by Sophie Hart
‘Thank you,’ she whispered. ‘I’ll call you as soon as I have an update.’
Gill hung up, closing her eyes for a moment and exhaling deeply.
‘Are you okay?’ Julia asked gently, placing a hand on her arm.
Gill swallowed. ‘I’m calling the police.’ She dialled the number, biting her lip anxiously, then raised the phone to her ear. One ring, two rings, three—
Gill inhaled sharply; her eyes widened in alarm, her whole body going rigid.
‘What is it?’ Julia demanded, panicked by Gill’s behaviour.
‘I know where she is,’ Gill burst out. ‘I know! She’s–’ Gill broke off, and ran out of the house.
* * *
‘Kelly!’
Gill was exhausted, gasping for breath as she stumbled through the park, shouting her daughter’s name. It was a busy, sunny, Saturday lunch time, and scores of children were playing on the swings, shrieking as they whooshed down the slide, scrambling over the climbing frame. Their parents stood guard, closely watching their charges; a few of them looked over in Gill’s direction, disapproval written across their faces.
But Gill didn’t pay any attention to them. She veered away from the children’s playground, following the path that led behind the tennis courts and down towards the stream. It was somewhere round here, she was sure of it…
‘Kelly?’ Gill called again.
This part of the park was deserted, overrun with thick undergrowth, bathed in shadow where the sun didn’t penetrate. There used to be a statue around here, Gill knew; it had long since crumbled and decayed, but the pedestal was still there, thick ivy wreathed around its base. It made for a surprisingly comfortable seat, covered by the sweeping branches of the trees and hidden from view of any passers-by on the path. But if you cut through the bushes and knew exactly where to look…
‘There you are,’ Gill said softly, all the pent-up anger and anxiety dissipating the second she saw Kelly. The only thing she cared about was that her daughter was safe.
Kelly was sitting curled up on the plinth, her knees tucked into her chest, her skinny arms wrapped around her legs.
As soon as she saw Gill, she burst into tears. ‘I’m sorry, Mum. I’m so, so sorry.’
‘What’s going on, Kel?’ Gill asked, coming to sit beside her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and squeezing her tightly. It felt so good to hold her again, to stroke her hair and smell the distinctive scent of shampoo and body spray and cocoa butter.
‘I don’t know.’ Kelly was crying and hiccoughing. ‘I just needed to get away. I just left, and I came here, to get some peace. Everything was so crazy this morning, so many people coming and going. I felt overwhelmed, like I was going to have a panic attack or something.’
‘You should have told me,’ Gill chastised her gently. ‘We’ve been worried sick, Kelly. You could have texted.’
Kelly held up her phone. ‘Dead. No battery.’
Gill didn’t speak for a moment, letting Kelly cry as she gently rubbed her back.
‘What’s all this really about?’ Gill asked eventually. ‘I know you’ve had your issues with Mike, but I thought you were okay with us getting married.’
‘Everything’s going to change,’ Kelly sobbed.
‘What do you mean? Nothing’s going to change.’
‘Yes, it will. I already feel like I’ve lost my dad, now I’m going to lose you too.’
‘What do you mean? Of course you’re not going to lose me, I promise you, Kel. And you can see Ian as often as you want.’
‘But he’s always busy with his new girlfriend, and now you’ve got Mike. I didn’t feel like there was a place for me,’ Kelly explained. ‘I thought the best thing for me was to get out of the way. I didn’t expect you to come looking like this and kick up a fuss. I thought you’d go and get married and I’d catch up with you later or something.’
Gill almost laughed out loud. ‘Of course we wouldn’t do that. How could I get married without my beautiful, precious daughter by my side?’
Kelly shrugged, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. Her eyes were red and puffy, tear tracks streaking down her cheeks.
‘Look, Mike and I have said all along that we want you to be involved, and we meant it. The wedding’s about all of us. And from what I’ve heard from Julia, you’ve been doing a terrific job.’
Kelly managed a half-smile. ‘It’s been kind of fun, I guess. But this morning it didn’t feel like that.’
Gill opened her mouth to reply, but then her phone started to ring. ‘It’s Mike. He’s been so worried,’ she told Kelly. ‘I found her,’ she said immediately, hearing Mike’s exclamation of relief on the other end. ‘Yeah, she’s okay, I’ll explain later… Yeah, we’re heading back soon… I’m really not sure. What did the registrar say? … Okay, well we’ll just have to see what happens… Yeah, I know. I know. I’ll keep you updated, okay? … Love you too.’
‘What time is it?’ Kelly asked immediately, as Gill hung up.
‘Almost two. Why?’
‘But the ceremony’s supposed to start at three!’
‘I know,’ Gill said ruefully. ‘I can’t imagine what distracted me.’
Kelly pulled away, staring at Gill as though seeing her for the first time. ‘Mum, you’re wearing your dressing gown.’
Gill looked down at herself, then burst out laughing. ‘Not quite a wedding dress, is it?’
But Kelly didn’t laugh. She sat bolt upright, then scrambled down from the plinth. ‘Shit, Mum, we’ve got to go.’
‘Kelly, language!’
‘Never mind about that now.’ Kelly reached for Gill’s hand, urgently tugging her off the seat. ‘Come on, hurry up! We’ve got a wedding to get to.’
39
‘I first learned the concepts of non-violence in my marriage’ – Mahatma Gandhi
‘Can you see them?’ Paige was standing anxiously at the edge of the field, peering as far down the road as she could, and listening for the telltale growl of an engine.
Beside her, Julia shook her head. ‘They can’t be far off though.’
‘I’m so excited,’ Paige squealed. ‘I can’t wait to see what they think of everything.’
At her feet, Sam clamoured to be picked up. He looked absolutely adorable in a grey three-piece suit with a blue tie, a replica of what Mike had worn for the wedding. Paige bent down and lifted him onto her hip, murmuring, ‘Can you see Daddy coming in the big car?’
Sam squinted into the distance, one hand thrown over his eyes to shield them from the sun. ‘I can see them, I can see them!’ he yelled excitedly, kicking his legs as Paige winced in pain.
‘Are you sure, Sammy? I don’t think…’ she trailed off, as the cream-coloured vintage Rolls-Royce purred into view. It was a glorious vehicle, with red leather seats, polished wooden runners, and the traditional white ribbon running from the wing mirrors to the silver Spirit of Ecstasy on the front.
‘There they are! They’re here!’ Paige shouted, spinning round and beckoning for the others to join her. Freddy and Finlay sprinted across the field, their formerly pristine white shirts already covered in grass stains. Kelly followed more sedately, and Julia watched as she picked her way over the grass in her wedge heels.
She certainly looked wonderful, in the coral tulip dress which she’d accessorised with a chunky turquoise necklace. Jenny had done a fantastic job in the limited time available, applying a light covering of make-up to Kelly’s youthful skin, and quickly styling her hair into a glamorous up-do, held in place with a sparkly hairclip.
Julia gave Kelly a reassuring smile as she came to stand beside her, and Kelly smiled back, looking happy and relaxed.
‘Everything okay now?’ Julia murmured.
Kelly nodded. ‘Yeah. I feel so bad about earlier.’
‘No harm done. Everything worked out okay in the end,’ Julia assured her. She still didn’t know exactly what had happened, or how Gill had known where to find Kelly, but right now that didn�
��t seem to matter.
Moments later, the Rolls pulled to a stop at the side of the road and the besuited chauffeur got out, opening the door for his passengers to exit. Mike climbed out first, looking happy and proud, then held out his hand to help Gill. As soon as she emerged from the car, a chorus of cheers and applause erupted from the crowd gathered in the field. Gill clapped a hand over her mouth, looking utterly shocked as she saw everyone, tears springing into her eyes.
‘Did you organise this?’ she demanded, looking down at the children.
Freddy and Finlay were nodding enthusiastically, as Paige put in, ‘Julia helped of course.’
‘Ah, but you guys did most of it,’ Julia demurred. ‘You came up with all the ideas.’
‘It looks incredible,’ Gill breathed, dabbing at the corners of her eyes and feeling overwhelmed.
The kids had gone for a ‘Funfair and Festival’ theme, hiring a field in the Norfolk countryside, and going all out to fill it with as many fun things as they could find.
There were stilt walkers, jugglers and a magician, a coconut shy and a croquet pitch. There was apple bobbing and a tin can alley, and even a red London bus where guests could go and relax. A three-piece harmony group with guitars and a saxophone were strolling amongst the guests, singing ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ and encouraging everyone to join in.
‘Come and look,’ Paige told Gill shyly, taking her by the hand and pulling her forwards. ‘Oh, and you’ll need these first.’ She handed Gill and Mike a small silver bucket each, full of gold tokens. ‘These are what you need for the food and games,’ Paige explained, adding in a whisper, ‘Everyone got some, but you two got the most.’
Gill let herself be led across the field, as the children gabbled away excitedly. The afternoon was magical, with a hot sun high in a blue sky painted with fluffy cotton-wool clouds. Gill looked beautiful in a simple cream shift dress with three-quarter-length sleeves, a pair of sparkly sandals on her feet and a cream fascinator in her cropped purple hair. In the end, she’d deliberately steered away from an over-the-top white gown, wanting something low-key for the registry office ceremony.
‘It’s unbelievable,’ she commented to Mike, as they made their way over the grass, taking everything in.
‘And to think it nearly didn’t happen,’ Mike whispered back, as Gill shushed him with a pointed glance at Kelly.
Kelly, however, was happily oblivious, busy showing them the Pimm’s stall and the slushy stand, the beer and wine tent and the ice cream stall. There were half a dozen different food options, with a burger van, a hotdog stand, pizzas, a salad bar, and even a hog roast.
‘There is no way I’m getting on that,’ Gill giggled, as she saw the bucking bronco the kids had hired.
‘You can go on the bouncy castle instead,’ grinned Paige.
‘I can’t believe how many people are here,’ Mike marvelled. There were close to a hundred and fifty people milling around the field right now, enjoying the fine weather and lounging around on picnic blankets and bales of hay.
‘We added to the guest list a little bit,’ Paige confessed with a grin.
‘We invited all our friends, and all their parents too,’ Freddy explained. ‘And we’ve got a lot of friends.’
‘We wanted it to be the best party EVER,’ Finlay shouted, jumping into the air to emphasise his point.
‘I’m sure it will be,’ Gill assured him, pulling the twins to her and squeezing them tightly, as she began to tear up once again.
‘What are those?’ Mike asked suspiciously, looking at the cream-coloured domes in the far corner of the field.
‘They’re tents, Dad,’ Paige told him with a giggle. ‘Duh!’
‘We’re going to camp!’ Finlay squealed, still bouncing up and down despite Gill’s grip on him.
‘We blew the hotel budget on the party,’ Kelly explained. ‘Did you know that for the same price as a night for two in a five-star hotel suite, you can hire three tipis and a yurt?’
‘No,’ Mike laughed. ‘No, I didn’t know that, Kelly.’
‘And we’ve got midnight snacks,’ Sam cried. ‘And onesies.’
‘Sssh, Sammy, don’t spoil the surprises!’
‘I hope you’re planning to take lots of photos,’ Mike said to Kelly.
‘Of course.’ She rummaged in the clutch bag that accessorised her bridesmaid outfit and pulled out a digital camera. ‘I’ve taken loads already… but I don’t have one of all of us.’ She turned around, spotting Julia who was standing nearby talking to Debbie and Stevie. ‘Hey Jules, would you mind taking a photo?’
Julia smiled at Kelly’s familiarity, and excused herself from the conversation. ‘Of course not. Okay everyone, huddle together. Big smiles and… say cheese.’
Julia clicked the button and captured the image; a beautiful, happy family with beaming smiles and not a care in the world.
* * *
‘Well I never thought I’d spend my wedding night in a tent,’ Gill giggled, as she wriggled round and cuddled up to Mike.
‘I never thought I’d spend it in a separate sleeping bag from my new wife,’ Mike replied. ‘Bit of a passion killer.’
‘Are you saying I don’t look hot in my onesie?’
‘You look hot in anything, wifey,’ Mike replied, earning him a kiss from Gill.
They’d finally crawled into bed at gone midnight, finding that ‘Just Married’ onesies had been left on their sleeping bags, along with chocolates and a bottle of champagne. Surprisingly, there were more than twenty tents dotted around the field; many of their guests had taken it as the perfect opportunity to have a camping adventure with the kids, and it meant they didn’t have to worry about driving home after the party.
The night had gone off without a hitch, with everyone enjoying themselves enormously, as a local band called the Rascals played a medley of hits, covering everything from The Beatles to Bruno Mars. Gill and Mike had slow-danced to a live rendition of ‘Let’s Stay Together’, as the guests formed a circle around them, whooping and whistling. After that, there’d been no stopping everyone, the women kicking off their heels and dancing barefoot in the grass as the revelry got underway.
‘So d’you reckon we can consummate this marriage?’ Mike asked cheekily, moving closer. ‘Or do you reckon the kids have put too many obstacles in our way? You know – onesie, sleeping bag, thin canvas tent with all our friends and family surrounding us?’
‘Well, when you put it like that…’ Gill laughed. ‘There’s always the honeymoon.’
Somewhat miraculously, they’d managed to arrange a long weekend to Sorrento, on the Italian coast. Kelly and the twins were going to stay with their father for a few days, whilst Mike’s mum would stay on after the wedding to look after Paige and Sammy.
‘I’m not sure I can wait until then,’ Mike growled, rolling over and making a grab for Gill, who squealed hysterically, laughing as Mike unzipped her sleeping bag. Suddenly, she shushed him frantically, pushing him away.
‘What is it?’ he whispered, as Gill sat bolt upright, listening intently.
They heard the sound of the tent zip being undone, and Gill gripped Mike’s arm tightly.
‘What if it’s an axe murderer?’
‘Murdering newlyweds in the Norfolk countryside? Ow, you’re cutting off my blood supply, Gill!’ The two of them fell silent, hearts racing. ‘Who’s there?’ Mike called out gruffly.
‘Sam,’ came the forlorn reply, as Gill and Mike burst out laughing.
‘Sammy, what’s the matter?’ Gill called, as she fumbled with the torch and turned it on to see Sam standing there in his Bob the Builder pyjamas and bright red Wellington boots.
‘Scared. I want to sleep in your tent,’ he whispered, sucking on his thumb for comfort.
‘Come on then,’ Gill sighed, as she and Mike moved aside to make some space in the middle, and Sam wriggled his way between them.
‘I think we might be waiting until the honeymoon after all,’ Mike quipped.
Gill gave him a resigned look, then switched the torch off, plunging them into darkness. She’d barely lain back down when she heard the tent being unzipped once again; this time it was Paige.
‘Dad, have you seen Sammy?’ she demanded urgently. ‘I’ve lost him. One minute he was next to me, and then the next—’
‘Yes, he’s here with us,’ Mike told her, turning the torch back on.
‘Oh,’ Paige chuckled as she saw the three of them. Sam snuggled up to Gill, patting the space beside him for Paige to join them. As she crawled in beside Mike, he and Gill exchanged weary glances, all thoughts of romance pushed firmly to one side.
It wasn’t long before they heard the twins giggling and whispering outside, then two heads appeared in the tent’s entrance.
‘We heard voices,’ Finlay explained.
‘And we wanted to join in,’ added Freddy, as he launched himself into the middle of the group, landing heavily on Mike’s stomach.
Moments later, the six of them were blinded by a brilliant flash. When Gill’s eyes adjusted, she saw Kelly kneeling inside the tent, a smile on her face and her camera in her hand.
‘Come on in, then,’ Gill laughed. ‘Why not? The more the merrier.’
Somehow, all five children managed to find space in the tiny tent, crammed in between Gill and Mike, all cuddled up and cosy. It might not have been the most conventional way to spend her wedding night, Gill reflected, but for her it was perfect. She had her family around her, the man she loved beside her, and she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
* * *
The moon was full and bright in the dark night sky as Nick and Julia drove home along the deserted country roads. Jack was fast asleep in his car seat, snoring gently; he’d passed out hours ago, tucked warmly beneath a blanket as he snoozed in his pushchair.
Julia felt relaxed and contented, her feet aching from all the dancing, her head a little fuzzy from the champagne. She leant across to where Nick was driving, resting a hand lovingly on his knee.