Winter at Pretty Beach by Polly Babbington (inspirational books txt) 📕

at every part of the plan so it really wasn’t a huge problem, but if Katie had left the hotel on the other side of Pretty Beach at the allotted time then they should have arrived by now she thought, pacing up and down.

Her phone started to ring from inside her bag.

‘Hello. Everything alright at your end?’ She said to Ben who was on the other end of the line.

‘Small problem, Sals, but it’s all under control,’ Ben said calmly but speaking quickly.

‘What? What’s happened?’ Sallie sounded panicked.

‘Well, the car’s been here ages, all ready to go and Katie got in the car and we waited, and waited and it didn’t start. Marty is absolutely mortified. He said it might be something to do with the cold and the engine. The back-up car can get going if we like, but I’ve said we might just get her there another way. I mean it’s not exactly a long journey and with the live streaming and everything I thought it was best to just get on with it.’

‘Oh, no! Poor Katie.’

‘She’s fine - completely in a world of her own and beamed through the whole thing. She’s back in the lobby now with a glass of bubbles and everyone else running around trying to work out a solution. I can bring her over in my car but it’s hardly fancy, is it?’

‘Or Tony?’ Sallie suggested pacing up and down underneath the white umbrella, snowflakes falling and settling all around her feet.

‘I just checked that and he’s on a run in Newport,’ Ben replied, and continued, ‘I thought maybe Holly - she can pop round in her Porsche, you know, it’s an exceedingly fancy car.’

‘Yep, that’ll have to do. We really need to get this show on the road - the snow is coming down thick and fast. Yes, let’s do that. I’ll go and find her right away. Stay there, I’ll text you what’s happening.’

Twenty minutes later and Holly’s black Porsche came gliding around the corner of the lane with Marty in his top hat and tails driving and Ben in the front seat in a navy-blue suit.

As the big, black car approached the gates of the Orangery, Marty pulled carefully over on the now snow filled lane and parked up to the right. He hopped out of the front and opened the back door to Katie as snow flurries fell all around them.

He looked over to Sallie, and mouthed that he was sorry and helped Katie to step down from the car. Katie seemed oblivious to it all - to the car, to the panic, to the weather and was smiling from ear to ear, the tiny little sparkles in her veil catching the light.

Sallie gasped as she stepped out. The dress was even better on Katie than when it had been first delivered from Hong Kong and she’d seen it hanging up in All the Beautiful Brides at Newport Reef. Long, slim fitted silk, cut on the bias, with a beautiful, lace veil reaching to the floor and a tiny white fur cape done up at the front with a diamond clasp. It was simple and elegant and suited Katie’s wispy frame and colouring perfectly.

Katie smiled up at Sallie as Sallie took her arm, holding the umbrella over her and Katie whispered, ‘I can never thank you enough.’ Tears started to fall from her eyes and Sallie pulled a tissue out of the small velvet drawstring bag she had on her arm ready with tissues, a mini can of hairspray, safety pins, powder and lipstick.

‘Now, no crying yet lovely - we’ve to get you along this path safely and into the warm.’

‘Thank you,’ Katie said, wiping under her eyes with the tissue, ‘I’ll walk without the umbrella if you don’t mind - I like the feeling of the snowflakes coming down, it makes it even more special with the snow. I love snow, I always have. I just wish my dad was here too. Do you think I’ll get too wet if I do that?’

Sallie smiled to herself that sweet Katie loved snow too, and looked under the umbrella at the snowflakes floating down, ‘I think you’ll just about be fine - it’s only a few short steps along the pathway.’

Sallie pushed open the gates and Katie saw the Orangery for the first time standing in front of her, the whole place glittering in the late afternoon light, flurries of snow falling from the sky, the lights of the boats bobbing around behind, the huge Christmas tree twinkling from inside.

‘Oh my! It’s beautiful! Oh my!’ Katie’s hand flew to her mouth and she almost dropped her bouquet as she stood absolutely still, gazing at the Orangery with her huge brown eyes as it twinkled with lights. The shimmer from the Christmas tree inside could be seen through the windows.

Sallie patted her gently on the arm and smiled as they both remained there by the Orangery gates, standing under the umbrella in the snow, gazing at the whole, beautiful, glittering scene.

‘Is my hair still okay?’ Katie asked - she had lost all her hair from the chemotherapy and it was only just long enough to hold the veil and flowers.

‘All good - it’s very pretty, Kim did a lovely job of it.’

‘She didn't have a lot to work with! I wasn’t sure how it was going to go.’ Katie patted the back of her hair under the veil.

‘I knew she’d make it work, I had total faith in her - she’s such a pro.’

‘Thank you again, Sallie,’ Katie whispered, tears welling up again.

‘Now come on, stop with the thanks - thank you for being a wonderful bride and for agreeing to be in the content. Now let’s get you into the Orangery and married to your lovely man.’

Chapter 59

Sallie checked with Lucian that everything and everyone was in place. He’d replied in the affirmative - the videographer and her two assistants were ready to roll, he was live streaming the whole