That explained it. ‘Right, then let’s brainstorm.’ She tried to turn serious but Ruby sounded way beyond her years with this discussion, something Cleo felt sure was an influence from Prue, who thought a ten-year-old needed to eat out at classy restaurants and have their nails and hair done rather than run around in the woods or kick through great piles of leaves in the fall like Dylan and Cleo would let her do. ‘Where do you suggest?’
‘There’s the new hotel with the spa,’ Ruby began. ‘Mom took us for pedicures and manicures.’
‘The Corbridge Hotel might be a bit too fancy for what your dad and I are looking for, but write it down.’ It could be an option and the foyer was indeed beautiful, especially with the roaring fire and ornate surround.
‘What about Central Park?’
She smiled at her little organiser. ‘I’d love to have it somewhere so beautiful, but it’s a little far out for our local guests to go. But jot it down anyway,’ she encouraged, ‘you’re on a roll.’
Ruby seemed pleased with how this was going too.
‘There’s a manor in Bampton,’ Cleo suggested, ‘smaller than the hotel, but it could work. I think they do weddings on the veranda.’
Ruby scribbled it down. ‘What about the same place as Darcy?’
‘It’s an option, it was a stunning venue, but I think I’d rather have something different to my friend.’
Ruby didn’t write it down. ‘I didn’t like having my party at the same place as a girl in my class. She had her party first so everyone had already been when it was my turn.’
‘That sucks.’ They carried on brainstorming. Cleo thought hard. ‘Write down Country Club. There’s a club about twenty miles out of Inglenook Falls and I know they do amazing functions including weddings, large and small, so that might be an option.’
‘What about the Plaza?’ Ruby’s eyes widened.
Cleo stopped drinking her hot chocolate. ‘‘I think it’s way out of my budget.’
‘Can I write it down anyway?’ Ruby’s pen was poised.
‘Sure. That’s what you do when you brainstorm. You write down whatever comes to mind, then go back to the ideas and work out if they’re feasible or not.’ And as they carried on talking , it was more about this, the bonding between them both rather than the choice of venue that had Cleo wanting to make the moment last.
‘Would you get married in England? Like in a big castle or something.’
‘It didn’t really cross my mind. Our lives are here, and with your grandad and Teresa coming over next winter it seemed a good time to do it here.’
Ruby flipped the page of the notebook. ‘Can we talk about dresses?’
‘We’re done with location?’
‘For now.’
Cleo smiled. ‘Fair enough. So are we talking your dress or mine?’
‘Yours first.’ She turned serious as they ploughed through various styles, colours, cuts and photographs of accessories. ‘What colour if you can’t wear white?’
‘And why wouldn’t I wear white?’ Cleo quizzed.
Ruby shrugged. ‘Mum says if you’ve been married before, then you can’t. And you’re not allowed a veil either.’
Prue. Again. Bonding like this, she’d almost forgotten Ruby wasn’t her own daughter, but facts were facts, and Prue would always be there butting in when it wasn’t wanted.
‘I think once upon a time that might have been the case, but nowadays you can do anything.’
‘Like getting married under water, or in a windmill, or on a beach.’
‘Exactly. Although it might be a bit cold to head to the beach in December,’ she smiled.
They carried on planning, flipping through the pages together, Ruby totally on board. But Cleo wasn’t daft. She knew that as time went on and the wedding approached, Prue would be doing her best to come between them in whatever way she could. Jealousy had reared its ugly head and while Dylan thought his ex-wife had moved on and wasn’t interested in what he did anymore, Cleo could tell that she still harboured some resentment and seemed intent on doing what she could to upset the equilibrium they’d managed to achieve with their blended family.
Maybe Amelia had some advice about ex-wives as well as the psychology of kids. Because she could really use some pointers right now.
