Maddy’s Christmas Wedding (Little Duck Pond Cafe #37)

CHAPTER FORTY

It was truly a dream come true. I’d always wanted to feel like a princess on my wedding day. But I’d never in a million years thought I’d find myself sitting beside Dad in such a gorgeous carriage, being carried along the lane to my wedding by two beautiful white horses!

Dad squeezed my hand and smiled and told me he loved me, and I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. I couldn’t reply because I was suddenly too emotional to speak.

He pointed at the marquee, and when I looked, some of the guests had come out of the marquee and were clapping our arrival!

The wedding was beautiful and after all of my promises not to cry and ruin my make-up, I did just that when we read out our vows. (Luckily Jack had found mine on my laptop and printed them out for me.) It was such a special moment. I’d thought I’d be really nervous, but in the end, it felt like it was just the two of us, standing there, saying how we felt about each other.

Afterwards, I had a special moment with Marcus in a corner of the marquee over a glass of champagne. I pretended to tell him off, saying he shouldn’t be drinking, but he smiled and said he was making an exception for today only.

‘You’re an amazing young woman, Maddy.’ I’d never seen Marcus look so serious. His eyes were glistening as he spoke. ‘I don’t know what I did to deserve you in my life. I just know I’ll always be grateful that we found each other.’

I smiled, tears springing to my own eyes. ‘Eventually.’

‘Yes. It only took about a quarter of a century.’

‘Here’s to the next twenty-five years!’

We clinked glasses.

‘I’m warning you, though. I’m going to be keeping a firm eye on you, making sure you don’t do anything you shouldn’t.’ I said it jokingly but I was deadly serious. Marcus was far too precious to me. He had no one else right now looking after him, so that would be my job. ‘And that includes drinking too much of this delicious champagne!’

‘No more after this,’ he promised. ‘I mean it, Maddy. I value life far too much not to follow doctor’s orders.’

‘So you’ll slow down a bit? Is that even possible for you?’

‘Maybe.’ He saw my determined face and laughed. ‘Yes, Maddy. Whatever you say, Maddy. I promise I will endeavour to slow down.’

‘Good.’

‘So proud of you.’ He drew me into a hug. Then he said, ‘Come on. I’m keeping you from your other guests and that won’t do.’

Smiling, we walked over to join Mum and Dad.

*****

The wedding breakfast was truly delicious. Lottie had outdone herself.

By then, it was dark outside. But inside the cosy marquee, fairy lights winked and glowed, and people were up dancing and singing along to the local band Jack had hired for the occasion. Surrounded by all my friends and family, I was truly having the time of my life.

‘Hey, guess what?’ I felt Jack’s arms around me and I turned and kissed him.

‘You love me.’

‘That goes without saying. No, have a look outside.’ He took my hand and drew me over to the door of the marquee.

Snowflakes were falling gently down.

Gasping, I turned my face up to the clear night sky and saw a million stars with white flakes swirling around them like a giant, magical snow globe.

‘I ordered it, of course,’ I told him with a straight face. ‘The snow.’

‘I know you did.’ He grinned. ‘It arrived yesterday. Not this snow. The other snow!’

‘What?’ I stared at him. ‘You mean the snow machine? It actually came?’

He nodded. ‘It was in the neighbour’s garage. He was most apologetic when he brought it round last night.’

‘So he’d taken in our parcel and forgotten it was there?’

Jack nodded and we started to laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of it.

It did seem silly now. I’d been so determined that everything about the wedding should be perfect. Including fake snow! But I knew better now . . .

I smiled at Jack. ‘Who needs fake snow when we have the real thing?’

‘And this is definitely the real thing,’ he growled, and I knew he wasn’t talking about the snow. ‘I’m so lucky to have you, Maddy. You make me very happy.’ He pulled me against him and kissed me so deeply that everything else seemed to fade away, including the snowflakes.

At last, we parted, and Jack smiled and gently brushed snow from my hair.

‘What shall we do with the snow machine?’ he asked solemnly.

‘Save it for July and give the neighbours a fright?’

He chuckled. ‘You know, we haven’t danced enough. I’m going back in and requesting a slow number.’

‘Sounds perfect,’ I said.

And smiling, we walked hand-in-hand back into the marquee to join the dancers . . .

Ellie

26th December