A Winter Wedding at Primrose Hall (Primrose Woods #6)

Epilogue

EPILOGUE

In the darkest, wettest days of January, when Pia was gearing up to get back into the office, after the glorious celebrations of December, Jackson came up with one further big surprise.

‘What on earth have you done now, Jackson?’ she said, looking at him aghast as he waved a couple of tickets to the Maldives in front of her nose. ‘We can’t go gallivanting off to the other side of the world. We need to get back to work. We’ve got a busy season ahead of us and I need to make a start on the arrangements.’

‘There’s nothing that can’t wait for a couple more weeks. Besides, it’s all booked now. It’s our honeymoon, Pia. You can’t possibly deny us that.’

‘But what about the dogs and the animals and…’ Pia felt anxiety grip her tummy at the thought of leaving the hall for an extended length of time.

‘All sorted. Mum and Dad will be here, of course, but Tom is stepping in to look after the estate and the daily care of the animals.’

‘Wow.’ She shook her head. He promised there would be surprises, but she hadn’t expected anything like this. ‘The Maldives, you say?’

For someone who had only ventured as far as the South Coast, the golden sandy beaches and the vibrant blue skies of the Indian Ocean provided a perfect distraction that made it easy for Pia to forget entirely about the demands of her inbox. Despite her reservations, it turned out to be the holiday of a lifetime where they spent their days scuba diving, island hopping, drinking cocktails and lounging in their overwater villa, relishing the intimate time spent together.

As much as she loved the honeymoon, gathering memories that she would cherish forever, she was just as pleased to return home to Primrose Hall. She’d missed Bertie and Teddy far too much, all the animals in fact, and she missed Ronnie and Rex too. Joining them again round the kitchen table at home, for that first cuppa after their holiday for a full debrief, was the highlight of a memorable trip, although she would never have admitted as much to Jackson.

For Pia, home was definitely where her heart was and, back in the fold, she was eager to make a start on planning the calendar for the year. Already she had two weddings to schedule, one for Luke and Rhi, who had opted for the August bank holiday weekend and were planning on a festival theme, making the most of the wild meadows that surrounded the barn, and one for Ronnie and Rex, who, impatient to waste no further time, were married in March in a rumbustious affair that had all their guests rocking and rolling until the early hours of the morning. Ronnie announced that their second wedding was a much classier affair than the first, helped this time around by foregoing the curled sandwiches and instead opting for a sumptuous three-course lunch. She was also delighted to have in place a professional photographer, who took some unblurry snaps for posterity.

As everyone suspected, Tom took to his new role heading up the property-developing business with enthusiasm and confidence, delivering the completion of the Rosewood Farm Cottages on time and within budget. The homes were unrecognisable from the crumbling old buildings that had first greeted Pia and Jackson, transformed into beautiful dwellings for contemporary living. As agreed with Jackson, Tom had first pick on the cottages, and he decided on Harry’s old home, which offered scenic views over the local countryside. The other two properties were rented out to local families, who Jackson knew through his charity work. Tom was already making plans and pricing up their next project, a barn conversion in a neighbouring village.

His relationship with Sophie continued to grow now they were able to spend even more time together, with Tom enjoying cooking and entertaining for her in his new home. Sophie ended up staying over most nights of the week, only going home for the occasional evening and at weekends to work in her studio, where she was developing a new range of products to add to her jewellery collection.

The craft fairs at the stables were as popular as ever with the numbers of visitors increasing significantly on the previous year. Due to demand, Tom had scheduled in another two workshop sessions for later in the year and this time Sophie had no hesitation in signing up again.

As for Pia, she was kept as busy as ever, but she would never have had it any other way. The arrangements were well under way for the classic car show in the summer, with Jackson and Rex determined that they wouldn’t miss out on any of the action this year. Dates were set too for the writing festival, the bonfire night display and the Christmas carols evening. There was another event that had crept onto the calendar too: an Easter Sunday celebration, with an Easter egg hunt for the children, with a chance to meet and get to know the animals of Primrose Hall, which Pia had personally overseen. It had been planned as a low-key family event, but the day had been more successful than they could have hoped. With the sun shining brightly, highlighting the golden hues of the daffodils, it had been a relaxed friendly affair which had brought out all the familiar faces.

Katy and Brad were there with Rosie and Pip, eager to say hello to the animals, Bill and Lizzie came along too, Luke and Rhi obviously, because they would never miss an opportunity to visit the hall, and Pia was always thrilled to see her dear goddaughter Willow with Abbey and Sam, and her gorgeous nephew Freddie with his parents Connor and Ruby.

A minibus with a group from Rushgrove Lodge, including Stella, Reg, Harry, Wendy and Nina, also put in an appearance, with the whole group appreciating and enjoying the delights of Primrose Hall on a sunny afternoon. On their advice and urging, it had already been agreed that the Easter Day celebration would become an annual event on the calendar.

Pia needn’t have worried that marrying Jackson would bring about unwelcome changes to their relationship and the daily life at the hall. With her friends and family, her adored animals and the continuing support of the local community around her, she knew that she was absolutely where she needed to be, with the man she’d loved, ever since she was a teenager, at her side, ready for all the challenges that lay ahead of them.

Pia was delighted to discover that life went on in the same way as it ever did at Primrose Hall. Only, as Mrs Moody and Lady of the Manor, it was infinitely better.