‘Oh, I just can’t believe it. If anything was to go wrong, the last thing anyone would have thought of was a bloody volcano erupting!’

‘Calm down’ Nick lays his arms over Paula’s shoulders ‘At least they hadn’t started out, that’s something. Better to be stranded at home than in some airport. They’ll get here, don’t worry. It’s not as though the wedding’s next week’

‘But there’s still such a lot to do and they need to be here for that!’ Paula retorts, turning her head away as tears spring to her eyes. ‘And I’ve spent hours sorting out their rooms and making them look nice and now they’re not coming’

‘They are coming’ Nick says quietly ‘Just not when we expected them to’

‘Oh, what would you know!’

‘I know how disappointed you are but it can’t be helped and like I said, it’s better they didn’t start out. Imagine that’

‘I have seen the news reports’ she says truculently.

‘So you’ll know what I’m talking about, won’t you’ Nick tries to be reasonable but starts to get irritated ‘You’d prefer for them to be stranded halfway with Luke? Because that’s what would have happened, taking it in turns to mind the luggage, mind Luke, grab some sleep if that’s possible with hundreds of other people milling around, queue for food, if there is any to be had that is. It’d be an absolute nightmare. Better they wait at home until they can get a flight; you know that as well as I do’

‘They could book into a hotel’ Paula persists unreasonably when Nick lets his arms drop and walks away from her. ‘At least they would be half way here then and it wouldn’t take them so long when they do allow flights into Heathrow’

‘You don’t think the hundreds stranded at the airport before Marcus’s flight was due haven’t thought of that one? There won’t be anywhere!’

‘There’s no need to take that attitude, I was only saying’

‘Saying, yes...but you’re not thinking!’ Nick taps the side of his head. ‘You’re disappointed, I’m disappointed and I daresay Marcus and Marie aren’t exactly chuffed about it either but it’s happened and they‘ve done exactly the right thing. You’d see that if only you took a minute to think about them instead of yourself’

‘I wasn’t thinking about myself!’ Paula retaliates, tears flowing freely ‘There’s still such a lot to do’

Nick relents and walks back to her to take her in his arms ‘Nothing that won’t get done. You’re tired out, that’s your trouble. You’ve been eating, sleeping and dreaming weddings for months. You and Maxine have done all you can do. It’s going to be a wonderful day and will still be a wonderful day if nothing else gets done at all’

‘But they need to be here! What about the banns? And Luke’s got to be kitted out. Then there’s the rehearsals and....’

‘There’s plenty of time. We’re only talking a few days not weeks and weeks. Your best bet is to forget about the lot for a while and make the most of it.  Same goes for Marie’s mother. A few days doing absolutely nothing but relaxing and getting your breath back will set you both to rights. You’ll be worn out by the time the big day come round and the mother of the groom has to look radiant not haggard and knackered’

‘Thanks very much’

‘Not quite haggard yet’ Nick smiles and kisses her forehead ‘But you soon will be, the way you’ve been carrying on. Something’s got to give. When did he say they might get away?’ he asks, smiling down at her.

‘It’s a bit up in the air’

‘Planes usually are’

‘Ha ha’ Paula looks anything but amused ‘He didn’t know’ she continues with a sigh ‘the airline’s updating their website regularly so they’re keeping an eye on that.  Once they can get seats right through, they’ll book them’

‘Then why don’t you take yourself off to a health spa or something? Have a couple of days pampering, lots of rest and nothing to do but put your name down for massages or whatever it is you girls get up to in these places. I’ll pay’

‘You mean that?’ her bottom lip quivers.

‘Why not?’ Nick gives a shrug and look round the room ‘Everything’s all spit and polished here, the freezer’s full to bursting, we’re all set’ he looks down and her and smiles softly ‘The only thing we haven’t got is a Paula who isn’t stressed out. Go on, it’ll do you good. See where you can get in at short notice. Take Maxine if you want to. Damn it, I’ll pay for her as well’

3 Manor Road

Chapter Thirty-seven

The Old Smithy, Standersfield

Resplendent in a turquoise and lime green caftan, her hair barely ruffled and only slightly flattened at the back, Harriet appears in the doorway to the kitchen ‘Why did you not wake me?’ she demands, still dazed with sleep.

Jeremy turns to smile brightly, an oven glove on each hand and holding them up as a surgeon might before operating. ‘And good morning to you! I won’t bother to ask if you slept well, that part I know but if I’d realised you were going to wake up grumpy after a lie in, I’d have banged on your door at half past five!’ He crosses the room to greet her with a peck on the cheek and stands back to look the caftan up and down ‘Now that is nice...and don’t go telling me you’ve got crumpled winceyette underneath or I’ll never look at you in the same way again’ he says, walking away from her ‘Tea’s made.  Just let me do this and I’ll sit down and have one with you’ He lifts a casserole dish onto the top of the Aga, removes one glove to give the contents a stir and, replacing the lid, returns it to the side oven.  ‘Now then, let’s see about some breakfast shall we. What would you like? I’ve got plenty of bacon.... and eggs so fresh the hens haven’t had chance to miss them yet....All the usual things, you know, cereal and so forth. I didn’t make porridge. I thought it might be a bit heavy after what you put away last night’

Harriet flushes slightly but says nothing as she draws the chair further underneath her and sits down.

‘Don’t you go getting all defensive on me’ Jeremy sucks his lips into an amused purse ‘there’s no better compliment than having someone tuck in and really enjoy what you’ve made...although there’s enjoying and there’s making a right pig of yourself. I thought you’d be up all night with indigestion!’

‘A cup of tea will be sufficient, thank you’

Her clipped tone makes Jeremy laugh ‘Dearie me! You have got out of the wrong side of the bed this morning, haven’t you? I was having a little joke, not criticising. It was rather scrumptious, although I say it myself’ He brings a tray to the table and sets out their cups, centring the teapot on a trivet and placing the sugar bowl and milk jug beside it  ‘and I ate just as much as you did so unknot your knickers and stop being so precious. What would you like to do today?’ he asks, propping the tray against the buffet.

‘I'm completely in your hands’ Harriet says with an apologetic smile ‘Forgive me, I slept so soundly I feel unusually disoriented’

‘And that makes you grumpy, does it?’ he laughs as he pours, returning the pot to the trivet and sitting down.

‘I hate to sleep late’ she makes the excuse as she takes her first tentative sip.

‘Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and a complete bore’ Jeremy rolls his eyes ‘I wouldn’t have been up at the crack of dawn if Mister Fox had been a bit more considerate or Mrs. Fox a bit more obliging. What a racket they kicked up!’

‘I slept through that too’ Harriet sighs.

‘We were late to bed and we had had a very busy day all in all’ he justifies on her behalf ‘Travelling can be very tiring and we did do a little sightseeing as well. It was no wonder you were fit to drop. I must try and remember not to have you overdo things. I want this stay to be memorable for the right reasons, not for finishing you off’

‘I am here to enjoy myself and enjoy myself I shall, no matter what the consequences!’ she retorts.

‘That’s all very well for you to say but think of me, dear.  I don’t want to have to ring Kester and say ‘your grandmother’s ready to come home, you’d better send a hearse‘’

‘Oh, just throw me on the bonfire’ she waves him down ‘I know my limits and I have no intention of expiring but should the unexpected happen, there’s to be no fuss’

‘You’d better not die on me’ Jeremy huffs ‘It would be such a rigmarole to get you home. There’s all sorts of paperwork you have to get signed to transport bodies, you know’  he takes another sip of tea before putting his cup down  ‘I do like some quiet when I’m driving but the idea of propping you up in the passenger seat and pretending you're still with us gives me the creeps’ he shudders.

‘Heavens’ Harriet snorts with amusement ‘imagine that! I would be accused of snubbing people for not waving in return’

He starts to giggle ‘Oh, that’s soon sorted.  I’ll superglue your hand to the window and roll it up and down from my side’

‘More often than not, I would smile too’ she points out, trying with difficulty to maintain some decorum.

Jeremy looks appalled ‘I’m not putting my hand up your jacksie like some ventriloquist’s dummy!’

Harriet stretches her neck and turns her head jerkily from side to side, her teeth clamped together in a rictus smile ‘Gottle a geer. Gottle a geer!’

His explosion of laughter leaves him breathless and he coughs and gasps and laughs again, the tears rolling down his cheeks as his shoulders heave and their shared guffaws become silent open-mouthed mirth.

‘Oh dear’ Harriet takes a deep breath and gains control first, mopping her tears by pressing the sleeve of her caftan against her eyes ‘This simply will not do’ she looks at Jeremy and starts to snicker again ‘Please’ she wheezes ‘Please stop looking at me and pull yourself together’

‘I’m trying, I’m trying!’ he covers his face with his hands and rests his elbows on the table.

‘You bring out the worst in me, you really do’ with immense self-control, she lifts her cup to her lips. ‘We were about to make plans for our day’

‘We were, weren’t we?’ his voice is tight with the need to keep laughing and he peeks though his fingers at her ‘I thought’ he says when he eventually calms enough to put his hands down ‘I thought we might go into the village’ He purposely avoids looking at her directly and manages to keep the hard fought for control.

‘That will be very nice’ she sounds marginally disappointed but smiles nevertheless.

‘At the risk of starting you off again, how do you feel and don’t give me any of that fit as a fiddle lark, I really need to know’

‘Jeremy’ Harriet sets her cup down and speaks sincerely ‘I have not felt so well in a long while. Yes, I am rather tired but in a very pleasant way and I am sure that once I have breakfasted, that will be of no consequence at all. A gentle stroll into the village might be just what the doctor ordered’

‘Oh, I’m not walking at a snail’s pace while you piddle along with your stick’ he sounds throaty with disdain ‘I thought we’d mosey on down with the horses’

‘Ride?’ Harriet squeaks in surprise.

‘Unless you plan on pushing them’

‘But I have not ridden in years. I am far too old to be thinking about starting again now’

‘If the queen can manage, I’m sure you can, dear. Did you bring trousers?’

‘I have slacks with me, yes’

‘That’s alright then. We don’t want the world seeing your drawers if the wind blows’

‘I am not sure that....’

‘Oh, Marion’s a sweetie' Jeremy waves away any objection 'gentle as a lamb; you won’t have any problems with her’

‘Marion?’

‘She’s my baby. She did have some ghastly stable name but she always looked like a Marion to me, so Marion she is. Martin laughed at me but she seems to like it. I’ll ride his. Now he is a beast' he says, refilling their cups 'Beautiful animal but such a temper on him you wouldn’t believe' he rolls his eyes 'Unseat you as soon as look at you'

‘And he is?’ Harriet enquires, massaging the crease between her brows with the pads of her fingers.

‘Orion Starburst the third but I call him Ron. I can't be doing with Orion and Marion, I get my ons muddled’

‘I suppose you would' she says, her initial concerns and the headache they caused beginning to ease 'And how do you propose I should mount this horse of yours? I do like the idea but quite frankly....’

‘Oh' Jeremy dismisses again 'If the mounting block’s not enough, I’m sure we can come up with something. We’ll get you on if that’s what you’d really like to do. It’s not far and we won’t go any faster than a walk’

Harriet takes a few more thoughtful sips from her cup ‘It would be wonderful. Thank you' her voice cracks and she struggles to speak clearly 'And thank you for believing I still have the capability to attempt such a thing’

‘Now then, that’s enough’ Jeremy gets up and moves around the table to give her a comforting squeeze ‘It’s you who’s convinced yourself otherwise, you silly old sausage. Right!' he gives her a shoulder a pat and claps his hands 'Let’s get some breakfast going, shall we?’