by Judy Astley
Thea went and ran the bath, pouring her favourite Clarins gel into it. As she lay among the suds she ran her hands over her flat stomach. Would she and Sean have children? She very much hoped so and it was what he wanted too. With luck, another pregnancy wouldn’t end so sadly as her last one had. She made a little cross on her skin for luck, sploshed about for a few more minutes and then climbed out of the water and put on her dressing gown and the sheepskin slippers that Katinka had so admired.
Charlotte was already in the kitchen, sipping tea. Thea, now in her old trackie bottoms and a jumper and Uggs, gave her a hug. ‘Oh, Charlotte, I’m so glad you could make it,’ she said. ‘You got here really late and now you have to be up early just for this. I’m sorry now it’s such an early wedding. Poor Sam didn’t get here till halfway through the evening so the children will be all fractious and cross. And their mother …’ Thea gulped, feeling tears weren’t far away.
‘They’ll be fine,’ Charlotte reassured her. ‘At least till the middle of the afternoon and by then it won’t matter if they fall asleep. And hey, I can smell toast from across the way. Shall we go and join the others for some? You definitely can’t get married on an empty stomach. You’d faint.’
‘OK, I’ll give it a go but I’m too nervous to eat much.’
‘Much wouldn’t be good either. Just a teeny bit. Come on, let’s get going. You don’t want to be rushing the prep.’
Across the path in the manor hallway, Thea was met by a whirling Milly. ‘Father Christmas has been! And I can be a bridesmaid! And it’s today!’
‘It is!’ Thea said, hugging her, rather surprised that there wasn’t even a hint of sadness at the lack of her mother; perhaps children really did simply live for the moment.
‘Come into the kitchen,’ Charlotte said. ‘There’s a bit more than just toast.’
Curious, Thea followed her in. At first, she didn’t quite understand where the baby in the bouncy chair had come from, but then she saw Sam move away from the stove …
‘Emily!’ Thea rushed to hug her sister. ‘Oh, Em, I’m so glad!’
Emily’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Thea, I’ve been so vile.’
‘You have,’ Rosie chipped in, looking up from stitching narcissi and ivy leaves on to a cream Alice band.
‘It’s OK, it’s OK. I’m just so so glad you’re here.’ Both of them were crying now and laughing at the same time.
‘Thank Charlotte,’ Emily said. ‘She came and dragged me.’
‘Oh, I didn’t have to drag you,’ Charlotte said kindly. ‘You were almost at the point of setting off to hitchhike. Now, where’s that toast? I’m starving and the bride needs something to nibble.’
‘Ooh-er …’ said Patti. ‘I can’t listen to such smut, girls, not when you’re talking about my brother.’
‘You daft mucky-minded bat,’ her mother said. ‘She only means toast.’
There was only one disaster: Rosie’s navy velvet hat with pink trim was the same as Susan’s. Neither seemed to mind and before the ceremony began they had a very happy chat extolling the great qualities of John Lewis.
Emily and Anna waited in the Pentreath drawing room with Thea, checking over last-minute details. ‘Hang on, the headdress has gone sideways,’ Emily said. ‘It smells divine,’ she added, sniffing at it as she pulled it straight and fluffed up Thea’s newly streaked blond, golden and hazelnut-coloured hair. As well as Thea’s headgear – just a simple band of narcissi and leaves – Rosie had made another one for Milly, who was taking her bridesmaid duties seriously and being still and calm, carefully holding her little bunch of narcissi, ivy and ribbons. Thea’s bouquet was the same, but with a clump of mistletoe added.
‘You look fabulous, darling,’ Anna told Thea. ‘Good luck, for everything and for ever,’ she said, blowing her a kiss as she went to take her place.
Thea, now ready to go into the orangery beside her father, watched with delight as Elmo took to the piano stool and began to play a beautiful lilting arrangement of ‘The Holly and the Ivy’ while she and Mike walked through the little gathering to where Sean, gorgeous in chestnut velvet and a cream silk shirt, waited for her.
I’m not going to cry, she thought. I’m not, I’m not. But oh, it was hard not to. Sean reached out and took her hand.
‘My beautiful Thea,’ he said.
‘Well, at least they can’t call you the maiden aunt any more,’ Sean said to Thea as they sipped champagne on the dunes. There was a fire blazing as well as the barbecue going and everyone was drinking champagne, eating the sausage rolls and admiring the gorgeous day. The sky was the kind of vivid blue that people don’t really believe can be real and the sun was as warm as an early spring day.
‘I just wanted to ask you something,’ Sarah said, coming up to Thea, ‘though this probably isn’t something you want to think about today. It’s just that the teacher in charge of the Meadow School’s older group is leaving to go and live in Somerset. I just wondered if you might fancy the job. I mean … I could advertise but …’
‘Oh heavens, yes! I’d love it! I’ve already given notice at my present school and I can’t honestly think of anything I’d like better. It’s all coming together: this, and Mum and Dad buying the Marazion house. I’m so darn happy!’
‘Let me kiss the bride,’ Charlotte interrupted, wielding a full glass of champagne. She hugged Thea and said, ‘You scrub up gorgeous, you do.’
‘Oh, Charlotte, you are so brilliant. I’ve got so much to thank you for. This dress, Emily being here—’
‘Ha, Sam set that up. He was never just going to leave her there. He knew she needed to be shocked into coming. I was always his back-up plan – that, and the fact he’s taking her to see a house in Wiltshire that she’s been talking about possibly buying. All I had to do was knock on the door and pick up the pieces of her.’
‘Well, whatever you did, you are a complete fairy godmother.’
‘Not sure about the “mother” bit of that, but I must tell you, I’m currently dating a vicar and it looks like being a goer, this one. A proper keeper. It’s all indirectly from coming here last year and meeting you lot and that Alec.’
‘So there’s the mistletoe to thank, then,’ Sean said. ‘On which …’
‘Ah yes, I want to show you something,’ Thea said, leading him a little way from the party.
‘So do I,’ he said. ‘Take the ring off.’
‘Is that allowed? I’ve only just put it on. But I want you to take yours off too.’
‘Er … OK … why?’
‘Look inside it.’
‘No, you look inside yours.’
Laughing, they took their wedding rings off and looked at the inside of the bands.
‘Oh, wow, how did you know I’d do the same?’ Sean said, staring at his.
‘I didn’t! How did you know I would?’
‘I didn’t either.’
Inside Thea’s ring was the date engraved and a little mistletoe leaf and berries. And inside Sean’s was almost exactly the same.
‘I think that calls for a toast,’ he said, taking her hand and leading her back to the party.
‘Everyone?’ he called. ‘Would you all please raise your glasses to … the magic of mistletoe.’
‘To the mistletoe!’ came the chorus.
‘And now,’ Sean said, looking down the beach to where black-clad people were assembling at the water’s edge, ‘it’s Christmas Day and one half of this very happy couple has something traditional and important to do that is done on this day every year without fail.’
‘Let me guess,’ Thea said, laughing. ‘You’re going surfing?’
‘I am, my gorgeous wife. If that’s OK with you, I’m going surfing.’
About the Author
Judy Astley became the author of witty, contemporary novels after several years as a dressmaker, illustrator, painter and parent. Her own Christmases are a mad mixture of ever-increasing family, too much food and a panic-stricken last-minute hurtle roun
d the shops for presents. She has usually managed to pay off the resulting expense by the time the next lot of Christmas cards come on the market.
Judy lives in London and Cornwall.
Also by Judy Astley
JUST FOR THE SUMMER
PLEASANT VICES
SEVEN FOR A SECRET
MUDDY WATERS
EVERY GOOD GIRL
THE RIGHT THING
EXCESS BAGGAGE
NO PLACE FOR A MAN
UNCHAINED MELANIE
AWAY FROM IT ALL
SIZE MATTERS
ALL INCLUSIVE
BLOWING IT
LAYING THE GHOST
OTHER PEOPLE’S HUSBANDS
THE LOOK OF LOVE
I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY
IN THE SUMMERTIME
IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE MISTLETOE
For more information on Judy Astley and her books, see her website at www.judyastley.com
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First published in Great Britain by Bantam Press
an imprint of Transworld Publishers
Copyright © Judy Astley 2015
Judy Astley has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologize for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition.
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Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781473540255
ISBN 9780593076569
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