by Penny Parkes
Little tiny tea-light lanterns decked the garden and apple trees and there were strains of Mozart wafting through the French doors. The waves of laughter and conversation billowed around her, as her children giggled and shrieked at their games. Holly breathed deeply, the aroma of sweet peas never far away in Elsie’s garden.
‘And what about you?’ Holly asked, deliberately leaving her question open.
Grace shrugged easily. ‘I’m okay. I’m just following my feet at the moment – I want to see where they take me.’
It was such an obscure, hippy-dippy thing for super-organised Grace to say, that Holly wondered if perhaps she’d been overdoing the down-faced dog of late.
‘Heads up!’ called Dan loudly across the garden, as the Frisbee hurtled towards them on an unstoppable trajectory. Grace barely missed a beat, seamlessly passing Holly her champagne flute with one hand and stepping forward, once, twice, three times, to catch it neatly before it could obliterate the buffet table. Balanced on one foot, over-reaching, Grace froze, just as Dan skidded to a halt beside her.
Catching her around the waist, they both paused for a moment, as though to regain their equilibrium. ‘You’re making a habit of saving the day at the moment, Gracie,’ Dan said quietly, his hands still circling her, even as they now stood face to face, both feet firmly on the ground. Grace’s reach had been so instinctive, she looked almost surprised to find herself standing there, her eyes widening as she registered their sudden intimacy.
Dan reached forward and brushed a small lock of hair away from her face, his eyes never once leaving hers. ‘Where would I be without you?’ he asked. He leaned in slowly and kissed her gently on the cheek, oblivious to the murmurings of interest and speculation rippling through the guests around them. Grace’s lips parted involuntarily, as Dan looked longingly at her mouth. This was no kiss between friends; the atmosphere between them was suddenly charged with an emotional electricity.
A wolf-whistle from the Major shattered the moment, even as Marion took him to task for being so insensitive. Within seconds, it was as though it had never even happened, the boys sweeping Dan and the Frisbee back into the game, his gaze repeatedly seeking out Grace.
‘Did I . . . I mean, was that . . . ?’ managed Grace, with an almost wistful expression, as Holly returned her champagne flute and she downed it in one.
‘Well,’ said Holly, unable to suppress the enormous smile on her face. ‘You did say you wanted to see where your feet would take you . . .’
Grace looked across the garden, her focus on Dan absolute. ‘I did, didn’t I?’ she said slowly.
‘Are you having a lovely time, darlings?’ asked Elsie exuberantly, completely missing the mood as she materialised at their side.
Holly leaned down and kissed her papery cheek. ‘It’s perfect,’ she said simply. ‘A perfect way to celebrate, well, everything really. Best pre-launch pre-advance party, ever.’
Elsie stood between them, tucking her frail arms through theirs. ‘Thank you for giving me a kick up the derrière, Holly. I had forgotten how special each and every day could be, given the right motivation.’ Elsie rested her head on Holly’s shoulder, as they watched Taffy dive for the Frisbee and stand up covered in grass stains, to much cheering.
‘Promise me, you two, you won’t let stubbornness and fear ruin your happy endings,’ Elsie said quietly, a note of challenge to her voice. Standing side by side, arms interlocked, there was no reading the expression on her face, but Holly stiffened almost imperceptibly.
‘Oh, for goodness’ sake,’ chided Elsie at her reaction. ‘If it doesn’t work out, you can always get divorced!’ she added flippantly.
Holly felt a burning flare of anger at the very idea. ‘I could never leave Taffy,’ she said with such vehemence, that she surprised even herself, not to mention Grace and Elsie.
Elsie said nothing, but as Holly turned to confront her, she just looked quietly smug. ‘Well then, you’ve got your answer haven’t you, my darling. It’s time to stop fannying around.’ Grace stepped tactfully away, waving her empty glass as an excuse, still looking thoughtful and distracted.
Holly wobbled for a moment then, Elsie’s comments unwittingly echoing the circles her mind had been chasing all afternoon. ‘I think it might be too late,’ she whispered, as the other guests ebbed and flowed around them. ‘I’ve dodged this conversation so many times with him, Elsie. I think he’s actually given up on me.’ She frowned as Roger the puppy broke free of his lead and dived into the game with gusto. ‘Unless you felt like giving him a nudge?’ she said hopefully.
‘Oh, Holly! Have I taught you nothing? You’re not a Disney princess waiting to be rescued – you know what you want now, ask him for it!’
Holly watched Lizzie join in the fray, as Roger paraded round the garden with Elsie’s prize delphiniums in his mouth. ‘You mean I should propose to him?’ she whispered dubiously.
Elsie just smiled enigmatically and leaned in to kiss her, squeezing her arms gently as she did so, before walking off without a word.
What was the point in having a bossy mentor, if they didn’t tell you what to do when it really mattered, wondered Holly crossly.
She sipped quietly at her flute of champagne, relieved to be on the periphery for a moment, as Roger bounded through the garden upending chairs and drinks as he bounced joyfully around the lawn with half the guests in hot pursuit.
Her heart gave a heavy flip at the idea that, amongst all the recent chaos, she somehow hadn’t made time to let Taffy know how important he was to her happiness. Strike that, she thought, in a moment of champagne-fuelled feistiness, as she drained her glass – crucial was probably more like it.
As though he could sense her gaze, Taffy looked up and smiled, taking an unfortunate Frisbee to the chest as he did so. Distraction was never really an option when playing with the boys.
Holly had to admit it; Elsie could throw a party like no other. The waves of gentle laughter ebbed and flowed amongst the summer blooms and there was an almost surreal quality to the evening, as though real life had been suspended for a few hours, simply so they could all enjoy each other’s company.
As Dan escorted Elsie to a chaise-longue under the willow tree and she continued to entertain and delight her guests, Lizzie pulled on Holly’s sleeve. ‘I’m going to take Roger home before he can eat the rest of the buffet,’ she said, still grinning and completely unfazed that her golden puppy was now covered in streaks of beetroot. ‘Fancy a walk with Eric in the morning?’
Holly smiled and pulled her friend into an enormous hug, cheered beyond measure by this small sign of a return to normality. ‘I would love that,’ she said with feeling.
Lizzie just rolled her eyes at the disproportionate emotion and pinched Holly’s glass. ‘Enough of that for you this evening, madam. Can’t have you behaving recklessly, now can we? That’s my job. Night night.’
Holly watched her walk away, Will’s arm thrown lovingly around Lizzie’s shoulders as Roger boinged between their legs. Unaccountably, Holly felt the prickle of tears in her eyes and she had to swallow hard. Looking around Elsie’s garden, everyone she loved was here – old and young, kids, dogs and chaos aplenty. This was her true home and, she realised, there was actually only one thing missing.
Dodging an errant Frisbee, she walked across to Taffy. ‘Can I borrow you for a moment,’ she said.
Inside the house there was a sudden hush, as the noise and the heat of the evening outside was left behind. The otherworldly sensation remained though, as Holly walked along the flagstone hall, the echoing retort of her heels as unusual as the swish of silk against her legs. Tiny dust motes hung suspended in shafts of sunlight and yet more sweet peas released their perfume into the air.
She stopped for a moment, trembling slightly, but unable to conceal the dancing delight in her eyes at what she was about to do. ‘Come here you,’ she said, taking Taffy’s hand gently, ‘there’s something I want to ask you.’
A volley of shouts
and laughter rang out in the house, as Jason chased Lucy past them in the hallway, threatening her with full retribution for daring to ruffle his perfect hair. There was no mistaking the flirtation between them and Holly and Taffy were forced to step back and press themselves against the wall.
Taffy curled his fingers through Holly’s. ‘Let’s pop in here,’ he said, a private smile nudging at his lips.
He gently pushed open the door to Elsie’s favourite sitting room and Holly’s breath caught in her throat. A vast silver bowl of ice supported a magnum of champagne, two glasses and a small bowl of Orange Clubs. She couldn’t help but laugh – there were only two people in Larkford that this could possibly be destined for.
‘Surprise,’ he said quietly, watching and waiting for her reaction.
Seeing his nerves only strengthened her resolve. There really was no time like the present to start living and loving the life she truly wanted.
As the door swung closed behind him, Taffy spoke, warmth and affection layered into his every word, ‘Actually, there was something I wanted to ask you too.’
In his outstretched hand was a small antique box and nestling inside was an exquisite diamond ring. A very special diamond ring, that Holly recognised instantly. Her eyes filled with tears, as he dropped to one knee. ‘But I was going to ask you . . .’ she managed.
‘Let me?’ Taffy said seriously. ‘Please?’
It was one thing to lead, not follow, thought Holly in that moment, but somehow this made more sense. Taffy asking made sense. Even if only to reassure this gorgeous, wonderful man that the anxious look on his face was completely unwarranted.
‘I know we said we’d wait,’ said Taffy, ‘but I have important things to say. The first and most crucial of which, is that I love you, Holly.’
‘I love you too,’ said Holly, earning herself a stern gaze.
‘For the love of God, Graham, would you just be quiet for a moment and let a man propose?’
She pressed a trembling hand to her lips to cover the smile that was in danger of breaking into laughter. All the things she had wanted to tell Taffy when she asked him this very question would apparently have to wait. Maybe sometimes it was okay to wait her turn.
‘As I was saying,’ Taffy said, knowing only too well that his window of opportunity was small, but determined to say his piece. ‘I love you. I love Tom and Ben and Eric and Elsie and your mad best friend. I love everything about our life together, except for one thing.’ He took her hand in his. ‘I would very much like to be a husband and a father and spend all my days with you. Officially. I’d rather like to stand up and tell the world . . . if that’s what you want too?’
Holly nodded, for once in her life, completely lost for words. This was so unprecedented that Taffy actually looked worried for a moment. ‘Is that a yes?’
‘Yes,’ Holly whispered, as Taffy slipped Elsie’s beautiful heirloom ring on to her finger.
He leaned in to answer the question before she could ask it, ‘And in case you’re wondering why Elsie’s vintage corker is currently decorating your finger, I can only say that she wouldn’t take no for an answer once she knew what I was saving up for.’
Holly glanced at the ring, entranced for a moment as the diamonds threw a scatter of sunbeams against the wall. It was perfect.
‘I love it,’ she said simply. ‘I love you.’
He smiled and kissed her with a longing and intimacy, that made Holly think of honeymoons and crisp white sheets, before folding her into his arms.
Taking a moment in each other’s silence, she allowed herself to embrace the truth – he wasn’t just her love, Taffy Jones was The Love – the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, to build a family with.
For Holly, family was not about blood, but about choices.
And she chose Taffy, with all her heart.
When she looked into Taffy’s eyes, she saw her future there. There would be love and fun and undoubtedly chaos, but they would handle it together.
There was a hammering on the door and the scuffling of small feet on the flagstones outside. ‘Did he do it yet?’ shouted Ben in excitement.
‘Did you say yes?’ interrupted Tom, his voice high with eagerness.
Holly burst out laughing, the tears of joy streaming down her face. ‘You told them?’
Taffy shook his head. ‘God, no,’ he replied seriously, kissing her lightly, ‘I asked them.’
‘Well, thank goodness they said yes too then,’ she replied, with a playful smile, as she stood up to welcome them in, and the celebrations could really begin.
Acknowledgements
This book is brought to you by The Dream Team at Simon & Schuster – I simply cannot thank them enough for their warmth, guidance and friendship:
Jo Dickinson – thank you for loving Larkford as much as I do and helping me refine and polish the mad world in my head. Sara-Jade Virtue and Jess Barratt – thank you for your endless enthusiasm in spreading the word and making it such fun. Emma Capron – thank God you’re so organised, or this book would still be pages of proofs adorned by my coffee rings! Laura Hough, Dominic Brendon, Sal Wilks, Louise Blakemore and Joe Roche – I owe you many cocktails for always going the extra mile, and for always making me smile.
My wonderful agent Cathryn Summerhayes has made the ‘business’ of writing an absolute pleasure and I’m over the moon to have become part of the Curtis Brown family. May there be many adventures ahead . . .
And, although my first book Out Of Practice was widely available, there have to be a few special mentions to those who outdid themselves in supporting my debut: John Weeks and his team at Cirencester Waterstones have kept me in caffeine, books and moral support all year and I am so grateful; and Pete Selby of Sainsbury’s deserves a huge thank you for championing both my work and my cocktail consumption.
Katie Fforde, Nikki Owen, Caroline Sanderson, Jo Thomas and AJ Pearce – our lunches and coffees have been a source of so much fun, but also support, as I find my path in this wonderful world of publishing. I owe you gin! Always.
Likewise, without the kindness and support of the RNA, the world of Larkford would still be bumbling around in my head and I thank you for all the fabulous work you do and the welcoming sense of community from your members.
Percy Lawson – you have now been immortalised in print and I hope you like your character! Thank you so much for bidding at Natalie’s Blue Belle Ball, raising money for hospice care and also giving me the opportunity to have some fun with your name into the bargain.
There are two special Emmas in my life who deserve a mention, both of whom make me laugh like a drain and were both inspirational in writing this book, whether advising on how assistance dogs are trained, sharing funny anecdotes or simply making me smile when the words weren’t flowing. Thank you both – you’re fabulous!
Lastly, but by no means least, the endless tolerance of Mr P, my children and The Ginger Ninja is not to be understated. I’m perfectly aware that living with a writer can’t be easy – the constant flutter of Post-its, the far away expression that means I’m not really listening, the distracted scribbling of an idea not to be forgotten… Thank you for your endless patience and support – know that I love you madly and couldn’t undertake this crazy journey without you.
Px
About the Author
Penny Parkes survived a Convent education largely thanks to a ready supply of inappropriate novels and her passion for writing and languages.
She studied International Management in Bath and Germany, before gaining experience with the BBC. She then set up an independent Film Location Agency and spent many happy years organising shoots for film, television and advertising – thereby ensuring that she was never short of travel opportunities, freelance writing projects or entertaining anecdotes.
Penny now lives in the Cotswolds with her husband, two children and an excitable puppy with a fondness for Post-its. She will often be found plotting epic train journeys through th
e Alps, baking gluten-free goodies or attempting to reach an elusive state of organisation.
Her novel Out of Practice, the first book in the Larkford series, won the RNA Romantic Comedy of the Year Award in 2017.
Follow Penny on Twitter: @CotswoldPenny
ALSO BY PENNY PARKES
Out of Practice
Swept Away (eBook short story)
First published in Great Britain by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2017
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Copyright © Penny Parkes, 2017
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Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4711-5306-8
eBook ISBN: 978-1-4711-5307-5
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