by Jill Mansell
‘Hello.’ He came to a halt in front of her. ‘You’re OK, then.’
She breathed in his aftershave. ‘Never better. I couldn’t hear you on the phone so I thought you probably couldn’t hear me.’
‘I only managed to make out Fox Hill and Beachcomber Bay. And trapped. I didn’t know if you’d had an accident.’
‘No.’ Clemency greedily drank in the details of his face, the face she’d dreamt about kissing for so long. ‘Has Belle spoken to you since then?’
Sam shook his head. ‘I tried, but couldn’t get through to her either. Why?’
‘She told me about you and her, and about Verity. We had a massive row about you and she stormed off. Then she came back and climbed in through my bathroom window and we made up.’ Clemency knew she was gabbling; hopefully he was following enough to get the gist. ‘And that was when it happened … Belle told me that under the circumstances, what with Verity and everything, it didn’t seem fair for her to hold me to the pledge we’d made.’
Sam’s expression was unreadable. ‘You mean …?’
‘Basically, I can do whatever I like with you. Anything at all.’ Just the thought of it made her feel breathless. ‘Only if I want to, obviously.’
His dark eyes glittered in the late-afternoon sunlight. ‘And if I want you to, of course.’
‘If you don’t want me to, that’s fine.’ Clemency found she couldn’t tear her gaze from his mouth; his beguiling hint-of-a-smile was utterly hypnotic. ‘Really. Not a problem. We’ll just forget all about it.’
Sam paused. ‘Although, just out of curiosity, what would you like to do with me? You know, given the option?’
OK, it was all very well being flirty and playful and teasing, but sometimes you were just desperate to get all that stuff out of the way.
‘I’d do this,’ said Clemency, wrapping her arms around his neck and reaching up to kiss him on the mouth. Because it was what she’d been wanting to do for so, so long.
She knew people were watching them, but it didn’t even matter. It was the most perfect kiss of her life.
‘Well,’ Sam murmured when they finally came up for air. ‘That was worth waiting for.’
Clemency touched the sleeve of his dinner jacket. ‘This is very smart. You didn’t have to dress up to come and see me.’
‘I wanted to look my best.’ He took her face in his hands. ‘Is this really OK? Are you sure?’
‘It’s really OK. Isn’t that incredible?’ Clemency held his gaze. ‘Are you glad?’
‘What do you think?’ Sam bent his head and kissed her again; once, twice, three times.
Not enough times …
Behind them she heard the same young boy say, ‘Daddy, why is that lady kissing that man? Is it because it’s her birthday?’
‘I think it’s all my birthdays come at once,’ Clemency whispered. ‘Are you scared?’
Sam trailed a teasing index finger down the side of her face. ‘Scared of what? You? I’ll cope.’
‘I mean it, though.’ It had been bothering her. ‘Aren’t you scared that after all this waiting, it might not work out?’
‘Hey.’ He gave her one more reassuring kiss. ‘I’m not worried about that at all. I know how I feel about you. I know how I’ve always felt about you, from day one.’
‘Daddy, that lady and that man, are they in love with each other?’
The little boy’s father said wryly, ‘Seems like they might be …’
‘Daddy, are they married to each other?’
Clemency was doing her best to keep a straight face. The car closest to them contained a desiccated-looking middle-aged couple with their windows fully wound down. The woman in the passenger seat, addressing the little boy, said in pointed tones, ‘Oh I think they look far too happy for that.’
Five minutes later a farmer arrived, tearing across one of the adjacent fields on a cobalt-blue quad bike. He unlocked the gate that led into the field and began waving the backed-up traffic into it. As they waited outside her car for the backlog to clear in the other direction, Clemency kissed Sam again.
Because why wouldn’t you?
‘Oh my God, I don’t believe it!’ The female voice behind her sounded faintly familiar. ‘Look who Clemency Price is kissing! In broad daylight!’
Clemency, choking with laughter, murmured, ‘Who is it?’
‘Blonde girl,’ Sam murmured in her ear. ‘Works in the pharmacy.’
That was it; she’d known she’d recognised the voice. Surreptitiously turning her head, Clemency saw Laura and her friend from the chemist on the Esplanade making their way back to their shared flat on Derring Road after an afternoon on the beach.
‘God, and to think we felt sorry for her after Ronan had that baby with the girl from the post office. I mean, she must have been upset about it,’ said Laura’s friend, ‘but that’s no excuse to be all over her sister’s boyfriend, is it? Talk about shameless!’
‘Talk about asking for trouble,’ Laura said with more than a hint of relish. ‘You know what Belle’s like. I’m not kidding; when she finds out about this, she’s going to go ballistic.’
The rest of the evening was an exercise in delayed gratification.
Clemency willed everyone to go faster, but it took ages for the backlog of traffic to clear. Eventually all the vehicles were able to turn around in the field and disperse. When she and Sam finally arrived back at his flat, there was no time to waste; as master of ceremonies for the charity event, he couldn’t be late. They jumped into his car and drove to St Austell, reaching the hotel with minutes to spare.
In his room, breathless with longing, they looked at each other, then at their watches. If only …
‘No.’ Sam shook his head regretfully. ‘We can’t. Not now.’
The event was due to begin downstairs in less than five minutes. He was right, they couldn’t. It would be such a waste.
Clemency said, ‘What time does it finish?’
‘One o’clock.’
She nodded. ‘That’s OK. We can last that long.’
Sam smiled slightly. ‘Can we?’
‘Definitely.’ God knows, it was the last thing she wanted to do, but they’d get through it. ‘Everyone’s waiting for you downstairs. Just think, five hours from now, we’ll have all the time in the world …’
Sam broke into a grin and moved towards the door. ‘You’re right. And it’ll be worth waiting for.’ He held out his hand and Clemency felt a zing of electricity race through her as she took it. ‘Come on, let’s go.’
For the rest of the evening, each glance they exchanged raised the anticipation by another notch, ratcheting up the sexual tension until Clemency wondered if everyone else was aware of it too. She felt as if the pair of them had huge neon signs flashing above their heads proclaiming: Look at us! It’s going to happen tonight! Can you tell?!
It was frustrating, it was thrilling and she was loving every torturous minute of the evening. Better still, she knew Sam was feeling exactly the same way.
And when the riotously successful event finally came to an end at 1.20 in the morning, and they were able to head up the sweeping red-carpeted staircase to their room, it was even more thrilling to know that the best was yet to come.
Chapter 45
Fourteen months later
It was mid September, so the weather could have gone either way. If it had been pouring with rain, the contingency plan was for the wedding to be held in the ballroom of the Mariscombe Hotel. And last week everyone had assumed this would be the case, what with the storms and the howling gales that had swept the south-west of England in general, and St Carys in particular.
But this week, summer had returned with a show of jazz hands and a saucy ‘Did you miss me? Well now I’m baaaack!’ A brilliant sun shone from a cloudless Mediterranean-blue sky. Basically, the weather couldn’t have been more perfect and the contingency plan wouldn’t be required. The wedding ceremony could take place outside after all.
In l
ess than ten minutes, actually. Exciting. Clemency checked her watch. Everyone was here; all the guests and the main players were gathered on the lawn at the back of the hotel, where the view was of the turquoise sea and Mariscombe beach.
A lump rose in her throat, because everything here in the hotel grounds was looking so beautiful. The gardens were amazing, as always. The white chairs were lined up in front of the stone pergola, beneath which the exchange of vows would take place. And the pergola itself had been dressed with summer flowers, greenery and swathes of white gauze tied with ribbons.
Really, though, who could ever have imagined that this day would arrive?
Instinctively Clemency turned to search for Sam. There he was, chatting to the owners of the hotel. And to think she’d been worried, back when they had first got together, that their relationship might not live up to expectations. She smiled to herself at the memory, which seemed crazy now, because nothing could have been further from the truth. Every single time she looked at Sam, her heart quickened and her brain gave her a gleeful nudge, reminding her of all the different ways she truly loved him.
The last fourteen months had been completely magical, absolutely the happiest of her entire existence. She had no idea what she’d done to deserve him, but that was life, wasn’t it? Sometimes wonderful things did happen, out of the blue and for no apparent reason. And what else could you do but go along with it and just be grateful that the person you loved more than anyone else in the world loved you too?
Soon she would be Clemency Price no more, would become Clemency Adams instead, and—
‘It’s a good job I’m not a mind-reader.’ Ronan materialised at her side and handed her a flute of icy champagne. ‘I’d hate to know what kind of smutty thoughts are going on in your brain right now.’
‘Nothing smutty at all.’
‘Rubbish. I saw the way you were eyeing up that man of yours. Lascivious, that’s what I’d call it.’
‘I was just thinking about the first time we got together. I mean properly,’ said Clemency.
It had been, in every respect, a memorable night.
‘Well that explains it,’ Ronan said with a grin. ‘Ow.’
‘Dada!’ bellowed Izzy, tugging at his ear with tiny determined fingers.
‘Whoops, sorry.’ Kate, who was holding Izzy, said to Clemency, ‘It’s her new thing, grabbing ears and hair. Especially Ronan’s! We’re thinking of putting her in baby boxing gloves.’
‘Or a straitjacket.’ Having disentangled his ear lobe from his daughter’s grasp, Ronan took her from Kate. ‘Be gentle with me, OK? We both have important jobs to do this afternoon and we need to look our best. If you rip my ear off, there’ll be blood everywhere and you don’t want it on your new dress.’
In response, Izzy clasped his face lovingly between her hands and gave him a sloppy kiss. Clemency and Kate caught each other’s eye. Ronan was completely besotted with his baby daughter, and the way he spoke to her always made them smile. Izzy had burst into his life fourteen months ago and turned it upside down, and it had been the best thing that could ever have happened to him. Character-wise, he and Kate were complete opposites who together complemented each other perfectly. Izzy’s arrival might have come as a massive shock to all concerned, but any initial worries had soon been allayed when it became apparent how happy they were together.
And so what if Izzy was too young to be a proper bridesmaid? In her white cotton dress, with her huge brown eyes and rosebud mouth, she looked completely adorable. Besides, who else would the happy couple choose for the role on such an occasion?
‘Shall we try again with the headdress?’ murmured Kate. ‘You can have a go this time.’
Ronan retrieved the light-as-air circlet of pink and white flowers that had been bought for Izzy to wear. ‘Look at this! I love it!’ He placed it on his own head and struck a pose. ‘Do I look fantastic or what?’
Izzy shrieked with laughter and clapped her outstretched hands in delight, and Clemency took a quick snap of Ronan with her phone, because you never knew when such a photo might come in handy in a blackmaily kind of way.
‘Now it’s Izzy’s turn.’ Ronan gently rested the circlet on his daughter’s head. ‘Oh, you look beautiful,’ he exclaimed.
Izzy promptly yanked off the headdress, threw it to the ground and bellowed, ‘Nooooo!’
‘Talk about stubborn.’ Ronan grinned and shook his head in defeat. ‘Looks like she’s made up her mind.’
‘I can’t think where she gets it from,’ said Kate.
More and more people were arriving now, spilling out of the hotel’s French doors and making their way across the terrace. Here came Belle and Verity; Clemency watched as they both paused to greet Sam with mutual affection before heading over to join her.
‘Hello! You look gorgeous.’ Belle gave her an enthusiastic hug. ‘That colour’s stunning on you.’
‘Thank you. You were right.’ Clemency smoothed the violet silk material of the dress her sister had instructed her to buy. ‘This is so much better than the green one.’
‘Of course it is. Because I’m always right.’ But Belle was smiling, and Clemency was struck once again by the transformation in her sister since Verity had come into her life. Belle was so much easier, softer, happier now that she was able to be her real self. And they were getting along together so much better as sisters, which meant she was able to admit that Belle’s eye for clothes might be superior to her own, and that asking for style advice might not be the end of the world after all.
Which was why, last week, she’d taken photos of herself trying on two dresses in John Lewis and emailed them to Belle for a decision. Because sometimes Belle did know best.
‘You both look fantastic too,’ Clemency said honestly, because they did. Belle was wearing a slinky pale apricot frock in matte organza, while Verity was tanned and elegant in a fitted chartreuse dress with contrasting navy high heels.
‘And this has to be the most adorable baby in the world.’ Verity was busy admiring Izzy in her white dress.
‘Don’t get too close,’ Ronan warned. ‘If she grabs your hair, she won’t let go.’
‘Oh sweetheart!’ Bending to pick up the circlet of flowers, Verity offered it to Izzy. ‘Did you drop this? Is it yours?’
With one voice, Clemency, Ronan and Kate chorused, ‘She won’t wear it.’
‘Mine, mine!’ Izzy made a grab for the circlet, crammed it sideways on to her head and beamed triumphantly up at them.
‘How did you do that?’ marvelled Ronan.
‘Just talented,’ said Verity.
Belle slid her arm around Verity’s waist. ‘It’s how she persuaded me to sign up for a triathlon. I didn’t want to; she just announced it was what we were going to do.’
Verity said modestly, ‘It’s my special skill.’
‘Hello, girls! Can I take some photos, please?’ Marina had approached them with her camera. ‘Don’t worry, nothing formal, just a few quick snaps for me to work from later.’
Marina, happy and healthy – thank goodness – was going to be creating a painting of the wedding and its guests, and had been photographing everyone in order to help her when it came to sitting down and executing the work itself. She snapped away as they all chatted to each other and were joined by other people, new friends and old. Clemency caught up on hotel gossip with Josh Strachan, who co-owned and ran the Mariscombe, and saw across the lawn that Sam had been captured by Marguerite Marshall, the best-selling novelist, who lived in the largest house in St Carys. Resplendent in aubergine velvet and a hat that resembled a huge silver crow’s nest, she was telling him all about her latest novel and pronouncing it the best yet, because modesty had never been one of Marguerite’s attributes and something she certainly wasn’t lacking in was chutzpah.
Come to think of it, had Marguerite actually received an invitation to this wedding, or had she decided she’d like to attend and simply turned up?
Ah well, what did it matter? It
was set to be the happiest of occasions, and who would begrudge the appearance of one or two unexpected extra guests among the many gathered here to celebrate the big day?
As Clemency continued to watch, she saw Sam beckon two of the other female guests over and introduce them to Marguerite. Within seconds the three women were deep in conversation and he deftly made his escape.
Clemency kissed him on the mouth when he reached her. ‘Nicely done. I like your ninja moves.’
‘Thank you.’ Sam’s mouth twitched as his hand came to rest on her hip. ‘I like yours too.’
‘It’s nearly three o’clock. People should start taking their seats.’
‘Hey, no hurry. They can get there in their own time.’ He kissed her again, his mouth seductively cool and minty, and Clemency said, ‘Stop it.’
Because one of them had to.
He smiled. ‘Are you looking forward to getting married?’
Had she ever looked forward to anything more? Playfully she said, ‘So long as I don’t get a better offer,’ and led him over to the rows of chairs.
At that moment, Josh Strachan tapped a knife against a glass and announced, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, if you’d like to take your seats now, the wedding ceremony will begin very shortly.’
It took a while, but eventually everyone was settled. Kate sat next to Clemency with Izzy on her lap, bouncing with excitement and miraculously still wearing the circlet of flowers in her hair. The guests, arrayed in bright colours like a flock of tropical birds, heard the wedding music start up and waited for the bride to emerge from the hotel before making her way slowly towards the covered pergola where her husband-to-be was waiting for her, along with the registrar.
Thirteen weeks from now, Clemency reminded herself, it’ll be me and Sam saying our vows.
Except then it would be Christmas and they most definitely wouldn’t be standing outside beneath a pergola; they’d be in St Carys church, hopefully with the central heating switched up high.
But today’s wedding was about to happen. Heads were turning, and Clemency saw happy tears brimming in Kate’s eyes as together they watched the bride-to-be approaching them.
