Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange by Jenny Kane (a court of thorns and roses ebook free txt) 📗

Mabel patted Tina’s hand. ‘If that happens, it won’t be anyone’s fault but theirs. Now then,’ she brushed her hands together as if the matter was solved, ‘tell me, have you got a dress yet?’

‘Beyond flicking through those magazines you sent me, I haven’t so much as chosen a style, let alone the actual dress.’

Looking scandalised, Mabel’s eyes darted to the calendar on the wall, and then back again. ‘May’s not that far away, Tina. And you’ll need to have fittings and stuff and—’

‘Until we have the venue sorted properly, there didn’t seem much point.’

‘Not much point?’ Mabel shook her head. ‘Wherever you wed, you’ll need a frock.’

‘I know, but there’s so much to do, the days seem to fly by. Even with me working full time at Mill Grange now, I never seem to have a minute.’ Tina glanced up at Mabel. ‘I was going to ask if you’d come with me? It’s so hard to know what really suits, and whether to believe what the shop assistant says suits you, because they might be trying to shift a dress no one wants.’

‘Me?’

‘Yes. Umm… you’re my friend and well, my mum would have come and…’ Tina was alarmed to see tears glisten in Mabel’s eyes again. ‘Did I say something wrong?’

‘No. I’d love to. I just never thought you’d ask me.’ Mabel wiped her eyes and gripped hold of Tina’s hand. ‘Thank you.’

Sam arrived back in the room in time to see Tina giving Mabel a hug. ‘Everyone alright in here?’

‘Mabel’s agreed to go wedding dress shopping with me.’

‘Fantastic. Thanks, Mabel.’ Sam grabbed his cold cup of tea. ‘But not this weekend if that’s okay?’

‘Absolutely,’ Tina pointed to the calendar, ‘because Dylan’s moving in on Sunday. We’ll be child proofing the house on Saturday.’

‘Oh hell, I forgot about that!’ Sam groaned. ‘I’ve just told my parents they could come this weekend to see the house!’

Twenty-three

Thursday April 2nd

‘Are you sure you don’t mind?’

Tom passed Sam his semi completed to-do list for the day, rubbing a dirty hand down his combats as he did so.

‘I’d have said if I did.’ Sam gestured his clipboard towards the house. ‘Go and get changed, or you’ll never get to Tiverton in time.’

‘Thanks, mate.’

Tom tried not to glance back at Helen as he strode toward the house. He knew she was watching him; he could feel the heat of her emerald eyes on his back.

They’d have to tell people soon. It was getting increasingly difficult not to take her hand whenever they stood near each other or hug her before leaving the site for a while.

People are going to think we’ve fallen out. We hardly look at each other for fear of people guessing.

Resolving to talk to Helen about the issue after they’d come off guest care duty that evening, Tom made a beeline for the shower, to scrub away as much of the site mud and dust as possible before heading to Dylan’s school.

He tried not to think about the preconceptions Dylan’s teacher might have of him or what light Sue had painted him in.

Sue’s changed. She’s putting Dylan first. She won’t have said anything bad about me.

Putting on a shirt and his only pair of smart trousers, Tom grabbed his car keys and ran down all three sets of stairs and out to the driveway.

‘I thought I’d come and wish you luck.’

As Helen leaned against his old Fiesta, nerves fluttered in Tom’s chest. ‘Is Sam with the guests?’

‘We’d reached a good place to stop for the day, so Sam’s taken them for a walk in the woods.’

‘Good timing.’ Tom checked the coast was clear, before giving her a cuddle. ‘That’s better. I can’t believe how nervous I am.’

‘I wish I was coming with you.’

‘So do I!’ Tom unlocked the car and wound down the window to let some air into the stuffy interior. ‘Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that later.’

‘About me coming to the school?’

‘No. Well, sort of, I suppose. About us being an official couple. That way, I get to hug you more often, and you’d be able to come to these events with me.’

Helen’s smile creased the freckles on her cheeks. ‘I’d like that. Although maybe not a parent’s evening – that’s Sue’s. I wouldn’t want to intrude.’

‘Okay, maybe not those, but nativity plays and stuff.’

‘You’re sure?’ Helen was already picturing Dylan decked out as a shepherd with a tea towel on his head.

‘I’m sure. I also think we should tell everyone. I know we said we’d wait, but I’m beginning to wonder what we’re waiting for.’

‘Me too.’ Helen grinned. ‘We’ll tell people once you’re back.’

Driving away, Tom felt more contented than he had in years. He was looking forward to telling everyone Helen was in his life. Especially Dylan. He’d be delighted.

*

There was no doubt it was a dolphin. The mosaic artist had even managed to capture its joy at curling through the sea. Which, Thea mused to herself, was remarkable as he’d probably never seen a dolphin, or even the sea, in his life.

Standing back from the bath house, allowing the latest round of local newspaper reporters to get as many pictures as they could, Thea let out an exhalation of air she hadn’t realised she’d been holding in.

‘You okay?’ Shaun muttered so that neither the reporters nor Julian could hear him.

‘Relieved the mosaic really is made from local stone.’ Thea grimaced. ‘Can you imagine the reports if, after I’d said it was probably going to be locally sourced on telly, the test results came back with a different story?’

‘That wouldn’t have been your fault.’

Taking a step back, the knowledge of the conversation she’d overheard weighed on Thea’s mind as she watched Julian chatting to the reporter, his chest so puffed out with pride, it was as if he’d built the villa himself. ‘I meant to ask, has