Page 16 of Merrily Ever After
‘I’ll leave you to it,’ said Abigail coolly.
I clambered out of the lace dress and into a fitted velvet dress and matching coat.
Once again, Abigail came to have a look.
‘This one’s nice,’ I said, giving her a twirl. ‘I feel a bit like Mary Poppins, I could wear some little button-up boots to match.’
Abigail clasped her hands together. ‘That would look fabulous. You have good taste. This dress is one of my particular favourites, it’s very sought after.’
‘Of course it is,’ Nell murmured under her breath.
I pondered my reflection. It was a lovely outfit and fitted the bill. If I bought it now, that would be a big weight off my mind.
‘Thank you, we’ll think about it,’ said Nell to Abigail, tugging the curtain closed.
‘I think this one is fine,’ I commented, giving myself one last look before unbuttoning the coat.
‘Exactly,’ she said briskly, putting the coat back on its hanger. ‘Which is why you’re not buying it. Fine is adequate, it’s like saying this one will do and that’s not enough. This is your wedding dress, it has to be perfect. You’ll know when you see it. It’ll stop you in your tracks. You’ll get all emotional and goosepimply. Trust me. This dress will not be coming with you up the aisle.’
‘OK,’ I said meekly.
Ten minutes later I was dressed, and we were back out in the street. It was almost five o’clock, darkness had fallen while we’d been in the bridal boutique, and it was bitterly cold. Both of us were wrapped in hats, gloves and scarves, but we still huddled together, arm in arm, for warmth. This week, the temperature had plunged so low that it was probably even too cold to snow.
‘Where next?’ Nell asked, as we wandered through the streets of Bakewell. ‘More shopping, more fizz, or home?’
‘Home, I think,’ I replied, picturing a roaring fire and an evening snuggling up with Cole. ‘Thanks for today. I had fun.’
‘Me too. Sorry you didn’t find a dress,’ said Nell. ‘But I’m glad you didn’t make any rash decisions to buy the first one which fitted you nicely.’
‘You know, maybe I will order a few dresses online just to— Oh!’ My feet came to an abrupt halt as something in a shop window caught my eye. ‘Look!’
‘What’s the matter?’ Nell looked at me sharply to see why I’d yanked on her arm. She followed my gaze to the window. ‘Wow.’
We were directly in front of a vintage clothing store which I’d been in several times before. It hadn’t crossed my mind to try here for a wedding dress. But in the window was a mannequin dressed in the most beautiful gown I’d ever seen. It was a soft cream with hints of gold thread running through it, there was a beaded lace bodice which tapered to a point at the front, long sleeves, slightly puffed at the shoulder and a long floor-length silk skirt edged in lace.
I stood there, frozen to the spot, unable to drag my eyes away from the dress as the door opened, and a woman came out. Her face was obscured by her hat and scarf, and she was holding a large cardboard box in front of her. She noticed us looking in the window.
‘It’s a beauty, isn’t it?’ she said. ‘You can’t beat vintage for elegance.’
‘It’s perfect,’ I replied, a lump forming in my throat. ‘It’s exactly what I was looking for.’
‘The original bride it was made for was married for over sixty years; you’d never tell it was that old though.’ The woman’s phone began to ring from the depths of her shoulder bag, and she moved away to answer it.
‘If you believe in omens, staying married for that long has got to be a good one,’ said Nell, peering to read the price tag. ‘Are you going to see if it fits?’
‘It’ll fit.’ I rubbed at my arms, shivering despite my thick coat. ‘I’ve got goosepimples.’
She raised an eyebrow. ‘And you know what that means.’
I grinned. ‘It means I’m about to say yes to the dress.’
Chapter Six
Emily
10 NOVEMBER
‘Ooh, I’ve got something for you,’ Violet said, raising her finger as if a thought had just struck her. Violet was a larger-than-life lady with an eye for colour, which explained the fact that her name matched her hair, and she was currently wearing a fuchsia floor-length Afghan coat over her jeans and jumper. ‘Now, where did I put it? Bear with me, I’ll nip in the back and look. Won’t be a jiffy.’
