"Well I've been travelling all over Ireland, I'm in Castlebar now. I've met so many interesting people. I don't know where to begin."
"Meet any nice men?" Jen asked.
"Um, yes, I think so," Rachel said hesitantly.
"That sounds a bit doubtful." Rachel told Jen all about Batt.
"He sounds lovely," Jen said, "what's wrong with him, you sound unsure."
"There's nothing wrong with him, he was perfectly lovely to me. I don't why but I felt smothered by him."
"It seems to me like we are having a bit of a role reversal here," Jen laughed.
"A role reversal?" Rachel asked.
"It's usually us women who wear our heart on our sleeve, and it seems to me like Batt was very open and honest with you. You didn't have to work for his affections and he was happy to tell you how he felt about you straight away."
"Maybe that's it," Rachel said, "he told me he loved me."
"What?! After only three days!" Jen exclaimed, "that's a bit soon, even for a woman, but especially for a man."
"I know, that's what I thought," Rachel agreed. "I feel mean talking about him like this because he was so kind to me. What's wrong with us women, eh? When a man treats us nice and tells us what we want to hear we just want to run a mile. Why do our romantic affairs have to be complicated and dramatic? It's like the more we have to work for their affections, and the more they torment us, the happier we are when they give us a few crumbs. There's poor old Batt, kind and caring and loving and open, and all I want to do is run a mile. Honestly, that last day together I couldn't get away from him fast enough."
"Well, there are a lot of lonely people in the world," Jen said, "maybe he's lonely. Did you say "I love you" back?"
"No, I couldn't bring myself to say the words. I mean, I like him but it's too soon to say "I love you". If I felt it I'd have said it, but I just felt awkward when he said it to me, so I said "me too" instead. Am I total bitch?"
"Not a total bitch," Jen laughed.
"Hey!" Rachel laughed too. It was so good to hear her friend's voice again. She'd missed her friend more than she'd realised.
"Anyway, enough about me already, how are your wedding plans coming along?" Rachel asked, changing the subject.
"Yes, the wedding plans you were supposed to be helping with, missy," Jen scolded.
"I know, I'm sorry," Rachel said, "I'm all yours, whatever you need done, just tell me."
"You might regret that offer," Jen said, "but I'm willing to hold you to it."
"The wedding is going to be sooner than I originally expected," Jen said, "I wanted to get married in the cathedral, ever since I was a little girl, it's so regal and other wordly there. Well, they're fully booked for the next three years, but they've had a cancellation for April tenth, so I've accepted it."
"Oh that still leaves plenty of time to organise everything," Rachel said, "it's still almost a year and a half away."
"No, dear, next April," Jen explained.
"Next April, as in barely four months’ time!" Rachel exclaimed.
"That's the big day," Jen laughed.
"How are the preparations coming along?"
"They’re not coming along very well at all, apart from the church being booked. I still haven't booked a venue or anything really. Liz has been showing me her wedding album which has given me some ideas for dresses. I only confirmed the church last week, and I've been a bit shell-shocked since then."
"All I can say is thank God for the internet," Rachel said, "we have a lot of work to do. I tell you what, I'll get started tonight and I'll make a list of what needs to be done and my suggestions. I'll email my ideas to you over the next few days and by the time you've digested them, I should be back in Cork."
"Are you heading home?"
"Yes, it's Christmas next week, so I'll spend a few weeks at home and we can talk all things wedding."
"Oh, Rach, that'd be brill. You could be my wedding organiser."
"I dunno about that, but I'll give it a shot."
"Thanks Rach."
"Hey, it's the least I can do. I feel like I've been abandoning you lately, so I want to make it up to you."
"I can't wait to see you."
"Me too."
The two friends hung up and Rachel opened her computer and started to log on to the internet. She was getting excited about the thought of planning a wedding, her best friend's wedding. Rachel went to the search engine and typed "how to plan a wedding in Ireland." She was met with more than five million mind-boggling results!
She scanned the first page and clicked on a link randomly. The website made a list of what needed to be done in a very matter of fact manner. Rachel opened a new spreadsheet and started making her own lists; there were invitations, service booklets, menus, evening invitations, thank you cards to be organised. Rachel put a note to contact an office supply store, that's the easy part, she thought, we have to come up with a design first. Let's hope Liz has a few ideas in her dream wedding album.
Next were the rings. Rachel thought Jen and Vic would have remembered the wedding rings but she decided to put it on the list anyway. There was the dress, of course, which would be a shopping day out for the girls. She was looking forward to trying on a few wedding dresses herself. Then there was the accommodation and wedding reception itself. Rachel made a note to go through her old Sherrington contacts as she was sure she could organise a significant discount and the Sherrington hotels were second to none. There was a lot of work to be done, but she was happy at the thought of having a project.
She sent a quick email to Jen and Liz to let them know her progress so far on the wedding plans, then she shut down her computer and got ready for bed. She was wrecked. Her phone beeped loudly, making her jump. It was a text from Batt. She found herself cringing slightly when she read his name. "Hi baby," the text read, "I miss you already. Where are you staying tonight? Wish we were together." She switched off her mobile, not wanting to respond. She'd spent months on the dating scene looking for love and experiencing rejection and disinterest.
Batt was offering her everything she wanted, love and affection. He was open and honest with her. Maybe, too open, she thought. He'd told her a lot of intimate details about his life, from what he earned on the farm and how much money he had in the bank to lots of stories on the girlfriends he'd had over the years. They were interesting stories, but Rachel had felt uncomfortable about how much he'd revealed about himself at such an early stage in their relationship. He'd gently chided her, saying she was letting him do all the talking. She'd laughed and said it took her a while to open up. She promised herself to text him the next morning, and buried her head under the duvet.
Chapter 31
"That is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen!" Jen shrieked, softly touching the delicate folds of material.
"Try it on," Liz said.
"We'll be in one of the other dressing rooms trying on our own wedding dresses," Rachel called, already making her way into a cubicle, barging past the not too impressed sales assistant. "We only allow actual brides -to- be to try on our wedding dresses," the sales lady said officiously.
"Well, we are best friends who happen to be getting married on the same day. We are so close we wanted to have a triple wedding. So we need three dresses for three brides please," Jen said in explanation, "must be something in the stars that we all fell in love around the same time." "Indeed," the sales lady said curtly, rolling her eyes.
The girls had spent the morning tormenting the woman, prancing about in wedding dresses and veils, laughing and getting tipsier on the champagne that was originally offered. The sales assistant had made the mistake of offering champagne to the bride-to-be and looked shocked when they'd said they were all going to be brides.
The girls had poured over Liz's wedding album for days, deciding to start their search for the dress as top priority. They couldn't believe how many drawings and designs Liz had amongst her collection of photos and ideas. Jen's entire wedd
ing could be planned entirely from her album. She even had a unique design for the wedding invitations.
"It's a lifetime's work," Liz had laughed.
"It's amazing," Jen said, "are you sure you don't mind me taking your ideas?"
"Not at all," Liz said, "you're getting married, who knows if I ever will."
"Course you will," Rachel said, "if that's what you want."
Jen walked out of her cubicle. Liz and Rachel gasped when they saw her.
"That's the dress," they said together.
She was an absolute vision of loveliness. The dress was cream, off the shoulder, with long lace sleeves. It had been hand made from the finest silk and lace. The waist was cinched emphasising Jen's slender figure, and the skirt gently skimmed her body. The line of the dress was nothing other than exquisite. Nothing had been spared in the structure and the detail which provided the perfect cut and fit. The dress had an inbuilt corset which resulted in a streamlined silhouette, not that Jen's figure needed any streamlining, but the dress somehow enhanced her shape.
The veil was made of the finest lace netting and was attached to a tiny, glittering tiara.
The dress had an understated elegance and refinement which suited Jen perfectly. Jen's long dark hair and lightly tanned skin were perfectly accentuated against the paleness of the dress and veil.
"You look like an angel," Rachel sighed.
"Do you think I need to lose a little weight?" Jen asked doubtfully.
"Not one ounce," Liz said emphatically.
"You look perfect just the way you are," the sales lady volunteered, also gazing in awe at Jen. "Thanks girls, looks like we've found my dress," Jen smiled around the group.
"What about you ladies, any luck on finding your dresses?" the sales lady asked with just the faintest hint of sarcasm in her tone.
Liz and Rachel shuffled slightly and said "no luck for us just yet, thanks you anyway."
They left the boutique with the beautiful dress wrapped in layer after layer of chiffon-light paper.
"I can't believe it fit me perfectly, no alterations required," Jen said, thrilled with her dress, "and what makes it even more perfect, if that's possible, is that the dress was made by an Irish designer."
"The head-dress is gorgeous too," Rachel said, "you could even have it as a keepsake to hand down to your daughter when she gets married."
"Steady on Rach, one step at a time, let's get me married first before we start thinking of head-dresses for my future daughter."
"I can't believe you thought you needed to lose weight!" Liz exclaimed.
"Yeah," Rachel piped up, "if you got any skinnier you'd disappear."
"Most brides go on a diet before their big day," said Jen.
"Trust us, you don't need to lose any weight whatsoever," Liz said.
"Ok, enough about diets, we have shoes to buy," Rachel said in excitement.
"I'll just get some ordinary white shoes. I don't want to spend a fortune on them, after all I'm only going to wear them for one day and they're going to be hidden under my dress anyway." Rachel looked horrified, "how can you say that?! Shoes maketh the woman and the outfit. My God, woman, it's the most important day of your life and you don't want to spend money on shoes! Well, I can tell you now, missy, we are going straight to House of Fraser and buying the prettiest pair of white or cream Louboutins we can find; my treat. I cannot let my friend get married in cheap, tacky shoes. I'd never be able to look my own collection of shoes in the eye again if I committed such a sacrilege."
"I can't let you spend a small fortune on shoes for me," Jen said.
"Yes, you can," Rachel insisted, "it would be my pleasure."
"I'll chip in too," Liz offered.
"Excellent, then it's decided, House of Fraser here we come."
The three friends pushed their way through the crowds of Christmas shoppers that thronged the streets. Everyone was in panic mode, buying the last few presents as there were only three shopping days left before December twenty fifth, but the girls were on a mission to buy wedding shoes. Rachel led the way into the warm and merry atmosphere of House of Fraser. Mariah Carey's "Oh Holy Night" was blasting from the shop speakers and the girls couldn't help singing along.
"I've missed shopping," Rachel said, "especially shoe shopping. It's all well and good getting back to nature and everything but you can't beat a bit of shopping with friends."
"I dunno how you survived in the campervan," Jen said, "I'd feel totally isolated."
"Me neither," Liz piped up, "I wouldn't know what to do without my hair straighteners. My head would be a total fuzz ball without them."
Liz was a typical girly girl. She had a curvaceous, hour glass figure and had very expensively highlighted light blonde hair, not quite platinum as she had a few ash tones as lowlights to break up the paleness of the blonde. She spent a fortune on her hair and was always on the lookout for the next miracle conditioner. She had an appointment booked at the hairdressers to get her roots done every three weeks as she couldn't stand her darker hair peeking through her parting. The effect was stunning, even strangers came up to her on the street and asked where she got her hair done. It was expertly layered and hung perfectly just below her shoulders. She had pink cheeks and bright blue eyes.
She reminded Rachel of the milk maid in the nursery rhyme, of course she'd never say that to Liz, who would have been highly offended at the comparison. She dressed in a very girly manner, always wore dresses and little cardigans and everything was matching.
Even today, she was wearing an immaculate cream coat, tied at the waist to emphasise her figure, a blue and white striped cashmere cardigan, cream silk blouse and a navy blue silk embroidered scarf which was elegantly knotted at her neck. A black pencil skirt and black tights with black suede knee high boots completed the outfit. Rachel thought she looked a little too prim and proper sometimes, but nonetheless she admired her friend's style.
"Can I help you ladies?" an overly exuberant sales assistant pounced on them the minute they arrived in the shoe section.
Rachel hated it when they hardly gave you a second to get your bearings.
She often found herself getting into a fluster, but today she was on a mission for her friend so she said quite curtly "just looking, thanks."
The sales assistant scuttled off to bother someone else. Rachel sighed, taking in all the different styles of shoe. She didn't know where to begin, and was finding it difficult to focus on the task at hand.
"Hello, Rachel, earth calling, some help please," Jen nudged her friend out of her pleasant daydream.
"Let's narrow our choices, Jen. The question is do you want an ankle strap or peep toe, a classic stilletto style or something more comfortable, even though comfort isn't really a word that's associated with Louboutins."
"Well, I'd like a shoe that wasn't too high, after all I'll be on my feet a lot on the day and I don't want to be completely crippled. I think I'd like a classic court style, closed toe and a medium heel if possible."
"The choice is mind-boggling," Liz said, surveying row after row of shoes in every colour, style and heel height imaginable.
"Leave me to it," Rachel said, "you two sit there and chat and I'll pick some shoes that I'm sure you'll love, Jen."
Rachel lovingly touched the fabrics and heels of pair after pair of Louboutins.
She finally settled upon two shoes, one was a classic court style, as Jen had requested. It was cream in colour, closed toe with the traditional red sole that was Louboutin's signature. The other pair was a blush coloured peep toe shoe with a rosebud on the side, made of satin material. Rachel couldn't resist it, even though Jen had said no peep toes. She went back to the girls with her finds, who exclaimed in delight when they saw the sheer beauty of the shoes.
"They are divine!" Jen shrieked.
"You don't have to tell me, you're preaching to the well and truly converted," Rachel said.
"I have to admit that I'm loving the peep toes," Liz said.
> "Me too," Jen agreed, "I know I said no peep toes, but they might be worth the pain cos they're absolutely gorgeous."
Jen slid her feet into the shoes, her feet were immediately transformed.
"Wow!" Jen and Liz exclaimed.
"Exactly," Rachel smiled, "wow is the only word for these little gems."
"They must cost a fortune," Jen said, "I can't let you two pay for these, it's way too much." "Don't worry about the price," Liz said, "you only get married once."
"It will be our pleasure," Rachel said.
"I don't want to take them off," Jen laughed.
"We've done so well today," Rachel said as they made their way back into the madness outside. "I know. I can't believe I have my wedding dress and shoes all sorted," Jen smiled at her two friends, "thanks so much for your help girls and for the Louboutins, of course."
"Our pleasure," Liz said, "now I don't know about you two but I would love some mulled wine and a hot dog."
The German Christmas market was in town, they'd arrived the middle of November and were staying until the New Year. They made the city feel even more Christmassy than usual. There were lots of stalls lining the main street, selling traditional Christmas goods and food. The wonderful smell of mulled wine and cinnamon filled the air. The girls ordered their mulled wine and huddled together for more warmth.
It was the coldest December recorded for many years and there was a frosty bite in the air. Rachel inhaled deeply, savouring the aroma of the warm wine.
"Best smell in the world," she said, taking a large gulp.
"You two must come around to my house tomorrow," Liz invited her friends, "I'm spending the day wrapping my presents. I'll be making a big pot of mulled wine and baking mince pies and I certainly don't want to be left alone with all that temptation. I'd probably end up very drunk and very sick."
Unforgettable Embrace Page 17
