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‘Can’t get any wetter!’
‘I think my dress is ruined.’
‘You look stunning to me.’
‘So do you.’
‘I reckon we should get back to the house, don’t you? We have a party to attend!’ Noah lowered his lips to her ear and whispered, ‘I love you, Sophie-Louise Henshaw.’
‘And I love you, too, Noah Dalton Drake.’
Chapter Thirty Four
Ten months later
‘Nervous, darling?’ Delia asked.
‘No way. I’m excited.’
‘Seb’s downstairs. He looks so handsome in his grey morning suit. Nessa’s just helping him with his cravat and then she’ll be right up. I think there might be a spark of something there.’ Delia’s eyes twinkled.
‘You might be right. He did frequent her teenage dreams on more than one occasion,’ Sophie giggled.
‘I think we should start getting you into your dress, Soph,’ said Scarlet, who looked stunning in her peppermint-and-gold bridesmaid’s dress. There had been no hesitation by Sophie on the choice of colour scheme for her wedding, but the shade really did work well with Scarlet and Nessa’s almost identical colouring. ‘Ah, Nessa, there you are. Come on – don’t forget we’re walking to the church.’
‘It’s less than a hundred yards!’ said Nessa, bustling into the room in matching peppermint and gold. It was the first time she had worn a dress since toddlerhood, and it really suited her. ‘You can see St Peter’s Church from the window! Doesn’t it look amazing? The ivory roses around the lychgate are just perfect. Tish was right – it really is the prettiest little church in the Cotswolds.’
‘Okay, off with your robe!’ ordered Scarlet.
‘Before you do,’ said Delia, stepping forward and holding out a package wrapped in tissue paper, her hand trembling slightly, her eyes glistening with emotion. ‘I want to give you this – from all the Cupcakes & Couture ladies.’
The three young women settled down on the bed in the bride’s temporary boudoir above Gingerberry Yarns while Delia looked on, as proud and tearful as any mother of the bride. Sophie placed the gift on her lap and looked at her three best friends in the world.
‘Thank you so much,’ she whispered. ‘For everything.’
‘Open it!’ cried Scarlet, clapping her hands together with excitement.
Sophie slid her finger under the flap and drew out a slither of ivory silk and lace. The garter had been embroidered with peppermint thread and decorated with golden bows, but as Sophie looked more closely, she saw the words that had been worked into the fabric –Congratulations on your wedding day – your Cupcakes & Couture ladies. The letters ‘SLH’ and ‘NDD’ had been intertwined in exactly the same logo as the carving Noah had made on the old oak tree in the back garden of Gingerberry Yarns all those years ago.
She held the lingerie in her hands, fingering the stitching, and the strength of her emotions caused their tethers to fray. She stood up and flung her arms around Delia, tears trickling down her cheeks.
‘Thank you, it means such a lot…’
‘I know, darling, I know.’
Sophie pressed a smile through her tears and turned to envelop Scarlet and Nessa in a hug.
‘I’m so lucky to have you as my friends. Thank you for everything.’
‘Okay. So now we definitely need to get you into that dress,’ said Nessa, wiping a stray tear from her own eye.
Scarlet and Nessa held the gown, a sheath of ivory silk, and Sophie stepped in, enjoying the feeling of exhilaration as the fabric slithered over her curves. Being six foot tall in her stockinged feet, the dress was the perfect design for her, as well as adhering to her personal taste for simple, yet exquisite, silhouette and drape. She had enjoyed every second she’d spent designing and sewing the gown with the help of Scarlet and Flora.
‘Keep still and breathe in.’
‘I am,’ giggled Sophie.
‘It’s a beautiful dress, Soph, but why in the name of all things bridal did you have to design your wedding dress with so many buttons down the back?’
