Page 88 of Wild About You

We readied ourselves for the awards ceremony with trepidation. Fi decided against the glitter and went for a deep blue structured dress that looked high fashion rather than a tent, paired with flat shoes. I’d gone for a deep, rewilding appropriate green, fitted to the waist then flowing out in an A-line shape, with vertiginous heels. And Jamie was in a perfectly tailored blue suit, looking hotter than any man had the right to look. Shoes polished, crisp white shirt, and artfully stubbled. ‘I don’t want to look like a Hooray Henry,’ he explained, when I teased him about the shadow on his face. Tactfully, I didn’t tell him that my stomach had flipped with desire at the sight of him.

His phone had fallen silent. Apart from the obligatory morning photograph of Hugo, sent by Callum, there were no frenzied updates from Lucinda, no 100-decibel phone conversations where she complained about altercations with the florist. She was clearly occupied with Dirty Darren. Did the woman have no taste?

The ceremony was in an uber-trendy eco-hotel in Knightsbridge. Inside, everything was white, and there was a lot of smoked glass. It was also aggressively perfumed. Fi put her head on my shoulder as Jamie signed us in.

It began with an hour-long drinks reception. Fi did alot of smiling and nodding from a chair whilst Jamie and I progressed around the room, making small talk and handing out business cards. I’d always hated networking on my own account, but acting on behalf of Stonemore, I was as efficient as a military-trained operative. ‘God, you’re good at this,’ Jamie murmured to me at one point.

‘Don’t praise me, I’m in so much pain from these shoes I might start crying,’ I whispered.

He choked into his drink.

Luckily the hour sped past and we were shown into the ballroom where a three-course lunch was set. The room was decorated with wildflower arrangements and vast amounts of foliage. ‘Is that an actualtree?’ murmured Fi, clutching me on one side and Jamie on the other. ‘How much money do these people have?’

‘As long as they’re on the side of the angels,’ I said, and allowed a passing waiter to refill my glass. I was sticking to elderflower cordial, partly out of solidarity with Fi, partly because I was worried about getting tipsy and hurling myself at Jamie with warnings about Lucinda.

Lunch flew, and then the ceremony began properly. We watched carefully as a lifetime achievement award was given to a tree expert who had contributed to the understanding of root systems. Then we were on to the agricultural section.

‘When are we up?’ said Fi.

‘It won’t be for a few minutes,’ I said. ‘They’ve got the whole of agricultural, then it’s heritage, which includes us.’ She gave me a thumbs-up and nipped off to the loo.

The projects were truly inspiring – from the independent cheesemakers to an initiative that was recycling vegetable matter for fuel. It wasn’t like a TV awards ceremony where people thanked everyone from their agent to the person who took them to school when they were five; here people were sometimes brusque to the point of incomprehension, but everyone looked really pleased. It was heartwarming to watch. One farmer couldn’t speak, receiving his award whilst blinking back tears.

‘Highly unusual,’ I whispered to Jamie. ‘I’ve learned that true country folk are usually as tough as winter ground.’

‘What, like me?’ he said, with a rueful grin that pierced my heart.

The agricultural section finished and they began to play a succession of snapshots of the heritage projects, including one featuring a drone shot of Stonemore executed by George.

‘It looks fab,’ I said to Jamie.

‘Do not tell him that,’ he whispered.

Fi arrived back at the table just as they were reading out the nominations for our award. ‘Just in time,’ I said to her, with a smile. She tried to smile back, but I could see immediately that something was wrong. Jamie had turned away, watching the stage.

‘What’s up?’ I whispered.

She looked at me, her eyes shining with tears. ‘I’m bleeding,’ she whispered.

‘And the winner is, the Stonemore Estate First Steps Rewilding Project!’

Applause rang in my ears. Jamie turned to look at me, smiling as he rose to his feet. Then he saw my face, and Fi’s, and the smile faded to a frown.

‘You go,’ I mouthed to him. With a curt nod, he turned and weaved his way through the other tables to get the award. My neighbour nudged me and congratulated me. I stretched my mouth into a smile – somehow, without any thought, I found myself thanking him. On the other side, I clutched Fi’s hand, clammy and trembling, in my own.

Jamie’s speech may not have been the shortest on record, but it was a close thing. I didn’t catch a single one of the handful of words he said. Then he bounded back down through the applauding guests.

‘What’s happening?’ he said.

I explained as quickly as possible. ‘We have to get her to hospital – now.’

I held Fi tight in the back seat as we sped through the London streets, Jamie driving with a set jaw. She wept against my shoulder and I couldn’t bear to feel how much she trembled in my arms.

‘It’s going to be okay,’ I said, again and again, absorbing her shivering as Jamie dialled Richard on the hands-free.

‘Hi?’ Richard’s voice in the car, innocent and curious, sent Fi into a volley of sobs. ‘Hush, hush, hush,’ I said to her, as though she was a child.

‘Richard, it’s Jamie. You’d better get back here. I’m driving Fi to hospital. She’s bleeding.’ Jamie spoke crisply,definitely. When a cab pulled out in front of him, he put his hand on the horn.

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