Bread, Dead and Wed

by Sherri Bryan

  “But why did you tell her I was here? In fact, why did you even call her today if you weren’t planning something with her?” Olivia squared her shoulders and poked a solid finger repeatedly against Roy’s chest.

  “I called her because we’ve kept in touch since she left St. Eves. I was planning on calling her today anyway; we were already friends, remember? And I overheard you tell Charlotte you were coming here at midnight, so I mentioned it to Izzy.”

  “But why did you mention it to her? And why are you here?”

  Roy sighed. “I told her because she’s known how I feel for ages. And I’m here because I wanted to see you.”

  “You wanted to see me?” Olivia frowned. “I swear, Ron, if you don’t start explaining what’s going on, I’m going to put you in another headlock.”

  Roy put up his hands. “Actually, it’s Roy, not Ron, but okay, okay.” He scratched his nose and looked at the floor. “I came because I wanted to talk to you.”

  “Talk to me? What about?” Olivia flung up her arms in frustration and glared at him.

  He raised his head and chanced a smile. “To ask if you, um, if you wanted to go out some time.”

  Olivia’s eyes became narrow slits in her face. “Go out some time? What for?”

  Roy shoved his hands into his pockets. “Blimey, this is hard work. Look, I thought it might be nice to go out for something to eat. Or a drink. Like, on a date. What do you think?”

  Olivia looked momentarily stunned, then took a step towards him, her hands on her hips and her face like thunder. “Are you trying to be funny?”

  “No. I’m trying to be deadly serious.” Roy took a step towards her, a warm smile creeping across his face. “I like you, Olivia. In fact, I think you’re amazing; I have done from the first time I laid eyes on you… even if you did look mean.”

  Her mouth fell open, then she blushed scarlet from the roots of her hair. “What?”

  “I said, I think you’re amazing. I’ve never met a woman like you before and I couldn’t leave here without telling you. That’s why I’ve been hanging around; I’ve been trying to pluck up the courage to speak to you, but you’re not the most approachable of people. I just wish it hadn’t taken me so long.” He laughed. “I even gave up my job so you’d know how serious I am.”

  Olivia looked around the stairwell. “Is there a camera somewhere? Is this a joke?”

  Roy shook his head and took another step forward. “No joke. If I take another step, do you promise you won’t punch me?”

  Olivia eyed him warily, but nodded.

  He stepped closer and reached into his pocket. In a flash, Olivia had his arm twisted up behind his back

  “What are you doing? I knew you were going to try something funny.”

  “No, I wasn’t,” gasped Roy. “I just want to get my breath freshener out of my pocket before I kiss you… if you’ll let me, of course. I had a hotdog for lunch and I can still taste the onions. I went to the pharmacy this afternoon to get it after I found out you’d be here tonight. I promise—you can look in my pocket if you don’t believe me.”

  “You were going to kiss me?” said Olivia, letting him go.

  “Well, I was trying to,” grumbled Roy, rubbing his arm, “if I could actually get close enough without you…”

  Olivia grabbed him and locked her lips to his. When they eventually drew apart, she rewarded him with her widest smile. “You talk too much,” she said. “And I’m a chef. If you think I’m bothered by a little onion breath, you’ve got a lot to learn.”

  Roy pulled her to him with a grin. “Well, in that case…”

  ____________

  The new and improved Olivia Floyd-Martin was the talk of the town.

  After the night at The President, Roy had checked out of The St. Eves’ Tavern and moved in to Olivia’s flat where they’d spent every spare minute together since then.

  No one had been more surprised than Olivia when he’d proposed a week later, slipping an engagement ring onto her finger. “I don’t need time to think about this,” he’d told her. “I know I want to marry you, so why wait? You just need to decide if you’re absolutely sure you want to marry me, but we can have as long an engagement as you like if you need time to make up your mind.”

  “Are you sure you’re not just on the rebound after your divorce?” Olivia had said. “You hear all the time about people who take up with someone else - for all the wrong reasons - after a long-term relationship breaks down.”

  “I couldn’t be more sure,” Roy had said. “I promise you.”

  Since then, Olivia had changed so much, people who’d known her for years were scratching their heads in disbelief. Her kitchen staff, who’d spent so long being fearful in her shadow, were now faced - on a daily basis - with a cheery, encouraging and appreciative Executive Chef, instead of the surly, critical and ungrateful one they’d become so used to.

  “You know, I had a feeling things were about to change, and they finally have,” said Olivia to Roy. “I feel like I’ve been given a second chance at life; a chance to get it right this time, so I want to make the best of it. I’ve got more than enough money in the bank to last a lifetime for the two of us, but I want to use the rest to try to put right some of my wrongs.”

  “Hold on, don’t get carried away,” Roy said, with a wink, “you can’t have that much money.”

  Olivia gave him a playful punch. “I’m serious, and I’ve already started thinking about what I’d like to do.”

  Chapter 22

  “Me! Getting married! Can you believe it? I’m forty-seven years old and I’ve only had two boyfriends in my whole life; one asked me out for a dare and the other asked me out to win a bet.”

  “Well, that was their loss,” said Charlotte, reasonably. “And I know it’s early days, but if you’d like to borrow something - you know, for your ‘something borrowed’ - you’re more than welcome. I’ve got a few things that might suit. No pressure, but the offer’s there.”

  Olivia nodded as she paced up and down. “That sounds good, thanks, but before that, will you help me choose a wedding dress?” She stopped pacing and started chewing at a thumbnail. “Mum’s coming with me, but I might as well take Pippin and Panda with me for all the help she’ll be.”

  “Of course I’ll help you,” said Charlotte. “And I can’t wait to meet your mum. When’s she coming?”

  “Too soon.” Olivia put a hand to her chest to slow her breathing. “Why do you think I’m so anxious? I’ve got the weekend off work and Mum and Dad are both coming down on Friday night to meet Roy. Then Dad’s taking him for a pint and a pub lunch on Saturday while Mum spends the day doing wedding stuff with me before they go home. They’ve got someone keeping an eye on the animals but they don’t want to be away too long because one of their goats is about to give birth. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Mum, but she’s not the most relaxing person to have around. She’s got a very robust personality.”

  “Well, I think it’s great that she’ll be there to give you her opinion,” said Charlotte. “I bet she’s chuffed to bits that you’ve asked her.”

  Olivia raised an eyebrow. “I doubt her opinion is going to count for much. You can ask her anything you need to know about how to run a smallholding, or cure a constipated cow, and she’ll tell you, but she doesn’t have a clue about stuff like this. I mean, her idea of elegance is putting her hair in a bun when she’s feeding the pigs.” She massaged the knotted muscles at the back of her neck. “That’s why I need you to be there, Charlotte: Mum’s the pin-up girl for the dungarees and wellington boots brigade; I have no idea what to look for, and the thought of being in a bridal shop scares me to death.”

  Charlotte laughed and squeezed Olivia’s hand. “Stop worrying! It’s supposed to be a happy day. Trust me, it’ll be fine. What time do you want me there?”

  Olivia heaved a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Well, I’m going to the hairdressers at half-past eight to see what she can do with this.” She pulled at a
tuft of over-bleached hair. “And the salon’s also got a make-up artist who’s going to have a chat about the kind of look I want on the day.” She rolled her eyes. “Like I have the first clue about make-up. Anyway, I should be finished by around eleven. D’you think you’ll be able to come along to the bridal shop afterwards? Say, around half-eleven?”

  “Course I will. It’ll be fun, wait and see. Nathan’s away on a course, though, so I’ll have to bring Molly with me. And we’ll have to be home by four, because she’s got her friends coming round for dinner and a sleepover. Is that okay?”

  “Yeah, that’ll be fine, and bring Molly along, too. And tell Ava she’s welcome if she’s free. I know she’s been on her own a lot recently and, between you and me, I’ve grown quite fond of her these past few weeks.”

  ____________

  Ava and Molly sat on the ivory-silk covered chairs in Wedding Thrills bridal shop on the last Saturday of the Easter school holidays.

  The rain was still falling, and storms and high winds had plagued the area for the past week, forcing Ava into a war against hair frizz which, so far, she was losing.

  “D’you think Oliver and Roy will have a horse and cart when they get married, like Prince Harry and Megan did?” said Molly, her pink-booted feet swinging and her hands clasped in the lap of her purple quilted leggings.

  “That was a horse and carriage, Molly, not a cart. They’re royalty, not rag and bone men,” said Ava, with a chuckle, as she washed down the remainder of a sugared almond with a sip of champagne and grimaced as she caught sight of the steel-grey frizzball covering her head, in a nearby floor to ceiling mirror. “And, no, they aren’t. Olivia said they’re having an old car.”

  “An old car?” Molly screwed up her nose. “Why wouldn’t they want a new car for their wedding?”

  “No, when I say old, I don’t mean a clapped out old banger,” said Ava. “I mean old as in classic.” She looked at Molly’s blank expression. “Never mind, dear, you’ll know what I mean when you see it.” She tapped Molly’s hand. “You know, this reminds me of when we came wedding dress shopping with your Mum. There was me, Betty, Harriett, Laura and Jess. We all went for breakfast at your house first, and then we had the most wonderful morning and afternoon, with a lovely lunch. I seem to recall your Mum tried on fourteen dresses before she found The One. You must ask her to tell you all about it one day.”

  Charlotte appeared, dabbing at her eyes, her thumb stuck in the air.

  “What’s wrong, Mummy?” Molly slid off the chair and ran to Charlotte’s side.

  “Nothing’s wrong, poppet, it’s just that seeing Olivia in her dress has made me a bit emotional, that’s all. They’re happy tears, though, so don’t worry.”

  “Is Oliver’s mummy crying, too?”

  Olivia’s mother, Penelope, strode out of the changing room and sat down on the end of the chaise longue with her knees apart under her tweed skirt, and her support stockings crinkling around her ankles. She brushed a hand across her ruddy cheeks - a permanent reminder of the outdoor life she led - and scratched at her unkempt hairdo, which was falling loose from the multiple hair pins fighting a losing battle to hold it in place.

  “The last time I cried was when we had to have our Friesian put down,” she said in her booming voice, a wide smile pushing up her rosy cheeks and narrowing her eyes. “That’s a cow, in case you didn’t know.” She gave Molly’s shoulder a squeeze. “Don’t tell anyone, but I cried for four days. I don’t shed many tears for the two-legged species, but I’m very fond of our four-legged friends.”

  Molly nodded, as if she understood, then said, “What about kangaroos?”

  “Molly, don’t go on at Penelope, please. This is supposed to be a relaxing day.” Charlotte put a hand in the small of her back and flinched.

  “Oh, don’t worry about that,” said Penelope, with a hearty chuckle. “It’s nice to be around children again. It takes me back to when I used to bounce Olivia on my knee. And that was no mean feat, I can tell you. She was a very solid child; all that fresh air and good food.” Her handbag suddenly vibrated and she took her phone from it. “Sorry, must take this—I’ve been waiting all morning for an update on our goat.” She went off, her phone clamped to the side of her face, talking loudly.

  “Are we allowed to see the dress?” asked Ava. “Or is it a secret until the big day?”

  “Do you want to see it?” Olivia called from the changing room.

  “Of course we do!” replied Ava. “That’s what we’re here for.”

  The changing room opened and Olivia stepped out. Awkwardly, she made her way to the middle of the shop, a nervous smile on her lips. “Well?”

  Her elegant, white silk wedding dress with its scoop neckline, fell in folds from under her bust, skimming the floor as she walked. The full-length sleeves came to a point at her wrists, each one fastening with three pearl buttons.

  Molly’s mouth dropped open. “Wow, Oliver! You look like a proper princess!” She held up a hand for Olivia to give her a high-five.

  “Do you like it?”

  “It’s awesome!” Molly jumped off her chair and walked a circle around Olivia for a closer inspection. “I can’t wait until I can get a wedding dress.”

  “Molly, I can’t cope with anything else that’s going to make me cry today, thank you!” said Charlotte, dabbing her eyes again. “Thank goodness I don’t have to think about you getting married for ages.”

  Olivia gave her reflection another glance in the mirror before stepping forward to inspect her hair and makeup again. The brassy, lavender-tipped highlights she’d favoured for so many years were gone, having been toned down to a subtle shade of honey blonde, and her hair had been styled and swept back from her face, revealing high cheekbones no one knew she had. Her minimal makeup was light and flattering, lending just a little definition to her features.

  “I can’t quite believe it’s me,” she murmured. “For the first time in my life, I actually look like a girl. I look so happy, and my skin’s glowing.” She turned to see Ava standing behind her and steeled herself for an honest critique.

  Ava looked Olivia up and down. “That’s what they call inner beauty, dear,” she said, softly. “And if you have that, that’s all you need; no amount of makeup will ever look better. You look stunning, Olivia. Simply lovely.”

  Olivia gulped. “That means an awful lot coming from you.”

  “I just say what I see,” said Ava. “I never mean to offend but, love me or hate me, I always tell the truth.” She gave Olivia a wink. “And, believe it or not, I’ve grown quite fond of you these past few weeks.”

  Olivia chuckled.

  “What’s so funny?” asked Ava.

  “It’s nothing,” said Olivia, catching Charlotte’s eye. “I just remember saying exactly the same thing about someone not too long ago.”

  Ava stepped back and took another look at the dress. “Well, is that the one, then?”

  Olivia checked her reflection once more. “Yes, I think it is.”

  ____________

  “I don’t believe it. It’s actually stopped raining,” said Charlotte, looking at the sky. “Mind you, I don’t think it’ll be long before it’s pouring down again—look at those clouds coming this way. We must have had more rain this month than we’ve had all year.”

  Ava nodded absentmindedly. “What are you doing tonight?” she asked, as she followed Charlotte out of the bridal shop.

  “Jess is coming round for dinner,” said Charlotte. “We haven’t seen each other much recently and we’re getting withdrawal symptoms. Molly’s going to be preoccupied with her friends and Nathan won’t be back from that course he went on yesterday until late. And Ben’s on the same course, so Jess is on her own, too. Why? What are you doing tonight?”

  Ava shrugged. “Well, I’m not expecting Derek back from dance rehearsals till around ten, and Bet and Harriett have gone on another godforsaken coach trip, so I’ve got no plans, either. I was just going to ask - as I’v
e spent so much time at your place recently - if you and Molly wanted to come round to me for a change. I could have cooked dinner, and you could have relaxed with your feet up. We could have watched a film, or TV, or just chatted. But if Molly’s got friends coming round, and you’ve already got plans…”

  Charlotte put an arm around Ava’s shoulder. “Look, why don’t you just come round to my place? Jess won’t mind—none of us have seen much of each other recently, have we? We can all have a proper catch-up.”

  “Are you sure? You’re not going to get fed up with me, are you? I mean, wouldn’t you and Jess prefer to have some time on your own?”

  “Don’t be daft,” said Charlotte. “We can see each other any time. And how could I ever get fed up with you?” She gave Ava a hug before looking back to Molly who was saying another goodbye to Penelope.

  “So, will you be at Oliver’s wedding?” Molly asked, holding onto Penelope’s hand.

  “Of course - I’m the mother of the bride, you know - so I’ll see you again then.”

  “Will you bring photos of all your animals, especially the baby goat?”

  Penelope chuckled. “I will, if you’d like to see them.”

  “Yes, please, I would.” Molly nodded before slipping her hand from Penelope’s and treating her to a gappy grin. “I’d better go now ‘cos my friends are coming over later.”

  As Olivia climbed into her mother’s mud-spattered Land Rover, she called across to Charlotte. “I don’t suppose you’re free tonight, are you? After Mum and Dad go home, Roy’s going back to his place to pick up some of his stuff to bring it back to mine. He won’t be back until tomorrow, so I wondered if I could come round to have a look through the things you said I could choose my ‘something borrowed’ from.” She grinned. “Now I’m in the wedding mood, I’d like to prolong it for as long as I can.”

  “Of course you can. I’ll be in all evening, so come round whenever you want. See you at the wedding, Penelope—I’m glad we had the chance to meet beforehand.”