fire and were soon discussing what they could do for the Boracic Bride from the farm.
‘I’m not letting that dress go for half nothing,’ said Lindy firmly. ‘Even to please my mum.’
‘Totally agree!’ said Beth. ‘That’s going on eBay as soon as we can get it properly photographed.’
‘We’ll find BB another dress,’ said Lindy.
‘Brigitte Bardot?’ asked Rachel, confused.
‘Boracic Bride,’ said Lindy. ‘I was just playing around with names. You know, rhyming slang – boracic lint, skint.’
‘No,’ said Beth. ‘It’s too negative and reminds me of sprouts. Vintage Weddings is a much better name.’
‘Oh, OK,’ conceded Lindy.
‘She’s right,’ said Rachel. She frowned. ‘I do have to say I am really worried about getting the hall painted in time. By the time we’ve washed the walls, and all that woodwork in the rafters, sanded it—’
‘We’ll have to do our best,’ said Beth firmly. ‘And remember that we can cover up the rafters with things and go back and do the job properly afterwards.’
‘But people never do. They always say, “We’ll put up with this for now,” but they never go back and do it right.’
Beth put a calming hand on Rachel’s. ‘But they don’t have you to make sure it gets done properly eventually.’
Beth was very good with people, Lindy noted, seeing Rachel smile and look slightly less stricken.
Rachel got to her feet. ‘Can I get us some wine? I need help if I’m going to get over the thought of getting that hall looking OK in time.’
Just then Raff appeared.
‘Evening, ladies. Rachel?’
Lindy saw Rachel blush and hoped fervently it was just embarrassment and not because she fancied Raff.
‘How’s that wood burning?’ Raff was focusing entirely on Rachel.
‘Er – fine! Good!’
‘Pushing out lots of heat, then?’ went on Raff.
‘Oh yes,’ Rachel said, ‘lots of heat.’
‘Good.’ Raff continued to look at Rachel.
‘Yes?’ said Rachel, getting pinker with every moment.
‘You never bought me that drink.’
Rachel smiled as if with relief. ‘And isn’t this the perfect opportunity? I’m just going to the bar. What can I get you?’
He shook his head. ‘Too easy. Besides, I can tell you girls are working.’
‘We wouldn’t mind you joining us, just for a short time,’ said Rachel, sending a wild look in the direction of the other two.
Raff shook his head. ‘Nope. I want you to ring me up and ask me out for a drink at a time that’s convenient for both of us.’
Rachel shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t do that.’
‘Why? Have you lost my number?’
‘No,’ said Rachel. ‘I didn’t lose it. I tore it up into little pieces.’
Lindy wasn’t sure what she was expecting him to do when he heard this but Raff laughed and she sensed respect in his expression.
Beth also seemed to be smiling behind her hand.
‘Well,’ he said, producing a card. ‘Let me give it to you again. And if you don’t ring me and ask me for a drink you’ll owe me for a load of wood.’ And he moved off.
Rachel sat down and stuffed the card into her pocket. ‘Did you ask your mum how much a load of wood costs? Then I can just pay him. I’d so much rather.’
Lindy shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, I forgot.’
Rachel sighed. ‘I’ll get the drinks,’ she said. ‘Will wine still cut it? Or do we need vodka?’
Lindy laughed. ‘You’re the one who needed alcohol to calm your nerves.’
When Rachel came back with a bottle of wine and some glasses, Lindy said, ‘You haven’t actually lit your wood-burner yet, have you?’
Rachel bit her lip. ‘’Oh, God, is it that obvious?’
Lindy chuckled. ‘’Course not! I just guessed.’
‘I don’t know how to light a fire,’ said Rachel. ‘I’m so embarrassed. I move down from London to live the country life and I don’t even know the basics.’
‘You need something to light it with,’ said Beth. ‘I only learnt how to light one when I was really
‘I’m not letting that dress go for half nothing,’ said Lindy firmly. ‘Even to please my mum.’
‘Totally agree!’ said Beth. ‘That’s going on eBay as soon as we can get it properly photographed.’
‘We’ll find BB another dress,’ said Lindy.
‘Brigitte Bardot?’ asked Rachel, confused.
‘Boracic Bride,’ said Lindy. ‘I was just playing around with names. You know, rhyming slang – boracic lint, skint.’
‘No,’ said Beth. ‘It’s too negative and reminds me of sprouts. Vintage Weddings is a much better name.’
‘Oh, OK,’ conceded Lindy.
‘She’s right,’ said Rachel. She frowned. ‘I do have to say I am really worried about getting the hall painted in time. By the time we’ve washed the walls, and all that woodwork in the rafters, sanded it—’
‘We’ll have to do our best,’ said Beth firmly. ‘And remember that we can cover up the rafters with things and go back and do the job properly afterwards.’
‘But people never do. They always say, “We’ll put up with this for now,” but they never go back and do it right.’
Beth put a calming hand on Rachel’s. ‘But they don’t have you to make sure it gets done properly eventually.’
Beth was very good with people, Lindy noted, seeing Rachel smile and look slightly less stricken.
Rachel got to her feet. ‘Can I get us some wine? I need help if I’m going to get over the thought of getting that hall looking OK in time.’
Just then Raff appeared.
‘Evening, ladies. Rachel?’
Lindy saw Rachel blush and hoped fervently it was just embarrassment and not because she fancied Raff.
‘How’s that wood burning?’ Raff was focusing entirely on Rachel.
‘Er – fine! Good!’
‘Pushing out lots of heat, then?’ went on Raff.
‘Oh yes,’ Rachel said, ‘lots of heat.’
‘Good.’ Raff continued to look at Rachel.
‘Yes?’ said Rachel, getting pinker with every moment.
‘You never bought me that drink.’
Rachel smiled as if with relief. ‘And isn’t this the perfect opportunity? I’m just going to the bar. What can I get you?’
He shook his head. ‘Too easy. Besides, I can tell you girls are working.’
‘We wouldn’t mind you joining us, just for a short time,’ said Rachel, sending a wild look in the direction of the other two.
Raff shook his head. ‘Nope. I want you to ring me up and ask me out for a drink at a time that’s convenient for both of us.’
Rachel shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, I can’t do that.’
‘Why? Have you lost my number?’
‘No,’ said Rachel. ‘I didn’t lose it. I tore it up into little pieces.’
Lindy wasn’t sure what she was expecting him to do when he heard this but Raff laughed and she sensed respect in his expression.
Beth also seemed to be smiling behind her hand.
‘Well,’ he said, producing a card. ‘Let me give it to you again. And if you don’t ring me and ask me for a drink you’ll owe me for a load of wood.’ And he moved off.
Rachel sat down and stuffed the card into her pocket. ‘Did you ask your mum how much a load of wood costs? Then I can just pay him. I’d so much rather.’
Lindy shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, I forgot.’
Rachel sighed. ‘I’ll get the drinks,’ she said. ‘Will wine still cut it? Or do we need vodka?’
Lindy laughed. ‘You’re the one who needed alcohol to calm your nerves.’
When Rachel came back with a bottle of wine and some glasses, Lindy said, ‘You haven’t actually lit your wood-burner yet, have you?’
Rachel bit her lip. ‘’Oh, God, is it that obvious?’
Lindy chuckled. ‘’Course not! I just guessed.’
‘I don’t know how to light a fire,’ said Rachel. ‘I’m so embarrassed. I move down from London to live the country life and I don’t even know the basics.’
‘You need something to light it with,’ said Beth. ‘I only learnt how to light one when I was really
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