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Hesmiled tenderly. ‘AndI’vehad the best fortune in meeting you.Fatebrought me into your shop that day back inMay.’Hewrinkled his nose. ‘Wasit onlyMay?Iseem to have known you forever.’Hehanded over a bright-orange bloom. ‘Dahlias.Graceunder pressure.Overthe last few weeks,I’veseen you display that countless times.Whenthe paint failed to turn up–’
‘Andwhen it did it was the wrong colour.’
‘Whenthe bottled water supplier let us down at the last minute and you trekked intoKashKostin rattly oldPrimroseto buy replacements.Whenwe found the damp in the roof.WhenIhad to give up the idea of knocking through to find the old chimney.WhenIhad a hissy fit at the water companyfor mixing up our account.’
‘Well, you were stressed,’Daisyacknowledged. ‘Itwas understandable.’
‘Icouldn’t have done any of this without your steadying influence.Iowe you so much,Daisy.Youare a wonder.’
‘Iam,’ she replied. ‘I’mpretty remarkable, aren’tI?’
‘Youare.’Helaughed and handed over a vividly purpleMichaelmasDaisy. ‘Adaisy for my very ownDaisy.’
‘Cheesy.ButIloveAsterssoI’llaccept it.’
‘Yes, it is cheesy,’Rickadmitted. ‘Butthe wordAstermeans star and that’s what you are to me.’
‘Oh.’Daisy, lost for words, clutched it to her and blushed.
Ricktugged out a rose from the many in the bouquet. ‘Anorange rose.Itmeans fascination, passion and deep love.’Heput it into her hands. ‘Becauseyou fascinate me and will never stop fascinating me.Andyou must know by now how passionate and deep my love is for you.’
Daisyblushed even harder.Shenodded and buried her hot face in the flowers.
Apassionflower was next. ‘Itstands for devotion,’Rickexplained. ‘Haveto admit this one’s a stretch asI’mtold it’s really about religious devotion, butIwant you to knowI’mdevoted to you,Daisy, and promise to be always devoted to you.Throughthe good times and the less good.Throughriches and poverty.Whatevercomes our way,Iwant to see it through with you.’
Theygazed at one another for a second, breathless.
‘Andbesides, they’re really pretty,’ he added, breaking the emotional tension.
Daisysmiled, holding back tears, and studied the spiky purple-and-white flower which to her always seemed exotic and slightly alien-looking but which was actually a fairly common garden rambler.
Whenshe looked upRickwas holding a spray of something with glossy dark-green leaves and fuzzy white flowers.He’dput the rest of the bouquet on the steel food prep counter and was holding in his other hand a tiny open box.Insidewas a perfect solitaire.
‘Myrtle,’ he began.
‘Marriage,’Daisybreathed, her eyes misting.
‘Andlove in all seasons.Ilove you,Daisy.I’min love with you and always will be.Throughall the seasons.Throughall the years to come.Iknow we haven’t known one another for very long but in a wayIfeelI’vealways known you–’
‘Andwe’ve spent so much time together working on the restaurant–’
‘Thatwe fast-forwarded to seeing one another at our worst–’
‘Andbest–’
‘Andwe’ve made a brilliant team–’
Theirwords tumbled over one another’s in their eagerness to agree.
Daisyslid, on wobbly legs, from the stool, put her flowers on the side to join the others and slipped her arms aroundRick’swaist. ‘OfcourseI’llmarry you,’ she whispered, emotion making her voice hoarse and tears closing her throat.Shekissed him passionately. ‘Yesplease,I’llmarry you.’
‘Ihaven’t asked you yet!’
‘Youdon’t have to.Willyoumarryme,Rick?’
Heslipped the diamond onto the third finger of her left hand. ‘Yes,DaisyWiscombe.Itwould be my delight and honour to marry you.’
Theykissed, oblivious to the noise of revelry filtering in from the restaurant, not noticingSteveandKosta’sreturn and then exit again hurriedly, ignoringEleanorcollecting a tray of refills for the grazing tables.
