Page 18 of A Summer Wedding at Pennycress Inn
‘But I was supposed to be working for you, and I bailed. I walked out of the inn and came home. And although I categorically did not come home to look at old photos of me and Murray, I can understand that must be what it looks like.’ Ellie paused and shook her head. ‘It wasn’t. I came home to find the box in my living room.’
Laura nodded slowly. ‘Murray brought it over?’
‘No, no. I doubt he even knows I still have those photographs and things.’ A short laugh escaped her lips. ‘I didn’t even know. No, Rick, my ex, dropped them off. He must have let himself in whilst I was at the inn.’
‘He let himself in?’ Laura frowned.
Ellie raked her fingers through her hair. She wasn’t making any sense. She knew she wasn’t, but she’d said this much, she couldn’t very well back out of telling Laura now. However unprofessional she would appear. ‘My ex moved out a couple of days ago. He was having an affair, and he and his mistress have just got their new place. They didn’t have anything – furniture, household items, anything. So he took them. Well, most of them anyway. He left the sofa.’
‘He cleaned you out? They just stole everything?’ Laura widened her eyes.
‘Yes, no. It’s not really stealing. I don’t think.’ Ellie shook her head before continuing. ‘His excuse was that I got to renew the tenancy on this place.’
‘Still. That’s terrible. And he was having an affair behind your back too?’
Ellie nodded. She could understand how the situation must look to Laura. And maybe it was that bad. Maybe Rick had been as awful as Laura so clearly thought. Perhaps Ellie just hadn’t had the time to process it. ‘Our relationship broke down months ago, though. We were just living together until the tenancy was up, so, yes, he was technically having an affair, but it might not have started until we’d both known our relationship was on the rocks. That still sounds terrible, doesn’t it?’
‘Yes, it does. I’m so sorry this is happening to you.’
‘It’s okay. But that’s why those photographs were all over the floor. I came back to find the box and didn’t realise what was in it until I started to look.’ Why was she most worried about Laura thinking she still had feelings for Murray? Laura now knew Ellie’s life was in tatters, surely Ellie should be worrying more whether Laura and Jackson decided it would be safer to find someone else to plan their wedding rather than entrust someone who was clearly going through a complicated time to plan what was supposed to be the best day of their lives. She shouldn’t have said anything. She shouldn’t have blurted out the whole sorry story about Rick, and she certainly shouldn’t have basically just offered to give up her job. Her one and only job. She clasped her hands in front of her and kept her eyes fixed on her shoes. ‘I understand if you’d rather find someone else to plan your wedding.’
‘What? Why would I want to ask someone else?’ Laying her hand on Ellie’s forearm, Laura smiled at her. ‘I can’t imagine trusting anyone else after getting to know you and all the ideas you have.’
‘Oh, I just meant I’m not sure. Well, I am, I just meant that after witnessing my train wreck of a life, I would understand if you couldn’t trust me to plan your big day.’
‘I trust you.’ Laura smiled again.
‘I don’t mean that I can’t do it. I can. I’ve been planning weddings for years now and I’m good at my job, I just mean…’ She faltered. Had Laura already confirmed she trusted her? ‘You do still trust me?’
‘Of course! Why wouldn’t I?’ Laura laughed. ‘Heck, if you saw me behind the scenes at Pennycress some days, you’d wonder how I could continue to run the place. Just because things feel a little off-kilter in our personal lives, it doesn’t mean we can’t do our jobs.’
Ellie nodded, relief flooding through her. ‘Yes, you’re right.’
‘Good. Although, can I make one small suggestion?’ Laura held her thumb and forefinger a few millimetres apart.
‘Yes?’
‘Why don’t you come and do your work at the inn? We finish serving breakfast by half nine, usually earlier, and then the kitchen is all but free, apart from me, Jackson and Nicola flitting in and out. You’re more than welcome to take over one of the tables in there.’ Laura glanced towards the living room behind her. ‘It would save you from working on the sofa or on the floor.’
‘Oh, umm…’
Laura held up a hand, palm forward. ‘No pressure. If you’d rather not, I understand. I just want you to know you’d be more than welcome.’
‘Okay, thank you. I might take you up on that.’ It would make perfect sense. Not just because she wouldn’t be risking her back every time she spent hours hunching over notebooks but also because both Laura and Jackson would be on hand if she had something to ask them or to run a particular detail past them instead of calling or visiting. And Laura seemed genuine in her offer.
‘Great. Well, I’d better get back.’
‘Yes, sorry to have kept you.’ Ellie grimaced. Poor Laura had probably thought she’d only be gone for a few minutes dropping everything off, it wouldn’t have occurred to her she’d have ended up listening to Ellie’s life story. Or parts of it.
‘Not at all.’ Laura pulled her mobile from her pocket and tapped the screen, the time illuminated beneath her fingertip. ‘In fact, with any luck I may just have missed being accosted by Miss Cooke again.’
Ellie laughed as she opened the front door. It wasn’t just her then. ‘Well, thanks again.’
‘No worries. Take care.’ Stepping outside, Laura walked to the gate before glancing back and holding her hand up in a wave.
Closing the door again, Ellie leaned the back of her head against the cool wood. That could have gone so very differently. She needed to focus, and she needed to be more professional. And that started with her working out of the kitchen of Pennycress Inn, that way she could prove to Laura that she could be professional despite what was going on in her private life.
And she’d just have to get used to the idea of Murray being there. He wouldn’t be at the inn long, anyway. A few more days, perhaps.
