Secrets of the Heart (7 page)

`Who
rang you up to change the order the first time, Sam?' Annis asked.

Sam
screwed up his round face in concentration. `Blowed if I can remember. Hang on, I'll have a word with the missus.'

Beryl
Wallis helped out in the shop from time to time and dealt with any business calls. She distinctly remembered a woman ringing up to change the original order a few weeks back. Unfortunately, she didn't know who the woman had been, but what she did know — was absolutely certain about — was that it hadn't been Sally.

Annis
was surprised to discover that she felt relieved. Not for one minute had she thought it had been Sally, but now it seemed that it couldn't have been Ross or Tristan, either.

* * *

By the time Sam dropped Annis off in the village, she was feeling a lot happier. Sally's suspicions were confirmed. It wasn't Sally herself who'd been making all the mistakes. Someone was deliberately trying to make trouble — either for Sally herself or for 'Something Borrowed, Something Blue'.

Annis
took her time going back to the Mill, strolling through the village deep in thought, pausing to look into the window of the post office-cum-gift shop. She jumped when she was tapped on the shoulder and found Tristan laughing at her.

`Sorry!
I didn't mean to startle you! Where are you off to?'

`I'm
just making my way back to the Mill after a walk,' she told him, carefully avoiding any mention of her visit to the baker's.

He
fell into step beside her.

`All
set for tomorrow's wedding?'

`Yes.
Everything's on target.'

`Good.
Mr Smythe is an important customer.'

`So
I believe.' She felt inexplicably annoyed. `Although, actually, I think all the customers are equally important.'

`Too
right,' he agreed hastily. `Are you happy about taking over from Sally next week?'

`Of
course. Why wouldn't I be?' she said, a little snappily.

`No
reason, just asking. Remember to shout if you need any help. By the way, Bryn has asked you, me and Ross to join him for dinner this evening, so that we can discuss what's happening during the next couple of weeks — forward planning, you know.’

‘Tonight?’
Annis was taken aback. ‘But we’re pretty tied up with tomorrow’s wedding.’

Tristan
tucked his arm into hers as they crossed the road and began to walk along the lane that led towards the Mill.

‘Chill
out. It’ll only be for an hour or so. Bryn is anxious for you to be there, but Sally’s excused on this occasion.’

‘But
she’s not going off until Wednesday. Won’t she need to know what’s happening too?’

‘Not
really. On Monday she’ll just be seeing potential clients as usual, and then she’s got Tuesday afternoon off.’

‘Right,’
Annis said. ‘Well, I suppose it would be a good idea for me to have an overview of what’s going on.’

Annis
wasn’t happy about the arrangement but realised she’d have to go along with it.

‘Stella
seems to be keeping well,’ she said as they approached the Mill.

`Yes,
she is, but it took a long time. Did you two actually meet when you were here before?'

`Of
course. I saw her on several occasions before — before I realised she was involved with Andrew.'

`And
yet I gather you've never met Ross before now?'

Annis
shook her head. 'He went back up north after — after the party.'

`You
must hate him for bringing Stella back here and introducing her to Andrew.'

`Hate
is too strong a word, Tristan. I can hardly hold Ross responsible for what happened, can I?' And as she uttered the words, she was aware that she really meant them. It was hardly Ross's fault that Stella and Andrew had fallen in love.

`No,
I suppose it could be said that Ross had as much reason to feel angry with Andrew as you did. After all, there was a time when he and Stella . . . '

Annis
stared at him. 'You know, I hadn't thought about it quite like that. We're both the victims of circumstance, aren't we?'

`I
suppose if you think about it, so am I.' Tristan grinned. 'Whoever would have thought I'd settle down in a place like this? Oh, well, back to the grind again. I had to do a quick hop to the post office for Vicki on reception. They've run out of stamps.'

Sally
looked up as Annis entered the office.

`You've
been a long time. How did it go?'

Annis
told her about what had happened at the baker's and also mentioned the dinner with Bryn.

`Oh,
good, you've been told about it,' said Sally. 'Uncle Bryn usually has these meetings once a fortnight, but not usually on a Friday. Anyway, I've pleaded to be let off — I can't spare the time. But you need to be there, so John's going to help me out here.'

Sally
passed a hand wearily across her forehead.

`Annis,
I don't know what I'd have done without you this afternoon. I know we need to get to the bottom of what's been going on, but at least the cake's sorted out for tomorrow. It's been absolute pandemonium here! You'll never believe what's happened now!'

Annis
could not believe that anything else could have gone wrong in her absence and listened as her friend told her about the latest drama.

`We've
had the bride-to-be in here, practically hysterical one of the bridesmaids has gone down with chicken pox, would you believe! Anyway, poor Megan couldn't find anyone else to take her place at such short notice, but it just so happened that Ross was here and he came up with a stroke of genius, bless him. He suggested that Millie might stand in. She's a bit older than the cousin who's ill, but she's small for her age and dark-haired. Fortunately, Millie agreed and Madame Cecile is making the alterations to the dress as we speak.'

To
Sally's amazement, Annis began to laugh helplessly.

`I can't imagine what you find so funny,' said Sally reproachfully.

Well,'
said Annis, still giggling, 'I know we offer a complete package, but I didn't realise that included providing bridesmaids as well let's hope it's not a substitute bride or groom the next time round!'

* * *

That evening, Annis found herself in the company of both Ross and Tristan at the same time, and had the rare opportunity to study them together. She decided that the two men were quite different, not just in looks, but in personality, too.

`So
you're in charge of 'Something Borrowed, Something Blue' while Sally's away next week, eh, Annis?' said Bryn. 'You've no idea what it means to me to see you back here again. Sally deserves a break too. She's been working herself into the ground.'

`I'm
not sure that going on a course for four days can be termed a break although it'll certainly be a change,' Annis told him.

Bryn
poured more wine.

`This
wedding tomorrow I think I'll be around to keep an eye on things. Ray Smythe's father, Arthur, was a friend of Arnold's and comes to play chess with me now and again. I know the family quite well.'

`Yes,
well, everything's nicely under control, so it's just a question of the bride and groom turning up at the church,' Annis said, tongue in cheek.

Bryn
chuckled. 'Yes, Ross has already told me about the near catastrophe over the bridesmaid. What a blessing that young Millie's agreed to step in. She's a lovely young lass. Anyway, let's toast the happy couple, and then we'll run through the schedule for next week.'

* * *

The following morning, Annis awoke to a grey drizzle, but by twelve o'clock, when the wedding party was due to arrive from the church, the sky had cleared and a watery sun had broken through.

The
reception surpassed all expectations and the cake was a triumph.

Afterwards,
a beaming Mr and Mrs Smythe came to thank Sally personally, and to issue an invitation for the staff to join the celebrations that evening.

Annis
was pleased to see Sally smiling and looking more relaxed.

‘F
or the first time in weeks, I feel confident — thanks to you, Annis. I'm even beginning to enjoy myself,' Sally told her.

`Well,
if anything goes wrong next week, it'll be down to me,' Annis replied, as she and Sally went their separate ways to get ready for the evening celebrations.

Once
they'd changed, they went along with the rest of staff — to join the wedding party in the marquee.

Ross
and Tristan looked very elegant in dinner jackets and bow ties.

Bryn, still a distinguished-looking man, was deep in conversation with Arthur Smythe, but he interrupted his conversation to introduce Annis, Sally and John to Arthur Smythe and to the wedding party.

Annis
was glad that she'd packed a couple of evening dresses. The one she was wearing that evening was sea-green with shoestring straps, and showed off her slender figure to its best advantage.

She
obligingly danced with John and one or two other members of staff before finding her way to the table allocated to them.

Vicki
was already there, sitting between Tristan and a young man who also worked on reception.

Millie
looking an absolute picture in her pale-pink bridesmaid's dress came over to chat, accompanied by two of the smallest bridesmaids who were obviously sisters, angelic-looking little girls with golden hair.

`Two
little flower girls Poppy and Daisy,' she said, by way of introduction, and the little girls giggled.

`Are
you enjoying yourself, Millie?' enquired Ross.

`Yes,
it's been fun, mind you, it's hard work trying to keep up with these two. I've volunteered to look after them for a bit, since Dean's had to go off to sort out some more vegetarian food for the buffet.'

Tristan
frowned. 'Has there been a problem with the catering, Sally?'

`No,
of course not. There's plenty of food to go round, but the guests like to sample everything, which means the vegetarians sometimes miss out. There's no simple solution.'

The
smallest child suddenly wrestled free from Millie.

`Oops,
here we go again,' Millie said.

`I
think we need a crèche for the tinies!'

She
shot off in pursuit of the little girl. Ross exchanged looks with Sally. `Out of the mouths of babes! There's an idea for you, Sally a crèche to keep the tinies happy on these occasions.'

`Are you volunteering?' Sally laughed. `Personally I think guests like to see the little ones, but I suppose they can sometimes get a bit over-excited and fractious by this time of night.'

`It's
an idea worth considering,' said Tristan, before turning to Vicki and asking her to dance.

Presently,
the little girls' mother rescued Millie, leaving her free to dance with Dean, who had rejoined the staff table and was looking a bit lost.

They
whirled away, and Tristan returned to the table with Vicki, just as Stella arrived, wearing a striking red dress.

Ross
immediately led Stella on to the dance floor.

Annis
watched Ross as he danced with Stella. From a distance, he bore a striking resemblance to Andrew, and for a few moments she was lost in her memories, remembering a similar happy occasion when she and Andrew had danced the night away. She found herself wondering if dancing with Ross would be different and suspected that it would. He was more serious, but he was also more mature and she had the sudden feeling that she would feel safe in his arms.

She
thought about what Tristan had said the previous day. Obviously, Stella had been friends with Ross for a long time before she'd fallen for Andrew.

Lost
in her thoughts, Annis started when she realised that Ross was speaking to her.

`I
came over with the intention of asking you to dance, but if you'd rather not . . . '

As
he turned to walk away, Annis caught his sleeve.

`No,
please . . . I would like to dance. Thank you, Ross.' She got to her feet and he whirled her away.

Annis
soon realised that dancing with Ross wasn't a bit like dancing with Andrew, who had tended to make up the steps as he went along.