Lizzie Marshall's Wedding (32 page)
Read Lizzie Marshall's Wedding Online
Authors: Emily Harvale
Tags: #Romance, #Contemporary, #Fiction
‘Morning,’ she said sheepishly.
‘Morning,’ everyone carolled cheerfully, then continued with what they were doing.
‘How are you feeling? Bit of a hangover I expect,’ Lizzie said grinning and giving her a hug.
‘I’m so, so sorry Lizzie, Jack I –’
‘Don’t be silly,’ Lizzie said. ‘It’s a wedding, everyone gets drunk at weddings. You did nothing to be ashamed of. Thank you again for everything you did yesterday. It was an absolutely marvellous day Becky. Jack and I will remember it for the rest of our lives, won’t we Jack?’
‘Yes. It was the perfect day. Thank you so much Becky.’
‘Ah Becky dear. How are you this morning?’ Margaret came over and kissed her on the cheek.
‘Fine thank you. I’m sorry about –’
‘No need to apologise dear! I’ve done a lot worse I can tell you. You had a good time, that’s the main thing. The whole day was wonderful, wasn’t it Lizzie?’
‘Yes. We were just saying that. Absolutely perfect.’
Ben and Susie approached, hand in hand and Becky flushed crimson.
‘Ben, Reverend, I’m really sorry. I’m truly ashamed.’
‘Nothing to be ashamed about Becky, although my official stance is, if you’re going to have hot sex, you should be married.’ He winked at her and smiled.
She caught a glimpse of long, blond hair. ‘Is that ... Kim?’
Lizzie nodded. ‘Yeah. It took some doing but Jack and Max finally made me see that she has problems and needs help. Throwing her out wouldn’t solve anything. She’s apologised most profusely actually and whilst I can’t say I’ll ever like her, or trust her further than I’d still like to throw her, I’m prepared to bury the hatchet if only for Ross’s sake.’
‘Are ... are they getting back together then? Even after everything she did?’ Becky couldn’t quite believe it.
Jack shook his head. ‘Only time will tell. The thing is Ross really does love her. He’s crazy about her in fact. He only left her in the hope that she’d see sense. He realises that’s not going to work and he’s persuaded her to go and see a shrink. Not sure how much good that’ll do to be honest but it’s worth a shot I suppose.’
‘And they have a son to think about,’ Phil said.
‘Wow! I’m not sure I’d be so forgiving. Oh! I’d better check with the caterers that everything’s set for brunch,’ Becky said glancing at her watch. ‘We should be ready in about twenty minutes if we’re still on schedule.’
The wedding brunch went off as smoothly as the celebratory dinner had then Lizzie and Jack cut the cake, had some more photographs taken and were ready to set off on honeymoon by one-thirty p.m.
Lizzie got all the single women assembled so that she could throw her bouquet and when Becky saw it heading in her direction she quickly moved to the left so that Susie could catch it instead. She smiled at Susie as she held it up triumphantly and then from the corner of her eye she spotted Max looking at her oddly.
She made her way to him and slid her arm through his. ‘Well I have to say I’m glad it’s all nearly over. It’s been wonderful but so exhausting. I think I could sleep for a week.’
‘That’s all the dancing on the tables – and the hot sex of course,’ he said.
‘Actually, I haven’t had much of that this weekend. We’ve got some catching up to do.’
‘Your wish is my command. Speaking of catching, I noticed you dodged the bouquet. I hope I’m not supposed to take that as some sort of hint.’
She glanced up at him. ‘I thought you’d be pleased. Most men would panic if they thought they were next on the marital list. But that wasn’t why I did it. It was actually because I was the organiser for the wedding and I didn’t think I should be the one to catch the bouquet – especially after my little performance last night.’
Max smiled. ‘I’m not most men but I can see why you did that. And, about your performance last night, the table dancing one in particular, I wonder, is there any chance of a repeat but private showing, only before you fell off the table, you were really rather hot?’
The guests had finally left with the exception of Victoria and Gerald and peace descended once more on Beckleston Hall. Lily fell asleep from sheer exhaustion and Max took her upstairs and put her to bed whilst Becky made sure everything was restored to the way it was before the wedding.
By seven-thirty everything was ship-shape and Becky and Max joined Margaret, Victoria and Gerald on the terrace for more champagne.
‘Not too much for me,’ Becky said, ‘just in case.’
Gerald laughed. ‘I can tell you some stories about these two,’ he nodded towards Margaret and Victoria, ‘that would make what you did seem boring.’
‘Not in front of the children Gerald,’ Margaret said. ‘I’d hate my little boy to think his mother is a wanton woman.’ She laughed and winked at Max.
‘Your little boy already knows you are mother,’ he said.
It was another glorious sunset. A rainbow of colours filled the horizon and the slipstream of jet aircraft looked like a meteor shower trailing across the cornflower blue sky.
‘Let’s take a stroll over to the pond Fifi,’ Max said. He stood up and held out his hand.
Becky was slightly surprised but she got up and slipped her hand in his.
They reached the post where the life ring hung and Max flipped a switch that Becky hadn’t seen before. Strings of multi-coloured fairy lights encircling the pond twinkled before her eyes and three coloured under water lights threw up beams of green and yellow and red like little fountains.
‘Do you like it?’ he said. ‘I wasn’t sure if it made it seem more magical or less, in your eyes.’
‘Oh more Max! Definitely more! It’s ... it’s beautiful. When did you have this done?’
‘A few weeks ago. I thought the ducks might like to party so I gave them party lights.’ He grinned.
She noticed a blanket and two cushions on the ground.
‘Is this in case the ducks want to have a picnic?’
‘No. I brought that over a couple of hours ago. I wanted you to see the lights and I thought we could sit here for a while.’ He knelt down and grabbed a rope tied around the post. On the other end was a bottle of champagne. ‘The glasses are under the cushions.’
‘Well, it seems you’ve thought of everything.’
‘This has been a pretty spectacular weekend,’ he said sitting down and staring into the water.
‘It certainly has.’ Becky sat down beside him.
‘In fact it’s been a pretty spectacular seven months since mum and I came here. I didn’t want her to buy this place you know. I did everything I could to put her off it. Of course, I didn’t know its history then or why she wanted it so much but she was adamant and nothing I did or said changed her mind.’
‘She seems so at home here that it’s hard to imagine her living anywhere else. It’s ... almost as if she belongs.’
‘That’s just what she said. I thought I belonged in London. I’ve always loved living there, so much to see, so much to do but when I came here I felt, well, as if I belonged here too.’
Becky found herself hoping and watched his every move. The way he shoved his hand through his hair, the way he kept licking his lips as if his mouth was dry, the way he kept his eyes averted from hers.
He gulped his champagne and refilled their glasses.
‘Silly though of course,’ he said.
Her hopes shattered like a thousand broken fairy lights.
‘Oh, I meant to give you this.’ He handed her a large folded envelope, ‘it’s about another wedding mum thought you might like to arrange.
‘Okay, thanks. I’ll read it later.’
‘I think you should take a quick look at it now. They need an answer pretty quick as to whether you’re interested or not.’
She sighed. This evening wasn’t going at all the way she’d hoped. She tore open the envelope.
‘I think the plan is to have it around Easter. They’re hoping to go to Australia for the Easter holidays – the bride to be’s got family there and the groom’s hoping they’ll all come over for the wedding and then travel back together.’
She was only half listening. The envelope just seemed to be full of little bits of paper and when she tipped it up, handfuls of confetti spilled out onto the blanket. She glanced up at him. He was still staring into the water.
‘Max. Is this some kind of ...’ Then she saw it, twinkling up at her like the North Star.
‘He’s also hoping the in-laws will look after the couple’s daughter for a few days so that he and his wife can nip over to Bora Bora, but that bit’s negotiable ...’ His voice trailed off and he twisted round to face her.
She was staring at the diamond ring, unable to speak.
‘And he’s really hoping she’ll say yes because he loves her with all his heart and all his soul and all his mind. Will she? Will she say yes? Will you marry me Rebecca Lily Cooper?’
Her lips parted but she still couldn’t find her voice.
‘And he’s running out of things to say and panic’s setting in and he’s praying that she loves him even half as much as he does her.’
She threw herself into his arms and cried.
‘Is that a yes? Please Becky I need to hear it. Will you marry me – or are you crying because I’ve upset you somehow?’
She pulled herself away from him, tears streaming down her face. ‘Yes!’ she said, finally finding her voice. ‘Yes she’ll marry you. I’ll marry you! I love you Max. More than I ever thought it possible to love someone, I love you. I love you. I love you!’ She covered his face in kisses.
He held her away from him, his eyes filled with love and happiness. ‘Well you’d better have this then,’ he said picking up the ring and sliding it on her finger.
‘Oh Max. It’s beautiful. I love you so much.’ She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her body against his.
‘And my body! I forgot my body,’ he said his lips just touching hers, ‘I love you with all my heart, all my soul, all my mind
and
all my body – and it’s all my body I’m going to love you with right now.’ He pulled her tighter into his arms. ‘And the vicar won’t mind, I’ve already told him I was hoping to make an honest woman of you.’
The end
***
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Table of Contents
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