Page 106 of Never Gonna Happen

‘I’m kidding,’ she said with a grin. ‘My answer is yes. Absolutely, one hundred per cent YES.’

Chapter Fifty

Emily didn’t think she’d ever seen a bride as beautiful as Delphine, in a simple white dress with pink hibiscus flowers woven into her long hair. Her new husband Fabrice was so handsome it should probably be illegal, and their wedding was full of joy and laughter and music. Most of the ceremony was based on Mauritian Creole traditions, but Chinese and Indian songs and rituals were woven in too, to reflect Delphine’s heritage. Jamie held Emily’s hand from start to finish, and her heart felt like it might burst.

They’d been in Mauritius for two weeks already, having decided to tag on a holiday before the wedding. It was Emily’s first proper time off since she’d started working at Bowford Manor seven months earlier, and she and Jamie had been determined to make the most of it. They’d spent a few days at the beach house to decompress and enjoy Madeleine’s cooking, before heading across the island to the Lapis Lagoon Hotel for a week of snorkelling, riding and paddle boarding.

Back at home, Bowford Manor was now occupied by teams of surveyors and conservationists and people with clipboards making important decisions. Anna was keeping them all under control, so it felt like a good time to get away. Emily could see how difficult it was for Mr Hunter to see people swarming all over his beloved house, but he was also resigned to it. The alternative was unthinkable.

So far Adam had kept up his side of the bargain – there had been no legal challenges or fuss, and he had clearly decided to keep his head down for the time being. Mr Hunter had told Emily that any kind of father/son reconciliation would need to begin with a heartfelt apology to his assistant. Emily decided that hell would probably freeze over first, but there was always the possibility that Adam would undergo some kind of personality transplant if it meant benefitting from his father’s money for the next twenty years. Either way, she wasn’t holding her breath.

Emily stood at the edge of the terrace at Sam’s Café, looking out over the water as she sipped a rum cocktail and felt the warmth of the setting sun on her face. The weather was cooler than it had been in January – less humid, but still glorious. Two weeks of careful sun exposure had given Emily something vaguely resembling a tan, so she was wearing a backless pink halterneck dress that made the most of her not needing a bra. Her hair was loose around her shoulders, pinned back on one side with a yellow flower. Her feet were bare, the toes painted a soft coral.

A band struck up on the terrace behind her, playing traditional Mauritian Sega. She turned to watch the dancers and listen to the song – she couldn’t understand many of the words, but she could hear the love and celebration in every line. A barbecue had been lit on the beach, and the smell of charred seafood drifted on the breeze. Later they’d light a bonfire and the dancing would spread off the terrace and on to the sand.

‘Did you speak to Kelly?’ asked Jamie, appearing at her side and kissing her bare shoulder. He was wearing pale blue shorts and a linen shirt, his plastic boot and crutches long gone. His leg still got a little stiff sometimes, but the warm weather and swimming helped a lot.

‘I did,’ said Emily. ‘She and Leon loved the flat, and it’s on the ground floor so it’s got a nice garden. Apparently Beth asked Leon for a princess bed, the kind with a pink canopy. He said no problem, so Kelly now has to get her one.’

‘She totally deserves a princess bed,’ said Jamie. ‘If Kelly won’t buy her one, we will.’

‘That’s what I said.’

‘Dad wants to know how you feel about staying for one more week. He’s not quite ready to go home yet, but we can all work from here.’

‘Fine by me,’ said Emily happily. ‘Will the house be ready by the time we get back?’

‘I’ll call them on Monday, see if they can move things along a bit. It would be nice to move straight in.’

Emily nodded, excitement fizzing in her belly. They’d been to look at Wedmore Cottage lots of times in the past couple of months and agreed to wait until some repairs had been carried out. Some floorboards that needed replacing, a new guest bathroom, new carpets upstairs, fresh paint throughout. She was desperate to move in and start buying bedding and towels and kitchen stuff, and she had a ridiculous number of Pinterest boards on the go. But it would be worth the wait.

‘I’ve been thinking about Christmas,’ she said.

Jamie laughed. ‘Emily, it’s June.’

‘I know, but I’ve already decided how amazing it’s going to be.’

‘Of course you have. What have you been thinking?’

‘About whether we could invite my whole family to stay. All of them. There’s enough room for everyone. We haven’t done that since we were kids.’

Jamie put his arm around her. ‘I think that’s a brilliant idea. But that means you’ll miss out on skiing in Verbier.’

‘Honestly, I think I can deal with the pain.’

Jamie laughed. ‘I don’t think Dad was planning on going this year anyway. I think the rift between him and Adam may take a little longer to heal.’

‘Does that mean you won’t be going either?’

‘Definitely not. I’ll spend some time with Mum and Catherine before they go, but I’d love to spend another Christmas with your family. I can teach Billy and Charlie to ride if they like. And we can always ask Dad if we can borrow the chalet for New Year. Celebrate our anniversary.’

Emily turned to look at him. ‘What, just the two of us?’

He shrugged. ‘Sure. Or we could invite Dad, or Leon and Kelly and Beth. I don’t mind.’

‘You’re right,’ said Emily. ‘It’s weird talking about this in June. My mind is already blown.’

Jamie laughed. ‘Well, you started it.’