The Winter Wedding by Abby Clements Read Free Book Online Page B

hardly your fault.’
    ‘No, but it doesn’t seem right. It really doesn’t. I can see how much everyone there respects you and your work.’
    ‘This stuff happens,’ I said, ‘It’s starting to dawn on me that maybe, in spite of what she’s said, it kind of suits Emma having me where I am.’
    ‘She seems to rely on you a lot.’
    ‘She’s been going through a difficult time.’ And it had been going on for nearly a year, I thought. I didn’t want to dwell on the topic much longer. I wanted to try and
stay positive about it all. ‘How are you settling in, anyway?’
    ‘It’s good,’ Amber said. ‘In some ways not that different really, given that Tim and I have been working together for years. People seem nice. Money’s crap, of
course, but nothing new there.’
    ‘Yep. And there are perks, obviously . . .’ I said, the same thing I’d been saying to myself since I started.
    ‘Yes. Of course,’ Amber said.
    ‘But it would be nice not to have to get Value orange juice once in a while, maybe splash out on a top that wasn’t from H&M?’
    ‘Exactly.’ She nodded, laughing. ‘And sometimes I wonder if it might be fun to do something else, on the side. Talking of that, how’s the wedding planning
going?’
    Amber had caught me more than once, the glow of my iPad still strong at two or three in the morning as I scoped out venues and dresses for Lila’s wedding. Even with the late notice,
I’d found a couple of really interesting places where ceremonies could be conducted – the one my heart was set on was the ballet school where she’d first had dance lessons. I was
waiting to hear back from them on availability.
    ‘I’m sure you’ll do a brilliant job,’ Amber said, taking the wooden spoon from the mixture and passing it to me. I dipped my finger into the remaining mixture and tasted
it – indulgent and sweet, with layers of flavour. Pretty near perfect. I nodded my approval. I thought of what she’d just said and felt the sudden weight of responsibility.
    ‘Thank you. I’m hopeful I can give her and Ollie the wedding they want. But that doesn’t mean I’m not terrified, obviously.’
    Amber smiled warmly, and I started to laugh. As I did, I felt the tension that had been building up over the past week start to slip away. And the flat – maybe, just maybe, it was starting
to feel like home again.
    The following Friday night, I went around for dinner at Ollie and Lila’s mews house, a short walk from my place, down the main street and then onto a cobbled alleyway. I
knocked on the door and Lila ushered me inside. Ollie’s place had always been nice, even when Ollie was living there with his best friend – and soon to be best man, Eliot, and the only
real furniture they had was a black faux-leather sofa. But with Lila’s decorative touches, it had turned into a beautiful, stylish home. Lila had decorated the living room with black and
white prints of her favourite ballets and musicals, and cornflowers in antique apothecary bottles on the window sills and open shelving added a splash of colour.
    Ollie dished up sea bass with a mango and watercress salad. ‘Here you go, Hazel. Thanks for stepping in and saving us, by the way.’
    ‘It’s a pleasure,’ I said, with a smile.
    Lila passed me the guest list to look over. ‘Here are the people we want to invite.’
    ‘This is final?’ I asked them, taking a sip of cool white wine as my eyes drifted over the long list of names.
    ‘Oh, and the other side too,’ Lila said, pointing to the paper.
    I flipped it over to see another half-page of names.
    ‘It’s practically final, yes.’ Ollie said. ‘Eliot you know, right?’
    I nodded. I’d met Ollie’s best man a couple of times, and he happened to work at the same city bank as Ben. I still found it slightly mind-boggling, how a city could be so big, and
so small at once.
    ‘Well he and his fiancée Gemma will be on the top table too. You said you might want to add a