Wedding Tiers by Trisha Ashley Page B

coldly.
    ‘No?’
    ‘No!’
    ‘Oh…then how about dried rose petals?’ I suggested. ‘I’ve heard of those being used.’
    ‘Now, that’s more like it!’
    ‘Hebe Winter uses a lot of roses in the products she makes to sell in the Winter’s End shop—perhaps she could supply us with rose petals. Shall I ask?’
    ‘Yes, do. If you could sort that out for me, it would be a great help,’ Libby agreed. ‘Actually, the Winters are on the guest list, since they’re friends of both Dorrie and Tim. And I’ve invited a second photographer, but not an official one—Noah Sephton. He was some kind of cousin of Joe’s and a great friend. He’ll be staying overnight, but I think I’ll have to put him in the gatehouse. I’ve asked Dolly Mops to come and clean it out and I thought they might as well do the flat over the garage too, though, knowing Gina, she’ll scrub it from floor to ceiling as soon as she gets here, anyway.’
    ‘It’ll be nice to see Gina again. And I think I’ve heard of Noah Sephton,’ I said doubtfully. ‘Didn’t he take those lovely photographs of you with Pia as an infant, which are in your apartment in Pisa?’
    ‘Yes, but you should have heard of him anyway, because he’squite famous for his portraits. He has an annual exhibition of his more oddball, black-and-white photos every year too, and they’re a sell-out. His last one was called
Fate’
    ‘I know all about
fate’
, I said, and, as if on cue, one of the two peacocks wailed. It always gave me the cold shivers. ‘Couldn’t you
try
eating the peacocks?’ I pleaded. ‘I hate the noise they make.’
    ‘Don’t be silly, they give the place class. Get over it,’ she said absently, looking down at the back of the list where she’d jotted the names of the invited guests. ‘There are quite a few celebs on here as well as Noah, because Tim knows Rob Rafferty, the star of that
Cotton Common
TV soap and one or two of the other actors, though I don’t think
Hello!
magazine will be jostling for my wedding photos any time soon.’
    ‘So you’ve got it all pretty well arranged?’
    ‘Yes, apart from the reception venue. At this rate, we’ll be handing out directions in the church!’
    ‘Still no luck finding somewhere nearby?’
    ‘No, they’re all either booked up, can’t handle the numbers, or they don’t do them at this time of year—or
something’
    ‘Oh dear, and it’s hardly marquee weather, is it?’
    ‘I expect I’ll think of something. I’ll have to. I only hope the guests who are coming from a distance can find somewhere to stay on the night of the wedding!’
    ‘Any word from Pia yet?’
    ‘No, still not a dicky-bird since I told her I was marrying again and she put the phone down on me. She’s not answering my emails either.’
    ‘She hasn’t contacted me for ages,’ I said. ‘She doesn’t usually leave it this long.’
    ‘She’s sulking, but I’d like to know if she intends turning up for the wedding. It would have been lovely if she’d been happy about my getting married again and agreed to be a bridesmaid, but it doesn’t look likely to happen.’
    ‘Once she gets over the shock she’ll probably get back in touch again,’ I said optimistically.
    ‘I’d just settle for the sound of her voice telling me she was all right, at the moment,’ Libby admitted.
    ‘I’ll try emailing her again when I get home, Libs. Perhaps she’s still speaking to me.’
    ‘Oh, thanks, Josie—and I
must
take your measurements before you go, because I still have to dash down to London in search of my wedding dress and shoes, and get a bridesmaid’s dress for you. I should have gone before, but there’s been so much to do.’ My practical, hard-headed friend gave a dreamy sigh. ‘I hate the thought of being apart from Tim, even for one night. Isn’t it strange?’
    ‘No. And now you know how I feel when Ben goes off to London without me.’
    ‘It’s not the same. You’ve never been
in
love with Ben,