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Beth looked over at Matt and he tried desperately to remember what Lily had said about the design. ‘Poppy’s wearing a sparkly pale gold dress,’ he said, hoping that was right. ‘It’s very swishy with lots of netting, according to her stepmum. So you really don’t need to worry about upstaging anyone. You’ve got strong competition from a thirteen-year-old.’
Beth studied herself in the mirror again, and something like embarrassed joy flashed across her face. ‘You’ve convinced me. I’ll take this dress instead.’
‘Come with me,’ the assistant said, marching over to the changing cubicle. ‘I’ll check whether any alterations are needed, although it looks like a perfect fit.’
Matt couldn’t agree more, it was a perfect fit indeed. And then the alarm on his phone sounded, reminding him where he was supposed to be. ‘Sorry, but I need to leave.’
He wasn’t certain, but he thought Beth looked disappointed.
‘I’m heading up to London to visit my dad. I don’t want to be late, or I might not be able to see him.’
‘Oh?’ Beth looked concerned. ‘Is he in hospital or something?’
Shit. ‘Sorry, by visit, I meantmeet. I’m heading up to London tomeetmy dad,’ he said, trying to backtrack and not have to admit that his dad was in prison. ‘I don’t want to leave him waiting and wondering where I am.’
Beth look relieved. ‘That’s okay. Thanks for your help with the dress.’
He held her gaze. ‘No problem. You really do look great in it.’ Then he ran off like an embarrassed schoolboy, feeling stupidly pleased that his efforts to be assertive had paid off.
Leah would be delighted. She’d also gloat about how she knew him better than he knew himself. Maybe it would be better to keep quiet. After all, he wouldn’t want her to read anything into it. She was already convinced he had the hots for Beth, and telling Leah about today’s shopping trip wouldn’t convince her otherwise.
And he definitely wasn’t interested in Beth Lawrence… was he?
Chapter Twelve
Saturday, 25thMay – 2 weeks till the wedding
When Beth’s head dropped onto her chin for the umpteenth time, she sat up and looked out of the window, hoping she hadn’t missed her stop. The late afternoon sunshine hitting the windows, combined with the gentle rhythm of the train rattling through the remote villages of Cornwall, had lulled her into sleep.
Checking the app on her phone, she discovered that Launceston was the next stop. Unearthing a bottle of water, she took a long sip, trying to shake the heaviness threatening to send her back to sleep. As she gazed out of the window, she admired the pretty countryside as it whizzed by, with its green fields, sheep grazing and endless blue sky – a welcome tonic to her shattered nerves.
It had been another horrible week, with long working days interspersed with family dramas, including her mother and brother having a blazing row over a stash of weed discovered in Alex’s room, Grandma Doris locking herself out of her home, and Beth arguing with her sister over the precariousness of her marital status.
Thankfully, Freddie Wood had been tracked down via an old drama friend on Facebook, and Beth had subsequently been able to message him. The bad news was that he’d yet to reply and it was now two weeks before the wedding, and the courts needed thirty days to deal with the annulment application – something that Megan felt was ‘semantics’ but which Beth knew could result in criminal charges, and her sister’s upcoming marriage being declared null and void before the couple had even uttered, ‘I do’.
Unfortunately, Megan was determined to forge ahead with the wedding as planned. She was refusing to even consider a postponement and was continuing to keep her poor fiancé in the dark.
Consequently, Beth was exhausted. She wasn’t sure whether a weekend away was a welcome break, or another issue to be overcome.
Removing her glasses, she rubbed her tired eyes. The knots in her shoulders were causing the onset of a headache. She rummaged in her bag for a packet of painkillers and swallowed a couple of tablets, hoping to dull the pain.
The train slowed and Beth spotted the Launceston sign as they approached the station. Gathering her belongings, she made her way to the exit, hoping she wouldn’t have to wait too long for a taxi.
Once on the platform, she extended the handle on her suitcase and made her way to the front of the building, wondering how the next two days would pan out. It was an odd situation to find yourself in, planning a weekend away with a man she hardly knew. But their efforts to arrange the wedding remotely had hit a number of hurdles and a physical visit was required.
Beth hauled her suitcase over the bumpy pavement, wondering how she’d allowed herself to be dragged into this fiasco in the first place. Like she didn’t have enough on her plate.
She was so lost in thought, it took a moment to register her name being called. Glancing around, she realised that Matt Hardy was leaning out of his car window, waving at her.
Squinting as her glasses adjusted to the sunlight, she headed over to where he was parked up. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘I thought I’d save you a taxi journey,’ he said, exiting the car. For a moment, she feared he was about to kiss her, but realised he was bending forwards to pick up her suitcase. ‘How was your train ride?’
‘Long,’ she said, inhaling a waft of masculine scent, which made her instinctively step back. She wasn’t ready to deal with the impact of Matt Hardy. ‘How did you know which train I’d be on?’
‘Lucky guess.’ He opened the boot and tucked her suitcase inside. ‘You said you’d arrive late afternoon. I figured I could check out Launceston while I waited.’
‘Have you been waiting long?’
