Megan looked at her and then at Luke. ‘You mean you’d be interested in –?’
‘Forming a partnership?’ Luke grinned. ‘Yes, we would. After all, Lavender was going to be my future, too. And as Jacey and Mitch seem to be joined at the hip, why not? I’ve got a little bit of money that my gran left me …’
‘And I’ve got my motorbike.’ Jacey flicked back her hair. ‘I know I won’t get what I paid for it, but it’s still worth quite a bit.’
‘You can’t sell that!’ Mitch protested. ‘It’s your pride and joy.’
‘It’ll raise more than a stock car. And I’ll sell whatever I’ve got if it helps.’
Meg wished her mother was there right at that moment. She might just change her mind about Jacey Brennan.
‘We need proper advice,’ Luke said, ‘but if we can come up with a business plan – and at least some of the money – I’m sure the bank would give us a loan.’ He grinned at Megan. ‘It would mean making an appointment to see Peter, of course …’
‘Don’t!’ Megan laughed back, then stopped suddenly. She desperately wanted to curl herself into Luke’s arms with the unselfconscious ease that Jacey had with Mitchell.
She looked down at the pad again. ‘But, yes, I suppose it is an idea. If I get all the figures together …’
‘And I’ll be working here, too,’ Jacey put in. ‘As a partner, I’d only take a share in the profits, not a salary. Dean and Debbie have gone, so if we can only get rid of Paul and Judith …’
Megan started to smile. Maybe, just maybe, they’d be able to do it. She’d definitely make an appointment to see the bank manager – even if it meant working all night to produce the figures.
‘OK.’ She looked at Mitch. ‘Shall we give it a go?’
He nodded. ‘Why not?’
Luke leaned forward and touched Megan’s arm. ‘Could we talk? Privately?’
‘Oh, don’t mind us. We’re just going to make coffee anyway.’ Jacey slid from Mitch’s lap and dragged him to his feet. ‘Aren’t we?’
‘We are.’ Mitch grinned, following her through into the back room where the taxi drivers took their breaks. ‘Shout when it’s safe for us to come back.’
Waiting until the door was closed, Luke lifted Megan’s hand and studied her fingers.
‘I didn’t mean to sound crass about Peter. I – I haven’t wanted to say anything in case you were upset.’
‘I’m relieved – just relieved, that’s all.’ Megan shivered in delight as Luke’s fingers laced with hers. ‘I didn’t know how to tell you. Things have been so awful lately.’
‘I know.’ He leaned forward and gazed into her eyes. ‘But they don’t have to be any more, do they? I mean it about the business, you know. I really think the four of us could make a go of it. Jacey’s a brilliant mechanic, as well as a driver, and I certainly don’t want to leave here – or you …’
Megan turned her head away quickly, knowing she was going to cry, and Luke stroked her hair.
‘Listen, Meg. There are a lot of other options, but even if there weren’t, I’d like to do something else …’
She looked at him then. It didn’t matter if he saw her tears.
‘I love you,’ he said softly. ‘I always have. I – I could sell my flat. It wouldn’t raise an awful lot, but it would be something more to add …’
‘But where would you live?’ She was inches away from him now. ‘You can’t do that, Luke, not for Lavender.’
‘For you,’ he said quietly, kissing her. ‘I’d do anything I could for you. And I could always move into the bungalow with you.’
‘What?’ Megan shook her head, but he was laughing.
‘Meg, darling, I’m asking you to marry me.’
‘Married?’ Megan said slowly. ‘Us?’
He frowned. ‘Have I just made the biggest goof of all time, Meg? I mean, I really thought –’
‘Yes,’ Megan said quietly.
Luke looked even more perplexed. ‘Yes, I have – or yes, you will?’
‘Yes, I will!’
With a joyous whoop, he gathered her into his arms and kissed her.
Mitch and Jacey, emerging from the rest room to investigate the commotion, started in amazement.
‘Have they just solved the question of finance, do you think?’ Mitch whispered, and Jacey shook her head, grinning hugely.
‘I’d say they’ve just arrived at a far more important decision. Let’s leave them to it for a bit,’ she urged, and dragged him out of the room again.
Coming down to earth, still clasped in Luke’s arms, Megan smiled.
‘Do you realise that we haven’t even been out together more than once? We’re going to be married, and we haven’t even had the courtship yet!’
‘We’ll do that later.’ He stroked her hair away from her face. ‘We’ve got the rest of our lives together to sort out the finer points.’ He kissed the tip of her nose. ‘And we’ve done all the important things, haven’t we? We’ve been friends for ages, know everything about each other. There won’t be any skeletons leaping out of the cupboard.’
Megan leaned against him. He was right. This was right, absolutely. She’d dated Peter King for years, considered marrying him, yet never once had she felt a fraction of the love and happiness welling inside her now.
‘We don’t have to get married quickly,’ she said into his shoulder. ‘Not if –’
‘I think we do, actually.’ Luke was laughing. ‘That is, if I’m going to sell the flat as my contribution to the new Lavender partnership. Unless, of course, we fly in the face of convention.’
‘No!’ Meg looked up at him and blushed. ‘Sell it. Oh, Luke, I do love you.’
She burrowed against him again, wondering fleetingly how her parents would react to the news. She was almost sure they would be delighted, but even if they weren’t, nothing on earth was going to stop her marrying Luke.
Jacey’s blonde head appeared round the door. ‘Is it safe to come out now? And are congratulations in order?’
Megan laughed, still clasped in Luke’s arms. ‘Yes, and yes!’
Suddenly they were all hugging and kissing each other, and Mitch raised his coffee cup.
‘Here’s to Luke and Megan – and their future! And to the other new partnership – Lavender Cabs!’
They clinked mugs, giggling, and Jacey swept back her golden hair.
‘You’re allowed to have your feet off the ground for another few hours, Megan, and then I’m afraid it’ll be all down to business. I’ve phoned the bank. You’ve got an appointment with Mr Bamford in the morning.’
Megan continued to smile. After this, what could possibly go wrong?
‘We’ll work all night on the figures.’ Mitch perched on the desk. ‘And produce a business plan. We won’t leave any loopholes, so they won’t be able to say no.’
It was a long night. Buoyed up by endless cups of coffee and toasted sandwiches, the four of them added and subtracted, argued and agreed, with Megan’s fingers skimming across the computer keyboard and the printer spewing out paper.
At last, they were finished.
‘Well.’ Megan gathered up the sheets and put them in her briefcase. ‘We’ve got two chances. Keep all your extremities crossed.’
They laughed, and arms linked, tumbled wearily out into the slushy night.
The bank manager’s office was austere, designed, Megan thought, to strike terror into the hearts of those who had strayed into the red. She sat dry-mouthed as Mr Bamford leafed through the papers.
Luckily Peter had been nowhere in sight when she’d arrived, although some of his rugby-playing cronies had raised their eyebrows before saying polite good mornings. Megan had beamed back, still not quite believing what had happened.
She and Luke had been reluctant to part last night. They’d talked for ages.
He’d been horrified that she didn’t want an engagement ring. When she’d explained that every penny needed to be conserved for the business venture, an
d that as their engagement was going to be very short a ring would be a frightful expense, he’d lifted her off her feet and told her that she would be wearing his ring before the week was out.
Still smiling at the memory, she raised her eyes to the bank manager. ‘Sorry – I didn’t quite catch that …’
She was really going to have to concentrate and stop beaming like a Cheshire cat or Mr Bamford would surely think she was of unsound mind!
‘I said,’ he repeated, peering over both his half-moons and the little pyramid of his fingers, ‘that this is a very interesting proposition. Very interesting. I am, of course, aware of the potential of the business, and its long-standing tradition, and you have all worked extremely hard to present a very workable plan.’
Megan’s spirits soared.
‘However,’ Mr Bamford continued, ‘I am a little concerned at the amount of money needed to buy out the current shareholders. Until I’ve had consultations with the bank’s small business advisors, I won’t be able to make a definite decision.
‘It would, of course, be far more beneficial if your parents intended merely to retire in Appleford and didn’t want to take capital from the company to buy a new property. But I do understand the situation, and will give it all due consideration.’ He stood up and held out his hand. ‘We will be in touch, Miss Phillips, very shortly. Good morning.’
Stepping out into the grey High Street, with piles of slush turning brown against the sides of the road and the wind blowing litter in dancing eddies along the pavement, Megan let out her breath. She’d done all she could. They all had. It was in the lap of the gods now, and – she laughed out loud as she hurried towards the car park – the small business advisors!
‘Megan!’
She turned quickly and peered over her shoulder. Please, oh please, she prayed, don’t let it be Peter.
It wasn’t. Her uncle and aunt, muffled in matching sheepskin coats and cashmere scarves, were waving from the other side of the road.
Megan wondered if she could get away with simply waving back, but she couldn’t. They were crossing the road towards her.
‘Meg.’ Judith pressed her cheek against her niece’s. ‘How lovely.’
Megan looked at her in some surprise. Was it? And what were Paul and Judith doing in town, anyway? She’d thought they were back at Lavender, ruffling feathers and disrupting the smooth running of the business.
‘We were just going for coffee,’ Paul announced. ‘Would you like to join us?’
‘Er – well,’ Megan faltered, ‘I shouldn’t really. I ought to be getting back. Who’s running the office?’
‘That Jacey girl,’ Judith said. ‘Although what good she’ll be, I don’t know. She looked half asleep, and I’d say she hadn’t been home last night. I’m pretty sure she emerged from Mitch’s flat. Just because your parents are away … I shall have something to say to them when they get home.’
Goodness, Judith really was poisonous!
‘Mitch and Jacey are adults,’ Megan said quickly. ‘I’m sure Mum and Dad would have no interest in any gossip of that sort.’
‘No, no, of course not.’ Paul shot a look at his wife. ‘Anyway, that’s by-the-by. Do come for coffee. Have you been banking the takings?’
Megan nearly laughed. They didn’t miss a trick!
‘Yes,’ she lied easily. ‘All right. I’ll have a quick coffee – then I really will have to get back.’
‘Of course.’ Judith linked her arm intimately through Megan’s and looked triumphantly at her husband. ‘This meeting was certainly fortuitous, Meg, darling, because Uncle Paul and I have something to tell you. But you must promise not to breathe a word of it to anyone else … ’
Amy’s parents, Stella and Jim, sat side by side in Cicely’s kitchen. Sam sat on the opposite side of the table, neatly folding papers and official-looking forms.
‘So?’ Cicely plonked the teapot in the middle of them. ‘What are we going to do with them? You know, Stella, I thought we’d finished with all this anguish about our children years ago!’
‘So did I.’ Stella reached for a digestive biscuit. ‘This reminds me of when we planned their wedding. It only seems five minutes ago, doesn’t it? They were young and dotty about each other – and we were agonising over our hats!’
‘And now,’ Jim put in briskly, ‘they’re middle-aged and, thankfully, still dotty about each other. And we’re great-grandparents, and we still worry about them. So, what’s to do?’
Cicely joined them at the table. It was very much the same as planning the wedding, she thought with just a twinge of sadness, but then the man beside her had been Bob’s father. Now Sam was here, dear Sam, who had always meant so much to her.
She had been very lucky with David, she knew. He had been the best and kindest of husbands, always fair, loving, and uncritical. If he had had any idea that his young fiancée had momentarily given her heart to another man, he had never once mentioned it.
And now Sam was miraculously back in her life. She had been given a chance to recapture the fleeting happiness of that long-distant summer when he had been a dare-devil pilot and she had been – she smiled to herself – carefree and more than a little wild.
She watched Sam chatting easily with Amy’s parents, and wondered where the years had gone.
‘So,’ Jim was saying, ‘that leaves us with the unpalatable fact that the only way we can release enough capital to let Amy and Bob move away is by selling their shares to Judith and Paul – and we all know what Amy’s feelings are on that.’
Sam replaced his teacup into the saucer with a clatter.
‘I think I may have some sort of a solution.’ He reached out and patted Cicely’s hand. ‘I know Cicely doesn’t want to discuss this yet, but I honestly think that we don’t have too much time. You see, folks, I’m going to be selling up in the States and moving back here. I’ve always thought of England as home, even though I’ve been away from it for the best part of my life. I’ve got no one left in America except a host of friends. And my heart has always been on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.’
He smiled at Cicely, and Stella and Jim exchanged a glance. They had already discussed this possibility. They both remembered the rumours that had abounded all those years ago – and the scandal that had rocked the village when Cicely, engaged to David, who was going to be a minister, had become a wing-walker on Sam’s plane. Now, they were simply delighted that Cicely was happy.
‘That’s grand news!’ Jim pumped Sam’s hand. ‘And can we expect to hear wedding bells?’
‘Goodness, no!’ Cicely laughed. ‘We haven’t had bells at the church here in Appleford for years. They use a recording these days. I’m so glad David isn’t around to hear it. That peal was his pride and joy.’
‘But you will be getting married?’ Stella asked gently. ‘I know you’ve always flown in the face of convention – if you’ll excuse the pun, Sam – but really, Cicely, it would cause awful gossip if you –’
‘Lived together?’ Cicely trilled. ‘But that’s exactly what we’re doing at the moment!’
‘With separate rooms, as we’ve made clear to everyone.’ Sam put in. Sometimes he wished Cicely wouldn’t tease people so much. ‘Don’t worry, Stella. We did all our shocking things years ago. We’re quite. conventional these days.’
Cicely laughed. ‘You speak for yourself!’
‘But surely you won’t be marrying in a register office, will you?’ Jim poured himself another cup of tea. ‘They always seem so austere. And with your connections with the church …’
Cicely and Sam smiled at each other across the table.
‘Actually, some register office weddings that I’ve attended have been absolutely charming,’ Cicely said. ‘But, no, we won’t be making our commitment in one.’
Stella and Jim looked so exasperated that Sam laughed aloud.
‘Oh, Cicely! For goodness’ sake! Put them out of their misery!’
‘Very well. This is all rather hazy o
f course, because we haven’t set any dates, and I certainly don’t want you to breathe a word of it to Bob and Amy. We want to tell them ourselves.’
‘Cicely!’ Stella was getting impatient.
‘Well, we thought that as there are all sorts of places authorised to carry out civil wedding ceremonies, it might be a rather nice idea to make our commitment to each other at Milton St John.’
Jim nearly choked on his biscuit.
‘The old airfield? You can’t get married on an airfield!’
Sam grinned. ‘We can, you know. Oh, not actually on the field itself, because it’s still used for training flights and the vintage air club. But Milton St John House is one of the places where weddings can now take place. They’ve even agreed to let us have a flight afterwards in the old Boeing Stearman – sadly, not the one I used to fly with Cicely, but it’s pretty close. We thought it was perfect.’
‘Goodness me!’ Stella pursed her lips. ‘Whatever next?’
‘I’m sure that if Mitch and Jacey ever decide to marry they’ll be thrilled to do it on a stock car circuit!’ Cicely laughed, pouring more tea all round, secretly delighted that she could still shock people. ‘So why shouldn’t we do it at the place where we met?’
‘But you’re still known in the village as the vicar’s wife,’ Jim insisted. ‘What about the church?’
‘All taken care of.’ Cicely closed her hand over Sam’s again. ‘We’re going to have a church blessing immediately afterwards. Everyone will be at the church. We want the actual marriage to be very private, but we want everyone to be at the blessing. Won’t it be lovely?’
‘Lovely,’ Stella echoed faintly, wondering what on earth Amy and Bob would have to say. ‘And when is all this to be?’
‘We haven’t set a date yet, because obviously Sam has to go back to America and finalise things, but we’re hoping sometime in May or June. Plenty of time for you to buy a hat,’ she added, her eyes twinkling.
Stella perked up considerably. Her collection of hats for every occasion might be a standing joke in the family, but the excuse to buy another was always welcome.
‘Before you two start a never-ending discussion on clothes for the big day,’ Jim interrupted quickly, ‘can I offer my sincerest congratulations? And I really hate to drag you back to more mundane matters – but we were supposed to be discussing the future of Lavender Cabs –’
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