“It is cool, isn’t it sweetie.” I laugh, locating Seb, just behind us.
“He was major excited as we came up the drive. I think he’s impressed.” He plants a kiss on my brow.
“I want to go see Ninny and Gramps and show them the lake!”
“Erm!” I look across to where they’ve parked and nod. “Ok, off you go, they are just there. We are just beginning to unload the cars. Stay with them, Finn.”
I’ve lost his attention but watch until he makes it to their car, my dad picks him up in a bear hug, before locating me with a smile. “You carry on chucks - we’ll see to monkey boy here.”
“Thanks, dad, I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”
“Not a problem, that’s what grandparents are for.” I give him a quick hug and squish my mum who looks as full of excitement as me.
“You remembered your dress didn’t you, hunny?” She strokes my arm and I laugh.
“Yes, mum - I’ve got it.”
“And your shoes?”
“Uh huh!” They had only been delivered to me a few days earlier, cutting it extremely fine.
“How’d they look?”
“Ah, Mum, they look amazing - your idea of embellishing the soles was pure genius.”
She pats her hair saucily. “I have been known to have them you know, darling.”
“You have. I’ll get sorted this afternoon and then show you everything before dinner. I want you to come check my outfit - is that Ok?”
“Of course, my love. I pop around once I’m dressed. You and I can grab a mum and daughter moment.” She draws me to her and kisses my brow. “I’m so happy for you, darling. You deserve to be happy and Sebastian is such a wonderful man.”
“You’ve been itching to wear your wedding hat for a decade - come on now be honest.” I tease her, loving her more for her declaration.
“I won’t deny that the second I met Seb, I knew he was perfect for you, even if you couldn’t see it. The hat, well it was out of date by the time you two got your acts together…”
“Any excuse to go shopping eh?” I interrupt laughing.
“Yes!” her lime green eyes sparkle.
“Your mother of the bride outfit is so elegant, Mum. Are you looking forward to wearing it?”
“Ah - I adore it, and it’s so much better now I’ve had it altered. Your father says I remind him of Jackie ‘O’.” She wiggles her hips.
“You do!”
“Well Bitzi and I are both going to look fabulous - we’ve conferred over our outfits. I’m wearing the deep ruby red as you know and she is a wearing charcoal mat satin dress with jacket. We will all match the colour scheme beautifully.”
“It’s all going to look so Christmassy!” I squeak. “You sure, you’re Ok, with Finn, whilst I go dump all this and meet up with the wedding planner? I won’t be long and then we’ll do the flowers for the top table.”
“Go! Finn is fine.” We both look at Mac with Finn on his shoulders, as they spin on the grass. “They have their lake and ducks - it’s just like home.”
I kiss her Chanel No.5 scented cheek before grabbing my dress, case, and vanity and nipping into the reception. Nathan and Seb have already begun to make fast work of emptying my car as I join them, making quick journeys back and forth into the hall, where Gigi is delegating. James has set up a room for flower arranging and Christmas decorations, where we can dump any paraphernalia we may have and I direct anyone with items that may be of that description to those areas. Then it’s just a case of taking our luggage to our Hotel rooms and ensuring my wedding dress and the special items that will turn me into a bride, are not seen by the groom.
I briefly meet with Gigi to advise that we’ll talk in about an hour to go through some plans before being shown by staff to my suite. I enjoy the walk up the stairs, casting my eyes over the immense crystal chandeliers, sparkling with cleanliness, and up the black and white humbug striped runner, admiring the garland strewn curved staircase - it really was spectacular. We finally head down the hallway on the second floor, our feet squishing into the plush carpet, towards the best room in the house. I was so happy to have been able to secure this room for Seb and I for our wedding night. It held so many memories for us - I not only decorated it, it had brought us together collaboratively, physically and we’d shared a wonderful night during the hotel’s re-launch, by the fire, our bodyies entwined and reaching new heights of bliss. My body tingles at the thought. Wow, that had been some night!
Slipping my card key in, I swing open the huge double doors and beam. I’m home! Yay!
Logs hissed and crackled in the fireplace, and the huge bed that Nathan had carved looked as inviting as I’d remembered, with what appeared to be new deep charcoal grey damask bedding and the only other new addition I could see casting my eyes around, was a large silver antique oval long dress mirror which would be ideal for tomorrow when I was getting ready - I’d have to thank Colin, it had his stamp all over it - that and the 11 foot real Nordman Christmas tree in the corner of the room, filled with red and Silver decorations. There were little touches all around the room, chocolates from Betty’s, a Harrods teddy on the comforter for Finn and a luxury wrapped hamper in the corner, filled with all manner of beauty products including my Estee Lauder Foundation, MAC eyeshadows, Champney’s body creams and Elemis skincare - this was seriously generous.
Eek! I shrug my shoulders giddiness kicking in. This is all too much! I can’t quite believe that this time tomorrow I’ll be Mrs. Silver. The past few months have been hell and now that that psychopath is gone for good, I can move on with our lives - we can move forward. I’d never wanted Leo to die, no matter what he’d done to me. An eye for an eye would never bring the baby back we’d lost but I hadn’t grieved his death. I was saddened that he fallen between the cracks so badly, mentally - to have become so warped and twisted that he would stop at nothing to gain his revenge at Sebastian and have me for himself. Detective Murray had told us he’d seen cases such as these where the culprits had been released from prison, years later only to re-offend, usually causing fatal consequences to the original victims they’d been obsessed with. Seb and I viewed his death as the only thing we could under the circumstances - an accident that had worked to our advantage - his sick mind and violent temper being taken from this world before more damage could be done to others.
No more drama, just positivity from here-on out.
I’m about to begin to unpack a few bits, when I jump as a knock at the door interrupts my thoughts. “Lu, can I come in?”
Suzies’ head pops around the door and I grin. “Hey, you? You all settled in?”
“Any more settled and I’ll never get back up. Seriously I feel like the Christmas turkey”
“Your back troubling you, hun?”
“Yup, but I’m good, don’t you worry about me. Gino has rubbed my feet and booked us into the spa in a few hours for a pregnancy couples’ massage… again.”
“Course he has. Purely for support for you.”
“Oh yeah, he hates massages.” Her sarcastic facial expression makes smile.
“So. Lubedoo, what’s the crack? Where do you want me?”
“We…lll …” I consider her huge belly, flushed face and swollen ankles, she was heavily pregnant at 35 weeks, so I wanted her to just sit and chat to us and really not do much at all but didn’t want her getting uppity about it. “Seb and Na are downstairs, having a drink I think.”
“Priorities then.”
I nod. “Yeah. Then I said we’d meet Gigi, and you, Abby, Mum, Bitzi and I will set some of the flowers up together in vases. I have a theme I want to follow and we’ve got the florist from Flowers Couture doing most of it throughout the hotel, as well as our bouquets, but I wanted to do a few.”
“Of course you did, because you’re a control freak…”
“Hey!”
“Well, you are… but I’m fine with that. It’ll give us a chance to have some
girly time.”
I walk to her and give her a hug and she strokes my face. “You’re going to have an amazing day my gorgeous sis, I promise.”
“Thanks, Suze. We will. I’m so happy we’re having it here, with all my favourite people and at this time of year.”
“Yes, it’s going look stunning.”
“Right, I’m going to hang my dress on the mirror, two secs.”
“Did Abs and Na come separately?”
I grab my dress suiter and shoes and head over the dressing area, then return to unpack a couple of items that need to be seen to immediately. Glancing over my shoulder I nod, not wanting to say to move where they were concerned. “Na drove Seb’s car up for us.”
“Hmmm, I think that was a good excuse. Those two are driving me potty, pardon the pun.”
“I know what you mean, but they’ll sort it. She’s crazy about him.”
“He’d better not hang around too long?” her thread brows rise.
“What do you mean?”
“If he doesn’t give her the right vibe soon, I’m not sure she’ll even be in the UK in a few months.”
I frown at this news, panic setting in. “Why? Did she say something?” She hadn’t said anything about moving abroad to me and I was her best-friend.
“Sorry, Lu, I thought you’d have known.”
“No.” I add quietly.
“Well, you know Abby, it’s probably just a pipe dream. Changing the subject completely…” She begins to fiddle with my lacy ‘something blue’ wedding garter, “…Jess, is bringing someone to the wedding.”
“Ooh, good. I gave her an invite which said bring a plus-one. Who?”
“Haven’t a clue but she likes him - I can always tell and this one is a possible runner.”
“Oh, super.”
“Hmmm. Right, what other goss do I have, other than my vagina looks like it’s gone into anaphylactic shock.”
I cough, laughing hard. “Excuse me!”
“It’s so bloody swollen, Lu - I’m not sure my body is made to go another 5 weeks, let alone a possible 7 weeks if I go over by a few!”
I sympathise, I’d been there with Finn but I’d at least had him early. “Oh, yeah, get used to that, babe - eventually you’ll feel like you’ve got a humongous cauliflower sprouting out from down there.”
“Ha ha, cheers.”
“Don’t get a mirror out, whatever you do - you’ll be tempted but don’t. It goes back, I promise you.” I wink.
“I’ll take your word for it and if not, you’re paying for the designer vagina.”
“Only you Suze. You’re feeling Ok though, hunny? Not too tired?”
“I’m alright sis - don’t for God’s sake tell Gino or he’ll make a song and a dance out of it, but I had my show this morning.”
“WTF? Suzie! Have you called the midwife?”
“Easy, Lu - people will hear you.” She shushes me with her hands dramatically. “You’re worse than my husband. I called my midwife and she told me it can happen earlier than usual.”
“Right. Well do you want me to take you to see her now - get you checked? I’d rather you be safe?”
“No, she said to keep an eye on things, rest, make sure I don’t overdo things.”
“For fucks sake, Suze, you mean like having a wedding, being a Matron of Honour? Little things like that? Bet you didn’t tell her that was going on tomorrow did you?”
She looks guilty. “Nooo. But, I am going to relax in this gorgeous place and be pampered.”
I scrunch my face up in protest and she adds “I promise!”
“Well, any twinges, headaches - if your back ache gets worse - please let me know or tell Gino and we’ll get you seen. We can bring the midwife here for goodness sake. Don’t be a martyr just because it’s my day. Jeez, Suze it’s me - drama follows me - what’s another one!”
We laugh together at this and she eases herself out of the chair with me rushing forward to assist. “Come on, slim, we’d better go down.”
I duck before she whacks me. “I saw Mum and Dad with Finn in the corridor, they are in the room a few doors down from us and they were going to feed the duck with him then meet us in a bit.”
“I know she mentioned. Bless, they are good aren’t they.”
“They love Finn - and they’ll love this little girl too.” She pats her growing belly with fondness. “Bitzi and Bob have apparently been here a while and done some shooting with James and Colin. Ha ha - I’d have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that.”
“As long as everyone is happy, that’s all I can ask for. I just want to sort these last few bits out today, run through a few things and then enjoy an intimate dinner with you guys before trying to get an early night.”
“With no Seb!” she wags a manicured finger at me.
“He is staying with Nathan tonight.”
“So! That won’t stop him - you’ll have to put armed guards outside your door and even then he’d get to you. That man adores you and eats you alive every time he looks at you. Telling him to stay away from you for one night would be like taking a child into the sweet shop on a look only basis - impossible!”
“Don’t be daft - he can control himself you know!”
“Hmmm, it’s debatable where you’re concerned but you are going to be rested for tomorrow, even if it means I need to sleep here with you, so he can’t gain access - he won’t want to feel the wrath of a pregnant mama being woken up after trying to get to sleep with sciatica - he can go share with hairy Gino.”
We giggle together before I grab my lippy to freshen up and then head towards the door. It was time to get my lists out and start sprinkling some winter wedding magic around The Ashton, we had a wedding to prepare for.
*******
Downstairs, Gigi has laid out all the tall lustre vases that we will need for our table centrepieces. Christmas carols are playing in the background and Debbie, James Marcell’s assistant, has arranged for mulled wine, mince pies and other treats to be set out for us and the guests on silver platters in the great hall area, whilst we decorate. The mood is filled with excitement and festive cheer.
“It smells gorgeous down here.” Suzie exclaims, linking her arms through mine.
“It’s all the Christmas trees and fresh garlands,” Gigi smiles, handing me a mulled wine. “Here, quick sip and you and I will have a quick reccy through the plan. There’s even mistletoe hanging from lots of unknown points, so watch out.” She raises her brows. “À la Cliff Richard, but I think I’ll just take the wine part. There’ll be no kissing for me this Christmas.”
I frown at her adamant statement - not if I had anything to do with it. Gray Devereux in my opinion was perfect for Gigi and whilst I hadn’t had the opportunity to introduce them as yet, he was coming to the wedding tomorrow so I’d make sure to get them together then, despite my special day.
“If its Ok with you Lu, I’m going to take a comfy seat and eat a mince pie.”
“Of course, darling. You rest up. Can I get you drink?”
“Not at all, you go do your thang!” She winks shooing us away. “I’m going to take in all this ambience.”
“Come see your cake - we’ve set it up in the kitchen for now but it will be brought into the ballroom obviously tomorrow.” Gino talks rapidly, her excitement apparent.
Once in the kitchen I’m floored - the five tier ombre cake in varying tones of greys, from white, light grey, to darkest grey, is a work of art. Created like a ruffle, so that each level was almost peonies-like, and covered in pearls and glitter. Simple, yet blingy. I loved it! I glance to the side and see grey macaroons covered in silver glitter with white filling and swoon.
“Oh. My. Word - these look to- die-for!” I had over to them dramatically pouting.
“They are - but not if you want to wear that dress tomorrow.” She laughs, tapping my hand. “After - you can gorge, after.”
We wander through hal
l, our heel clicking on the monochrome checkerboard flooring, past the 30 foot real Christmas tree and into the large conference room, where our reception will be held and I gasp. Staff from Divine Intervention are busy ironing tablecloths, placing bows on the back of 150 seating chairs and generally turning the room into a winter wonderland but boy are they doing a magnificent job. It looked out of this world.
Gone is the feeling of a grand ballroom and in its place a scene straight out of Narnia, with enormous white frosted twig trees aligning the aisle all the way to the alter area and curving over it to form an archway. Each tree was filled with fairy lights and placed in a huge mirrored pot that was topped with fake snow. In the gapped areas in between the trees all the way down the pathways were filled with glass hurricane lamps of varying heights.
‘We’ll light these obviously on the day. I’ve taken heed of your requests - lots of candles.” Gigi grins.
“I love it, Gigi.” I hold my hand to my face, in utter awe of the beauty of her creation.
“Well, its not finished yet but we are getting there.” She places an arm around my shoulders. “I don’t mind saying this wedding has been one of my favourites, not just because of the design and the theme but also down to you and Seb - you are a great couple - a real inspiration.”
“Thank you. You and I have become more than just business acquaintances during the oast few weeks. We seem to just get one another.”
“We do don’t we?” She nods.
“Creative people I suppose but definitely kindred spirits.”
I return my gaze to the round tables scattered around the left and right hand sides of the wedding aisle. All have crisp white cloths’ which drape on the floor, with a smoky grey glitter runner that falls to mid level and under the chandeliers and fairy lighting the sparkly covers looks fabulous. In their centre tall vases filled with silver lustre baubles and flocked white berries have been placed to secure large glittered silver and white frosted twigs, with pearls which draped and hung from them alongside more silver lustre baubles. Each were placed on a mirrored circle, reflecting every surface and light with silver antique candle sticks and pure white pillar candles.
The One Adored (The One Trilogy Book 3) Page 30