Violet let her cry for a little while before saying, ‘He’s obviously not worth it if he dumped you because of your size.’
The girl sniffed. ‘Easy for you to say. I don’t suppose a skinny minnie like you would understand.’
Violet broke into a smile. ‘Actually, I lost five stone this year through healthy eating and exercise. No fads. No extreme diets. No food off limits. Just good old-fashioned willpower and group help. You can join us, if you want. We’re a small group but extremely friendly. We’ve all been there.’
‘You were fat like me?’ said the girl, shocked. ‘But you look like you’ve always been slim.’
Violet smiled and gave the girl her number. ‘Call me,’ she told the woman. ‘Don’t struggle on your own.’
She walked back to the party; the pub was now beginning to fill up with people coming out for the evening festivities. The atmosphere was getting more lively as the New Year’s Eve celebrations began. A few people glanced at Violet but nobody said anything. Perhaps they thought it was fancy dress.
Maggie and Kathy came rushing up to Violet with distressed looks on their faces.
‘It’s about the cake,’ said Maggie.
‘What’s happened?’ asked Violet.
‘That!’ Kathy told her, turning to point at the table where the cake had been set up.
Violet couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Trudie was grabbing handfuls of chocolate cake and shoving them in her mouth. There was chocolate in her hair, across her face and down her pale pink dress.
They went over to stand with Lucy, who was staring down at Trudie.
‘What are you doing?’ asked Kathy. ‘That’s Violet’s wedding cake.’
‘I don’t care!’ wailed Trudie. ‘I just want to die.’
‘It would probably take a wooden stake to finish you off,’ snapped Kathy.
‘He’s left me,’ whined Trudie.
‘Who?’ asked Lucy, leaning down into her face. ‘Your conscience? Your compassion?’
‘Trevor,’ said Trudie, grabbing another lump of cake and stuffing it into her mouth.
‘Let’s move you here,’ said Kathy, pulling Lucy back. ‘Just in case she swallows you whole.’
‘My husband’s left me for a huge fattie,’ shouted Trudie, causing a few heads to turn. ‘You know, like you lot used to be. Can you imagine anything more disgusting?’
‘Oh dear,’ said Violet trying to be sympathetic. ‘What’s her name?’
Trudie swallowed hard before muttering, ‘Gareth.’
The four woman looked at each other.
‘He left you for a man,’ said Lucy, trying not to smirk and failing.
‘A fat man,’ replied Trudie, emphasising that the fat was worse than the man part.
‘Oh dear,’ said Maggie, her shoulders beginning to shake.
‘Maybe you could give him some of those horrible shakes,’ said Kathy, grinning.
‘Or those disgusting cereal bars that we threw away,’ said Violet.
‘You can’t have thrown them away,’ snapped Trudie. ‘Otherwise you wouldn’t have been able to lose all that weight.’
‘Actually, you’re wrong,’ said Edward, coming to stand with them. ‘We’ve started our own weight-loss club without you. Violet had some great ideas and put us all on the right path.’
‘Her?’ stammered Trudie, staring at Violet.
‘We helped each other,’ said Maggie.
‘With no snide comments,’ added Lucy.
‘And no bitchy asides,’ said Kathy.
‘So we won’t be returning to your class in the new year,’ said Maggie.
‘Maybe you should take this opportunity to do some soul searching,’ Edward told Trudie, who was looking up at them all.
‘Yeah,’ said Kathy. ‘If you can find one.’
They stared at Trudie until she slowly stood up and walked out of the pub.
‘Now I need a drink,’ said Violet.
But she was smiling. The last negative person was out of her life.
As she returned to the table, the champagne glasses had all been topped up in her absence. Violet picked up one of the full glasses as everybody sat down once more.
‘Speech!’ called Kathy.
Violet shook her head but then the whole group began to call for a speech.
She took a long breath and looked down at her friends gathered around the table.
‘Well,’ she told them, hugging the glass to her. ‘I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what the future holds for me now. But I’m just grateful to have friends around me that care and want to see me happy. Despite everything that happened today, I can honestly say it’s been the most amazing year.’ She held the glass out in front of her to toast. ‘I can’t wait to see what next year holds for us all. Cheers!’
‘Cheers!’ they all chorused and chinked their glasses together.
Violet took a large gulp of champagne before smiling down at them all.
‘Doesn’t the first dance normally come next?’ asked someone behind her.
She suddenly felt goosebumps all over, her heart thumping hard as she turned around. It was him.
‘Shall we?’ Mark asked, holding out his hands.
She turned to put down the champagne glass before taking his hands, letting him guide her away from the table and into his arms. A slow song came over the speakers just as they began to sway in time to the music.
‘So …?’ began Violet.
But Mark shook his head. ‘Not yet,’ he told her with a soft smile. ‘Just let me hold you.’
He drew her back into his arms where he held her until the song was finished. They rocked together, oblivious to the stares and nudges from the crowd. There was nothing except each other. Violet relaxed and let him lead her, joyful to be back in his arms again. She knew it was where she belonged.
Eventually the song finished and the music changed back to the party music. As the beat thumped out, Violet finally pulled away to look up at him.
‘You’re sacked,’ said Mark, still holding her.
Violet stared up at him. ‘What?’
‘I don’t think you should work for me any longer.’
She couldn’t believe it. After everything that had happened, she had always had her job to rely on.
‘But why?’ she stammered, suddenly a little unsure of herself.
‘Because if we keep working together, I’m going to end up getting the sack too.’ He stroked her face with his long fingers. ‘I can’t concentrate on work whilst you’re around. I had enough trouble keeping my hands off you before you had your wicked way with me.’
Violet blushed in his arms but had relaxed again.
‘What will I do?’ she wondered aloud.
And then she knew. She would start her own weight-loss club, using the money from her inheritance to start the business. She would help women like her find a happier side of themselves. But not using dreadful shakes and bars. With proper advice and maybe an exercise class.
Mark watched her break into a smile.
‘You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,’ he told her.
‘Even though there wasn’t a wedding.’
He shrugged his shoulders. ‘He didn’t deserve you.’
‘And you do, I suppose?’ she said, grinning up at him.
‘Absolutely,’ he replied, drawing her close once more. ‘I’m going to take you to Italy with me. I want to show you the colour of the sea, the sky and the wonderful food. I want to watch your beautiful face glow in the evening sun and make love to you all night.’
He smiled at her blushes and moved his mouth next to her ear. Then he whispered words of endearment in Italian to her. Words of love, of their future together. Promises she knew he would keep.
As he drew away, she stared up at him, taking in his beautiful face.
‘Ti amo, Marco,’ she told him. ‘I always have. It just took me a while to realise it.’
He smiled down at her. ‘I’m goi
ng to spend the rest of my life loving you.’
They stood together in each other’s arms.
‘It’s a bit premature,’ Mark told Violet. ‘But Happy New Year.’
‘It will be,’ she said. ‘And all the years after that.’
Then she reached up and kissed him once more.
Chapter Fifty-seven
VIOLET SMOOTHED THE dress down and smiled. It fitted her beautifully. She hadn’t put on any weight since the New Year. Nor had she lost any. She was finally happy with her body and finally happy within herself.
The July sunshine was beckoning her. Violet stepped outside. It was the best of days. The sun was still warm as it set on the horizon, streaking the blue sky with deep orange.
Violet thought it wonderful how she wasn’t afraid any more. No longer afraid of walking into a place alone. Of trusting her own opinion. Of daring to love life.
She smiled at her friends, so grateful that they were with her.
Maggie and Gordon were standing next to each other, closer than ever before. Lucy and Todd were smiling and holding hands. Edward had his arm around Kathy. She had her hand on the small bump that was now beginning to show through her dress. Kathy was already blooming at four months pregnant.
Violet’s new assistant was holding the fort back at home. Her weight-loss club was full to capacity three mornings and two evenings a week. Violet was going to open another class when she returned. But that was a month away yet.
Nonna gave her a watery smile as she walked past, already mopping up her tears with a lace handkerchief. Violet reached out and gave her hand a quick squeeze before carrying on.
The village was perched high above the coast, the azure Mediterranean glittering at the bottom of the dramatic cliffs. The small square was edged with bougainvillea and dotted with lemon trees giving off a heady scent. Italy was as bewitching as she had always imagined it to be.
Mark took Violet’s hand in his as she reached him. They smiled at each other and then turned to face the priest.
It was a perfect wedding day of simple, Italian elegance and wonderful food.
Isabella would have heartily approved.
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The Desperate Bride’s Diet Club Page 33