Jennifer Joyce - The Wedding that Changed Everything - a gorgeously uplifting romantic comedy

‘Only six?’ I scoff, which makes him laugh. I’m not joking, though. The girl has squeezed eight pairs in there, ranging from sparkly flip-flops to knee-high boots.

‘Will you be okay from here?’ His phone has started to ring as we reach the entrance hall and he’s pulling a face at its display. ‘It’s work. I really should take it.’

‘Go ahead.’ I drag my case to the side, where a suit of armour is standing guard by the door. ‘Thanks for your help.’

‘No problem.’ He smiles, his phone still ringing in his hand as he backs away. ‘Tell Alice I said hi.’

I would , I think as he turns and strides away, the phone now at his ear. But you didn’t tell me your name .

Chapter Six

I feel myself slump as soon as he’s out of view, hands resting on my thighs as I try to get my breath back. I would never admit I’m struggling, but now I’m alone, I can admit how exhausted I am by the short trip up the steps. But I forget all about the suitcases and my fatigue as I take in my surroundings.

Wow.

Just wow.

The wide entrance hall is lit by a giant, glittering chandelier and dozens of decorative wall sconces dotted in between large, gilt-framed portraits of the Monroe ancestry. The floor is covered in a patchwork of black and white tiles, while a red-carpeted staircase stands in front of me, leading up to the first floor. Lots of doors lead off to a warren of rooms at the sides and I’m not sure where I should be heading. The castle is humongous and my room could be anywhere. I’m sure I’d find myself lost within minutes, but Alice should be here any second now to lead the way. In the meantime, I grapple with the suitcases once more, somehow wrestling them towards the staircase, where I sit gratefully on the second step, exhausted after my suitcase skirmish.

‘Alice!’ I’m so relieved to see my friend after a considerable wait that I forget my thighs have turned to jelly and jump up from the stairs. ‘What took you so long?’

‘I had to phone Kevin to let him know we’d arrived safely.’ Alice retrieves her vanity case from where I’ve dumped it on the floor and grabs the handle of her suitcase. ‘And then I got chatting to one of Piers’ cousins. Lovely young man. Gave me his card.’ She pulls out a familiar cream business card embossed with gold and black lettering. ‘I thought I’d try to introduce you to him at dinner, but if not, we have his number.’

‘I don’t think so.’ I pluck the card from Alice’s fingers and tear it in two. ‘We’ve already spoken, and he’s no Prince Charming.’

Alice sighs. ‘It was the teeth, wasn’t it? I knew they’d get in the way.’

‘You’re not kidding. Those choppers must obstruct the guy’s life on a daily basis.’

‘That isn’t what I meant, and you know it.’ Alice gives a firm tug of her suitcase and marches along the hall. ‘This guy could be The One, but you’ll never know if you don’t give him a chance.’

‘He’s already somebody’s One.’ I’m scuttling after Alice, battling once again with the suitcase. Alice is gliding along but my wheels aren’t playing ball and it’s a struggle pulling the suitcase in a straight line. ‘He’s married.’

‘What?’ Alice comes to a stop, which is the perfect time for my suitcase’s wheels to play nice. I only just manage to stop myself from toppling into her.

‘He’s married,’ I repeat. ‘And his poor wife is pregnant.’

Alice’s forehead furrows. ‘Son of a bucket.’

‘Yes.’ I’m glad we’re on the same page. Sort of. I’d have used an actual expletive, personally. ‘Now you see why I ripped up his business card.’

‘Absolutely.’ Her brow furrows deeper. ‘I can’t believe he hoodwinked me.’

‘It’s the teeth,’ I say as we set off again. ‘They’re pretty distracting.’

Alice huffs out another sigh as we reach the first door. She pushes it open, stepping back again when she sees the room is empty.

‘We need to find Carolyn so we can find out which rooms we’ll be staying in. Then I can give you the guided tour of the castle – and its male guests.’

Yippee , I think as I trundle after her.

‘Are we the only ones staying here?’ I whisper as we poke our heads into yet another empty room. I don’t know why I’m whispering; we haven’t seen another soul since we stepped inside.

‘It’s still quite early,’ Alice says as she leads the way to the next room. ‘People might not arrive until after lunch, maybe not even until this evening. Plus, some of the guests are only arriving on the day. Even Piers’ parents aren’t coming until Wednesday. Ah-ha!’ Using her foot to hold open the door, she motions for me to step inside, following after me.

‘Jeez.’ I look around the great hall, my jaw dropping to the ballet flats on my feet. The room is unbelievably long, with a massive, arched window at the end, reaching up to the breathtakingly high ceiling. More arched windows along one side flood the room with light.

‘This is beautiful. Stunning. Why did I ever think it was a bad idea to come here?’

‘See?’ Alice arches an eyebrow at me, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. ‘I told you it’d be fabulous. Ooh, Uncle Ned!’ She darts off suddenly, waving her arms to draw the attention of a short, portly man with white, wispy hair and a cane.

‘Alice, dear. How lovely to see you.’ He pats Alice on the back as she throws her arms around him. ‘I had no idea you’d arrived.’

‘I’ve only just got here. I’m looking for Carolyn, or maybe my dad?’

‘I think Carolyn is off showing Piers the chapel. I don’t think he’s seen it yet.’ Ned’s lips turn down at the corners. ‘As for your father…’ His bushy brows lift. ‘I’m afraid he’s been delayed and won’t be here until this evening, maybe not until tomorrow.’

‘Oh.’ Alice smiles brightly, though I know it takes great effort and suspect Ned knows it too. ‘Never mind. There’s still plenty of time before the wedding.’

‘Absolutely. Plenty of time.’ Ned smiles kindly at his niece. ‘Anyway, before I forget to tell you, I found some old photos while we were renovating the south wing. I thought you might like to keep them. I did mean to send them on to you, but I’m afraid it’s all getting a bit foggy up here.’ He taps his temple and chuckles. ‘Old age is setting in, I’m afraid.’

Alice tuts. ‘You’re not old, Uncle Ned.’

He chuckles again. ‘I’m not young any more, either. I was thinking about having a stairlift installed, but your Aunt Delia says it wouldn’t be in keeping with the castle.’

‘I don’t suppose it would.’ Alice turns to me. ‘Sorry, how rude of me. Emily, this is my Uncle Ned. Uncle Ned, this is my best friend, Emily.’

‘Lovely to meet you.’ Ned shakes my hand with a firm but brief grip.

‘Do you know which rooms Emily and I are staying in?’ Alice asks him.

‘I don’t have the list to hand.’ Ned looks around him, as though the list will suddenly leap up and present itself. ‘My Lilianna has taken charge of the day-to-day running of the events. She’s around here somewhere…’

‘It’s okay, Ned.’ There’s a clacking of heels on the polished floor as Francelia swoops in towards us. ‘Alice, Emily, come with me. I’ll show you to your room.’ Without pausing for pleasantries, Francelia forges ahead, leading the way while Alice and I scrabble to keep up. Grabbing our suitcases from outside the great hall only slows us down and Francelia appears to be in a hurry and refuses to stop.

‘You have a lovely room overlooking the orchard,’ she calls over her shoulder as she marches up the stairs. She reaches the top before we’re even a third of the way up. ‘Come along, girls. I can’t hang around playing tour guide all day. There is so much to do when you’re the mother of the bride.’