by Emma Davies
‘Oh, Ned…’ She leant forward to kiss him. ‘You are an idiot… but only because I’d be happy with any kind of life, just as long as I get to spend it by your side.’
She looked up into his gentle face, still full of anxiety, and realised just how true her words were, how much she loved him. Ned couldn’t know it, of course, but she knew exactly how he was feeling. And time had taught her that, however hard it was, there was always a way around debt. She might have learnt that the hard way but she had learnt it, and now it meant that they could sort this out together because, as long as they had each other, nothing else really mattered.
‘Ned, there’s something—’
He pulled her into a kiss that silenced her words and left her in no doubt how he was feeling.
‘I don’t know what I’d do without you,’ he said, his fingers still stroking the side of her face. ‘I tell you what a monumental mess I’ve made of things and you calmly come up with a brilliant idea. You should be angry at me or something… I don’t know…’ And then his face split wide into the lopsided grin she would never tire of seeing. ‘Do you really think your idea would work?’ he asked. ‘Here, I mean. Could we actually start a business selling flowers?’
‘Well, there’s really only one way to find out,’ she replied.
Ned eyed the two mugs that were still on the desk where he had put them what felt to Flora like a lifetime ago. Their contents were stone cold. ‘Shall I go and make some more tea?’ he asked.
An hour later Ned had reluctantly returned to work, but, before he did, between them they had filled the air with an excited babble and Flora had filled two pages of her notebook with scribbled ideas, thoughts, and a vague to-do list that seemed both thrilling and insurmountable at the same time.
It was a reversal of what she’d been doing for years, thinking as a florist buying from a wholesaler, whereas now she needed to think as a wholesaler selling to a florist. Her thought processes were working backwards. She knew flowers. She knew when they were in season, at their best, lead times for ordering, the key celebrations throughout the year traditionally marked with flowers, and which flowers were popular for each. Now, she had to think about how long those flowers took to grow, when they would need to be planted, what conditions they would need, and who would be buying them from her. How, how, how… She underscored the word several times in her notebook. Her list of questions was getting longer by the minute, but that was okay, because Flora knew where she could find the answers.
She practically ran up the stairs and yanked open the bottom drawer of the big chest beside the window. She had stashed all her old books there, never thinking for one minute that she would need them again, but loath to throw them away. It had been a huge part of her life, and one that she thought had died. Perhaps, after all, it had simply been sleeping. She hugged the thought to her as she lifted out the topmost book. It was her bible; her florist’s guide to flowers, growers, and associations. And within its pages would be the starting places for all the help she needed.
Ducking her head into the kitchen, she was relieved to see that Hannah was nowhere in sight. With the door to the dining room closed it was likely that she and Fraser were taking an afternoon nap, and so, grabbing a slice of cake from the tin, Flora returned to the study and switched on the computer. Ned had given her the password and with any luck she would have a few hours of uninterrupted research.
The first thing she did was google a list of florists in the local area, and then a list of hotels; big posh places, the type that made a huge fuss over weddings. Ten minutes and a phone call later and she had an appointment with the wedding planner at The Castle, or rather Ravenswick Hall as she must remember to call it. Tomorrow morning at ten sharp, by which time she would need to know exactly what they were offering.
Chapter Nineteen
Ravenswick Hall was only a fifteen-minute drive away, but Flora made sure she got there twenty minutes early. As a prospective bride looking for a wedding venue she would have wanted to do a little research on her own, but as a prospective supplier it was even more important.
The hotel’s website had given her a fair idea of what to expect. The building was its obvious selling point, looking like something out of a Walt Disney film and set in lush parkland. A majestic, sweeping drive led up to a grand entrance complete with stone portico atop a flight of steps which would provide the most wonderful posing place for photographs. No flowers though, Flora noticed, as she passed through.
Inside, the entrance hall was a sumptuous mix of polished wood and marble, with huge chandeliers hanging from an impressively high ceiling, but whether original to the building or by some clever alteration, the space was divided into a series of smaller areas and was cosy and intimate. The reception desk was ahead of her to the right, but Flora ignored it and walked through into a series of three interconnecting lounge rooms. She counted a total of four arrangements of flowers, which, including the two at either end of the reception desk, made six in total.
She sat for a moment in a window seat, trying to collect herself. She probably wouldn’t get the opportunity to talk in any detail today, but she might, if luck was on her side, get a further appointment. She caught the eye of a businessman sitting a little distance away enjoying a cup of coffee. He seemed determined to extract every ounce of creamy froth from his cappuccino by swiping his finger around the inside of the mug and transferring its contents to his mouth. She smiled as she caught his eye, and dipped her head as she acknowledged his embarrassment. She would have done exactly the same.
The sun was shining at least and, after a few more moments, Flora got up and walked to the reception desk to find out if the bright spring morning had put the wedding planner in an amenable mood.
She had been standing waiting for a few moments when she became aware that there were anxious voices coming from behind the desk. An impossibly tall, thin young woman had appeared and was deep in conversation with the receptionist, who inclined her head towards Flora on more than one occasion. The tall woman had glossy chestnut hair pulled high into a ponytail that added at least another three inches to her height. It swung as she gestured, mesmerising Flora to such an extent that she scarcely realised that the woman was now coming towards her.
‘Flora?’ she asked, hand outstretched, a broad smile welcoming her to the hotel.
‘I am so sorry to keep you waiting, and indeed I must apologise. I know you were expecting to see Michelle today, but I’ll be perfectly honest, the poor girl is suffering from the most horrendous morning sickness and I had to send her home ten minutes ago. She’s in no fit state, I’m afraid, but we mustn’t let you down. I’m Kate, the Events, Business and Hospitality Manager. I hope that’s okay?’
Flora couldn’t believe her luck.
‘Shall we go and make ourselves comfortable to begin with and I can answer some of your questions. I’ve organised some coffee… or tea if you prefer?’
‘No, coffee’s lovely, thank you,’ replied Flora, following Kate’s sashaying walk through the lobby.
They reached the same area of the lounge where Flora had previously been sitting. ‘Is here okay for you?’ asked Kate, indicating a seat. ‘It’s such a beautiful morning, and the view from here – well, you can see for yourself how special it is.’
Flora sat down, breathing deeply. Kate looked entirely relaxed and Flora tried to mirror her pose, praying that her knee wouldn’t start jiggling, which it often did when she was nervous.
A tray of refreshments appeared the minute she sat down, but instead of busying herself with the coffee, Kate sat back and studied Flora.
She leant forward. ‘Can I just say how much I love your dress,’ she said. ‘I’m probably not supposed to, but it’s gorgeous. And your boots. I love my job, Flora, but honestly I have to wear suits all week, and it practically kills me. Oh, for some colour!’
Flora’s mouth dropped open. It was the last thing she expected and she didn’t know whether Kate was telling the tr
uth or just very good at her job. She decided to go for the former. It would make what she had to say so much easier.
‘Thank you!’ She smiled in return. ‘Actually, I thought about wearing something today that was a little tamer, a little less… me,’ she said, ‘but then I decided, what the heck. How I’m going to wear a wedding dress that’s just one colour, and white at that, is beyond me…’
The two women smiled at one another.
‘So when are you planning on getting married, Flora?’ She indicated the coffee pot and Flora nodded.
‘We haven’t actually set a date yet,’ she admitted. ‘Is that a problem?’
‘Not at all… Milk and sugar?’
‘Just milk, thank you.’
‘You need to take your time and have a good look around before you commit to a venue,’ added Kate. ‘It absolutely must be perfect for you, and I’m so pleased that you’ve decided to have a look at what Ravenswick can offer. May I ask how you know about us?’
‘Oh, word of mouth, of course.’
There was a satisfied smile as Kate passed Flora a cup.
‘Now, I hope you have a million questions for me to answer, because I’d much rather answer those than talk at you for an hour. You can get a huge amount of information from our website, but I find that’s not usually the things that most brides want to know.’
Flora was beginning to feel a little bit guilty. Kate was far too nice and she really would have to fess up soon, otherwise she would end up not saying anything.
‘Is everything all right?’
Damn, thought Flora, she was perceptive too.
It was no good, she was going to have to come out with it. She’d probably be shown the door in two minutes but it was worth a shot.
‘Yes, fine,’ began Flora. ‘Except perhaps that I haven’t been entirely open with you. I am getting married,’ she added quickly, ‘so I’m not here under false pretences, just that I’m here for another reason as well.’
Kate took a reflective sip of her coffee, but she couldn’t hide the beginnings of a smile at the corner of her mouth. ‘Then perhaps it’s time for me to admit that I’m not being entirely honest either.’
Flora’s cup rattled in its saucer. ‘You hate my dress?’ she suggested, the beginnings of a blush rising up her neck.
To her enormous relief, Kate grinned. ‘No, I love it, I really do. But I have to confess to knowing who you are. I twigged as soon as I saw your name. Flora Dunbar… there can’t be too many people around here with the same name.’
Oh, God, what had she done now? Her face must be scarlet.
‘But you don’t need to worry,’ continued Kate. ‘Because now I’m just as intrigued as you are. I really didn’t expect to see you here – knowing Hannah, I’d have thought that the wedding would be up at the farm?’
‘You know Hannah?’ Flora’s cheeks were getting hotter by the minute.
‘Yes, and Fraser and Ned of course…’ Kate laughed out loud. ‘I’m Caroline’s cousin.’
‘But…’ Flora opened her mouth to say something and then thought better of it. This really wasn’t going the way she had planned; she might as well go home now.
‘And, it’s okay,’ continued Kate, ‘I’m on Caroline’s mother’s side. We’re the black sheep of the family. So you won’t have heard about us, we’re never mentioned…’ She was grinning from ear to ear.
Light dawned. ‘Ah…’ said Flora. ‘Well, that makes sense. This place came up in conversation while I was out riding with Caroline the other day, and nothing was said about you. Now I get it.’
‘You went riding?’ Kate faltered.
‘Oh, don’t worry,’ said Flora quickly. ‘I am never going again.’ She gave a shudder. ‘You might, however, like to know that this is still considered the place to get married around here.’ She paused. ‘But you’re right, I don’t think the wedding is going to be here, sorry… Hannah has asked us to consider having it at the farm and—’ She suddenly stopped, realising that what she was about to say might be news to Kate.
‘It’s okay,’ came a quick reassurance. ‘I know about Fraser… Tough times for you guys?’
Flora nodded. ‘And I’m honestly not sure when the wedding is even going to happen. Things are a bit up in the air at the moment.’
Kate’s smile was sympathetic. ‘I did hear that Fraser’s home though. Is he doing okay?’
‘I think the expression is as well as can be expected, but getting better every day.’
Kate took another sip of her coffee. ‘Good. And the wedding will be much better if you have the reception up at the farm. It will give you far more flexibility timewise than if you commit yourself to a date with us.’ She wrinkled her nose. ‘We are popular, Flora, and I’m afraid it’s got to the point where we have to charge a cancellation fee if things don’t go ahead. I’d be very happy to show you around, of course I would, but I’d hate for you to get caught out. Besides, with Fraser’s illness, I think a reception at home might be the best bet, don’t you?’
Flora hadn’t really thought about it like that, in fact she hadn’t really thought about it at all, but Kate was quite right. Hope Corner Farm had always been at the centre of the Jamiesons’ world, now more than ever since Fraser’s illness. Flora had almost forgotten why she was there, but a fresh wave of resolve was flooding through her. The farm must not be allowed to go under. She couldn’t bear the thought.
As if sensing her mood, Kate sat forward slightly, grinning. ‘So that’s me come clean,’ she said. ‘What was it that you needed to own up to?’
Flora cleared her throat. ‘When I originally made the appointment to see Michelle, I really just wanted to meet with her in person, so that I might ask for a further meeting, to discuss a business proposition. I thought it would seem better than cold calling and…’ Flora dipped her head. ‘Well, I don’t have a huge amount of time and I didn’t want to be turned down. I thought being face to face might help.’
‘Well, that’s completely intriguing,’ replied Kate. ‘Go on…’
‘Oh…’ Her response threw Flora for a minute. ‘But now I don’t know, perhaps it’s you I need see after all.’ All the lines that she had rehearsed in her head had gone completely from her mind. ‘Would we be able to put something in the diary?’
‘We could…’ replied Kate, drawing out the last word for about four seconds.
Here it comes, thought Flora, the ‘but’.
‘But… I’m not sure why I would want to do that.’
‘No, no, of course,’ muttered Flora, becoming flustered. ‘I’ve sprung it on you, I know, and…’
Kate’s face split into a wide smile. ‘Flora?’ she said, waiting until she had her full attention. ‘I only meant that I don’t want to put something in the diary when you’re sitting right in front of me now, that doesn’t make sense at all.’
‘But you must be busy?’
‘I am. But I came to meet you prepared to give you a tour and the whole Ravenswick singing and dancing wedding routine. You’d be surprised how long some brides-to-be want to talk. They can go on for days… So we’ve got at least an hour yet, will that give you enough time?’ She settled her cup back into its saucer and pushed it onto the table. ‘Besides, you said it was a business proposition. You’ve got my interest well and truly piqued.’
Flora hadn’t brought anything with her and now she wished she had, because at home she had a portfolio of her work as a florist, the details of charges she would have made for wedding flowers, together with all the notes that she had recently made. She took a deep breath. She would have to wing it.
‘I used to be a florist,’ she explained. ‘I had my own business in Birmingham for over ten years and during that time provided the flowers for a considerable number of weddings. Unfortunately I don’t have my portfolio with me, so you’ll have to take my word for how fabulous I was.’ She risked a cheeky grin.
Kate laughed. ‘Of course! That goes without saying.’
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��And now I would like to grow flowers at Hope Corner on a commercial scale and offer them for sale. In fact, I’d like to become Ravenswick’s preferred supplier.’
Kate’s eyebrows nearly shot off the top of her head, but she was still smiling.
‘Well, I wasn’t expecting that,’ she said, tilting her head a moment and studying Flora. ‘Although, I can see perfectly how appropriate that would be for you. What a lovely idea.’
She thought for a little longer. ‘Are we just talking weddings here? Only we’ve never advocated any one supplier over another to our brides in the past. Michelle obviously gets asked, and from time to time might volunteer an opinion or pass on a recommendation from someone, but endorsement can be a tricky business, it can backfire horribly. And I’ll be honest, Flora, the majority of brides these days seem to want to make their own minds up about things. I am interested though, I can’t deny that, but what would be the incentive for us? Or our clients for that matter?’
‘I wasn’t just thinking weddings, no. It’s big business, but the model I’m offering would work equally well for other family occasions, parties, funerals, even corporate functions.’
Kate lifted the coffee pot and, satisfied by its weight, began to refill the cups. ‘I think we need another, don’t you? Go on, I’m listening.’
Flora was just beginning to get into her stride. ‘Using wedding flowers as an example for a moment, the normal arrangement would be for the bride and groom to engage the services of a florist to provide bouquets, buttonholes, floral decorations for the church, reception venue, the cars, et cetera. In order to do that the florist would have to order in whatever was required from a wholesaler – a wholesaler who sells onto the florist for a profit – and then in turn that florist sells on her services to the bride and groom, also for a profit. Two lots of mark-up and a hefty price tag for the happy couple.’ She looked up to check that Kate was still with her.
‘I think I’m following…’
‘With flowers from Hope Corner Farm, though, the hotel would be buying the flowers on behalf of their customer, who would still get the same bespoke service from the florist. But you’d be cutting out the middle man and buying the flowers direct from the grower herself, at a substantial saving. How much of that you choose to pass on to your clients is of course entirely up to you.’