‘You okay?’ Rachel whispered in Eve’s ear, as Ben stepped aside to help himself to a drink.
‘Yeah, don’t worry, hun.’ Rachel could see her friend was putting a brave face on it. Eve swiftly moved the conversation on. ‘Oh, and so many people have made such lovely comments about the dress. I feel right proud to have made it.’
‘And so you should; it’s just stunning.’ Jill, who was now helping to pass around the nibbles, beamed at her.
So many people arrived, with smiles and gifts, all looking forward to the celebrations to come. With the beautiful ceremony now over, Rachel felt ready to let her hair down a little and go with the flow. She sipped the fragrant gin cocktail, and clinked her glass in a brief private moment with Tom.
‘Cheers, my love.’
‘Cheers, Mrs Watson.’
Across at the tipi, final touches were being put in place by a team of fabulous helpers and wedding attendees – with Rachel blissfully unaware. After the drinks reception, the guests made their way across the farmyard and into the grassy field where the tipi was set up, leaving Rachel and Tom for a few quiet moments.
Tom took Rachel’s hands in his, standing within the old stone walls of the Pudding Pantry, those most special tearooms, which she and Jill had created in the barn from the seed of a dream. And now another dream had come to life.
‘Are you all right?’ he asked.
‘Yes, better than all right. I feel amazing, I’m so happy, Tom. We did it!’
‘Yeah, we did it. No going back now.’
‘Don’t want to.’
‘Me neither. Never …’ And he pulled her close into the most tender kiss, their foreheads resting gently together, and their arms wrapped around each other. And even when they had to pull away, neither had lost that feeling of finding each other, of coming home.
‘I suppose we’d better get back and join the party. There might be just a few people waiting for us,’ said Tom.
‘Hah, yes, and I bet they’re starving too.’
They made their way across the field holding hands, with the sun on their faces, and a breeze rippling through Rachel’s hair. Strolling across the grass in a wedding gown, kilt, and wellies, should have felt slightly weird, but it felt just right.
As they entered the tipi, everyone at the gathering was standing up by their tables, with Ben calling out, ‘Can we welcome Mr and Mrs Watson!’ The crowd cheered and clapped, and gave a few raucous hoots. The couple’s smiles suddenly widened. There was no official master of ceremonies, this being a very rustic, homemade wedding, but Ben was doing a grand job; he had a loud voice as he was used to shouting across the noise of banging at the garage where he worked.
Rachel and Tom wove their way towards the top table, created from the village-hall trestles and covered with white linen tablecloths, floral decorations, and lanterns with ivory candles inside. Then Rachel spotted the table beside that, where the wedding cake stood … yet, there shouldn’t be a wedding cake … The wedding cake had been trashed just yesterday in a pile-up on the A1. But there it was, a three-tiered ‘naked’ sponge, very like the one she had ordered, with barely-there buttercream smeared in a white haze around the sides. Oh my …
She moved closer to take a proper look. On the top was pale green icing made to look like a field, which was drizzled very carefully down the top tier, with a tractor made of icing, two gorgeous little figures sitting on straw bales – hah yes, her and Tom – and even Petie the lamb stood looking on, and Moss was there in icing in a bow tie. Amazing.
‘Oh, wow! Tom, come over and see this! Who’s made this? How?’ Rachel marvelled.
‘Oh, well,’ Jan moved in beside her, with a big smile on her face, ‘we ladies at the WI can soon get into gear when needs must. It was a real team effort.’
‘Wow,’ Rachel repeated, gobsmacked.
‘Yes, I made the top layer of sponge, Mary Stevens did the middle tier, that’s a lemon sponge, and Christine the lower tier, that one’s vanilla. The tractor was made by Eileen, and Sue Smith made the dog and sheep. Alice from your Pudding Club created the figures – aren’t they great?’
‘Hah, yes, look Tom, you’re even in your red boiler suit.’
‘Brilliant.’ Tom grinned.
Rachel couldn’t help but break into a smile. ‘That’s just wonderful.’ She mouthed a big ‘Thank you’ across the gathering, trying to spot all the master bakers involved. It really was the icing on the literal cake.
Waiters and waitresses, dressed smartly in black with white aprons, then appeared ready to hand out the Towers of Treats, along with neatly cut triangle sandwiches, and large pots of tea. The vintage cups, saucers and tea plates had already been set out. But … Rachel was confused, she and Jill hadn’t hired any waiting staff. The bridesmaids and some friends from the WI were going to help serve, or so Rachel had thought. It was then she recognised that the ‘staff’ were several of the teenagers from the village.
‘Yes, it’s our kids. Something to keep them out of mischief on a Saturday!’ Eileen and Christine called across. ‘They’ve been volunteered.’
Christine’s lad, Ethan, then served a plate of scones to the top table, muttering, ‘Feels like community service this,’ right in front of Tom, but then he looked up at Rachel, cracked a broad smile and gave the newlyweds a wink.
The food was incredible: cakes and scones, tarts and treats, sandwiches, sausage rolls, and so much more. The fantastic Pudding Clubbers, the WI, and all the villagers had come together to create the best afternoon tea ever.
It was soon time for the speeches. Ben did a great job as best man, with touches of humour throughout, ending with a nice quip about how he could vouch for married life, sending Eve a bright shade of pink. And then it was Tom’s turn. The tent hushed as he stood up and looked proudly at his new wife.
‘Rachel, you look so beautiful today. Seeing you walk down that aisle; well, you took my breath away. And Eve, that dress, wow. I don’t know how many hours you must have put in to create all that detail, but it’s absolutely stunning.’
Eve gave a heartfelt smile.
‘Rachel, thank you for showing me how to love again.’ He took a breath. ‘And, thank you for saying yes. And I knew if I took you on, then I had to take all of you Swinton ladies on – Maisy, Jill, Ruth … and if you know these ladies, then you know that’s no mean feat.’ A ripple of laughter washed over the room. ‘I know how hard these last few years have been for you all. So, all I have to add is that, in all honesty, I will do everything in my power to love, respect and protect you all, always.’
Aw, Tom. Rachel took his hand, her eyes a little misty.
Jill had her hanky out and Ruth was looking on proudly, whilst Tom’s parents were nodding in support. The whole tipi had an emotional hush over it.
Rachel then stood, feeling slightly nervous with all eyes now trained on her, but she had planned to say a few words. ‘Thank you, Tom … hubbie.’ She tried out the new word with a smile. ‘Well then,’ she continued, ‘someone special is very noticeably missing from this table. Someone we all miss dearly every day. So, in my father’s absence, I want to say a few brief words.’ She paused, gathering herself for a second. ‘I know how much my dad thought of you, Tom, before we even got together as a couple, so I know he would have given his full blessing to this marriage. Just before we left the house for the church this morning, I asked Granny what she thought made a good marriage, and if she had any tips. She told me we had to be a team, and to never take each other for granted.’ Rachel looked at Tom and then up at the faces in the audience who were nodding and smiling. ‘So, I promise to try my best to do that … and if ever we lose our way, I promise I’ll do everything to find you again.’
Rachel caught Eve’s eye by chance, who was nodding earnestly too. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house by this point.
‘Today has been so special already,’ Rachel continued. ‘Thank you all for coming, and supporting us, and for the gifts, for all the amazing food you�
��ve made … and that cake. But I know also that this, however special, is just one day. So Tom Watson, I am so looking forward to all the other days and the journey we’ll take in life together. There’s no one else I’d rather share it with.’ They held each other’s gaze for a second. ‘Well then, all I have to add is … cheers folks and let’s party!’
‘Cheers!’
‘Woo-hoo!’
There were claps and whoops, and glasses clinked. And the celebrations got into full and fabulous swing.
‘Sorry, can I just borrow my wife for a few minutes?’
Tom caught up with Rachel whilst the hog roast was being set up, finding her chatting away with some distant relatives she hadn’t seen in a while. After being introduced and a few minutes of chitchat, Tom saw the chance for them to make their escape.
‘Of course. Catch you on the dance floor later, Rachel.’ Uncle Arthur was renowned, weirdly enough, for his Eighties-style robot dancing, witnessed at many a family wedding and party.
‘Okay. I’ll keep you to that,’ she chuckled.
‘And where’s Maisy?’ Tom said to Rachel. ‘We need her with us too.’
‘What’s all this about?’ Her curiosity was piqued now.
‘Oh, you’ll find out soon enough. It’s a wedding gift.’
‘But Tom … I thought we weren’t getting each other anything.’ There had been so many other expenses, they’d agreed.
‘True, and having you by my side is all I need. But well, I just couldn’t resist …’
They found Maisy chattering away with the girl who was serving at the ice-cream parlour. Yes, Andrew from the dairy had turned up at the reception with his mobile ice-cream stand, how marvellous, as a little extra treat for everyone. How cool was that!
‘Come on, Maisy, there’s something I’d like you to see.’
They walked the ten minutes across the fields down to Tom’s farm. Going over the events of the day so far, and chatting about how wonderful it had been. Maisy, now hoisted up onto Tom’s shoulders, sat with chocolate-smudged cheeks and a big grin.
‘Okay, nearly here now,’ Tom announced.
The girls looked at each other, neither having a clue what was going on. They went past Tom’s house, on through the yard, and arrived at the gate of the adjacent field.
‘Come on, then,’ Tom called, dropping Maisy down to her feet, as he then picked up a bucket of what looked like sheep feed.
And there appeared two beautiful woolly heads, one tall, one small, both with big brown eyes and the cutest thick eyelashes.
‘You’ve got alpacas?’
‘Well, actually they’re yours. One for you, one for Maisy.’
‘Oh, Tom …’
‘I thought it might help Maisy to settle in,’ he said for Rachel’s benefit, ‘And of course you’ll have to help look after them, Mais. The big one is called Roberta, and Maisy, you can help choose a name for the young one, her daughter.’
‘Oh, I need to think what’s good … Oh, hello you … and you.’ Maisy was rubbing their heads and patting their woolly shoulders. The beautiful creatures were so gentle and affectionate.
‘They have a role on the farm too; they’re really good at keeping foxes away,’ he explained. ‘Apparently, the foxes don’t like the smell. And, they get on well with the sheep too.’
‘Yay! Do you think Petie can be their friend, Tom? Can he come and see them?’ Maisy was bouncing up and down.
‘Yeah, I don’t see why not. Maybe we can bring him over tomorrow. We can see how they all get on, and if he likes it, he can move into this field too.’
‘Like me … moving in. Oh Mummy, I love them already. We must go and tell ’Melia and Auntie Eve, and Granny and Grandma.’
‘Yes,’ Rachel was beaming too. What a wonderful gift, she thought, and what a thoughtful way for Tom to help Maisy feel excited about moving into her new home. ‘We really ought to be getting back to our wedding party soon, though. They’ll be wondering what’s happened to us.’
‘Hmm, I bet there’re some theories flying about already.’ Tom gave a sexy wink.
46
EVE
It was wonderful to see Tom and Rachel so happy. But inside the tent of laughter, music and joy, there was one heart full of sorrow; heavy with the awful news that she would need to break, tomorrow. Let today be Rachel and Tom’s, and then … tomorrow. It might be that Ben would never find out – Eve was sure that she could trust Rachel and Tom. But, in her heart of hearts, Eve knew that telling the truth was the only way forward. Ben had to know.
Eve had been dancing with Amelia and Maisy, holding hands and swirling in a loop to the happy beat of ‘Cotton-Eyed Joe’. She saw that Ben was at the makeshift bar, chatting to some local pals. Eve suddenly felt the need to get outside and get some fresh air.
‘See you in a minute, girls. Just nipping to the loo.’ There were indeed two Portaloos set up for the event at the field edge.
The little ones giggled at that, and then carried on with their jigs and twirls, and as the next song started up Grandma Jill came on the dance floor to join them. They were full of cake and marshmallows, ice cream and lemonade, and they thought today was the best party ever.
It was just past eight o’clock now, still warm, but the early evening light had a fading quality.
Eve felt her adrenalin from the day start to fade too. How she wished she could just enjoy the celebrations, be happy and carefree, like she had been only a couple of months ago. Oh, God. What had she done? And why the hell had she done it?
But … there was no changing it, and she needed to face up to her actions, however crazy and misguided they were.
A voice she knew so well came from behind her. ‘Eve, are you all right?’
‘Ah …’
She turned to find her husband there, a look of concern etched across his brow.
‘There’s something wrong, isn’t there?’ he prompted.
‘Oh, Ben …’ Eve was so bloody afraid.
‘You’ve not been yourself these past few weeks, Eve. What is it?’ His tone was so caring, loving, and yet Eve knew she was about to shatter his trust in her, his world.
‘Walk with me.’
They needed some space, away from the wedding capers, the joyful shrieks and hoots coming from the tipi … away from listening ears.
Ben took Eve’s hand in his as they walked on up the grassy hill, and that gesture felt as though it might break her heart further. She paused, and saw that the moon had begun to rise in the sky, even though it hadn’t darkened yet.
‘Ben, I’m so sorry …’ She gulped. ‘I’ve done something terrible … and I wish I hadn’t. I know it’s going to hurt you, and I’m so, so sorry.’
His face paled and his hand loosened on hers, but it was still there … for now.
She looked across the rolling countryside, the landscape of her home, their home, and took a deep breath.
‘Just tell me, Eve.’
The truth.
‘I started to fall for someone. It was crazy and stupid … and I got caught up in it all. We kissed. Just one kiss.’
‘God, Eve. No … You’ve been kissing some other guy?’
The look in his eyes made something fracture inside her. She felt his grip release from her hand. The evening air now felt cool and lonely around her fingers.
Ben turned away, as though struggling to take it in. The silence was painful, but Eve didn’t know what else to say.
He turned back sharply. ‘How long? What’s been going on, Eve? Are you seeing this guy or something? Who is it?’ The questions barrelled out clumsily. The questions he had every right to ask.
‘An artist friend … it’s not a relationship. We’ve never been out as such … It was just a moment, one stupid, crazy moment.’
‘That bloody artist … the exhibition. You’ve been acting weird ever since that night. Jeez, Eve. What the hell.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Do you love him, have you fallen in
love with him?’
‘No … no, never.’ Just some stupid crush. She could see it for what it was now. The tears were falling thick and fast, hot with shame … and fear, that he might not be able to forgive her. ‘I love you, Ben. Please forgive me. I just … look, things have been quite strained between us of late, and sometimes … well, it feels like we’re miles apart, and yes, I feel like you take me for granted. All the effort I put into the crafting, running around to keep things ticking over at home.’
‘Are you really trying to make excuses?’
‘No! Of course not, I feel terrible. I’m just trying to explain how we got here. Look, I can see we’ve lost touch. I’ve been trying, honest to God I have … I even dressed up in that flowery dress you always loved the other night. I’d planned us a nice supper and everything … but you never even bloody noticed. You went swanning off to the darts …’
Ben had the decency to pale a little, but his lips were still set in a firm hard line.
‘I know there’s no excuse for what I did,’ Eve continued. ‘But things can change for us, Ben. We, both of us, have to try harder. And I’ll never ever do anything like it again. I don’t want to lose you. And … there’s Amelia in all this …’ her voice wavered.
‘You should have thought of that a bit earlier.’ His tone was as sharp as glass. ‘I need some time to think, Eve.’ He marched away further up the bank.
A peal of laughter broke from the tipi, and the band started up a new song. Should she go back? Would the others have noticed the two of them were missing? She was sure Amelia would be fine with Jill and Ruth and Maisy for now.
‘Ben …’ She ran after him. ‘It’s you I love, Ben. It’s you I need. Us. We need to get back to how we were. Need to make some time for each other. Not be trodden down by work and life and stuff … We’ve just lost our way …’ She was struggling to put it all into words, but she had to try. ‘I’m asking you to forgive me.’ She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands.
‘It’s a lot to take in, Eve. Just leave it, okay.’ It was a warning shot to give him some space, and she had to respect that.
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