Page 31 of Finding Love at Roseford Blooms
Lizzie laughed. ‘So chivalry isn’t dead after all.’ She stepped off the dance floor with as much decorum as she could muster, unwilling to make a scene in front of the other wedding guests. ‘But I’ll be fine. I’ll see you.’ Even more glad, now, of the trainers, she strode out of the marquee and into the night.
27
‘What was that all about?’ Finn asked as he approached Simon, his arm still around Lucy. ‘Has the infamous Treloar charm run dry?’
Simon shook his head. ‘I think I just made the biggest cock-up of my life.’
‘I’m sure it can’t be that bad,’ Lucy said soothingly. ‘I mean, you’re not an idiot, Simon.’
‘Jury’s out on that one,’ Simon muttered. ‘And I think I need a drink.’
‘Well, the bar’s still well stocked, so you’re in luck there,’ Finn replied. Simon saw him glance at Lucy, and a line of communication passed between them.
‘I’ll, er, just go and try to prise Megan away from the cupcake stand before she makes herself sick,’ Lucy said. She touched Simon’s arm as she passed. ‘It’ll be all right, Simon.’
‘Come on,’ Finn said. ‘Let’s get those drinks.’
A few minutes later, Simon had the remnants of a bottle of Krug and Finn had grabbed himself a non-alcoholic beer. They settled themselves at a table, far away enough from the disco so they could hear themselves think, and Simon, after a good slug straight from the bottle of champagne, sighed.
‘I don’t know why I pulled away from her,’ he said. ‘She’s gorgeous, and funny, and she’s single. What the fuck is wrong with me?’
‘If it didn’t feel right, then there’s no point pushing things,’ Finn said. He took a sip from his beer bottle. ‘You’re only setting her up for heartache later, otherwise.’
Simon shook his head. ‘The stupid thing is, I want to be with her. But then everything started running through my head again: what if it was a mistake? What if it was just too much wine and too much good music?’
‘Man.’ Finn gave a short laugh. ‘I thought I had the monopoly on self-doubt. You take it to a whole new level.’
‘Thanks,’ Simon replied dryly. ‘But the question is, what do I do about it?’
Finn looked him straight in the eye. ‘Go after her,’ he said simply. ‘If you have feelings for her, then tell her. Don’t waste this opportunity.’
‘Easy for you to say,’ Simon replied. ‘You’re shacked up with the love of your life, on the way to the second biggest celebrity wedding of the year.’
‘And you’re just making excuses,’ Finn replied smartly. ‘So, stop talking to me and have this conversation with Lizzie.’
‘I don’t think that’s such a good idea,’ Simon said.
‘And that’s your problem.’ Finn sighed. ‘You need to stop thinking, Simon. It’s a beautiful night, and ten minutes ago you had a wonderful woman in your arms. Get her back.’
Simon took another long gulp of the Krug, for Dutch courage, put the bottle down on the table and stood up. ‘If this backfires, I’m coming back to find you,’ he said, looking down at Finn.
‘Good luck,’ Finn said. ‘Just tell her how you feel.’
Simon exited the marquee, and hurried back towards Roseford Hall’s gates. There were quite a few people sitting on the benches that bordered the manicured lawns of the grounds, chatting quietly. The sounds of relaxed laughter drifted on the humid evening air. Simon raised a hand briefly as a couple hailed him on his way past. He fumbled in his back pocket for his phone, and fired off a text to Lizzie, hoping she’d pick it up. Then, he kept walking towards and through the gates of Roseford Hall.
Heading towards the village centre, he hurried as fast as he could up the street, trying to see if Lizzie was up ahead. She could well be back at Bee’s by now, but he wasn’t sure he was brave enough to face the kindly inquisition from Lizzie’s aunt if Lizzie had told her why she was upset. Upping his pace a little more, he hoped he’d catch her before she got home.
As he approached the village square, his heart, already elevated from the pace, gave a protracted thump at the sight of a figure sitting on the bench by the war memorial.
‘I was hoping to find you before you got back to Bee’s,’ he said gently as he approached the bench.
Lizzie looked up at him, and her face was illuminated by the warm golden glow from the street light. At once he knew that he’d been a complete fool when he’d pulled away from her.
‘I thought about going back to Aunt Bee’s,’ she said quietly, ‘but I wasn’t quite ready to. Not yet.’
‘I’m glad you didn’t,’ Simon said. He gestured to the empty space beside her on the bench. ‘May I? I’d like to talk, if that’s all right?’
Lizzie’s eyes flashed defiantly. ‘I think you made your feelings pretty clear on the dance floor, actually.’
