Page 39 of A Summer Wedding at Pennycress Inn
Laughing, Ellie placed her mug down again and pushed her books and boards to the other end of the table as Jackson approached with her breakfast. ‘Sorry.’
‘Haha, it’s just another meeting I have to try to get through without any eye contact with the lovely Miss Cooke.’ Jackson lowered the plate in front of her. ‘She always seems to pick on me to help out with the sound system or some other thing.’
‘Ooh, this looks and smells absolutely delicious. Thank you.’ Ellie’s stomach grumbled as she picked up her cutlery. ‘I have noticed that. Not that she even needs a sound system, her voice could penetrate the loudest rave music.’
‘Not that anyone dares to even whisper whilst she’s talking for fear of being called out.’ Jackson chuckled.
‘Exactly.’ Ellie shook her head.
‘I’m going to head out now. Laura and Nicola are about if you need anything though.’ Jackson quickly wiped down the work surface before hanging up the tea towel.
‘Okay, thanks. And thank you again for this.’ Ellie bit down on a forkful of French toast, the tastes an explosion in her mouth. Jackson really was an amazing chef. He still wouldn’t be cooking his own wedding breakfast, though. Never mind how fantastic the food would be.
Just as she was about to take another bite, the shrill ringtone of her mobile filled the kitchen. Looking down at it, she dropped her fork, letting it clatter onto the plate below.
It was Melissa. Melissa was calling her in response to that stupid email she’d sent.
What did she do? Answer it? Ignore it and let voicemail pick it up? Picking the mobile up carefully, she held it in front of her and chewed on her bottom lip. Melissa was either ringing to accept Ellie’s apology for telling Fiona about Melissa’s husband’s affair or to have a go at her – and she had a feeling she knew which.
She hit the answer button and lifted it cautiously to her ear. ‘Hello?’
‘Ellie! I received your email and, no, I will not be accepting a truce. I can’t believe you’d stoop so low as to blurt out to Fiona something I had shared with you in confidence.’ Melissa’s tone was clipped, low and angry.
‘I… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…’ Ellie traced the pattern around the edge of the plate with her forefinger. What was she doing? Why was she grovelling for forgiveness? Melissa obviously didn’t feel any guilt for almost ruining Ellie’s career. Steadying her voice, she tried again. ‘I really am sorry for telling Fiona what I did, but what you’ve done to me, the accusations you’ve made…’
‘That’s it then. Just as I assumed. You told her in retaliation.’ A hollow laugh erupted down the phone line.
‘No, I… It just slipped out. Fiona said…’ She was doing it again, she was grovelling, making excuses, trying to explain herself to someone who owedherthe apology.
‘Well, if you think…’ After a pause, Melissa’s tone suddenly changed as though someone else had entered the office. ‘I don’t believe we need to continue this conversation. In case you’re not aware, if I were you I wouldn’t attempt to contact any suppliers to All Things Love again.’
Widening her eyes, Ellie found her voice again. She’d been right. ‘Youhavespread rumours about me, then?’
Being met with silence, Ellie pulled the mobile away from her ear. Sure enough, Melissa had hung up. She supposed at least she had the confirmation she’d needed now. She was wasting her time trying to ring round the suppliers she’d worked with for years, people she thought would have known her better than to believe the lies Melissa had spread about her.
Slowly placing her mobile face down on the table in front of her, Ellie watched her shaking fingers before taking a deep breath and steadying them. She could so easily let that short conversation with Melissa unnerve her again, reignite the doubts about whether she could do this on her own, but surprisingly, it felt like some sort of closure. She and Melissa would never be anything resembling friends again and there would be no truce, but at least she knew where she stood now. She also knew not to waste another minute ringing any suppliers she’d worked with before.
No, she needed to make new connections. This was a fresh start in her career.
22
‘Thank you for checking.’ Blast, she was literally running out of ideas for florists. That was another one who had turned her down. And she hadn’t even worked with them before. Would Melissa really have spread her lies further afield? She hadn’t said she had, but right now Ellie wouldn’t put anything past her.
‘Stop.’ Ellie spoke quietly and took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders back. She just needed to keep trying. She’d find a company who could help. She would. Besides, at least thanks to Murray she had a lead with the caterers. She was just waiting for Ruby to ring her back.
Hearing a thud behind her, Ellie twisted in her chair and grinned as she watched Murray lay another length of wood onto the decking. He was back! Pushing her chair back, she stood up and smoothed down her shirt. She’d chosen a deep emerald green today as she remembered Murray had always told her that green suited her, that it brought out the colour of her eyes.
Not that she was dressing to impress him. Not at all, she’d merely remembered after speaking to him last night. Nothing else.
As she walked towards the French doors, Murray clocked her and looked up, a lopsided grin spreading across his face as he stepped forward and held it open for her.
‘Morning.’ His eyes lingered on her as she stepped out onto the decking before he closed the door again.
‘Hi, thanks again for coming round last night. I really enjoyed it.’ She walked towards the railing of the decking and leaned her elbows on it, looking out across the garden as a bushy-tailed squirrel climbed the willow.
‘No, thank you. I enjoyed myself too.’ Stepping over the wood and tools scattered across the decking, he came to stand next to her.
Ellie glanced down at her arm. His elbow was touching hers, and he’d made no move to shift. ‘I… umm… sorry if I was a bit weird.’
