Love at the Little Wedding Shop by the Sea - Jane Linfoot Page 0,42

organising every detail … from New York.’ Sera’s mumbling as she works, tweaking the satin of the bodice as she moves around, gently flicking Cally’s silky waves out of the way as she goes.

Cally runs her hand over the soft shine where one hip bone sticks out into the slip. ‘The dress was the simple bit. I’d seen your designs, you were happy to ship. I’d have been laughing all the way to the aisle if it hadn’t been for this last hiccough.’

Sera steps back, hitches up her ragged denim shorts, and puts one scuffed Doc Marten boot on top of the other as she surveys her work. Then she glances over her shoulder at the lightest whisper of an over dress on the hanger behind her. ‘Luckily for us, when your seamstress took in the satin underdress two months ago she didn’t cut off the fabric. Now we’ve let it out again, it’s just a matter of refitting. And with the looser lace layers over it, all cinched in with that gorgeous beaded belt, truly, we’ve got this.’

Cally smiles down and wriggles her toes in her vintage gold heels. ‘It’s my own fault for getting ahead of myself with the alterations then putting all those inches on my waist and boobs.’ I think we’re all relieved she’s relaxed enough to joke about this.

Now she’s here in person, there’s so much I want to ask. ‘But when you were already in a wedding destination as cool as New York, why fly all the way to Cornwall?’

Cally pulls a face. ‘Nigel’s family would never have agreed to an American wedding. They’re sceptical enough as it is.’ Her accent might be gentle and sophisticated, but the way she wrinkles her nose is just plain cute. ‘This is mostly their show. All our plans got overruled, especially the numbers and the cake.’

Poppy’s beside me, still clutching the box of cupcake samples she brought down for final approval. ‘At least you get to choose the cupcakes.’

Cally lets out a sigh. ‘And I hung on to my gold theme. And we’ll definitely be doing our first dance to The Supremes, because that’s what was playing when we met. It’s a good thing I’m marrying the loveliest guy on the planet, because there’s not a trace left of the low-key wedding we planned.’

Poppy looks around at the rest of us. ‘His mum insisted on an exact copy of Nigel’s parents’ cake – five tiers, plaster columns and royal icing made the old-fashioned way.’

Cally’s shaking her head. ‘No offense to your baking Poppy, but so many tons of dark fruit cake and icing that sets like rock? I hope a hundred and fifty guests are ready to break their teeth!’

I’m picking my jaw up off the floor, and mouthing at Poppy? ‘A hundred and fifty people?’

Poppy’s whispering back. ‘It’s grown so big they’ll need every bit of that cake! And it’s at the Waterfront Marina Hotel, no less.’

Cally stares at her. ‘You’ve been there? The Andersons are part owners but so far I’ve only seen it in pictures – so how is it?’

Poppy hesitates. ‘Er …’

Cally’s smile has gone. ‘Please, I need you to be honest.’

I pick up the baton. ‘It’s like a country club by the sea, a little bit starchy … but the service and the setting are wonderful.’

Poppy nods. ‘Imagine your most upmarket yacht club collided with Buckingham Palace – well, that.’

Cally bunches up her mouth. ‘It’s sounds like Nigel’s parents all over.’

Sera grins up from where she’s bending over examining the waistline. ‘It doesn’t get any posher than a groom with five Christian names.’

I can’t hold it in. ‘So who are you marrying?’ Maybe I should have asked before.

Cally laughs. ‘Nigel Henry Peter Avalon Ivanhoe Anderson. Believe me, he’s a sweetheart, it’s just his family who are a little bit ew about him getting hitched to a yank instead of an English rose. His mum’s so posh she’s practically royal, she’s been so much worse since Meghan and Harry moved to the States.’ Cally winces. ‘It’s all a bit of a battlefield, they assume I’m only marrying Nigel because he’s rich.’

‘And are you?’ Sorry, but it will help to know; she wouldn’t be the first woman to marry for the love of a yacht club.

Calista’s laugh is surprisingly husky for someone so slender. ‘Hell no, I’m a New York attorney, I have quite enough money of my own. In any case, Nigel’s a second son so the acres won’t be coming to him.