Page 7 of All Wrapped Up

In the hope of getting to talk to Lizzie on her own, I waited until close to what I knew to be The Cherry Tree Café closing time to head back into town on Saturday afternoon.

The weather had cooled considerably, the breeze had a definite chilly edge and, as a result, I pulled on a jumper and the waxed coat I had found Callum’s note in ahead of setting off.

The extra outer layer felt like a good idea at the time, a sort of lucky talisman to support the monumental decision I had made, but by the time I had found a parking space, much further away from the café than I had hoped, and then walked at pace across the market square, I felt close to overheating, so I shrugged it off and draped it over my arm.

In spite of my soaring temperature and a fluttering accompaniment of nerves, I was happy to find I was feeling excited, too.

‘Are you expecting rain?’ asked Jemma, when I walked in carrying the rather cumbersome coat and found the place deserted.

I looked above the door and spotted the brass bell that had tinkled melodiously to announce my arrival. It was another sweet feature and one I hadn’t noticed on my previous visit as the door had been propped open.

‘Hey, Jemma.’ I smiled. ‘No, hopefully no rain today. Is Lizzie about?’

‘She’s still tidying up next door,’ Jemma told me. ‘Can I help?’

I had forgotten that I had read on their website that Lizzie was holding one of her crafting workshops in the gallery space next door that afternoon.

‘No, I’ll go and find her, but thank you.’

‘No worries.’

‘Is Joanne with her?’ I asked as an afterthought.

‘No.’ Jemma smiled wryly. ‘And please, don’t worry about her matchmaking spiel from the other day. Lizzie and I have further put her off, so with any luck, she’ll leave you in peace now.’

‘Excellent.’ I smiled back, but having heard what Ash had to say on the subject, I was still going to remain on guard. ‘Thanks.’

The friendly bell tinkled again as I left and another rang out as I opened the gallery door. There was no one there, other than Lizzie, and that was perfect.

‘All right,’ I announced the moment she looked at me and before I became distracted by the stunning artwork on the walls or potentially lost my nerve. ‘I’ll do it.’

She looked confused for a moment, but then the penny dropped.

‘The festival!’ she gasped, her hands clasped, as she abandoned the squares of fabric she had been piling together. ‘You’ll run it?’

‘I will,’ I confirmed. ‘But only if no one truly minds that I never knew Moses and if I’ve got some proper help to pull off whatever I turn his idea into, because obviously I won’t be able to manage it entirely on my own, especially as we’re now even more pressed for time.’

I was hoping that, with Ash onboard as a willing deputy, I wouldn’t feel quite so overwhelmed by the extra-large leap of faith I was taking. It was just days ago that I had been reminding myself not to go all in, but the lure of an autumn celebration had ultimately proved impossible to resist.

‘Oh wow!’ Lizzie squealed as she clapped ecstatically.

‘I know Ash has said he’ll deputise if someone else oversees it, because he stopped by the cottage and mentioned it,’ I stated, ‘so as long as he’s still keen… you’re on. And so’s the festival!’

‘I don’t believe it!’ Lizzie laughed and clapped again. ‘But are you sure you’ve got time? I know you aren’t working at the moment, but you did nonetheless say that you were too busy before.’

‘Let’s just say that I’ve moved a few things around.’ I shrugged, glossing over the excuse slash fib I’d previously cited without further explanation.

‘In that case, thank you!’ she gushed. ‘Thank you. Thank you so much, Clemmie. Everyone is going to be thrilled.’

‘I do hope so,’ I said, biting my lip and feeling a twinge of apprehension.

I was delighted to already have plenty of autumn-based ideas to offer, but how the locals, who had never even met me, were going to receive them, was a concern. They might not think that what I had in mind was going to marry up with the initial idea Moses had dreamt up.

‘Like I said the day we met,’ Lizzie insisted, ‘you’re more than qualified to do it and everyone is going to be putty in your hands.

Not that they’ll know how capable you are,’ she quickly added, ‘because I haven’t said a word to a soul about your Insta, but as soon as you start talking about autumn, they’ll know you’re the woman for the job. ’

‘Well,’ I swallowed, hoping her knowledge of my ability to create a pretty grid online hadn’t meant she’d overestimated my capabilities in the real world, ‘let’s hope you’re right.’

‘I am right,’ she said emphatically, then chuckled. ‘So,’ she smiled, ‘you and Ash.’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Me and Ash. Two reasonably new locals stepping up to run the festival and potentially becoming friends in the process.’

She laughed at the emphasis I put on the platonic description.

‘He’s already told me how frustrated he got with Joanne trying to set him up,’ I warned her, ‘so I hope you haven’t got any silly ideas about us, Lizzie.’

‘Me?’ she gasped as if butter wouldn’t melt.

‘Because you know, neither of us is looking for a partner.’

‘But you are single?’

‘I am,’ I clarified. ‘And I have absolutely no desire for that to change.’

‘Well, don’t panic,’ she grinned. ‘Jemma and I have already told Joanne to butt out and I’ll be telling her again now because the last thing I want is her upsetting the autumn aficionado and her sidekick.’

‘That’s all right then.’ I nodded graciously.

With any luck that would be the end of that.

‘Now, come on,’ Lizzie then suggested. ‘Let’s go to the pub to celebrate!’

I hadn’t been to The Mermaid before and a trip to the pub hadn’t been on my radar when I left the cottage to tell Lizzie what I had decided, but in the spirit of embracing rejoining the human race and knowing I would be meeting lots of locals in the weeks to come, I decided to go with the flow and rather nervously walked with her across the square.

‘What can I get you?’ she asked, as we crossed the threshold of the surprisingly busy, traditional looking pub.

‘A lemonade with ice, please,’ I requested, as I took in more of the place and its customers. ‘I’ve got to drive home in a bit.’

‘I think I’ll join you,’ Lizzie agreed. ‘The workshop this afternoon was really hard work and if I have a gin now, I’ll be asleep by dinnertime.’

We walked over to the bar and Lizzie introduced me to the woman serving.

‘Clemmie, this is Jeanie, Jeanie, this is town newcomer, Clemmie.’

‘I’m pleased to meet you.’ Jeanie smiled at me. ‘Welcome to Wynbridge. How are you finding it so far?’

‘So far, so good.’ I smiled back. ‘I haven’t explored all that much of it yet, but what I’ve seen is lovely.’

‘Clemmie has been renovating Rowan Cottage,’ Lizzie elaborated.

‘That’s the place down Lark Drove, isn’t it?’ Jeanie frowned.

‘That’s right,’ I confirmed.

‘But that’s been getting done up for ages,’ Jeanie commented, looking quizzically at me. ‘How come you’re only just finding your way into the pub now?’

‘Because she’s been completely focused on doing it up,’ Lizzie said on my behalf.

I wasn’t surprised that Jeanie was curious. I had been locked in my self-imposed purdah for a year and a half, so my sudden appearance and people finding out where I lived, was bound to raise a few eyebrows. I needed to prepare myself for that.

‘Fair enough,’ said Jeanie, accepting Lizzie’s answer while pouring our drinks.

‘And now she’s finished transforming the cottage,’ Lizzie further explained, ‘she’s not quite so occupied and is going to have a think about whether there’s enough time to help us put on the autumn festival that Moses had been so keen to develop.’

A gasp from further along the bar met my ears and I appreciated that Lizzie hadn’t announced my decision as a fait accompli.

I didn’t know whether that was because she was waiting for Ash to confirm that he could still help or because she was offering me a get out of jail free card if I changed my mind, but I was happy to go along with how she’d put it.

‘Are you really?’ the woman who had gasped, breathlessly asked.

‘This is Bella,’ said Jeanie, with a nod. ‘She’s keen on the festival idea, too.’

Knowing Bella must also share my love of the season, I looked at her with interest.

‘Lots of us are keen, Jeanie,’ she said enthusiastically.

‘There have been quite a few of us thinking about what Moses had in mind and how we might expand upon it. I’m guessing,’ she added, turning properly to me again, ‘that you must be the new addition to the area that Lizzie was alluding to the other night when she suggested some fresh blood could take the project on?’

‘Got it in one,’ Lizzie confirmed as I nodded.

‘I’m very pleased to meet you, Bella,’ I then responded as I realised Lizzie hadn’t specified exactly who she had been talking to that night. ‘I might ask to pick your brains if I get stuck for ideas while I’m mulling it all over.’

‘Oh, you won’t find much in there,’ Jeanie teased and Bella gave her a look. ‘Her head’s too full of fairy folk in the run up to Christmas.’

‘Yes,’ laughed Lizzie. ‘She’s away with the fairies all right!’

‘What they mean,’ Bella explained for my benefit, ‘is that I’m a fairy maker and my little enterprise is called Away With the Fairies. I’m just heading into my busiest time of the year, which is why I couldn’t take on the festival planning myself.’

‘It’s not that little an enterprise,’ Jeanie said.

‘No,’ frowned Bella. ‘You’re right. It isn’t now, is it? I really do have to try harder to own the success I’ve made of it, don’t I?’

‘Yes!’ Lizzie and Jeanie said together.

‘Well, it looks absolutely wonderful,’ I said, as Lizzie quickly showed me Bella’s website on her phone and scrolled through the images of pretty fabric fairies. ‘What a wonderful job you’ve got! I guess Christmas must be full-on for you.’