by Sherri Bryan
They walked past The President and onto the beach where Pippin proceeded to dig in the wet sand, sending it spraying out behind him. Charlotte gave him a wide berth, walking slowly ahead and trying to keep her stomach from somersaulting as it had a habit of doing recently every time she walked past The President.
The 200-year-old hotel dominated the seafront, gleaming ivory against the cobalt sky. Although the original building had been extended upwards and outwards, the renovations had been sympathetically carried out, ensuring that the character and design of the old building had not been compromised.
The result was that the old part of the hotel flowed seamlessly into the new, offering guests a charming space in which to relax, dine and celebrate. Whether the requirement was for the most lavish, or the most modest, of celebration, The President could cater for them all.
Regularly appearing on the list of the top 20 hotels in the country, as voted for by the most discerning guests and the most scathing hospitality critics, The President was loved by everyone who crossed its threshold, as much for its cosiness and informality as its opulence.
Charlotte’s stomach lurched at the thought that soon, it would be hers and Nathan’s guests who would be relaxing, dining and celebrating within the walls of the magnificent hotel. She took a deep breath and waited for the cold air to settle her butterflies.
Pippin was way ahead of her, running on the beach and barking at the seagulls. She ran to catch up with him, his antics bringing a smile to her lips and sending her butterflies on their way.
Back home, she showered and put on one of her sets of special wedding day lingerie before setting the table in the kitchen where the weak winter sun poured in through the window.
She laid out plates of Danish pastries and a selection of bread rolls, cold meats and cheese. When everyone had arrived, she’d put some sausages and bacon under the grill and make scrambled eggs for whoever wanted them.
She looked around the kitchen, mentally ticking things off her list. Coffee’s made, teapot’s warming, milk and sugar are out, two bottles of Cava, orange and peach juice chilling in the fridge, cups, plates, glasses, cutlery, serviettes.
A knock on the door made her jump and she ran to answer it, Pippin following close behind.
“Hi Leo. Thanks for doing this. Come in.”
Leo stepped inside and bent down to make a fuss of Pippin. “Hello, little fella. You’re spending the day with me today. We’re going to walk on the beach and annoy Uncle Harry ... just think of the fun we’ll have.” He chuckled.
Charlotte grinned. “I’m so grateful to you for having him. I can’t take him wedding dress shopping but I don’t want to leave him here all day on his own. I know he could use the dog-flap if I did, but I’d rather he had some company.”
“Don’t even mention it.” Leo picked Pippin up and scratched him under his chin. “It’s my pleasure.”
“Would you like a cup of tea or coffee before you go?”
“No, no. I’ll get out of your way and you can relax. And don’t worry about Pip. He’s going to be just fine.”
“Okay, Leo. Thanks so much. I’ll call you later and come and pick him up from you when it suits.”
She bent to kiss the little dog and ruffled his coat. “See you later, have fun and be good.” She clipped his lead to his collar and handed Leo a bag containing Pippin’s food, bowl, basket and toys.
“Come on then. Let’s go.” Leo opened the door and Pippin trotted obediently at his heels, tail wagging nineteen to the dozen. “Bye, Charlotte. See you later.”
As he walked down the path, Ava, Harriett and Betty were walking up it.
“Morning, ladies.” He greeted them, cheerily, avoiding Harriett’s eye, Charlotte noticed.
“Morning, Leo,” replied the ladies, equally cheerily, Harriett looking everywhere but at him.
Charlotte smiled to herself and stood back to let the ladies in.
“Charlotte, my dear. We can’t tell you how excited we all are that you’ve invited us to be with you today. It’s such a privilege and we’re thrilled to bits.” They all spoke at once.
“Well, I wouldn’t have wanted to go wedding dress shopping without you. You’ve all been like family to me and it wouldn’t feel right if you weren’t there. Come into the kitchen and have some breakfast. Oh, hang on, there’s the door again. Help yourself to everything.”
She opened the door to Jess and Laura and when they squealed their excitement, she began to feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach again.
They both caught her in the middle of a hug.
“Charlotte, I’ve been looking forward to this day so much, I can’t tell you.” Laura planted a big kiss on her cheek.
“Morning, lovie. This is going to be the most amazing day!” Jess’s face seemed to glow with happiness
“Thanks. I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be quite an emotional day, too.” Charlotte already felt like crying and she hadn’t even set foot inside a dress shop yet. “Anyway, first things first. Come and have something to eat and drink and then we’ll get going.”
The next hour was one that Charlotte hoped her memory bank would store forever. To be in the company of good friends, all of whom loved not only her but each other too, was simply blissful.
When the last of the Cava was almost drunk and only crumbs remained of breakfast, a ring on the doorbell intruded on the chatter and reminiscences of the six women.
“Who can that be?” Charlotte slid off her chair to answer the door. “Yes, I’m Charlotte Denver. What? Ohmigosh! OhmiGOSH! I don’t believe it! Come and see this, all of you!”
Parked in the road outside the house was a white limousine. Charlotte held a card in her hand, with the message, To my darling Charlotte, To help you enjoy your day in style. Have fun - all my love, Nathan xx
“Can you believe that Nathan ordered this car for us for the day? I can’t believe it! It’ll take us wherever we want to go! And lunch is paid for!” She took a handful of notes out of an envelope and waved them in the air.
“Oooh, how wonderful!” Betty’s cheeks were flushed pink from excitement and Cava.
The uniformed driver smiled and doffed his cap. “Right, ladies. Everyone ready to make a move? There’s champagne and canapés in the car.”
“Oh my! Yes! Let’s go, let’s go! I can’t wait to get this shopping trip started.” Laura’s enthusiasm was unbridled and contagious.
Charlotte grinned. “Come on then ... let’s go get me a wedding dress!”
ººººººº
“Oh no, I don’t like that one at all.”
Hand on hip Ava circled Charlotte as she stood on the pedestal, giving her the benefit of her critique. “It flattens your boobs completely and, believe me my dear, no groom wants that on his wedding day.”
“Ava, please.” Charlotte blushed bright pink as three women on the other side of the shop turned to look at her.
“She’s right, you know.” One of the women gave Charlotte a knowing smile.
“Ava, will you please keep your voice down. I feel self-conscious enough as it is, standing up here like a flippin’ cake decoration, without the whole shop gawping at me.”
Ava was most aggrieved. “What did I say? I only meant that this particular dress is too tight across the bust. Was it wrong to say that? Should I have kept my opinion to myself? I didn’t mean to upset you, my dear, I’m only telling you what I see. Perhaps it would be better if I sat down and said nothing.”
She sniffed and perched on the edge of the squashy, ivory couch on which Betty and Harriett were reclining, flicking through bridal magazines and eating sugared almonds.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! You won’t believe the article in this magazine, ‘Ten Telltale Signs That Your Fiancé Has Got Cold Feet’. Honestly, what sort of thing is that to have in a bridal magazine?! As if a bride-to-be hasn’t already got enough to worry about, here’s something else to add to the list.” Harriett reached for another sugared almond, too en
grossed in the article to look up.
“What’s number one on the list?” asked Betty, thoroughly enjoying her afternoon in the bridal shop, surrounded by friends, watching Charlotte trying on beautiful dresses, drinking champagne and eating sweets.
“Um ... number one is that he doesn’t turn up at the church. Oh, good Lord! Can you imagine? Number two is that he’s secretive about his whereabouts or his arrangements and number three is that he becomes flustered when questioned about number two. Number four ....”
“Er, ‘scuse me ladies. I’m not sure this is the most appropriate discussion to be having right now.” Laura was kind, but firm. “There must surely be something in one of those bridal magazines that’ll provide a more fitting subject matter for the occasion? Something a little happier, perhaps?”
Charlotte gave a sigh of relief and mouthed her thanks to her godmother before turning her attention back to Ava.
“Listen, Ava, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. Of course I want you to tell me what you think - I’m so sorry if I made you feel like I don’t. Now get back here and help me off this damn pedestal!”
Ava grinned and was back at her side in a flash, notebook in hand. “Right, I make that thirteen dresses you’ve tried now. From my notes, it seems that most of us liked dress number five the best ... although I wasn’t one of them. Right, which one’s next?”
As Matron of Honour and Chief Bridesmaid, respectively, Laura and Jess had been given the task of looking through the racks and choosing dresses based on Charlotte’s wish list.
“How about these. They’re supposed to be worn together.”
Laura held up two hangers. One held a strapless, ivory silk fitted dress and the other, a full-length, fitted, lace coat embroidered with thousands of tiny seed pearls.
“A coat? Over the dress? Do you not think I’ll be too warm?”
“Too warm? Charlotte, you’re getting married in the middle of December. In England. You could wear a sheepskin jacket and thermal long johns and you’d still be cold. Anyway, you don’t have to keep the coat on if you don’t want to. You can always take it off if you get too warm.” Jess was quick to point out the positive attributes of the lace coat.
“Hmm, I’m not sure.” Charlotte inspected the outfit. “What do you think, Ava?”
“I think it’s beautiful. And I think the coat makes it. So elegant and understated. You must try it on, you simply must.”
Reluctantly, Charlotte took the dress and coat into the changing room followed by one of the store assistants who’d been patiently helping her in and out of dresses all afternoon. The rest of the women were chatting about everything and nothing when the curtain of the changing room opened and Charlotte stepped out.
Every one of them gasped. Laura and Jess clung to each other and burst into tears. Ava began to dab her eyes with a handkerchief and Harriett and Betty oohed and aahed from the couch.
“This is the one, isn’t it?” Charlotte stood in front of the mirror and gazed at her reflection. “I love it,” she whispered.
The understated strapless dress, nipped in at the waist and flaring out slightly as it fell to the floor, was transformed from plain into sheer elegance by the lace coat, which covered Charlotte’s arms and shoulders but left her skin and the dress underneath clearly visible. Fastened at the waist with two pearl buttons the coat followed the line of the dress, falling to the ground and forming a short train behind.
“Oh Charlotte, that’s gorgeous - absolutely beautiful.” Laura delved in her bag for another tissue and handed one to Jess who blew her nose loudly.
“It’s perfect. S’all I can say.” Jess began to blub again.
“It really is, Charlotte. It’s perfect.” Ava squeezed her hand and smiled tearfully. “Is that a thumbs-up from everyone? Yes? Well, that’s it then. Dress number fourteen it is!”
ººººººº
Wedding dress shopping over, a celebratory lunch at a favourite restaurant of Charlotte’s followed.
A cosy bistro on the edge of town, with a crackling log fire burning in the huge fireplace, had been the venue of many happy visits for her and Nathan.
“Do you know, I feel rather squiffy.” Betty giggled. “I think I’ve had a little too much of the bubbly stuff ... heehee. But I’ve had the most wonderful day, Charlotte. Thank you so much.”
“And thanks to Nathan.” Charlotte raised her glass. “For making it even more special.”
“Hear, hear,” said Ava, lifting her glass to meet Charlotte’s, and everyone followed suit. “To Nathan.”
ººººººº
After a sumptuous lunch, the group of friends reluctantly finished the last of their desserts, teas and coffees.
“Right, time to make a move, I think.” Charlotte stood up and between them, she and Jess helped Betty down from her chair.
“Oof, thanks, girls.” Betty held onto the edge of the table as she landed on the ground with a thud. “I’ve only had two glasses of champagne, you know, so I don’t know why in heavens I feel so tipsy.”
Harriett rolled her eyes. “That’s two glasses here, Betty. Plus the two before we left Charlotte’s, the one in the limousine and the one at the bridal shop. That’s six glasses altogether, not two.”
“Oh. Oh, well that explains it. I thought I’d developed an intolerance to alcohol, all of a sudden.” Betty hung her handbag over her arm and clung on to Charlotte and Jess as they walked her out to the waiting car.
“You know what?” said Laura. “How about we ask the driver to stop off at All Saints on the way home? It’ll be quiet at this time on a Saturday and you’ll be able to get an idea of the best places to have your pictures taken. The photographer will be able to get some amazing shots with the bay in the background.”
“Hmmm, y’know, that not a bad idea.” Charlotte pushed a button and the glass window behind the driver slid down smoothly. “Um, excuse me, could you go back via All Saints church, please?”
The driver nodded and caught her eye in the mirror. “Whatever you say, Miss. Denver.”
When they arrived at the church, there was a large table inside the vestibule laden with floral tributes.
“Oh no! We’d better go. I don’t want to be looking around the grounds for the ideal photo opportunity if there’s a funeral taking place. It doesn’t feel right.”
“For goodness’ sake, Charlotte. You’ve as much right to be here as anyone else. We’ll just make sure we keep out of the way and keep quiet, that’s all.” Jess looked around. “Actually, are you sure there’s a funeral? There are no cars and no mourners.” She went to look at the flowers on the table and read a note on a card propped up against them. “Oh.”
“What is it?”
“These flowers are for Samuel Slade. It says here that they’re for a memorial service being held later this afternoon. I suppose the family are having it in lieu of a funeral because the body hasn’t been released yet.”
They all went to admire the flowers. Charlotte hadn’t known Samuel Slade but she felt as though she wanted to pay her respects. She said a little prayer for him as she glanced over the cards, reading the touching words of tribute on them all, apart from one which she couldn’t make out.
“You know. I really don’t feel right about this. And it’ll be getting dark soon, anyway. We’ve had a lovely day, let’s just go home and leave it at that. Really, I’d rather just go home.”
ººººººº
Back at the cottage, the sun had warmed the living room and Charlotte began to feel decidedly drowsy.
She checked the time. Nathan wasn’t due back until this evening and Pippin was still with Leo. I’ll just have a quick nap.
She looked out of the window as she plumped up a cushion. The sun was low in the sky and the sea as still as a pond. As always, the view bought a smile to her lips and made her think of her old friend, Tom. When the cottage had belonged to him, he had loved to sit in the bay window or the front garden, admiring the view and chatting to passers-by.
She stretched out on the seat and put the cushion behind her head. As her eyelids began to close, the last thing she saw before she fell asleep was the sky beginning to darken.
ººººººº
Her eyes opened with a start and she sat bolt upright.
Disorientated, it took her a while to remember where she was. It was cold and the sky was pitch black, although her phone told her it was only five-past seven.
The connection had come to her while she’d been asleep. The writing in the notebooks she’d found under the bar, and the writing on the card at the church that she hadn’t been able to read was the same. She was almost sure of it.
Right, I’ll go and get the book from the café and then I’ll pick up Pip. Then I’ll call Nathan. He can take me to All Saints when he gets back.
In the glow of the streetlight, Charlotte noticed that the snow had started coming down again. Pulling on her boots, she felt the all too familiar feeling of dread creep through her.
She didn’t know what any of this meant but she didn’t like the feeling it was giving her. If the writing was the same, then the person had a connection to Samuel Slade.
Why would someone with a connection to Samuel Slade have left those notebooks in her café?
And more to the point, how did they get there?
ººººººº
“Thanks Leo. See you soon!”
The snow was coming down heavily now and Charlotte pedalled along carefully, Pippin snuggled into the basket on the front of her bike. The streetlights flickered, lighting her way intermittently. It’s like riding a bike at a disco, she thought.
She got to the café at just before eight o’clock and quickly found the notebooks. As she was about to leave, she noticed that the snow globe was still out so she put it in the cupboard under the bar. She wasn’t about to break her promise to Ava.
As soon as they got home, she gave Pippin his dinner. Grabbing a piece of carrot cake from the fridge, she took a big bite before sitting down on the couch with a magnifying glass in an attempt to decipher the scrawl on the pages in the books.
“Looks like these are names of places, Pip, but the writing’s so awful, I really don’t know ...” Pippin looked up at the sound of her voice before continuing with his dinner.
