Page 51 of All Wrapped Up
The sudden drop in temperature, and consequently increased vibrant change in the colour of the leaves, had got practically everyone in the mood for what was to come and there wasn’t now a spare stall to be had on the forthcoming market and tickets for the few events which were already available to buy were selling well, too.
‘Oh, my goodness!’ I laughed, when I arrived at The Cherry Tree Café in a very merry mood and found a table full of crafters determinedly focused on crocheting yet more autumn leaf shaped bunting to decorate the square with. ‘It’s beginning to look like a set from Stars Hollow out there! And in here, too!’ I added, as Joanne held up a length of the vibrant red, yellow and orange leaves for me to admire.
‘It really does,’ she beamed, in agreement. ‘Though Jemma is no Luke.’
I laughed all the more when she said that, because the Wynbridge café queen was absolutely nothing like the guy from Gilmore Girls who owned the diner there.
‘I’ve just noticed that the majority of shopkeepers have now papered their windows so we can’t see how they’ve decided to decorate,’ I said excitedly, with a nod back out to the square. ‘Is that something they do at Christmas, too?’
‘It is,’ Lizzie told me. ‘And I’m over the moon that they’re so willing to go all in for the autumn festival as well. The paperstarted going up earlier in the week as a result of the brilliant article in the local press.’
‘You did well to secure that, Clemmie,’ Joanne added, making me feel proud. ‘It hit the right note and, having heard so many more people talking about the festival now, I know it’s really helped spread the word.’
I had managed to keep myself and my role out of the limelight during the telephone interview and had focused solely on the businesses that were supporting and taking part in the festival and it had all come across in print wonderfully well. I hadn’t enjoyed the best relationship with the press in the past. When Callum died, their interest in me bordered on intrusive, so this latest positive experience had restored my faith a little.
‘Well,’ I said, tapping the festival notebook which was now fit to burst with extra bits of paper and constantly within my sight, ‘you know me, don’t you? If I’m doing something, then I’m doing it right!’
I had meant the comment to be light-hearted, but the look it elicited from the two women suggested that it had provoked a train of thought that I hadn’t intended. For the time being at least, I didn’t want either of them thinking about me in any capacity other than that of festival organiser and I braced myself to field any awkward questions that my unguarded reference to them knowing me might subsequently evoke.
‘Fliss from Fenview Farm was in earlier,’ Jemma then said as she came out of the kitchen, spotted me and thankfully put us back on the festival track. ‘She told me there’s just one pair of tickets left for their Autumn Feast Night nowandthat the family event is going to be full to capacity soon, too. I think she’sgoing to get in touch with you about the possibility of adding more dates, Clemmie.’
‘She’s already called,’ I told her. ‘I just need to update the schedule online and make an extra poster to advertise what else she’s got planned.’
‘That’s fantastic.’ Lizzie clapped.
‘And I’ve just been to the library and Kay, the manager, told me the autumn book club is completely oversubscribed,’ I carried on keenly, ‘so they’re having to order in more books from further afield to meet demand.’
‘Oh, my goodness.’ Jemma laughed. ‘And there was you doubting the festival’s appeal just a couple of weeks ago.’
‘I know,’ I said, shaking my head in disbelief, ‘and now I’m really having to focus to keep up with the way it’s all snowballing.’
‘That’s the wrong season.’ Joanne winked. ‘Brilliant though. And don’t forget, you’ve got your lovely festival assistant, Ash, to help you. I hope he’s pulling his weight.’
We’d barely been in touch since our trip to the library, but that was down to me rather than him and I chose my next words with care.
‘Don’t worry about Ash,’ I said casually, as I walked over to the cake counter. ‘I’m managing fine on my own so far, but I’ll make good use of him once we’re launched. I’m going to try and attend as many of the events as I can myself, but I’m hoping he’ll be able to check out any that I can’t make.’
I also hoped that would stop Joanne from thinking that we were joined at the hip and would be working the entire festival in tandem. Assuming that she was.
‘But I thought you were already working on it all together?’she pointedly said and I knew I had been right to emphasise that we’d each be doing our own thing.
‘I’m managing fine,’ I said firmly. ‘And don’t forget: Ash has extra family commitments to factor in now. His nan hadn’t had her stroke when he promised to help, had she?’ I knew he had shared the news, so I wasn’t speaking out of turn. ‘And as I can cope, there’s no need to put him under more pressure at such a personally difficult time, is there?’
‘I suppose not,’ Joanne agreed after a moment’s deliberation.
‘I know I originally said I’d only take the festival on if I had help,’ I continued, hoping to further hammer the message home, ‘but so far there hasn’t really been more work than one person can handle and Ash didn’t know his time was going to be even further stretched than it was before, so we can’t expect more of him now.’
‘That’s true.’ Jemma nodded. ‘And you really are managing everything, Clemmie?’
‘Yes.’ I smiled. ‘It’s a lot, but it’s all fine.’
‘Ash’s nan is out of hospital now though, isn’t she?’ Joanne commented. ‘And living with his mum and dad, so he’ll probably have more time for you again soon.’
I ignored that.
‘And what about your family, Clemmie?’ asked Lizzie, switching to another topic I wasn’t keen to expand on as Jemma headed back to the kitchen.
‘Mine?’
