Memories sprang to mind of Laurie telling her about the young couples who escaped there to marry. ‘We could go and renew our vows there,’ he had suggested. Such a romantic. ‘Imagine standing there, before the anvil in a place where so many people have stood throughout history.’ He’d had a wistful look in his eyes, but she had laughed at the time and reminded him they hadn’t been married that long anyway. ‘I’d marry you over and over without a shred of doubt in my mind,’ had been his reply.
Juliette shook away a momentary feeling of sadness. ‘Anyway, I should get going.’
Millie held Juliette at arm’s length. ‘Be careful, okay? I’ll be worried sick until I hear from you.’
Juliette managed to refrain from rolling her eyes again. ‘I’ll be fine. I’m a big girl, remember?’
She stepped towards her big brother and he ruffled her hair as he always did.
‘Oi!’ She laughed and immediately reached up to smooth her, already untidy, blonde waves. He had a mousy-coloured mop, the same as Juliette’s, prior to her salon visit, only his was a mass of unruly curls with a beard to match. She always joked that he was a bear in a former life and he simply growled along with it.
He grappled her into a hug. He was the best hugger and his huge frame swallowed her up, making her feel safe and loved. ‘Have an amazing time, Jettie. Mum and Dad say you’ve to ring when you get there. Behave, and don’t forget I can head up on the bike any time if you need me.’
‘I will. And, honestly, there won’t be any need for you to follow me. I’m sure it will be everything I’ve dreamed of and more.’ She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. ‘You’re just looking for an excuse to do your Valentino Rossi up the motorway, aren’t you?’
He held up his hands. ‘Guilty as charged.’ He kissed her head and locked his bright blue eyes on hers. ‘Anyway, the offer’s there. Now bugger off. I’ve seen you twice this week and that’s plenty.’ His grin hid the worry she knew he was feeling. He had been by her side during Laurie’s illness and had been instrumental in getting her to seek help when her downward spiral had begun. He’d driven her to therapy appointments and had held her for hours as she’d cried. He’d sat in silence with her, just to be there when he knew she needed him, and he’d forgiven her for the times she’d lashed out at him. He’d been her rock and her saviour. And she knew she owed him so much… maybe even her life.
She had been on the road to recovery for a while now and secretly hoped that this trip would helpeveryoneto realise that she was fine – broken-hearted and a little lost, but fine all the same. And she knew she’d find herself again. It was just a matter of time.
She clambered into the car and slammed the door before winding down the window. ‘See you in three months!’ She waved eagerly and hoped her ebullience was contagious.
‘There’s time to change your mind!’ Millie blurted and immediately covered her mouth, as if the words had fallen out by accident.
Dexter scowled at her and gave her a nudge with his elbow.
She shrugged, sheepishly. ‘What? I’m only saying.’
‘Speak soon! Love you a squillion!’ Juliette shouted the saying that had been a part of her family since forever as she started the engine and put the car in gear. The CD player sprang to life and she grinned as she spotted the double jewel case on the passenger seat complete with the labelSongs for the Road.
Dexter had made one of his famous compilations for her journey and she couldn’t wait to hear what songs he’d chosen. This should be fun.
She pulled away from her little cottage to the lilting guitars of ‘Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)’ by Green Day and couldn’t help grinning and shaking her head at his choice.
* * *
The first leg of Juliette’s journey took her through some pretty, yet familiar scenery. The early-morning sun was cresting over the tops of the houses in the rural idyll of Mistford, casting a peachy glow through the haze. The town was nestled between Gloucester and Cheltenham and had been her home since she married Laurie. The main street was quaint, with its olde-worlde charm: little stone buildings with bay windows, narrow pavements and wrought-iron lanterns atop black lamp posts – the kind of place you saw in traditional Christmas card scenes. There was a butcher and a bakery. In fact, all that was missing was the candlestick makers and you’d have had the hat-trick. There was, however, a traditional sweet shop that did a roaring trade during the school holidays.
She passed the Hope and Anchor pub on the edge of town; the local watering hole and a place where she had spent some hilarious evenings with Millie, Dexter and, of course, Laurie. And the Mistford Theatre on the opposite side of the road where there had been a variety of performances over the years by MIAOWS, orMistford Independent Amateur Operatic Welcome Society; their little emblem was of a white cat curled around the letters. She smiled as she remembered Dexter saying he’d join if it wasn’t such acattygroup. As always, he’d laughed at his own joke, whereas the others had simply rolled their eyes and groaned. Their favourite show was always the annual Christmas panto. Even as adults, they’d all got heavily involved in the loud shouts of ‘He’s behind you!’ and had booed and hissed along with the children in attendance.
After hours of driving, Juliette made a brief stop in Preston for lunch and to stretch her legs. She checked in with Millie, her parents and Dexter, as promised, but she was soon back in the car and able to lose herself in the music once again. She tapped the steering wheel and yelled along with the band, Fun, as they sang a rousing anthem about being young and setting the world alight. Drivers of passing cars gawked at her as she belted out the loudest parts. She didn’t care what other people thought. She’d always found singing cathartic; a kind of release that allowed her emotions to take flight in a positive way.
Just after five o’clock and tired from the journey, Juliette crossed the River Sark, which forms the border between England and the county of Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland. A little further on, she pulled into the parking area at the front of the modern hotel at Gretna that she would be calling home for the night.
From the car park, Juliette could just make out the blacksmith’s shop along the road that was famous for illicit nuptials dating back hundreds of years. These days, it was a fashionable place to wed, as opposed to the necessity it had once been for some. She smiled as she gazed over towards the hotel to see a newlywed couple still in their finery, kissing just beside the doorway and smiling lovingly at each other.
Those were the days, she thought as she climbed from the car and walked round to retrieve her overnight bag from the boot.
The early-evening sunlight glinted on the windows causing a kind of ethereal halo effect around the couple, and for a moment she regretted her choice of hotel and location. The air of romance around the place exacerbated the sadness tugging at her heart. Evidently, this was a place you visited with the one you loved, not alone with a grief-stricken soul.
Juliette held her breath, closed her eyes for a moment and rallied. She was embarking upon something good; something on which Laurie would have fully supported her, and that fact alone made it feel like he was there with her.
With fresh resolve, she opened her eyes and, after she’d closed the boot and locked the car, she headed eagerly towards the entrance, inhaling a couple of lungfuls of the chilly air.
Pushing through the revolving door into the reception area, she was greeted with contemporary black and grey décor and comfy-looking sofas. A door to the left opened and she caught a brief glimpse into the dining area, where smartly dressed couples and families sat eating mouth-watering dishes – the smell of which made her stomach grumble.
Once checked in, she made her way to the allocated room and opened the door. The room was just as contemporary as the reception area, with clean lines and a minimalist appearance. The colour scheme was muted tones of beige and touches of dark oak, and there was a seating area that led through to a balcony. Out in the grounds, there was another wedding party; the bride and groom posing with glasses of champagne and their friends and family snapping photos on their smartphones.
Juliette sighed as she remembered her own small ceremony with Laurie at the church in Mistford. The old vicar must have been about eighty-five. He wasdefinitelyway past retiring age and she felt sure he was going to nod off as he spoke to the congregation. Every so often, he seemed to drift elsewhere in his mind, and he’d go off at a tangent, talking about things that had no connection to the bride or groom, or even marriage. There was one part of his sermon where he started talking about lobsters mating for life and then ended up telling the congregation about an episode of food poisoning from shellfish. Not only was he factually incorrect about the crustacean’s mating habits, but the details of his sickness were a little too graphic, to say the least. Although, the gathered wedding party had found it hilarious and, as Juliette had dared to glance around, she noticed there wasn’t a single person whose shoulders were still, or whose face wasn’t contorted with the effort of stifled laughter.
