Love at the Little Wedding Shop by the Sea - Jane Linfoot Page 0,97
Wild camper on the other, looking totally amazing parked sideways on to maximise the signage.
But the best is at the back, where the buildings open out onto a secret walled kitchen garden that was originally for the nearby manor farm. There are ancient apple and pear trees trained along the tall sheltering boundary walls, and the borders echo the origins. Here, the bursts of delphiniums, roses, peonies, and sweet peas are interspersed with sage and golden marjoram, with feathery leaves of dill and fennel growing next to climbing beans. And at the far end there’s a long rectangular stone-edged pond with lily pads and flashes of orange fish in the depths.
What’s even more special is that this is their first wedding fair since opening, and there’s so much buzz that people are coming in crowds, from all around.
I was so worried about not waking up for my 5am start that in the end I didn’t dare go to bed. Instead, I got ready then snatched a couple of hours’ sleep sitting upright on the sofa. But in spite of that, I’m not actually tired – in fact, there’s so much adrenalin pumping around my body, at this rate I might well stay awake until July. Driving into the sunrise was magical, chasing away the night-time shadows along the roadside hedgerows as I sped inland, with the scarlet ball of the sun coming up over the moorland horizon. Even though the air from my open van window blasting over my face was chilly enough to turn my nose pink, the pale cloudless sky and soft morning light as I wound my way along the narrow lane to the smart gravelled entrance was a promise of the warm day to come.
It’s almost as if Phoebe was watching Nic swap the signage on the roof, because I’ve had missed calls from her at the most random times. And as I arrive this morning and pick up my bag from the van floor there’s yet another, but my head’s too full right now to take on Phoebe too.
I might have been shivery early on with my optimistic bare legs and sandals, but by lunchtime as I make my way past the snowy display of Sera’s bridal dresses, and out of the huge open doors towards the pretty open-sided marquee out on the lawn and thread my way through the couples wandering outside on the grass, in the shelter of the garden I’m pushing the sleeves of my soft denim shirt dress up beyond my elbows, and undoing the top and bottom buttons for extra ventilation.
Now I’m getting into my stride as the person in charge of sorting the exhibitors out, instead of looking for trouble, I’m finding that if I keep walking around with my tray, the difficulties come to me as I pass. And if I’m handing out goodies as I go, people are much less likely to grumble, and easier to help.
As I go in through the open doors for my umpteenth circuit, I’m heading for Immie and Poppy who are standing by one of her lovely three-tier cakes. This one’s covered in pink ombré frosting and topped with white chocolate drips, and getting shedloads of attention.
‘Cupcake, Milla?’ Immie’s nothing to do with Poppy’s cake-making business, but she said she was damned if she was staying home for our first big fair.
I put down my empty tray and sweep my finger through the soft chocolate buttercream swirl she’s passing me. ‘I’ve been saving myself for this. It’s only my sixth.’
Poppy’s lips are twisting. ‘Don’t worry, they’re only a bite each, and you’re walking them off.’
‘You keep telling me that, and I’ll keep eating them.’
She catches hold of my free hand. ‘No ring today?’
I’m staring at my thin left finger. ‘Damn, in the rush I totally forgot all about it.’ I catch a glimpse of my reflection in the ring cabinet I’m standing next to. I pull the belt of my dress tighter and smooth out a crumple in the skirt. ‘Can you see I slept in it?’
Immie gives a chortle. ‘You’re so much my kind of woman.’
Poppy’s smile widens. ‘Oh, Mills, how did that happen?’
‘I got ready at midnight, then didn’t go to bed, that’s all.’ I pull a face. ‘But on the plus side, Casper’s remembered his ribbons, the canapés coming out of the kitchen are to die for, and there seem to be lots of people here.’ If I sound hesitant it’s because I can’t quite believe it.