Her Pregnancy Bombshell by Liz Fielding

Author:Liz Fielding
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-08-31T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

CLEVE FOUND A cream linen suit that he was happy with, but, stupid superstition or not, there was no way Andie was having him along while she shopped for a dress to wear for their wedding.

‘I could go for a walk,’ he suggested.

‘No need.’ She’d had a far better idea. ‘Sofia has wardrobes, trunks full of fabulous designer dresses. She used to let us dress up in them when we stayed.’

‘She sounds more like a fairy godmother. Will they have survived the dressing up and the passing of the years?’

‘Not all of them, but they were stored in sandalwood-lined trunks. I’m sure I’ll find something I can wear.’ Anything would be better than having to stand in her underwear while elegant assistants, speaking in fast Italian, made her feel less than adequate. ‘Vintage clothes are all the rage.’

‘Like drystone walling?’

‘But not so hard on the hands.’

He didn’t look entirely convinced and he might be right. Mice might have got in and made nests in the couture clothes.

‘Whatever happens, you have my word that I won’t stand in front of the mayor smelling of mothballs.’

‘Just as long as you’re there.’ He took her hand. ‘Let’s go and find a jar of marmalade.’

They had lunch in the village and then, on the way home, they stopped at Matt’s cottage.

‘We came to return your marmalade and ask you a favour,’ Cleve said, when he opened the door.

‘You’d better come in, then.’

‘Thanks. We won’t keep you long.’

He showed them through to the back where his mother was sitting, enjoying the warmth of the sun through the glass.

‘Hello, Mrs Stark. I’m sorry to disturb you.’

‘Gloria, please. And it’s lovely to have visitors. Sit down. Will you have coffee?’ She looked at Miranda. ‘Mint tea, perhaps?’

‘That would be lovely. Thank you.’

‘We came to ask you a favour, Matt,’ Cleve said, turning to look at him. ‘Miranda and I are getting married in a day or two. Just a stand-up-in-front-of-the-mayor job. We were hoping that you will be a witness.’

‘Of course, that would be my pleasure!’

‘Congratulations, I hope you’ll be very happy,’ Gloria said admiring Miranda’s ring. ‘Have you known one another long?’ she asked.

‘Six years, eight months and four days,’ Matt said. ‘Actually, make that five days.’ Gloria frowned. ‘Cleve told me. It was Andie’s eighteenth birthday, she’d just got her pilot’s licence and he watched as she made a perfect landing in a tricky crosswind.’

This description of their first meeting was met with a moment of total silence.

‘You fly?’ Gloria asked, stepping in to rescue the moment.

‘I’m a commercial pilot but Cleve’s wrong about when we met. It’s seven days. Six years, eight months and seven days.’

Gloria gave Cleve a wry smile. ‘If it was her birthday, you’d better memorise the date. It’s fatal to get that wrong.’

‘Miranda’s birthday is on the twelfth,’ he said. ‘It’s the day we met and I will never forget that.’ Andie risked a look at him. He was looking anywhere but at her.

‘Perhaps you forgot to account for the leap years,’ Gloria said, filling the suddenly awkward silence.

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