This Is Your Life

by Susie Martyn

  It was lunchtime when Lizzie noticed a sports car parked across the lane in the layby. Undoubtedly one of those few remaining rat-runners, even though the main road had been opened up some time ago. A girl was sitting in it, chatting on her mobile, and still talking, got out and stared at Lizzie’s garden.

  Expensively dressed in tight black jeans and boots, even in the middle of summer, her sunglasses were perched on top of her head pulling back her shiny dark hair so it hung down her back like a curtain. She had that aura of confidence that Lizzie always envied, and suddenly she realised she recognised her. It was Susie.

  She stepped into the road without looking and nearly got flattened by a speeding motorist.

  ‘Wanker’ Lizzie heard her shout crossly. Just then her mobile went off inside and before she had a chance to talk to her, she heard Susie’s car roar off again.

  But only a little later, as Lizzie was pulling out the weeds that were growing as abundantly as her vegetables, she heard a voice call ‘Hello?’

  ‘Lizzie?’ said the voice with astonishment as Lizzie appeared out of her flowerbed. ‘You live here? Oh, this just gets better and better!’ Susie was practically jumping up and down with glee. ‘Um, are you busy, I mean can I come in? I am sorry to just walk in like this only I couldn’t help but notice your lovely garden. I was just about to come and see who lives here! To ask for help with something… But this is even better! I can’t believe it’s you!’

  ‘So what kind of help did you mean?’ Lizzie asked, slightly puzzled.

  ‘Oh… Where do I start… well, I told you I was getting married didn’t I! The reception is in a marquee in my parents’ garden, which is lovely.’ She floundered for a moment. ‘I suppose the problem is decorating it. Mummy is about to spend a fortune on the most boring wedding flowers ever. It’s my fault - I didn’t know what I wanted. But I just drove past your cottage and saw this…’ She indicated the arching boughs of roses in bloom on the front of the cottage. ‘Anyway, it suddenly struck me that it would be amazing to have flowers like that in my marquee! You know, big branches of proper roses that smell like they ought to smell, with thorns and petals dropping off…’ she tailed off. ‘Do I sound mad?’

  ‘Um, no…’ It sounded fantastic - but Lizzie was wondering where this was leading.

  ‘I mean, these are so gorgeous… not at all like the ones you get in shops!’

  ‘They have names! The little creamy-coloured one is Madame Alfred Carriere, and the deep purpley one is Violette. It’s really special because it’s so very old.’

  Susie’s eyes widened. ‘I had no idea… And they do smell heavenly…’ It was true - the air was heavy with their heady fragrance.

  ‘Look, why don’t you come and have a drink with me? I was about to have one anyway…’

  She led Susie round to the back, squeezing between the apple tree and the honeysuckle bush that grew over the water butt, to where Antonia’s rickety table and chairs still were and Susie stood and looked around.

  ‘I just love it,’ she said. ‘Absolutely all of it,’ she added as Lizzie placed two glasses of lemonade on the table. ‘You’re so clever – it’s not just the roses, it’s how it all looks wild yet it doesn’t. I love how things are just growing everywhere you look.’

  Daisies and herbs sprung out of crevices in the old stone, and Lizzie had mowed either side of the flagstone path which imposed enough order on what was otherwise a wilderness.

  ‘Oh Lord.’ Susie looked at her watch. ‘It’s just that my mother is meeting the florist as we speak, and if I don’t get over there fast, I’ll end up with those vile stiff looking roses and that old fashioned white blobby stuff. Um, it’s a terrible cheek, but could I possibly bring her over to look at this? Only it really would be so helpful…’ she wheedled.

  ‘Of course,’ said Lizzie. ‘I don’t mind at all… um when?’

  But Susie had jumped up and was striding back down the path. ‘Later today? I won’t be long…’

  And as the little sports car zoomed up the lane, suddenly Lizzie felt a fluttering of trepidation at even the tiniest involvement in Susie’s wedding.

  True to her word, Susie was back in just half an hour. Lizzie recognised the car this time and when she appeared around the back of the cottage, Lizzie’s stomach lurched. The person walking with her was none other than Mrs Woodleigh.

  Holding out a manicured hand that rivalled that of her daughter, she introduced herself. ‘It’s Bella, please. And you’re Lizzie aren’t you? My dear, this garden does you proud. I remember only too well how it used to look. Poor old Mr Roper, he had such terrible arthritis, it upset him awfully when he couldn’t look after it any more. I think it must have been him who planted the oldest of the roses. You’ve made it beautiful again.’ She paused to look around, before adding ‘Now, I understand my daughter has browbeaten you into creating some of your magic at her wedding?’

  Lizzie glanced at Susie who at least had the grace to look embarrassed, and then noticed Darren had appeared and was surveying the visitors with interest. Lizzie glared at him, daring him to vomit on anyone’s feet and he winked slyly, as he rubbed against Susie’s boot.

  ‘Isn’t he sweet?’ she exclaimed, leaning down to stroke him as Darren fawned. ‘He looks like one of Mrs Einstein’s…’

  Darren had fixed his beady eyes on Lizzie, then skipped over to a pot of lavender and sat in it.

  ‘I’m really not sure I can help you,’ Lizzie was struggling to find the words. ‘I’m a gardener, I work with plants and design gardens. I’ve never done anything with cut flowers. You probably want a florist...’

  ‘Oh.’ Bella looked thoughtful. ‘But wouldn’t it be possible to decorate with plants? Better even? Like those lavender plants for example…’ She glanced at where Darren was sitting - he preened. ‘You clearly have an eye for it... And I’ve an area of my garden I badly need to rethink, and after the wedding, we could plant them all there. I would simply love a corner to look just like this, my dear. It’s utterly charming.’

  Lizzie was flattered, though when it came to a wedding, and probably not exactly a small one, she’d be completely out of her depth. But the words came out without thinking.

  ‘I don’t know… But you’d still need some flower arrangements for the tables, and a bride’s bouquet. And I definitely can’t do those.’

  But Susie had already noticed Lizzie’s green vase. Full of open roses, she’d placed it in an open window just that morning. They were a mix of different colours, scattering their petals as they opened. It was intended for her bedroom, but she’d forgotten to take it up there.

  ‘Isn’t that so perfect? On the tables, and a bunch like that for me to carry. It would look amazing with my dress… Oh Lizzie, if you could do it, that is exactly what I want. Please, please think about it?’

  There was a silence, quite a long one. Then Lizzie felt her head slowly nodding. ‘Ok.’

  Susie let out a delighted whoop. ‘Lizzie! Oh thank you… It’s going to be the best day ever now and all because of you…’

  Bella just looked relieved. ‘I’ll be in touch next week, once you’ve had a chance to think about it.’

  When they left, Lizzie breathed out and the enormity of the task sank in. She’d never been good at saying no and look where it had got her this time. But it was too late now. It didn’t look as though there’d be any getting out of this.

  Whether it was the full moon or the universe up to its old tricks again, it was a day for unexpected visitors and the next car to speed up the lane and park in the layby was an audi. Leo. On a mission.

  Dead heading her roses in the back garden and preoccupied with Susie’s wedding, Lizzie was too engrossed to hear him arrive, just felt two strong arms round her waist which made her scream with fright, before he spun her round and kissed her firmly on the mouth. And what a kiss too... Taken by surprise, Lizzie felt herself sinking into his arms, her body forming to his and it took every ounce of self-control she possessed to pul
l away. The dark eyes looking down into hers were puzzled. Leo wasn’t used to being resisted.

  ‘Leo, I’m really busy,’ she told him breathlessly. ‘And surely you must be too?’

  But Leo was quite used to juggling his schedule to build in a little extra-curricular activity here and there.

  ‘I can’t go yet,’ he said, huge wounded eyes looking back at her. ‘I’ve got at least ten minutes before my next client...’ He glanced at his watch. ‘Actually I could stretch it to fifteen,’ he added wickedly, looking around at the long grass.

  But Lizzie stuck to her guns. Leo was exciting, but she wasn’t having any of it. She shoved him out of the garden towards his car.

  ‘Maybe I’ll see you this evening?’

  It was all too much, and Lizzie fled to the safety of Sparkie’s, where surely none of this would follow her.

  ‘You won’t believe the day I’ve had,’ she told Julia. ‘I’ve agreed to help with Susie’s wedding…’

  ‘Susie Woodleigh? Oh Lizzie, how exciting…’

  ‘And Leo’s been making the most improper suggestions! I sent him away, of course…’

  ‘Did you Lizzie?’ Julia looked surprised. Leo’s reputation was legendary.

  ‘Of course! Leo’s terrible. He’s a serial womaniser…’

  ‘He has great… energy,’ said Julia carefully. ‘He draws people, especially women. He makes them feel good. Actually Lizzie, you could say he does a lot of good...’

  Lizzie was puzzled. ‘But? You were going to say…’

  ‘Do whatever you wish as long as it harms no-one,’ quoted Nola from the kitchen. ‘You see, that’s the problem with Leo. He’s got part of it right, but it’s the trail of devastation he leaves behind him. He collects hearts, Lizzie, but with no thought for the consequences. Elderflower or blackcurrant?’ she added.

  But Lizzie was staring at the latest addition to the walls.

  People only see what they are prepared to see, which one of the girls had painted on since she was last here.

  ‘Oh, do you like it?’ Julia watched her read it. ‘Don’t you think it’s so true, Lizzie? We thought it was rather fitting – in a shop that sells appearances!’

  But that wasn’t what Lizzie was thinking at all. It was the question it posed – about what she wasn’t seeing.

  Chapter 21

  It always seemed to happen just when she felt she had her life worked out. It kept changing, Lizzie was thinking as she drove home from Rumbleford. Things had this way of happening… and try as she did, she couldn’t control that. Not Susie turning up unannounced for example, or Leo stopping by for a quick roll in the hay, or going back further, even her car breaking down in the first place.

  Though convinced she was still missing something, the only thing that occurred to her was that the random collection of people that filling her life here, pushing her in previously unthought-of directions, were exactly what she needed.

  Lizzie had an entire blissful half hour of peace before Leo returned all too soon. It wasn’t that she hadn’t been pleased to see him, but it was just that Leo liked either to be talking about Leo, or to be flirting or scheming about his next conquest, and that she couldn’t just sit there with him, relaxed and just be.

  Right now, he sat across the rickety table from her in the garden, Antonia’s chairs just about bearing up, when they were joined by Darren who obviously recognised a kindred spirit in Leo to whom he could boast about all the sexy she-cats he’d been shagging.

  Beer in hand he colourfully recounted his narrow escape from a bad tempered boar that morning. He waited for the incredulous expression that wasn’t forthcoming, or at least for some show of concern for his safety, but was distracted when another car drew up. Susie was back again, looking pink-faced and rather apologetic.

  ‘Lizzie? Hello? Are you there?’ Sounding slightly more sober than earlier. ‘I came to apologise! Only I got carried away and rather bullied you into it... Are you sure you’re ok about the marquee? You can say no… The florist’s still available…’ Her voice tailed off as she noticed Leo.

  ‘No, it’s ok,’ said Lizzie. ‘I’ll do it! As long as you remember I’m just a humble gardener… Come and have a glass of wine…Um, do you know Leo? He’s one of the local vets…’

  Lizzie went inside to find another glass, completely unaware that she was leaving Susie the object of Leo’s rather speculative gaze.

  ‘Have a seat,’ he gestured to another chair. Suddenly the evening was getting interesting. ‘But mind yourself, they’re a little rickety…’

  Susie however, was less worried about the chair than she was about Leo, who was making her feel most unnerved, his eyes gleaming wickedly as he sat back with his arms folded watching her. No woman was out of bounds as far he was concerned.

  As Lizzie came back out, she handed Susie a glass. ‘Cheers. Here’s to your wedding!’

  Leo shifted slightly in his seat. A wedding? Well, it hadn’t stopped him in the past... He remembered Miranda Holbrook, with whom he’d enjoyed some highly satisfying encounters in her stables, even a couple of times when she was married. Anyway, he enjoyed a challenge, and Susie wasn’t married yet. Hmmm. Definitely interesting. He drank his beer thoughtfully.

  ‘I wanted to ask,’ said Susie tentatively, ‘if you could decorate the church too. Otherwise I’m stuck with Mrs Hepplewhite…’ Lizzie still tried to avoid her ever since that memorable meeting when she’d tried to bully her into joining the WI…

  ‘Anyway, she desperately wants to do my flowers, and I desperately don’t want her to. Honestly Lizzie, they’re awful. I mean her nasty flower arrangements are. I don’t want flowers like that, I want the church to look sort of, wild. Like a forest. D’you think you’d be able to do that too? Only I have to go and meet her in a minute… I don’t suppose there’s any chance you’d come with me?’

  Leo was feeling excluded and rather obviously clearing his throat, stood up and stretched.

  ‘Babe, I’m going to leave you to it! I have to admit that wonderful though your company is, flowers are not a subject I can really contribute much to. So how about you both join me in the Goat later on, and if you promise to talk about something else, I’ll buy you a drink!’

  ‘Actually, I’ve promised to meet my brother. At the Goat, as it happens.’

  ‘Cool,’ was the lazy response from Leo. ‘I’ll see you there.’

  Susie watched Lizzie’s cheeks take on a tinge of pink as Leo bent and brushed his lips against them, catching Susie’s eye as he did so. She’d come across his type before. Disconcertingly sexy and full of charm on the surface, but as boyfriend material, the worst. A womanizer and a commitment-phobe to boot, she wouldn’t mind betting… the archetypal bad boy, definitely the kind to run a mile from.

  Leo winked at her. Oh how he just loves himself, thought Susie. He annoyed her, not least because he was having such an unsettling effect on her. Oh she had the measure of him alright, and unlike Lizzie, Susie was a fairly shrewd judge of character. But she didn’t like how he made her feel one bit.

  As Leo left, Lizzie turned back to Susie, looking very pink and sparkly still. It’s too late, she’s smitten, thought Susie. For some reason she felt disappointed.

  Ten minutes later, Lizzie changed into the only short skirt she could find which clashed somewhat with the top she was wearing and hastily put on some of her favourite orange lipstick before she and Susie walked down the lane. Elspeth Hepplewhite’s shiny skoda was already parked at the roadside.

  ‘We’re late,’ muttered Susie. ‘And you know what the old bag’s like.’ Though so far it seemed Susie was more than a match for Mrs Hepplewhite, whom it seemed may well have met her waterloo.

  They walked swiftly up the path to the church door to where Elspeth waited, her finger poised on the light switch.

  ‘Young lady, I was about to leave. You. Are. late.’ Each word spat out in her most intimidating fashion. She spoke like this to everyone, except Father Sim and Susie’s mo
ther.

  Susie caught Lizzie’s eye. She’d already decided that to grovel apologetically would be the best course of action.

  ‘Mrs Hepplewhite, I’m sooo terribly sorry, I was waiting for Mummy, but she got held up... I’m really so very sorry,’ she repeated placatingly.

  ‘Hmmph’ snorted Elspeth, then swivelled her eyes to look frostily at Lizzie. ‘And what are you doing here?’

  ‘Lizzie’s very kindly helping with my flowers, Mrs Hepplewhite. She’s er - decorating the marquee.’

  The frosty look swung back to Susie again.

  ‘Well, we may as well get down to business. Next month isn’t it? Father Sim of course? No point asking him about organists and flowers and what not, won’t be able to tell you a darned thing. You’ll be lucky if he manages to get himself there. You’ll have to remind him the day before. Now, as I’ve already told your mother, I will play the organ for you.’

  Lizzie’s heart sank for Susie. At Christmas, she’d been terrible.

  ‘I can also do some flowers, just a nice little pedestal over here, white carnations I think, yes, perfect for a traditional village wedding.’ Mrs Hepplewhite swung her beady eyes round at Susie. ‘I always do the flowers here actually,’ she announced imperially.

  Susie swallowed and cleared her throat slightly nervously. ‘Mrs Hepplewhite, that’s very kind of you, but, actually, I’d really like Lizzie to do my flowers, and that way everything would match. Do you see?’

  For one ghastly moment, it looked as though Mrs Hepplewhite was going to insist on doing the marquee flowers too, but instead, she drew herself up even taller, and stared down her long nose at Susie.