New Beginnings At Glendale Hall

by Victoria Walters

  ‘I hope so. I keep checking the weather forecast,’ Beth replied, biting her lip. ‘Wednesday says cloudy at the moment. Warm but cloudy. I knew I was too optimistic about the bloody Scottish weather!’ She glared at Aunt Sally. ‘And you said Wednesday was the luckiest day to get married on.’

  ‘It is,’ Sally assured her. ‘Don’t fret.’

  ‘It says it’s sunny in London this morning on my phone,’ Greg said, sitting down. Beth threw him a glare but he didn’t notice as he poured himself a coffee.

  ‘It’s better for it to rain today,’ I said, joining them at the table. ‘Gets it out of the way so the wedding day will be dry.’ I reached for the rack of toast and glanced at Greg who was loading eggs and bacon onto his plate as if he hadn’t eaten in a week. ‘Save the rest of us some,’ I said, but he just laughed. He really could be annoyingly oblivious. ‘How long will the rehearsal take? I need to bake the cake today.’ I’d left it as long as possible to make it to keep it fresh but we had just two days to go so it was time.

  ‘Only an hour or so hopefully,’ Beth said. ‘We’ll go through the ceremony with the registrar and with Brodie and where we need to be for everything. We’ll be showing everyone the gazebo and the florist will be putting some of the flowers out there today. I’m having my final dress fitting this afternoon so it’ll all be over by then, I promise.’

  ‘Sounds like I’d better make myself scarce for a while,’ Greg said, chewing on Sally’s breakfast happily.

  ‘That’s probably a good idea,’ I agreed, glancing at Beth who looked away quickly.

  ‘Ah, Brodie is here,’ Drew said as the doorbell rang. He jumped up to let him in the front door. I studied my plate, hoping my cheeks hadn’t turned as pink as I thought they had. I hadn’t seen him since Greg had arrived; he’d been working yesterday, obviously. Drew returned with Brodie in tow a minute later. He was wearing his dog collar with jeans and waved at us all cheerfully. ‘Join us for breakfast and then we’ll get started,’ Drew said, bringing him over to the table.

  Although the table was large, Brodie had to squeeze in next to me as we were all there, our arms brushing as he sat down. He smiled at me, and my cheeks turned pinker. ‘You know everyone apart from Greg,’ Drew said, gesturing to him.

  ‘I’m Brodie, Glendale’s minister,’ he said, reaching around me to hold out a hand to Greg.

  ‘Emily’s boyfriend,’ Greg said, shortly, giving his hand the briefest of shakes. He glanced at me but I swallowed a big gulp of orange juice to refrain from having to say anything. ‘You’re… young to be a minister, aren’t you?’ I felt Greg’s glare, I was too embarrassed to look up to actually see it.

  ‘Emily has already told me that I’m not what a minister should be like at all,’ Brodie replied with a grin at me. ‘Yet they let me wear the collar and everything.’ He took a bite of his muffin, oblivious to Greg turning his glare on to me.

  I picked up my juice and drank a big gulp. It went down the wrong way and I coughed and spluttered. Greg reached out and thumped my back. Once I had stopped coughing, I gave him a weak smile, my face now red and hot akin to a lobster’s. Brodie tried to hide his grin as he poured himself some coffee but I didn’t miss it. Great. Their introduction could not have gone worse.

  ‘Right, if Emily is okay now,’ Caroline said, looking at me. I nodded, wishing I could hide under the table. ‘Why don’t we head out to the gazebo and make a start? Sally, are you okay to show the registrar out when she gets here, please?’

  I pushed back my chair, scraping it on the tiles, and jumped up. I hurried out of the kitchen, sensing Greg hot on my heels as I walked out into the hall. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to join the rehearsal?’ I asked him.

  ‘Well, now I’m wondering if I should,’ he replied. He took my arm, stopping me in my tracks. ‘You kept it very quiet that this minister you’ve been spending so much time with is young and… and looks like that!’

  He clearly couldn’t quite bring himself to call Brodie good-looking but even Greg wasn’t blind to the fact that he was. ‘Greg, don’t be silly. He’s a minister, for goodness’ sake! You think he goes around preying on women who not only have a boyfriend but are also carrying that boyfriend’s baby?!’

  ‘Oh, unlike firemen. Is that what you mean?’

  I pursed my lips and took a breath. ‘That’s not what I meant,’ I said quietly, although I wasn’t sure I was being entirely honest.

  Greg sighed. ‘You used to tell me everything. Now, I have no idea what you’re thinking.’ I knew part of his hostility was that I had been avoiding his touch since he got here, and it was becoming obvious to us both. He knew I was holding back but could he really blame me after what he had done?

  ‘I’m sorry you feel like that. I’m not thinking anything. I’m going to go and help Beth with her wedding rehearsal and then bake her a wedding cake, which is what I came here to do.’

  ‘I thought you came here to get away from me.’ We stood watching one another, both suddenly weary, not sure where this argument was even going.

  The doorbell rung behind Greg.

  ‘That’ll be the registrar,’ Caroline said, sweeping past us through the hall.

  ‘Right,’ Greg said, stepping back from me. ‘I’ll head off then.’

  ‘Where are you going?’ I asked him, not wanting him to leave like this.

  He shrugged and turned away. ‘I’ll be back later.’

  ‘Greg, come on, please…’ I reached for him but he walked past Caroline and the woman she was letting in, and slipped out of the front door. I hated it when Greg walked off like a toddler having a tantrum but I knew it was better to let him go and cool off. There was too much to do for me to worry about it so I shook off our argument and headed outside.

  * * *

  I pulled my hoodie up as we gathered by the gazebo, the rain still drizzling down on top of us. The registrar, an older lady in a smart suit, addressed the group and took us through how the ceremony would run. My attention dropped a few times, wondering where Greg had gone off to, and trying to ignore the rain plastering my clothes to my skin.

  We practised walking down the aisle of chairs up to the gazebo and I watched Beth and Drew grinning at one another when they stood up there, holding each other’s hands, the registrar explaining how they would say their vows. I found myself looking away. I caught Brodie’s gaze below as he waited for them to finish. He gave me a small smile but I couldn’t quite return it. After the initial happy feeling that accompanied my pregnancy test result, my emotions had been steadily sliding downwards and I didn’t like feeling so worried and glum, it just wasn’t like me.

  ‘And that will be the end. We will sign the papers on the table you’re going to set up over here while the band play, and then you’ll be man and wife,’ she finished up, drawing me back to what was going on.

  ‘Are you going to catch Mum’s bouquet?’ Izzy asked me. ‘I’d rather not do it, I don’t want to get married until I’m forty.’

  I couldn’t not smile at that. ‘I’m not sure I want to catch it either.’

  ‘Don’t you want to marry Greg?’ she asked in surprise.

  I coughed instead of replying as Brodie stepped up to the gazebo.

  ‘I’ll then take us through a short blessing of your marriage,’ Brodie said. ‘You’ll stand like this…’ He arranged them in front of him and brought their hands back together, giving them a brief outline of what he would be saying. He spoke softly but I had no doubt we’d all be able to hear him on the day.

  ‘And then we can finally get a drink,’ Drew said when Brodie had finished, making us all laugh. I knew he was nervous about being in front of everyone, it wasn’t something that came naturally to him but I also knew on the day it wouldn’t be a problem, he would only have eyes for Beth anyway. The florist jumped up then to look at the archway and we all walked down the steps back down into the garden.

  The rain started to really come down then.

  ‘Right, I think we had
better all go back to the house,’ Caroline said, frowning up at the sky. ‘A cup of tea for everyone, I think.’

  Gratefully, we all trooped back to the house, eager to get into the dry. ‘Can I take over the kitchen for a bit?’ I asked Aunt Sally who already had the kettle on for us all.

  ‘Just don’t make too much of a mess, I remember what you’re like when you’re baking,’ she replied with a stern look.

  ‘Are you free to help?’ I asked, hopefully.

  ‘As if you need my help. But, anyway, no, I’m due at the shop in a bit, I’m afraid,’ she said.

  ‘Can I help?’ Izzy jumped in.

  ‘If your mum doesn’t need you.’

  ‘Don’t you want to come to my fitting?’ Beth asked, to which she got a scowl. ‘Fine, stay with Emily. Mum can take me.’

  ‘I’m off to work.’ Drew dropped them both a kiss before hurrying out, followed by the florist and registrar, and then Caroline and Beth left to pick up the wedding dress.

  ‘What about the tea?’ Aunt Sally spun around, hands on her hips as she stood with a tray of cups.

  ‘I’ll take one off your hands before I have to walk back to the vicarage in this rain,’ Brodie replied. He leaned against the counter as she passed him one before walking off, muttering about everyone.

  ‘I’ll just tie my hair up,’ Izzy said, rushing off out of the kitchen.

  ‘So, you finally got to see me minister-ing,’ Brodie said when we were alone. I took a sip of my tea, leaning opposite him, wrapping my hands around the mug to warm them up. I was happy I’d be in the kitchen for the rest of the day after that.

  ‘Minister-ing? Is that a word?’ I smiled over my mug. ‘Maybe I should come and see you in action properly doing a service.’

  ‘When was the last time you went to church?’

  ‘A few months ago for a wedding in London. But I’d be supporting a friend so it’s different.’

  ‘Well, you’d be very welcome.’

  ‘Right, I’m ready to bake!’ Izzy cried then, hurrying back in. ‘Are you helping too, Brodie?’

  ‘I should head off,’ he replied, grimacing at the rain that was now pelting down the window in thick sheets.

  ‘Stay until the rain eases or someone can give you a lift at least, you’ll get soaked,’ I said. ‘Right, what do we need? Eggs, butter, and what else?’ I asked Izzy who rushed to the fridge to gather the ingredients.

  ‘I warn you, I’m not much of a baker,’ Brodie said, rolling up his sleeves gallantly. ‘I’m usually just an eater.’

  ‘We’ll make a baker out of him, won’t we, Izzy? I said, giving him a smile.

  ‘We can try,’ she replied, doubtfully, making Brodie laugh.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  We were stacking the three layers of Beth and Drew’s wedding cake when Greg finally resurfaced. The rain was still pounding against the kitchen roof and Brodie was still at the Hall, the afternoon drifting by without us noticing as we baked and talked. Brodie and Izzy watched as I balanced the sponges on top of one another, trying to prevent the buttercream from oozing everywhere as I did so.

  ‘This looks cosy,’ Greg said as he banged open the kitchen door on his entry, making us jump.

  ‘Oh,’ I gasped, just about managing to steady the top of the cake quickly. ‘You’re lucky I didn’t just drop this on the floor!’

  ‘Oops,’ Greg said, walking over. I could tell immediately that he was drunk. He swayed, grabbing hold of the counter as he leered at us and the cake. ‘We can’t have the precious Beth and the amazing Drew’s cake ruined now, can we?’

  I could feel Brodie’s concerned gaze on me and my cheeks started to burn. I righted the cake and stood back from it, turning to Greg. ‘No. The people who have been kind enough to let us stay in their house, who are celebrating their wedding in two days, do not deserve to have anything ruined. Especially by you.’

  Greg held both hands up. ‘Well, excuuuuse me. I just came in for a drink anyway.’

  ‘Don’t you think you’ve had enough?’

  The back door opened then and in walked Caroline and Beth, their cheerful chatter fading when they saw our faces. ‘Everything okay?’ Beth asked, tentatively, trying to work out what was going on.

  ‘Fine. Until everyone invaded the kitchen. I’m doing the cake, everyone out,’ I said, trying to keep my tone light and teasing although my patience was fast evaporating. I turned to block the cake from Beth’s view.

  ‘Of course, of course,’ Caroline said, hurrying past. ‘We’ll stay out of your way. Come on, Beth, don’t ruin the surprise now. Greg, Brodie, why don’t you join us too? And Izzy, we need you anyway to try your dress on again…’

  ‘But I was helping,’ Izzy started to protest.

  ‘Emily has had enough help for today,’ Caroline told her, firmly.

  Greg looked at me but I turned away so he let himself be led out by Caroline, who was a hard woman to argue with at the best of times. She successfully ushered everyone out of the kitchen in record time, leaving me alone with the cake. I sagged against the counter. I was beginning to regret Greg coming to stay. I thought he was excited about the baby so why was he acting like this? And drinking so much? I was sure he hadn’t drunk that much at home. Or had he? He certainly had been going out more than ever before. I had put it down to the strain in our relationship but maybe I shouldn’t have been so accepting of it. Especially now that I knew he’d cheated on me on one of those nights out. I had been in denial about a lot of things regarding our relationship, and I knew I needed to stop that now.

  Trying to take my mind off our problems, I started to spread the icing over the sponge, wishing life was as easy to make pretty as decorating a cake was. Time passed as I worked and I managed to calm myself down somewhat, until there was a knock and Caroline popped her head in. ‘We’re going to order pizza for everyone. Why don’t you join us when you’ve finished in here?’ she said, kindly.

  ‘Thanks.’ I smiled at her. ‘I won’t be long.’

  ‘Ah, Greg, I don’t think…’ Caroline stepped back as the door swung open fully and Greg reappeared.

  ‘It’s okay,’ I reassured her. She threw Greg a warning look before leaving us alone.

  Greg shuffled over to me. ‘Babe, I’m sorry. I know you want the cake to be special,’ he said, glancing at it. ‘It looks great. Really.’

  ‘Thank you,’ I replied, picking up a flower to place on it. ‘I’ll be in soon, okay?’

  ‘Good, because I don’t want to be with them, I want to be with you. And it's pretty insufferable in there with all the wedding talk. Even that minister is at it.’

  ‘Some people are excited about the wedding,’ I said, trying to keep my tone light but anger was bubbling up inside me again. Why did he have to be quite so down on weddings?

  ‘I just can’t wait for it to be over and to have you home, that’s all.’ He tried to wrap an arm around my waist but I pulled away and went to the fridge for more iced flowers. He sighed but I ignored that. ‘Em, why are you being like this?’

  I shut the fridge and faced him. ‘Like what? Greg, you’re acting all over the place. You’re drunk, for one thing, and for the other, you’re acting like a spoiled child. I’m baking a wedding cake, for goodness’ sake! Why is that such a problem for you?’

  ‘Because everything is more important to you than us!’

  ‘That’s not true but I can’t just pretend the past two weeks didn’t happen like you seem able to do. You cheated on me. You broke my heart,’ I told him, feeling a lump rise up in my throat.

  ‘God, you’re going to throw this back in my face forever, aren’t you!’ He turned and started to stomp out of the kitchen.

  I followed him. ‘What the hell do you expect? I can’t just move on like that. We need to talk, to work at this…’

  Greg spun around. ‘I’m sick of talking. That’s all we do.’

  ‘So, what then? We just pretend that everything is okay? You think that will really work?’r />
  He looked defeated for a moment. ‘I don’t know what will work. I thought we loved one another.’

  ‘Sometimes love isn’t enough.’

  Greg opened his mouth to say something but then I heard a noise behind me. I spun around to see a streak of fur as Izzy’s cat jumped up on the counter.

  ‘Ginny, no!’ I screamed, rushing over to see the cat lick the top of the cake. I tried to grab her but she bolted in fear, kicking her back legs out as she jumped down, knocking the cake. I watched in horror as time seemed to slow down into painful slow-motion and the top layer of the cake slid off the others and crashed to the floor, smashing on the tiles into a gloopy mess.

  ‘Shit,’ Greg said, from behind me.

  Sinking down onto the floor, I knelt beside the ruined cake. ‘You let the cat in,’ I said, my voice shaking. ‘You let the bloody cat in.’

  ‘Hey, I didn’t know,’ Greg said, on the defensive immediately.

  ‘Just go. Please. Just leave me alone.’

  ‘Fine by me,’ he spat out, and marched out of the kitchen, leaving me to burst into tears.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  ‘Are you sure?’ I wiped the fallen tears from my cheeks. Beth and Brodie had come rushing into the kitchen after hearing what had happened from Greg. Brodie immediately offered to help me redo the top layer so I could get it done before bed.

  ‘Of course! Nowhere else I’d rather be,’ he replied, rolling up his sleeves again. ‘Just please bring us some pizza when it comes,’ he added to Beth.

  ‘We could all help?’ Beth asked me.

  I shook my head. ‘Honestly, too many cooks and all that… plus I want it to be a surprise still. Thanks, Brodie, it would be great to have a hand.’ I glanced at Beth. ‘Where’s Greg?’