It’s Monday, the afternoon after the christening, and I’m sitting in the tiny kitchen of my dad and Rachel’s cottage, cuddling Freya. A bottle steriliser and baby paraphernalia take up most of the space on the work surfaces but the newly fitted kitchen units, tiles and cooker gleam. Only the bare plaster walls would tell you that the whole ground floor of the cottage has had to be completely refurbished. Through the kitchen window, the waves lap gently against the slipway opposite. It’s almost impossible to believe that the water came so far over the harbour and into the house itself.
Rachel places a cold glass of juice and a plate of biscuits within my reach. ‘There you go. Sorry, they’re not homemade, like yours.’
I laugh. ‘They look delicious, anyway. I’ll have one when I’ve finished holding Freya. The cottage is looking good. I love the new units.’
Rachel sips her juice and looks around with pride. ‘Yes, it’s such a relief to be back to some kind of normal.’
Freya gurgles and I laugh. ‘Thanks for finding time to see me today.’
‘No problem and it’s lovely to see you again so soon, though I’m gagging to know what this “mystery proposition” is. Ever since you texted me this morning, I’ve thought about nothing else. I hope things are OK?’
‘They’re fine. I just wanted to see you in person. Yesterday when you told me you wanted to start your own business, I had an idea and I wasn’t sure whether to mention it. Not because I don’t think you can do it, but because I don’t want you to feel under pressure.’
She puts down her mug and frowns. ‘Under pressure about what?’
‘About what I’m going to say, because I know you have so much on your plate and it may be too soon or you might feel obliged and I’m babbling on, aren’t I?’
Rachel groans. ‘Demi, please, just come out with it before I explode with tension.’
‘OK. I just wondered if you, er, would like to organise Lily Craig and Ben Trevone’s wedding. They’re holding it at Kilhallon, although that’s top secret for now.’
Slowly, Rachel lowers her glass. Her eyes widen. ‘You’re having Lily Craig and Ben Trevone at Kilhallon? Oh my God.’
‘Yes. I’m finding it hard to believe, myself. Cal’s producer friend, Isla, set it up.’
‘Wow, that’s fantastic but me? Organise a wedding for two film stars?’
‘Well, I could ask Freya instead if you like.’ On cue, Freya snuffles and lets out a tiny cry. ‘I think she’d do it, wouldn’t you?’
Freya sighs happily but Rachel is still gobsmacked. Eventually she manages to reply to me. ‘Does Cal know you’ve asked me to do it?’
‘Um. Not yet, but I know he’ll be over the moon to have some professional help.’
‘He might not be so thrilled when you tell him that it’s me. And strictly speaking I’m not a professional. It’s an amazing offer and I know I said I’d done lots of events, but a big celebrity wedding? You think I could handle it?’
Now I’m panicking slightly that I’ve put Rachel in a difficult position, but it’s too late to back out and I know she could do it. Although, looking at the amount of baby equipment around, I might have slightly underestimated the level of stress involved in organising a big wedding and looking after Freya. ‘I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t. It’s our first time too.’
‘Which is why you should have someone really experienced, even though I’d absolutely kill to do it. I ought to be honest with you.’
‘You do have lots of experience and I don’t think it’s a risk. You said yourself you were keen to take on more than an admin role and it sounds to me like you were already doing the events planning at Trevarrian. I hoped the planning would fit in with looking after Freya until the wedding itself and we could all help you on the day. But if it will stress you out and you’d rather not, I totally understand. I maybe haven’t factored in Freya quite as much as I should have.’
Freya snuffles and mutters. Rachel bursts out laughing. ‘Yes, the Freya Factor is going to be an issue.’ She toys with a biscuit as if she doesn’t know what to do with it while I kick myself for being so naïve about the work involved with such a young baby.
‘Wow. I guess it will stress me but it’d also be a fantastic experience. However, if I was even to contemplate doing it, I’d need to talk to your dad and my parents first because they’d need to give me a lot of support with babysitting.’
‘I’m sorry. I haven’t thought it through.’
‘Oh, I’d love to do it. I may regret saying that … Look, let me think about it over the next few days and speak to Gary and my mum and dad. If I agree to it, I want to be sure I won’t let you down. Is that OK?’
‘It’s fine. More than fine. Please don’t feel you’d let me down if you can’t.’
Relief floods through me. I’d lain awake wondering if I should ask her and secretly, it is a bit of a risk for us as well. But it also seems like the best solution around right now. ‘I trust you more than any of the wedding planners I’ve seen,’ I say, not mentioning that most are already booked. ‘You know us and Kilhallon better than anyone. You have contacts from your job and you won’t have to worry about budgets too much. It’ll also be a fantastic way to start your business. Imagine the publicity you can get from organising Lily Craig and Ben Trevone’s wedding.’
She grimaces. ‘I am. Eeek, it sounds so exciting but also huge.’
Freya stares at me, wondering … I smile at her and blow her a kiss.
‘Yeah, I keep thinking the same myself but without someone like you at the helm, someone we can rely on, it definitely would be a disaster.’
‘Whatever I decide, thanks for the chance.’
Freya gurgles though whether it’s a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ from her, I’m not sure.
‘Cal gave me a chance. Eva and Isla gave us chances too. I was terrified at the time but when someone offers you an opportunity, you have to take it. And after all,’ I say, kissing Freya’s adorable little nose, ‘you are family now, Rachel. I’m sorry for the way we started off.’
‘That’s in the past.’
‘I know but I have to say this. My life is different now, thanks to Kilhallon, but I also have more understanding of what it’s like to feel strongly about someone special. I wasn’t ready to believe you felt that way about Dad, that you cared about him so much.’
‘I love him.’ She smiles. ‘Hard to believe but I do.’
‘I know.’
‘And you love Cal very much, don’t you?’
There’s a sharp tug of emotion when I think of Cal. ‘Yes, but don’t tell him how much.’
‘Because you’re scared?’
‘Yes, and it’s early days, and I don’t know what’s going to happen.’
‘Who does?’ She looks around her at the bare walls and freshly painted doors. ‘If the floods hadn’t damaged our house, we’d never have spent Christmas at Kilhallon with you, and you might never have been reconciled with your dad again, And – whew – I definitely wouldn’t have been asked to organise a celebrity wedding.’