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Estelle wasn’t sure whether it was tiredness or overwhelm, but tears pushed their way up to the back of her throat.
‘Each one of you, no matter what you did, made the festival not only happen, but succeed. So…’ Starting to her left, Estelle proceeded to name every person on the stage, until the last one left was James. Facing him, her back to everyone else, she held his searing gaze and mouthed the words ‘thank you’, before turning back to the group. ‘So, to all of you, and everyone else who isn’t here with us now, thank you.’
Estelle held up her cup, and everyone followed suit. As she downed the champagne, the stage broke out into cheers and whistles.
She turned to James. ‘Would you like to say something?’
He nodded and came to her side. Normally so self-assured, he seemed a little nervous, and her hand itched to hold his and let him know she was there.
‘When I took over BDE Entertainment,’ he began, ‘I knew nothing about running events and had never been to a festival before. For over a decade, my work and life had been in London, and, to my shame, I once told Estelle I’d rather spend six months in a Siberian salt mine than in Somerset.’
‘That can still be arranged,’ Finn called out, and everyone laughed.
James smiled. ‘But sometimes it’s a good thing to be forced out of your comfort zone. Challenge brings growth, and this year I’ve had to reevaluate how I lived my life and what was important to me.’
He glanced at Estelle and her heart thumped faster in her chest.
‘I thought that after the festival, everything would, or should, go back to how it was. But I was wrong.’ He gave a rueful smile. ‘Those words don’t often come out of my mouth, so enjoy the moment.’
‘Go James! Go James!’ Libby whooped.
‘Sometimes it’s difficult to acknowledge that stepping onto a different road will be the start of an incredible journey. One that’s going to bring so much more than what you’d get just treading the same comfortable path over and over again. London may appear to offer the world…’ He glanced from the stage into the darkness of the night. ‘But here you can see the stars, and they shine brighter than anywhere else.’
Estelle’s skin tingled, and she dug her nails into her palms. Was James going to stay in Somerset after all?
‘And to me…’ His gaze passed over everyone, not meeting hers. ‘The brightest star of all is Estelle.’
She held her breath as James let the words hang in the air.
‘Estelle is my North Star, guiding me to make the right decisions and be the best version of myself. This festival was her vision, her dream, and she’s led from the front every step of the way. It’s Estelle’s determination and hard work that’s brought us together and made all of this happen.’
The silence was electric.
‘I know some of you have heard that my father is selling BDE Entertainment. And it’s true.’
No!
James cleared his throat. ‘He’s sold it to me.’
Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.
‘I want to secure investment, build the company, and continue working with you all here in Somerset. My dream is to partner with the Foxbrooke estate again and put on another festival next year.’ He finally brought his eyes to meet hers. ‘If Estelle will still have me?’
Yes! Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes! She nodded, and his face flooded with relief.
He lifted his paper cup. ‘To Estelle!’
‘To Estelle!’ people chorused, then stamped their feet and cheered.
James’s smile was so big she thought her heart would burst. Then he turned his head towards the dark field.
‘Henry?’ he bellowed. ‘Arthur?’
Estelle’s gaze flicked across the stage. Where had her dad and brother gone?
‘You ready?’ Henry’s voice called out from somewhere in the darkness.
‘Yes!’ James yelled back.
