she didn’t want. Not that Adam even tried.
‘We’ll do it exactly the way you want, Holly,’ he’d said. ‘Whatever it takes to make my beautiful bride happy.’
‘How many people do you think we can have, Phoebe?’
‘Up to sixty. Would that be enough do you think?’
‘I can’t even imagine finding sixty people to come to my wedding. Of course it’s enough. I was wondering though …’
‘Out with it.’
‘You have to promise before I say or I won’t tell you.’
‘This is Phoebe you’re talking to. Do you really think I’d accede to that condition? Come on, what is it?’
‘I’d like Darcy and Art and Beth and Patrick to come if they can, and their girls.’
‘So what’s the problem?’
‘I’d want them to stay here at the Manor. I know Art and Patrick have both been here before but I’d love Darcy and Beth to stay in a typically English country house.’
‘So I’ll ask you again, what’s the problem?’
‘You have to let me pay for their accommodation while they’re here. I owe them so much and it’ll be nice for me to do something for them for a change.’
Phoebe was a sensible woman and a practical one too. She could see this was one argument she wasn’t going to win.
‘A lovely thing to do. Yes, of course it’s okay. Now let me get a pad. We’ve got some big planning to do.’
***
‘You should have seen us, Adam. There was Kate and the baby, Emma, Phoebe, Imogen, and me, and Madlyn of course, all sitting round Phoebe’s table, which was covered in bridal magazines.’
Adam was rather glad he hadn’t been there but thought it typical that she’d included his mother and he loved her all the more for that. It was women’s work and he was pleased to be well out of it, having generously suggested to Holly that she run things by him when she’d whittled her research down to a choice of no more than three in each category. This was working well.
Of the venue there was no question. They had absolute faith in Phoebe to produce just such a reception as they would both have wished for. Phoebe had lots of experience and this time it was for her friends. They couldn’t know how excited and proud she was because it wasn’t her way to say. She did that by getting on with things in her usual efficient way.
Holly and Adam had decided to live at Art-e-Mis after the wedding. For one thing Holly would have been loath to give up her beautiful kitchen and for another Adam’s place was definitely a bachelor pad. He’d had no need for anything else. His was the responsibility for getting the dining room decorated. They both realised that as a married couple they would have an opportunity to return some of the hospitality that their friends had always given them.
***
Madlyn Whitney had seen when she met Holly at Christmas why her son was so charmed. She wasn’t kidding herself either when she thought at the time of the dress fittings that a bond was beginning to form her and her future daughter-in-law. The girl was delightful. Bubbly with a huge sense of the ridiculous on one hand, serious and sucking at one of her strawberry-blonde curls (yes, she still did that) on the other. The appeal of both would be irresistible to a man of Adam’s make-up.
‘I’d be happy to have Tubs stay with me while you’re on your honeymoon if you like. No guesses as to where Adam’s love of animals comes from.’
‘I couldn’t possibly ask you, Madlyn.’ They’d already had the argument about first names.
‘You didn’t ask.’
Madlyn Whitney liked Holly as much for her own sake as for her son’s. She knew about Holly’s parents of course and hoped that in time she might help fill the gap, even if only by a little bit. Phoebe had a well-earned reputation as the local counsellor – though not yet officially trained – but sometimes there are things you need to talk about that you don’t want to discuss with your closest friends. Maybe she could take on the role of older confidante if needed.
‘Then, Madlyn, thank you. I think Tubs gets confused staying at home with other people when I’m not there. Perhaps a complete change of scenery would be better.’
‘It won’t do me any harm either. I don’t get nearly enough exercise these days but I’m sure Tubs will make sure she gets just as much as she’s used to.’
***
Holly heard from Harry one more time. He had come to realise just what he’d lost and wanted to apologise for the pain he’d put her through.
‘I’d like to have come in person, Holly, not to distress you but because I realise now how stupid I’ve been. I had the sun in my hands and I went looking for the moon. I didn’t know what I had until I lost it. I’m sending this as my final gift to you. I won’t bother you again but I want you to know that I wish you and Adam all the happiness in the world.’
She opened the parcel that the letter had been attached to. Inside the paper was a framed photo of Holly standing between her parents. She’d never seen it before though she recognised the setting immediately. Underneath the picture was another sheet of paper, a continuation of the first. Obviously Harry had wanted her to see what he’d sent before reading the second page.
‘After you left I did some sorting. I found this still in my camera. I hadn’t even downloaded it. I can’t bring them back, Holly, but, well, it’s a rather special picture.’
It was. There was no doubting the love in all three faces and easy to see which of her features she had inherited from each of her parents. It was the best present she could have had and she would write and tell him so. She put her sadness behind her and went in search of Adam who was busy in another part of the house.
‘This has just come from Harry. A wedding gift. I’m so pleased. I didn’t have one of the three of us, not since I was an adult anyway. Except for my graduation but it’s such an awful photo I don’t like to keep it out on show like the others you’ve seen.’
‘And now that you’re all together I can see even more how much you are like your mother!’
In fact there were features that belonged to her father as well but the bubbly hair, a slightly different and perhaps bottle-assisted shade, left no doubt about whose mother she was. Holly looked up at Adam through her tears, the photo crushed between them as he gathered her into his arms. They only broke apart when she protested that the frame was digging into her ribs, but the smile was back on her face.
‘Not long now, Holly.’
And it wasn’t. Three weeks later Cuffingham saw the joining in matrimony of two of its own. The small chapel was crammed full with family and friends. Even Uncle Mac and his children had flown down from Scotland. The Americans sat in their pew marvelling at the Englishness of it all. A stately home with its own chapel and as a place of worship eligible to conduct weddings!
Holly walked down the aisle on Uncle Mac’s arm to the sound of Mendelssohn’s ‘Wedding March’, her simple ivory silk Grecian-style gown perfect for her diminutive figure. She was trailed by her godsons who were on their very best behaviour ‘because Mummy said we had to be.’ Jamie had nodded his agreement.
It wasn’t until Holly was almost abreast with Adam that she noticed the photo standing on a small dais where her parents would have been. Her eyes flashed to Adam in gratitude. He’d hidden the picture after talking to Phoebe about it. As Uncle Mac gently placed her at the groom’s side and stepped away, Holly and Adam held each other’s gaze for a moment before turning as one towards the vicar.
***
‘We all know that Cuffingham has had its ups and downs this year,’ Adam said later at the reception, looking down at his bride sitting beside him, the love in her face reflecting his, ‘but this place where we live is a very special community; witness how we all pulled together during the terrible time of the floods. We’ve cried together, we’ve shared our joys. And now, well, I can truly say I am at peace … until we get home of course and Tubs tells us just what she thinks about being left out of the celebrations. So please be upstanding and join me in a toast to my beautiful bride. To Holly.’
‘To Holly.’
Holly hadn’t planned to make a speech but, overcome, she jumped to her feet.
‘You all know I am an incomer to Cuffingham. Unlike many of you here today, I wasn’t brought up in the country. But perhaps that makes me even more qualified to comment. When I first came here it was my bolt-hole: a place to escape to. Last year’s disaster made me realise how good and kind people can be in the face of adversity. I’ve found something here that I never dreamed existed – and I don’t just mean Adam, or even Tubs. I wish my parents could have been here today to share our happiness. I think they’d have been pleased at the way things have turned out for me. So, I’d like to propose one more toast. To friendship and to love.’
‘To friendship and to love!’