LITMIR.BIZ

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to leave ourselves in your capable hands.’ She beams. ‘I’m sure you’ve got a truly fabulous planner already lined up.’

      An actual chill runs down my spine. We’re going to have to get a wedding organiser fast. ‘Do you have an idea of your theme yet?’ I ask, hoping she won’t ask the truly fabulous planner’s name.

      ‘Well …’ She glances at Ben briefly. ‘This is the kind of story we want to create around our celebrations. A wild and windswept country ceremony, though not too windswept, I hope,’ she says as a gust of wind whips her long red hair around her face. ‘But a natural and totally relaxed affair, as if we just rocked up here with a bunch of mates and decided to hold the ceremony on the spur of the moment with everyone mucking in and throwing it all together.’

      As my stomach churns like a cake mixer, I fix a smile on my face. ‘Thrown together? Oh, I definitely think we can achieve that.’

      ‘Lovely. You see, we’d like the whole day to look as if I’d simply picked a bunch of gorgeous wildflowers and tied them up with a ribbon and made a circlet for my hair. And that the girls had all picked flowers for the decorations and the boys had made a beautiful wedding arch with branches they’d found lying around in the woods. And that everyone had brought some food along: you know, clean eating, healthy stuff plus lots of yummy wicked treats like you see in old-fashioned tearooms. And we can have cider too along with the Krug of course …’ Lily sighs. ‘So something super natural, not complicated and very un-starry.’

      ‘Not complicated … No problem,’ I say in a strangled voice. ‘Um. On a country theme, you could have straw bale seating and a fire pit in the evening, with an evening supper served out of wicker picnic baskets in the open if it’s fine. Which of course, it will be,’ I say, channelling any ideas I’ve seen on Pinterest and wedding sites. ‘The grove here would look amazing with lanterns in the shape of woodland animals: hedgehogs, rabbits and badgers. I saw some online.’

      Lily squeaks in delight. ‘Hedgehog lanterns? How cute. I love that idea.’

      ‘Why not go the whole hog, or hedgehog, and have real animals?’ Cal says. ‘You could even have an owl deliver the ring.’

      We all stare at him for this totally random statement.

      ‘An owl? You mean an actual feathered owl delivering the wedding rings?’ Ben repeats.

      ‘That’s a very original idea …’ I manage.

      ‘It’s barking mad,’ says Ben.

      ‘Oh. But no …’ Lily trills. ‘No, it’s not because I’ve actually seen something like that before in a magazine. Oh, yes. That would be amazing. Imagine a real owl flying down the grove here and landing on Ben’s arm.’

      ‘No way. I’m not having a bird land on me, with its talons and beaky thing.’ Ben shudders.

      ‘Oh, Ben, you’d love it if you tried it. Please let us have an owl, for me?’ Lily grabs Ben’s arm. ‘Please. It would be so perfect.’

      I catch Cal’s eye and glare at him and he mouths back ‘sorry’ and shrugs.

      Lily kisses Ben and he forces a fleeting smile. ‘I’ll see. Like I say, anything for you, babe.’

      ‘Come back ’ere, you horror!’

      The owl is forgotten as we’re all distracted by the sight of Polly hurrying down the slope towards us, shouting. Mitch lopes ahead of her and, oh my God, he’s making a beeline for Ben and Lily.

      ‘Mitch! Heel!’

      I dash forward, hoping to intercept him before he leaps up and slobbers over Ben’s designer clothes. Drool is not a good look on anyone. Fortunately, Mitch changes course at the last minute and screeches to a halt at my feet, tongue lolling.

      ‘Good boy. Good boy,’ I tell him, giving him a cuddle while keeping a firm hold on his collar.

      ‘What a lovely boy he is,’ Lily walks towards Mitch. ‘He is friendly?’

      ‘Yes, he’s the biggest softy you can imagine.’

      ‘I have a dog called Louie. He’s the sweetest little French bulldog. He’s such an angel but I can’t always bring him away with me so my mum takes care of him for me.’ Lily crouches down and fusses Mitch who is immediately smitten. He rolls over and invites a belly rub, a sure sign he likes someone.

      Polly isn’t so delighted, judging by the grim line of her mouth. She huffs towards us, waving a lead in the air. ‘He ran off. I tried to keep him in but the moment I opened that door, he shot out like a bullet from a gun. You terror!’ she calls to Mitch, who is snickering in pleasure as Lily tickles his tum.

      ‘I adore Louie,’ Lily says to Cal. ‘Ben’s not a doggy person but he makes an exception for Louie, don’t you, Ben?’

      ‘Anything to make you happy, baby.’

      Harry bends down to ruffle Mitch’s ears and Mitch licks his hand. ‘You’re a very fine fellow, aren’t you?’ he says in a way that reminds me of some of the quirkier contestants on University Challenge, not that I watch it much but Polly’s a fan and it’s often on in the background.

      ‘I’m sorry he’s escaped,’ Polly says to me.

      ‘It’s fine. He’s not doing any harm. Lily has a dog of her own.’

      Polly’s face is red. ‘That doesn’t mean she wants that one leaping all over her.’

      ‘We wouldn’t have minded, would we, Ben?’

      ‘It wouldn’t make any difference to me,’ he says, pointing to his muddy jeans.

      Polly stares at his trousers. ‘What on earth happened to you?’

      ‘Some kids knocked me over,’ Ben says.

      ‘Kids? Not that terror who keeps tormenting my chickens? Max? Short for Maximum Trouble, I say.’

      ‘It was Max, and his sister, Laura,’ Cal cuts in. ‘And we’ve apologised but Ben is OK now, aren’t you? Polly, this is Lily Craig and Ben … our very special wedding guests.’

      Polly’s brow creases then her mouth forms an ‘o’ as she belatedly realises who she’s been talking to. ‘Oh … er. Right. Pleased to meet you … um … I just wanted a word with Cal and Demi. Excuse me.’

      However, instead of asking for permission to take a selfie, she turns her back on them and pulls me aside. Cal talks to Ben while Lily plays tug-of-war with Mitch and a stick. Harry stands a few yards away by a granite monument.

      Polly takes me out of earshot. ‘We’ve got a visitor,’ she says, lowering her voice.

      ‘Right …’ So Polly must have needed an excuse to interrupt our meeting with Ben and Lily. She needn’t have worried, I would have introduced her anyway. ‘Can you deal with them? We’re a bit tied up showing Bonnie and— I mean our guests around at the moment.’

      ‘Well, I can if you want me to, but you won’t want me to,’ she says.

      ‘Why not? Who’s so important that they can’t speak to you?’

      ‘Her.’ Polly turns round and points to the top of the slope where a small but very determined figure has appeared on the ridgeline, silhouetted against the sky. ‘I told the cheeky little minx to wait in reception but you know what she’s like. Thinks she owns the place. Almost did.’

      I follow Polly’s gaze to the woman making her way down the muddy track in leopard print boots and a black leather mini. My stomach turns somersaults.

      Why, why, why does she have to turn up now? After all our troubles over the past ten months, I’d hoped we were done with Mawgan Cade once and for all.

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