Then the music began, an instrumental version of Christina Perri’s ‘A Thousand Years’, floating from the speakers set high on the barn walls. The band hadn’t been able to make it, but Rich said not to worry because they’d had a good music system installed.
First along the aisle came Fran with the dog, Gelert. Ethan had never seen anything more beautiful. She seemed to glide rather than walk and even when she reached the front and stood to one side, Ethan couldn’t drag his eyes away from her to watch Holly’s progress along the aisle. But he watched Fran gazing at Holly and in that moment, he knew for certain that Fran had done what she had done for her best friend because she loved her. She was a loyal person, a caring friend, and that filled his heart with nothing other than admiration and respect for her. How many people would pretend to be pregnant just to protect their friend’s secret, even when it wasn’t that bad a secret to disclose in the first place? Fran had integrity, she had dignity and she would, he knew, never let anyone she cared about down.
And that included him and Tilly.
* * *
Fran smiled as Holly arrived at her side and Bruce kissed her cheeks then placed her hand in Rich’s. They didn’t have fresh bouquets because the florist hadn’t made it, but it didn’t matter, because Glenda had given Holly a pink silk rose bouquet that her husband had given her years ago. The flowers were slightly discoloured but Holly hadn’t cared and had said it was her something borrowed, along with her mum’s necklace, which was her something old; the dress was her something new and in her ears were tiny sapphire studs as her something blue.
There were twenty-four people sitting either side of the aisle, not as many as Holly and Rich had invited, but more than they’d expected to make it with the weather being so bad. Rich’s parents were there with baby Luke, along with Ethan and his family, Jamal and Bradley, Janine, Catherine and Mark and a few others from the village.
As Holly and Rich said their vows then exchanged rings, Fran glanced sideways and met Ethan’s gaze. The intensity in his eyes made her heart race and her stomach clench. He was looking at her as if seeing her properly for the first time and she wondered what he was thinking.
Then the music began again and the guests applauded as Holly and Rich embraced and Fran made her way over to Ethan.
It was time for the celebrations to begin.
Epilogue
One year later…
‘I can’t believe it’s still snowing,’ Fran said as she peered out of the tea shop window. It was Sunday but they’d come across from Fran’s cottage because Ethan was putting together some ideas for his new venture as events caterer.
‘I do wonder when it will stop.’ Ethan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss on her head. ‘Thank goodness for Gary and his Land Rovers.’
Fran leant against him, enjoying his warmth and his familiar scent as she looked out at the leaden sky. It was snowing so heavily that she could barely make out the farmhouse and the buildings behind it.
‘Can we build a snowman?’ Tilly asked, taking hold of Fran’s hand.
‘When it stops.’ Fran smiled down at Tilly. ‘We wouldn’t be able to see what we were doing out there at the moment.’
‘And I don’t want either of my girls getting cold,’ Ethan said. ‘Talking of being cold, I’m going to get us cookies and hot chocolates.’
Tilly grinned at Fran as Ethan went behind the counter. ‘How long does pregnancy last?’
‘About nine months.’
‘Nine months is a long time.’ Tilly frowned. ‘Why does it take so long?’
‘Well, a baby has to grow strong enough to be able to survive when it’s born.’ Fran turned and led Tilly over to the table near the log burner and they sat down. Tilly picked up the pencil she’d been using earlier and started to sketch an outline.
‘How does it get born?’ Tilly asked without looking up.
‘A baby has to come out of its mummy’s tummy.’
‘How does it do that?’
‘Uh…’ Fran chewed her bottom lip. ‘It comes down the… birth canal.’
‘There’s a canal inside a mummy?’ Tilly paused in her sketching and raised an eyebrow.
‘Kind of.’ Fran glanced around, hoping to find some inspiration. Explaining exactly how a baby was born was not on her to-do list for today, but it was something she should have expected at some point. After all, it came with the territory of being around a young child.
‘Okay.’ Tilly nodded. ‘That’s interesting.’
Ethan arrived at the table with a tray. He placed three mugs of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and marshmallows on the table, then a plate with three giant chocolate chip cookies.
‘They look amazing.’ Fran picked one up.
‘Freshly made to cater to your healthy appetite.’ Ethan winked.
‘You spoil me.’ Fran smiled at him as she nibbled on her cookie. It was fresh and crumbly and the chocolate chips were rich and dark. ‘Delicious.’
‘Good.’
Fran shifted on her chair.
‘Are you okay?’ Ethan reached for her hand.
‘Just a spot of backache.’
‘Do you want a cushion?’
‘No, I’m fine. I must have slept awkwardly.’
Fran finished her cookie then sipped her drink. The hot chocolate was silky as it filled her mouth and she chewed on the tiny marshmallows. There were definite advantages to being in a relationship with a chef, although she was putting on some weight, but then Ethan said he loved her curves.
The door opened and Holly and Rich entered with a gust of wind and a scattering of snowflakes that drifted across the floor. Rich pushed the pram inside and set the brake.
‘Hi,’ Ethan said as he hurried to close the door. ‘Glad you could make it.’
‘I wouldn’t have missed trying this new taster menu you’ve been talking about just because of a bit of snow.’ Rich helped Holly out of her coat and hung it on the back of a chair then did the same with his.
Holly sat next to Fran and peered at the cookies. ‘They look good.’
‘You want one?’ Ethan asked. ‘And a hot chocolate?’
‘That would be wonderful, thank you.’ Holly nodded. ‘I need the extra calories at the moment.’
‘Of course you do.’ Fran smiled. ‘And how is everyone this morning?’ She peered at the pram as Rich removed the wind cover.
‘They’re doing well.’
‘Where’s Luke?’
‘Insisted on staying with my dad to help him.’
‘With what?’
‘Dad was clearing the snow from the yard and Luke is his shadow at the moment.’
‘That’s so lovely.’
‘It’s very cute seeing a boy not yet two years old trying to shovel snow.’
‘And how are the twins?’
‘Thankfully sleeping.’ Holly slumped in her chair. ‘I’m exhausted.’
‘I can’t believe they’re almost six months old.’ Fran peered at the sleeping girls lying next to each other in the twin pram; they were identical in every way. Their pale eyelashes fluttered on their cheeks and they both sucked on their dummies as they dreamed.
‘Me neither. I thought Luke’s first year flew by but with three children, it’s going even faster.’
‘I guess I have all this to come.’ Fran gazed across the table at Tilly, who was sketching again, her tongue poking out of her mouth.
‘She’s grown up so much in a year.’ Holly leant closer to Fran. ‘I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since we got married.’
‘I know!’ Fran exclaimed. ‘It’ll be your first anniversary in days.’
‘And the first anniversary of the tea shop opening its doors on Christmas Day.’
‘We’re looking forward to that this year. Ethan’s got a big delivery coming next week so let’s hope the snow’s gone by then.’
Holly nodded. ‘I hope so. People still talk about last year and it’s important to a lot of
the villagers in Penhallow Sands.’
‘Okay…’ Ethan returned to the table and set down two more hot chocolates for Holly and Rich. ‘Enjoy those and I’ll start bringing the food through. I’ve put together some ideas for weddings based on the success of the ones we’ve already tried, as well as some different ones for birthdays, but we can mix and match for your clients and see what works.’
Over the past year, Ethan and Rich had worked together to calculate costings and menu ideas to expand the catering side of the tea shop with Greenacres as a prime client, using Rich’s accountancy skills and Ethan’s creative flair. They had become good friends and Fran was happy to see them getting along so well. It meant that the four of them, along with their children, could spend more time together.
Since last Christmas, Fran and Ethan had become really close and in the autumn, Ethan and Tilly had moved into Fran’s cottage. They’d considered staying at Rosewood, but the cottage there was too small for Fran’s animals and she also had her studio and her work to think about, although she had cut back a bit on that recently. They had taken their time to get to know each other and ensured that Tilly felt comfortable with their relationship before even considering moving in together, but since they had, everything had been perfect. The three of them got along so well and Fran had gone from thinking that she didn’t need anyone in her life to enjoying having a ready-made family. Her dogs also loved it, especially the small white Westie, who Tilly had named Snowy. The lucky dog got to sleep at the bottom of Tilly’s bed and he followed her everywhere when she was at home and waited at the door for her every afternoon to greet her when she got home from school.
As Ethan set out the food he’d prepared for Rich and Holly to try, Fran gazed at the sleeping twins. Holly had gone from fleeing Penhallow Sands, believing her life would never be the same again, to being happily married to a man she adored. After their wedding on New Year’s Eve, as Fran and Ethan had danced at the reception, he’d told her that she was everything he’d ever wanted in a partner and that as long as she felt the same, he wanted them to be together. It had been a big step for him after going through such heartbreak and knowing that he had to put Tilly’s welfare first, but it turned out that he believed what Fran had done for Holly by pretending to be the one who was pregnant had opened his eyes to how amazing he thought she was. Having a man look at her the way that Ethan did, having him hold her the way he did and having his trust had allowed Fran to fall deeply in love with him, and she was happier than she had ever been.
‘Will you have two babies?’ Tilly snapped Fran out of her daydream.
‘Pardon?’
‘Will you have one baby or two like Holly?’
Fran smiled. ‘I’d like to think that I have you so I don’t need to have a baby—’
‘Can you choose how many you want?’ Tilly cut her off, her enthusiasm for the topic clearly making her mind race.
‘Not really.’
‘It would be better if you could.’ Tilly held out a hand and counted on her fingers. ‘Like when you go to the supermarket and buy a… coconut. You can buy one if you don’t want a lot of coconuts or two if you want more.’
‘That’s true. But I don’t think it applies to babies.’
‘I will have one. Perhaps.’ Tilly frowned. ‘But then perhaps I won’t because I want to be an astronaut and I don’t think you can take babies into space.’
‘Not yet at least.’
‘Hmm.’ Tilly returned to her drawing. ‘There! All done.’
‘Can I see it?’
‘Of course you can, silly, it’s for you.’
Tilly carefully tore the page from her sketchpad and handed the drawing to Fran. As she gazed at it, her vision blurred and she had to blink hard to see it properly.
Tilly came round to Fran’s side and pointed at the picture. ‘See, there’s Daddy in his chef’s hat.’
‘Is he holding a cake?’
‘Yes, it’s your favourite chocolate cake.’
‘Yum.’
‘And there’s me.’ Tilly pointed at a shorter figure holding what looked like a ball.
‘Are you playing football?’
‘No!’ Tilly rolled her eyes. ‘That’s my space helmet.’
‘I see.’ Fran swallowed her laughter. The drawing was very good but a few things still needed some definition.
‘And that… is you.’
‘What’s this?’ Ethan came up behind Fran and leant over to see the picture.
‘It’s us three, Daddy,’ Tilly said. ‘Can I go and taste the food now?’
‘Of course you can.’ Ethan gestured at the table where Holly and Rich were sampling pastries.
‘Thanks, Daddy.’ Tilly went over to stand with Holly and Rich.
Fran pointed at the big belly she had on the picture. ‘Do I look that big in real life?’
Ethan wrapped his arms around her and kissed her cheek. ‘You’re perfect, angel. I think that’s just Tilly’s proportions being a bit off again.’
Tilly returned to them. ‘Do you like my drawing?’
‘Yes, Tilly, it’s very good.’ Fran held it up.
‘Do you like your big belly?’
‘Why is it so big?’ Fran asked.
‘It’s not really that big.’ Tilly shook her head. ‘I just thought it might be like that if you had a baby like Holly did.’
‘Oh.’ Fran met Ethan’s eyes. ‘Right. But you know I’m not having a baby, don’t you?’
‘Of course I do, silly. But you could be. One day.’
‘That’s told you.’ Ethan squeezed her hand.
They hadn’t really talked in detail about having a child, but had decided to see what happened in a year or so. It would mean that Tilly had a sibling, and although it was something Fran had never given much thought to, she found that she was warming to the idea. She loved being a mum to Tilly, and although Melanie would always be Tilly’s biological mum, Fran knew that she’d have a place as Tilly’s stepmum. Maybe they would add to their family, maybe not. Time would tell.
‘Do you want to try some of the food now?’ Ethan asked. ‘You can tell me what you like best because I always trust your judgement.’
‘I’d love to.’
And as Ethan led her over to the table where her best friend and stepdaughter were now chatting about whether cheese or cheese and onion tartlets were better, Fran’s heart soared.
Her heart was full, her life was wonderful, her family was complete, and all because Ethan and Tilly had come to the Christmas tea shop at Rosewood.
Acknowledgements
My thanks go to:
My husband and children, for your love and support.
My warm and wonderful agent, Amanda Preston, at LBA.
The fabulous team at Canelo – as always, your enthusiasm and hard work are deeply appreciated. Special thanks to my amazing editor, Louise Cullen, and to the real (and absolutely gorgeous) Fran, for allowing me to use your name.
My very supportive author and blogger friends.
All the readers who come back for more and who take the time to write reviews and share the book love.
Cornish Hearts
The House at Greenacres
The Cottage at Plum Tree Bay
The Christmas Tea Shop at Rosewood
Find out more
First published in the United Kingdom in 2019 by Canelo
Canelo Digital Publishing Limited
Third Floor, 20 Mortimer Street
London W1T 3JW
United Kingdom
Copyright © Darcie Boleyn, 2019
The moral right of Darcie Boleyn to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781788631211
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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