Meet Me at Willow Hall Page 3

  ‘What will you be offering this room for? Wedding breakfasts?’

  ‘Yes. Well, eventually, anyway. It’s not ready, as you can see. This is next on our list.’

  ‘It’s a pity you couldn’t get it ready for today. A lot of people would have liked to have seen it,’ I said, staring up at a huge oil painting of a man riding a horse. It looked like it had been painted centuries ago, but with the bright-blue eyes and chiselled features the man’s resemblance to Anthony and Julian was uncanny. I was just about to say something about it when the door swung open and Anthony stalked in.

  ‘Ah, here you are,’ he said to his brother. ‘What are you doing in here? I thought we weren’t showing anybody in here today.’

  ‘I know, but I’m trying to convince Elena that she wants to get married here this summer.’

  Anthony pulled a face and glanced disdainfully around the room. ‘By showing her this horrible, creepy room?’

  ‘It’s beautiful!’ Elena said, spinning round as though she were a Disney princess. ‘You can really see the possibilities this place has.’

  ‘It would be great for a winter wedding,’ I said, pleased when my voice didn’t squeak or tremble with nerves. I took a few steps forward, feeling awkward, and clasped my shaking hands behind my back.

  ‘I suppose so,’ Anthony said, stiffly. ‘We haven’t used this room for years and years, have we, Jules?’

  ‘No. I can barely remember using it, to be honest. I expect that’s because I’m younger than you by a good few years, though, isn’t that right, Anthony?’ He grinned cheekily at his brother and Anthony laughed.

  ‘Only by three years. Let’s not exaggerate.’

  Julian chuckled. ‘Apparently we used to have family parties in here at Christmastime. It’s a bit big really for general family use, don’t you think? I think we’d all lose each other.’

  Anthony shivered slightly. ‘It gives me the creeps.’

  ‘That’s because it’s so dark. If you pulled open the curtains and uncovered the furniture it would be lovely. Especially with a big Christmas tree and roaring fire.’

  Anthony dipped his head. ‘If you like that sort of thing.’

  I felt guilty then. I knew very well that Anthony hated Christmas because his father had died at Christmastime when he was fourteen. The last thing he needed was me trying to make his childhood home look like a scene from a Christmas card.

  ‘Well, even a bit of sunlight would make all the difference. Just look at these amazing family portraits. Do you know who they all are? This one looks just like you two.’

  Julian laughed. ‘Yes, that’s our great-grandfather. He made his fortune in the shipping business.’

  ‘Oh, really? So you’re not dukes or earls or whatever?’

  ‘No. We don’t have titles.’

  ‘Thank God,’ Anthony muttered. ‘So are you having a winter wedding, Rachel?’ he asked.

  ‘I… no, we don’t have a date yet.’

  Anthony looked surprised. ‘And yet you’re trying on wedding dresses?’

  I blushed. ‘We’re here for Elena today. I was looking for a bridesmaid dress but they didn’t have any in that style.’

  Elena shot me a look as if to say I should be making up loads of wedding details, but I ignored her. I didn’t want to get involved in some elaborate lie. I was uncomfortable enough about the Jayjay thing as it was.

  ‘But I thought you had everything sorted already, Elena?’ Julian said. ‘Are you addicted to wedding fairs or something?’

  ‘Pretty much!’ Elena laughed. ‘We have everything except Rachel’s dress, but I think we’ve got that sorted now, thanks to today. Besides, Rachel’s only just got engaged. It’s all about my wedding right now. We’ll think about Rachel’s after my honeymoon.’ She laughed to show she was joking.

  Anthony smiled. ‘How is Daniel? Well, I hope?’

  ‘He’s great, thanks!’ Elena beamed. ‘We’ve moved into our house together and it’s lovely.’

  ‘Oh, it’s finished then? That’s great!’

  ‘Yes, just a few bits here and there to finish off, but it’s wonderful to be in our own house at last.’

  ‘Excellent! Give him my best wishes. I always liked Daniel.’

  ‘He liked you too. He was gutted when you and Rachel broke up.’

  I felt my cheeks flare and Anthony looked away, obviously uncomfortable with the subject. Julian laughed and slapped his brother on the arm.

  ‘If you and Daniel had such a bromance going, you should have no trouble persuading him to get married here instead of his local golf club.’

  Anthony shrugged. ‘Are you actually thinking about it, Elena? Would you move your wedding to here?’

  ‘I’d love to but I’m not sure how practical it would be. It’s a bit late to reorganise everything now. All the invitations have gone out and it’s a bit cheeky to change the venue on the guests, especially when it’s an hour away.’

  ‘It’s your wedding,’ Anthony said. ‘You should be able to get married wherever you like.’

  ‘Well, I doubt we’d be able to afford it anyway. A place like this must cost a fortune!’

  ‘Not if we do you a deal,’ Julian said. ‘How about you get married here this summer and be our first marriage. If you agree to be photographed and videoed for our website and perhaps featured in a magazine, we could offer the venue for free.’

  ‘For free?’ Elena blinked at him in amazement. ‘Why would you do that?’

  ‘To get publicity, of course. We’re just starting out and we’re pretty desperate to get this up and running. Honestly, you’d be helping us enormously. You’d need to pay for catering and your flowers and stuff like that, but we wouldn’t charge for the use of the hall.’

  My mouth fell open in disbelief. It was an unbelievably generous offer, and I almost wished I really did have a fiancé so I could be their first wedding. It was ironic that my commitment-phobic ex-boyfriend’s family home was now the wedding venue of my dreams.

  Elena laughed. ‘Wow! That’s a good offer.’

  Julian’s eyes lit up. ‘What would you lose? Your deposit? I bet it would still work out cheaper in the long run.’

  Elena grew serious again, chewing her lip. ‘It’s still a bit far for all my guests, though.’

  ‘It’s only an hour from Chester!’ Anthony said over his shoulder. ‘Besides, they could stay over. We have plenty of rooms in the hall and we’re converting the stable block into accommodation.’

  ‘Would it be ready in time, though?’ I looked pointedly around the dusty hall. ‘Elena’s wedding is only four months away. That’s a lot of work.’

  ‘It will be finished by then,’ Julian said. ‘We’re looking at the beginning of July for completion so it would fit nicely with an August wedding. So, as long as you don’t want to get married in this room here, Elena, you’ll be all set.’

  ‘How many guests can you accommodate? Surely not eighty?’

  ‘Not at the moment, but there are a couple of good guesthouses in the village, so I’m sure between us we could manage.’ Julian looked across at Anthony. ‘Our holiday cottages can accommodate four families of five and we also have four double bedrooms within the hall itself, on top of the honeymoon suite. I can show you that now if you’d like to follow me.’ Julian led us towards a door at the opposite end of the room and into a wide, oak-panelled hallway. A large staircase with an intricately carved banister wound its way upwards. Elena and I followed him up to the first floor, with Anthony walking slowly behind us. It felt like all my senses were attuned to him: the thud of his footsteps on the stairs, the squeak of his hand on the polished wooden banister, the sound of his breathing. It made the hairs on the back of my neck prickle and my pulse race.

  The day had taken on a surreal quality. After all this time, how could this be? How could I be walking up the stairs with Anthony? My brain couldn’t process it properly and I kept thinking I must be dreaming.

  We reached the first floor an
d Julian led us along a red-carpeted corridor flanked by doors leading to different bedrooms. ‘Okay,’ he said, when we got to the door at the end. ‘This is the honeymoon suite, and it’s the room Liz and I stayed in on the night of our wedding. This was one of Liz’s first projects so it’s looking pretty good in here.’ The door swung open with a creak to reveal a beautiful cream-panelled bedroom with a king-sized bed. Gold jacquard curtains hung at the huge window, which had sweeping views of the rolling hills and woodland surrounding the hall. ‘As you can see, it’s rather nice. There are tea- and coffee-making facilities on the dresser, and a lovely en-suite bathroom.’

  ‘Ooh, it’s lovely!’ Elena wandered in, looking around her in delight. She seemed entranced by everything she saw and I wondered if there was any possibility that Daniel would agree to move their wedding to Willow Hall. It was clear she loved it and I hoped she wasn’t going to be disappointed if he said no. His dad’s golf club had never been her first choice of venue.

  Crossing to the window, I looked out at the view.

  ‘Yes, Liz designed it all. She wouldn’t let me or Anthony near it. I don’t think she trusts us with the design side.’ Julian laughed as he opened a door next to the bed. ‘Take a look at the en suite. It’s got a roll-top bath!’

  ‘Very nice!’ Elena said, following him into the bathroom, leaving me and Anthony in the main bedroom. I stayed by the window, staring out at the view with my back to Anthony. Even though I couldn’t see him, I could feel his eyes on me. I rubbed the back of my neck. The atmosphere grew hotter and heavier with each minute Elena and Julian were out of the room. They seemed to be taking their time. I could hear them discussing the gold taps and the fluffiness of the towels. Hurry up, for heaven’s sake!

  ‘Do you like the view?’ Anthony’s voice came from just behind me, making me jump. I hadn’t realised he was quite so close. I half-turned before quickly facing the window again, my heart thumping.

  ‘Oh! Yes. Yes, it’s really lovely,’ I said, far too heartily. ‘The whole place is beautiful. You’re so lucky to live here!’

  He laughed and I felt his warm breath on my neck. My knees trembled and I shut my eyes, trying to block him out. ‘There was a time I wouldn’t have agreed,’ he said. ‘But the old place has grown on me over the past year. It’s quite nice to be back.’

  ‘It’s great that you and Julian are back to make a go of things,’ I said, surprised my voice sounded relatively normal when I felt so breathless.

  ‘Yes, well, it was time I grew up and faced up to my responsibilities. I suppose I have the accident to thank for that.’

  I nodded. I didn’t feel like thanking the accident for anything. As far as I knew, we might still have been together now if it hadn’t been for the accident. But perhaps that was another thing he was grateful for. He never had wanted a long-term relationship.

  Elena and Julian emerged from the en suite, still discussing the fixtures and fittings. ‘Where have you booked to stay on the night of your wedding?’ he asked her. ‘A local hotel?’

  ‘No, we’re just going home after the night-do,’ she said, slightly glumly.

  ‘You can’t just go home after you get married!’ Anthony protested. ‘What an anticlimax! It’s supposed to be the most romantic, most memorable day of your life, Elena!’

  I turned to look at him in surprise. Since when did he care where people spent their wedding night? Was it just a sales pitch? A new angle to convince Elena to move her wedding?

  Elena shrugged. ‘It will still be a memorable day. We’ll be really tired anyway, so I don’t suppose it will matter. Besides, we’re going on honeymoon the following day.’

  ‘Where are you going?’ Julian asked.

  ‘Portugal.’

  ‘Lovely. We went to Portugal on holiday the year before last. Where are you staying?’

  Elena began talking about her honeymoon plans but I was so focused on Anthony’s presence that I was unable to follow what she said. Every cell in my body seemed to be straining towards him, like flowers to the sun. I wasn’t sure why I found him so attractive after all this time. I’d spent most of this past year feeling angry with him, so why should seeing him again have such an effect on me? I turned back to the window and stared out at the distant hills and the blue, blue sky. I kept getting wafts of his aftershave, subtly competing with the new-paint smell of the bedroom. I pressed my fingertips to the windowsill, my nails whitening with the pressure.

  ‘Do you have a room where the bride and bridesmaids can get ready beforehand too?’ Elena asked.

  ‘Oh, yes, we’re preparing that at the moment. It’s just down the corridor. Follow me.’

  I turned to follow, only to find myself nose to collar with Anthony.

  ‘Sorry!’ I blurted, backing away instantly.

  ‘My fault. I was just trying to catch a glimpse of something in the garden below. So sorry.’ He stood back to let me pass and I scuttled away, cheeks glowing like distress flares. Oh, God, please let this be over soon, I prayed. It was too awkward and intense.

  The bridal suite, as they called it, was a large cream room, similar to the honeymoon suite, but with a huge dressing table and pewter-framed mirror. I tried my best to focus on what Julian was saying, but my nerves were shredded. The only thing I cared about was the fact that Anthony was leaning casually against the doorframe like some kind of male model.

  ‘Ooh, I like the window seat!’ Elena said, pressing her hand into the cushion, which was still covered in plastic.

  ‘Yes, Liz said it’s a good photo-opportunity.’

  ‘Oooh!’ Elena spun round enthusiastically. ‘And we could stay over the night before? Rachel and I?’

  I swallowed. Was Elena really considering moving her wedding to Willow Hall?

  ‘Of course!’ Julian answered. ‘Guests could stay too. And the groom, of course. Although you’d have to be careful to keep out of sight of him before the wedding.’

  ‘Guest accommodation wouldn’t be free, though,’ Anthony put in with a glance at his brother. ‘Although we would offer it at a reduced rate.’

  Elena nodded. ‘Well, I think you’ve given me plenty to think about. I’ll have to talk to Daniel about it, obviously. I’m not sure… it’s the golf club where his dad goes, you see, so he might not want to change.’

  ‘Well, bring him down and we can convince him. Otherwise, it’s down to you, Rachel.’ Julian turned his blue eyes on me and smiled. ‘You’ve got us excited now and we’re counting on one of you to have your wedding with us here this year.’

  ‘No pressure then!’ I laughed nervously and turned quickly away from Anthony’s gaze. ‘Someone might well book with you today and you won’t need us at all.’

  ‘I doubt it. Most of them are locals who’ve only come to have a good old look around. They don’t really approve of our new venture. They think it will cause too much traffic in the village.’

  ‘I bet the owners of the guesthouse will be happy. And the pub.’

  Julian wrinkled his nose and looked at Anthony. ‘You’d think so, but they’re a bit sceptical. I think most of the villagers think we’re going to fail and sell up anyway. But we’re determined to prove them wrong, aren’t we, Anthony?’

  ‘We are.’ Anthony inclined his head and looked down at his shiny black shoes.

  Julian led us back down the stairs and out of the front door and along a shady gravel path towards the stable block. He kept up a stream of cheerful chatter the whole way, while Elena walked beside him, laughing and looking around her excitedly. It was a relief to be outside. I felt like I could breathe again.

  ‘I’m sorry if I seemed rude when I saw you earlier,’ Anthony said in a low voice as he fell into step beside me. ‘It was just such a shock to see you.’

  ‘Oh, no, you weren’t rude at all!’ I glanced up at him in surprise. ‘It was certainly a shock. I didn’t expect to see you either.’ I swallowed nervously and touched the back of my hair to check it wasn’t falling down. Should I apo
logise for turning up unannounced on his territory? At least I’d known there was a slight possibility he might be here. To him it must have seemed like I’d fallen from the sky. Still, he appeared to be over his shock now and looked quite relaxed, whereas I still felt raw and emotional.

  ‘No, well, I suppose you wouldn’t have expected me of all people to be at a wedding fair, even if it was on my property!’ He gave a rueful laugh. ‘I must admit it wasn’t my first choice of business. I was thinking more along the lines of conference facilities and countryside pursuits. You know, clay pigeon shooting or paintballing. Maybe even a golf course.’ He sighed longingly and I laughed.

  ‘Why didn’t you go for those then?’

  ‘Julian and Liz can be pretty persuasive when they get going. They managed to convince me weddings would be lucrative and probably the least labour-intensive of all the options. I’m not sure I believe that. I think it’s just a line they fed me to get me to agree to it all, and now I’m up to my armpits in wedding paraphernalia!’

  ‘Oh, dear! Is it that bad?’

  He laughed. ‘It hasn’t been so far. It’s been quite satisfying getting the old place looking good again, and Mother’s happy to have us back.’

  I nodded, unable to think of a suitable reply. We’d reached the end of the path now anyway, which had delivered us into the square courtyard of the stable block. Arranged in a U-shape, it was built in the same soft red brick as the house and had been converted into four nice-looking cottages.

  ‘Ooh, these look nice!’ Elena said enthusiastically.

  ‘Yes, and they’ll definitely be ready for August,’ Julian said. ‘Unfortunately, I don’t have the key or I’d show you inside, but you can see through the window that they’re pretty roomy. The roof was high enough for us to put in a mezzanine floor so there are three bedrooms. One to the side and two in the roof. See, plenty of room for your guests. Well, some of them, at least.’