AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘That’s your bolero, isn’t it?’ Scarlet squealed to Sophie. ‘The one you designed last year and knitted with the Cupcakes & Couture ladies? It looks stunning!’ And she flung her armsaround Sophie for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.
Sophie smiled. So, Lilac had chosen to wear it – was that the reason she’d wanted her to stay on after the reception? Scarlet was right. The little jacket did look stunning. It twinkled with sparkles and, against the majestic backdrop of the stone manor house, it seemed almost to take on the quality of ermine, appropriate attire for the theatrical royalty Lilac so clearly was.
‘As soon as the fashion press ferret out the origins of that shrug, Gingerberry will be inundated with orders, you know that, don’t you?’ Scarlet warned. ‘And I reckon that Liberty’s will be expanding their wish list, too.’
Sophie nodded. As Lilac and Finn disappeared to get ready to leave for their honeymoon in the Maldives, she stared into her future. She was saddened that she would not be resuming the easy camaraderie she had shared these last hectic weeks with Scarlet, Flora, and Lizzie when they had paused only to snatch a couple of hours’ sleep on the sofa in the office and regular infusions of caffeine.
But Scarlet would still be there, and Flora would be at Gingerberry with Delia, so things wouldn’t be too different. She didn’t need to base herself at Sophie-Louise in London or at Gingerberry when she had such trusted friends to hold the fort. She could design fabulous bridal couture and lingerie anywhere. When she had informed Scarlet that she was handing over the reins of the Wimbledon branch to her, that she intended to split her time between the Cotswolds and London, there had been a deluge of tears, but it was the right decision.
The Cupcakes & Couture ladies would also be an integral part of Gingerberry’s secure and stylish future. They would offer hip and up-to-the-minute knitted designs and fabulous luxury lingerie items with weekly crafting sessions thrown in for goodmeasure. Delia, her newly appointed partner and co-owner of Gingerberry, along with a loved-up Flora, would be available to guide the “cosiest little haberdashery shop in the Cotswolds” to greatness on a daily basis. She would be present for consultation purposes whenever they needed her input.
Somersby was her home; it was where she had her roots and where she was surrounded by people who loved her and whom she loved in return.
Except one.
‘Hey! Sophie, Scarlet, hi. I’m glad you decided to stay!’ called Archie, striding down the steps towards them. ‘You both look stunning, by the way. Love the… erm, the hat or whatever you call it, Scarlet. Come on, I’m gagging for a cold beer. I think a summer storm must be on its way – it’s so muggy. Let’s hotfoot it down to the marquee before the hordes descend.’ And without waiting for their response, he linked his arms through theirs to drag them off towards the overblown tent crouched on the lawn like a squashed meringue.
‘It really is the perfect setting for a summer wedding celebration, isn’t it?’ Sophie sighed. ‘I can totally understand why Lilac and Finn were adamant in their choice of venue for their reception. It’s such a picturesque backdrop.’
‘Yes, that and the fact that Lilac grew up here,’ said Archie.
‘Nikki, Lilac’s PA, said that, too. I’m surprised none of us knew her – she’s only a couple years younger than me and Nessa.’
‘But Sophie, you did know her!’
‘What? No, I didn’t. I think I’d have remembered if I’d met Lilac Verbois before, Archie.’ She smiled as she gratefully accepted an ice-filled Pimm’s from an exhausted waiter and took a sip.
‘Well, not as Lilac Verbois – that’s her professional name. I was chatting to her mother before we performed our serenade to the couple of the day. Lilac was a pupil at St Hilda’s, just like you and Nessa…’
‘No, Archie, she couldn’t have been.’
Archie’s eyes crinkled at the corners with the very obvious pleasure of being able to deliver this juicy piece of information. ‘Remember Lillian Greenwood? The scrawny kid who loved drama – played lead roles in the school pantomime?’
‘Ye…e…s.’
Sophie stared at him, her jaw gaping as it slowly dawned on her why this whole wedding fiasco had been so focused on their little corner of heaven in the Cotswolds. Despite her fame and fortune, it was Lilac’s heaven, too.
It was home!
Chapter Thirty Three
Having dropped his bombshell, Archie wandered off to find his fellow bandmates and Sophie and Scarlet perched their buttocks on a worn stone bench overlooking the pond with undulating fields of Gloucestershire as a picture-postcard backdrop. However, the sky to her right was no longer a clear cerulean blue but had turned into a bruised grey, and a summer downpour threatened at any moment.
‘It’s been a beautiful day, hasn’t it?’ Sophie murmured.
‘It has. Are you still planning to leave, Sophie? You really should stay for the fireworks, you know. Lilac and Finn both made it clear you were a special guest.’ Scarlet paused, clearly wrestling with the content of her next sentence. She lowered her voice to a whisper. ‘I saw Noah sing those lyrics to you. It was the most romantic gesture I’ve ever seen. Why don’t you talk to him, Sophie? It’s the perfect time to clear the air between you. If you don’t do it now, here, when will you get the chance again?’
Sophie looked at her friend. It was exactly the same thing Nessa had said to her when she’d called to wish her luck the previous evening. They were right. Everything that had happened over the last few months had taught her that Noah was the only person who made her feel whole. No wonder her dates in the capital had never worked out. How could they when she was in love with someone else?
‘You’re right.’
‘I am?’
‘Yes.’ Sophie stood up and massaged her numb bottom. The bench was cold and hard. ‘Come on. Help me find him.’
Scarlet’s eyes widened and a smile lit up her features. ‘With absolute pleasure.’ She hugged Sophie to her as a splodge of rain landed on the tip of her nose. She screwed up her face and wiped it away.
‘Quick!’
