Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange, Jenny Kane [hardest books to read .TXT] 📗

‘You were brilliant.’ Tom launched Dylan up into his arms so he could see Sam and Tina, now man and wife, signing the register. ‘Your mum, Helen and I are very proud of you.’

Dylan hugged his dad as he turned to Helen, who was stood just behind him. ‘I’ve got a new dinosaur. I’ve called him Harold.’

‘An excellent name for a dinosaur.’ Helen met Tom’s eyes, mentally asking if he was alright.

‘Harold’s a Stegosaurus. They were herbivores.’

‘Indeed they were.’ Helen smiled. ‘I look forward to meeting him.’ She was about to tell Dylan how smart he looked, when she saw Tina and Sam turn for a photograph of them signing the registrar. ‘They’re nearly done. Ready to be in lots of photos, Dylan?’

‘Do I have to?’

‘Yes.’ Tom and Helen spoke in unison, before Tom said, ‘I tell you what, why not go and say hello to the chickens? You’ve done your bit for now. I’ll fetch you when it’s time to say cheese. Just no noise okay?’

As Dylan scooted off, Tom grabbed hold of Helen’s hand. ‘There’s lots to tell you later, but for now, I have to say, you look incredibly sexy in that dress.’

*

Shaun stood next to Thea as they watched Sam and Tina pose for the traditional signing of the marriage certificate photograph. ‘I meant it, I’m sorry.’

‘Me too.’ Thea kept looking at his friends. ‘What do we do now though?’

Shaun gingerly reached out, offering her a palm. ‘Maybe we could hold hands for a while?’

Thea’s fingertips met his. ‘A good place to start.’

*

The scones had all gone. Sybil had likened it to witnessing a flock of starving vultures hit a zebra carcass. The speeches, which had been heartfelt and mercifully short, were over and Tina was dying for the chance to relax her smile muscles. Holding Sam’s hand as they moved around the marquee, chatting to their guests, she was relieved when Bea and Charles beckoned them to their table.

As he sat down, Tina muttered, ‘Do you think anyone would notice if I kicked off my shoes? My feet are killing me.’

Bea laughed. ‘Mine have been off for almost an hour!’

‘Well done, Mum.’ Sam sank down, keeping Tina’s hand in his. ‘Having a good day?’

‘Wonderful!’ Bea clapped. ‘Great weather, lovely people, amazing food and we’ve seen our son marry a fabulous girl. What more could we ask for?’

Tina blushed her thanks as Charles raised his glass in their direction, before adding, ‘And a fabulous location. We’re sorry if we caused you some anxiety about the venue.’

‘Forget it.’ Sam waved the point away. ‘You’re here, and even the chickens got to watch.’

Bea smiled. ‘The walled garden is beautiful.’

Tina rubbed her right foot as she said, ‘It’ll look even better later. We’ve rigged some fairy lights up over the remains of the greenhouse. When it’s just us, family and close friends here for supper, then we’ll light it up.’

‘Talking of the greenhouse,’ Charles exchanged a nod with his wife, ‘brings us to the reason we beckoned you over. Your wedding gift. We want, if you’ll allow us, to pay for the greenhouse to be restored.’

Sam’s mouth fell open as his father continued.

‘We’re sorry we couldn’t work out a way to get it done up as a surprise before the wedding. But we wondered if this might help out instead?’

Tina shuffled close to Sam as he opened the blue Basildon Bond envelope that Charles passed to them.

‘That should cover it, son. If there’s any left over, then it could go towards something else. Architect’s plans for converting the mill into flats or something.’

‘But, Dad…’ Sam’s eyes met his father’s. They both knew he hadn’t referred to his father as “dad” for a very long time. ‘I mean, both of you, this is a fortune, we can’t…’

As Tina saw the amount written on the cheque, her hand came to her mouth. ‘We can’t take that, it’s too much, it’s—’

‘It’s about what we paid to help Sam’s brothers set up homes abroad and for the honeymoons we treated them to.’ Bea took hold of Tina’s hand. ‘Anyway, you make my son happy, there’s no price anyone can put on that.’

Sixty-one

Saturday May 23rd

‘They look so happy.’ Thea perched on the edge of the bench nearest the fortlet.

‘They really do.’ Shaun peered into the woodland before them. The new spring buds on the tree’s branches were bursting into life. ‘We were too, weren’t we? Happy, I mean?’

‘I thought so.’ Thea undid the top lace of her bodice and gave a ragged breath. ‘Just so you know, I’m not trying to seduce you, I just can’t breathe.’

‘Shame.’ Shaun gave a weak smile. ‘I wouldn’t have resisted.’

Knowing she wouldn’t stop him if he helped ease the pressure off her lungs a little more, Thea made herself focus. ‘Why did you walk away when I apologised?’

‘Stupid, plain, boring idiotic pride.’ Shaun placed his palms on his knees and stood up, pacing in front of Thea and the bench. ‘I was so busy feeling sorry for myself after thinking that you could keep anything from me, that I didn’t listen – didn’t want to hear the truth when I heard it, I suppose. If I had a pound for every second I wish I’d got up and followed you into the manor to talk…’

‘Does that make us equal then?’ Thea allowed herself to face Shaun. ‘I wish I’d told you about Julian’s offer and the overheard pub conversation straight away, and you wish you’d spoken to me straight away once I’d issued one in a long line of ignored apologies.’

‘Pretty much sums it up.’ Shaun reached out a hand, relieved when Thea took it. ‘When I finished the excavation in Cornwall in the autumn, when I was blind to Sophie’s infatuation, I promised I’d never be so stupid again.’

‘You did promise.’

‘I broke the promise, didn’t I?’

‘Big time.’ Thea shook her head. ‘I never considered Julian’s offer, you know. Not for a moment.’

Shaun took her other hand. ‘If I’m