Page 60 of A Summer Wedding at Pennycress Inn
‘A wedding arch?’ Laura’s eyes widened. ‘One of those arches which we can stand beneath during the ceremony?’
‘That’s right. We thought we could cover it in flowers.’ Ellie slipped her hand in Murray’s.
‘Wow, that sounds amazing! Thank you, that would be absolutely perfect please?’ Laura grinned.
‘Consider it done.’ Murray nodded.
Ellie squeezed Murray’s hand just as the sound of the front door of the inn opening filtered through to them, shortly followed by voices and footsteps.
‘I wonder who that is.’ As soon as Laura had stood up to go and find out, Kathy appeared in the doorway. ‘Hi, Kathy.’
‘Hello, all of you.’ Kathy’s eyes landed on Ellie. ‘Eleanor, can I borrow you a moment, please?’
‘Uh, okay.’ Ellie glanced back at Laura and shrugged before pushing herself to standing. ‘Sorry, I won’t be a moment.’
‘That’s it. Come along.’ Stepping forward, Kathy took her daughter’s hand and led her out into the hallway, closing the sitting room door softly behind them.
‘I can’t be too long, Mum. Laura’s nephews and nieces are trying on their wedding outfits, so—’ Ellie stopped talking as she realised they weren’t alone in the large hallway and Miss Cooke was standing beside the reception desk. ‘Hello, Miss Cooke.’
Miss Cooke nodded curtly, opening her mouth to speak before Kathy jumped in.
‘Eleanor, our lovely esteemed mayoress has something to speak to you about. Something I think you’ll be very interested in hearing.’ Kathy gave her daughter’s hand a squeeze before letting go.
Walking across the hallway towards Miss Cooke, her mum just behind her, Ellie frowned. She was so confused. What could the mayoress possibly want to speak to her about? ‘Can I help you with something?’
Miss Cooke shook her head. ‘No, but I think I can help you. Your mother asked me to pass along some information I’ve recently discovered.’
‘Okay.’ Information she’d discovered? Overheard or forced out of someone, more likely. But what could it be? What could Miss Cooke have possibly found out which had anything to do with her?
‘Go on, tell her. She won’t believe me if it comes from me.’ Kathy nodded at her seemingly new bestie, Miss Cooke.
‘Kathy mentioned Melissa may have dismissed you unfairly, so I took it upon myself to do a little digging. As you know, I met Melissa when she organised my nephew’s wedding.’
Ellie nodded. She wasn’t sure if she was more surprised that her mum hadn’t believed Melissa when she’d told her Ellie had made a mistake which had led to the dissolving of their partnership or that Miss Cooke had asked around on her behalf. ‘I wasn’t dismissed. I quit.’
‘Yes, yes.’ Miss Cooke continued. ‘I made a few enquiries, and it appears this mistake was made in regard to an ex-professional footballer’s wedding.’
‘That’s right. Danny McCloud.’ Ellie rubbed her forehead. She could feel the beginnings of a headache forming at the mere mention of the ‘mistake’ she had been blamed for and the consequences and difficulties Melissa’s accusations had caused her as she’d been planning Laura and Jackson’s wedding.
‘Word on the street is that this footballer has taken his business elsewhere.’ Miss Cooke stared at Ellie, presumably waiting for a reaction.
‘Melissa isn’t organising the McCloud wedding anymore?’ Ellie wasn’t sure how she felt about this revelation. Were there going to be yet more consequences for her? Had they left because of the mistake Melissa had passed on as her doing?
‘And I’ve seen the review on that computer page thing.’ Kathy chimed in excitedly as she pulled a large mobile from her handbag and brandished it in the air between them.
‘A review? From Danny McCloud? On the All Things Wedding business page?’ Ellie frowned. She felt as though she was missing something. A large piece of the information puzzle.
‘That’s what I said, the business page.’ Kathy pulled a pair of glasses from her bag before resting them on her nose and tapping away on her mobile.
‘In short, Ellie, the McClouds have left a dismal review on Melissa’s business page. It seems the mistake she blamed you for was only the first in a long run of oversights on her behalf which has resulted in the footballer and his fiancée having to postpone their wedding and take their business elsewhere.’ Miss Cooke looked at her wrist and tapped her watch. ‘Now, I need to be somewhere else.’
‘Right, okay.’ Ellie nodded, the information barely having sunk in. She turned as Miss Cooke reached the front door. ‘Thank you.’
‘You’re welcome. I shan’t have the name of one of Meadowfield’s residents tarnished without reason.’ Miss Cooke pulled the front door open before stepping outside and closing it behind her.
‘Yes, yes. Here you go. That’s the review.’ Kathy shoved her mobile in front of Ellie and tapped the screen.
‘Thanks.’ Taking the large phone, Ellie blinked as she read the comments Danny McCloud had left on Melissa’s page. It was all rather damning.
