Page 15 of All Wrapped Up
‘Well,’ I swallowed, hoping her knowledge of my ability to create a pretty grid online hadn’t meant she’d overestimated my capabilities in the real world, ‘let’s hope you’re right.’
‘I am right,’ she said emphatically, then chuckled. ‘So,’ she smiled, ‘you and Ash.’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Me and Ash. Two reasonably new locals stepping up to run the festival and potentially becomingfriendsin the process.’
She laughed at the emphasis I put on the platonic description.
‘He’s already told me how frustrated he got with Joanne trying to set him up,’ I warned her, ‘so I hope you haven’t got any silly ideas about us, Lizzie.’
‘Me?’ she gasped as if butter wouldn’t melt.
‘Because you know, neither of us is looking for a partner.’
‘But you are single?’
‘I am,’ I clarified. ‘And I have absolutely no desire for that to change.’
‘Well, don’t panic,’ she grinned. ‘Jemma and I have already told Joanne to butt out and I’ll be telling her again now because the last thing I want is her upsetting the autumn aficionado and her sidekick.’
‘That’s all right then.’ I nodded graciously.
With any luck that would be the end of that.
‘Now, come on,’ Lizzie then suggested. ‘Let’s go to the pub to celebrate!’
I hadn’t been to The Mermaid before and a trip to the pubhadn’t been on my radar when I left the cottage to tell Lizzie what I had decided, but in the spirit of embracing rejoining the human race and knowing I would be meeting lots of locals in the weeks to come, I decided to go with the flow and rather nervously walked with her across the square.
‘What can I get you?’ she asked, as we crossed the threshold of the surprisingly busy, traditional looking pub.
‘A lemonade with ice, please,’ I requested, as I took in more of the place and its customers. ‘I’ve got to drive home in a bit.’
‘I think I’ll join you,’ Lizzie agreed. ‘The workshop this afternoon was really hard work and if I have a gin now, I’ll be asleep by dinnertime.’
We walked over to the bar and Lizzie introduced me to the woman serving.
‘Clemmie, this is Jeanie, Jeanie, this is town newcomer, Clemmie.’
‘I’m pleased to meet you.’ Jeanie smiled at me. ‘Welcome to Wynbridge. How are you finding it so far?’
‘So far, so good.’ I smiled back. ‘I haven’t explored all that much of it yet, but what I’ve seen is lovely.’
‘Clemmie has been renovating Rowan Cottage,’ Lizzie elaborated.
‘That’s the place down Lark Drove, isn’t it?’ Jeanie frowned.
‘That’s right,’ I confirmed.
‘But that’s been getting done up for ages,’ Jeanie commented, looking quizzically at me. ‘How come you’re only just finding your way into the pub now?’
‘Because she’s been completely focused on doing it up,’ Lizzie said on my behalf.
I wasn’t surprised that Jeanie was curious. I had been locked in my self-imposed purdah for a year and a half, so my sudden appearance and people finding out where I lived, was bound to raise a few eyebrows. I needed to prepare myself for that.
‘Fair enough,’ said Jeanie, accepting Lizzie’s answer while pouring our drinks.
‘And now she’s finished transforming the cottage,’ Lizzie further explained, ‘she’s not quite so occupied and is going to have a think about whether there’s enough time to help us put on the autumn festival that Moses had been so keen to develop.’
A gasp from further along the bar met my ears and I appreciated that Lizzie hadn’t announced my decision as a fait accompli. I didn’t know whether that was because she was waiting for Ash to confirm that he could still help or because she was offering me a get out of jail free card if I changed my mind, but I was happy to go along with how she’d put it.
