‘No, but you never know. It’s up for sale and everything. She’s not going to want a party there. I don’t know. Nah, it’s not really right.’
Nancy joked and laughed. ‘Let’s move back to the dress. Maybe a trip to the city could be fun. A special day out.’ Nancy suggested.
Nina laughed. ‘A shopping trip does sound like fun, I think, or it could end up being a nightmare. I might just look online. Not sure. My mum keeps threatening to book into one of those wedding dress shops.’
‘What’s Robby’s input on the matter?’
‘Pretty laid back about it all. He just wants me to be happy.’
‘Aww, nice. I really think you should speak to Jill about The Summer Hotel's garden.’
‘I'll give her a call,’ Nina agreed, feeling a surge of productivity. ‘We’ll just keep it small and intimate. God knows what his mum will say. I think she was thinking about inviting half of the country.’ Nina laughed at the thought of Robby's mum wanting to invite loads of people to their wedding. ‘I can just imagine her guest list. It would probably stretch all the way from here to France.’
Nancy nodded in agreement. ‘Well, it's your day, not hers. It's important to keep it about you and our Robby, what you both want. It’s about making memories that you'll cherish, not about pleasing everyone else.’
‘True,’ Nina said, her mind wandering to Robby's mum. She was lovely, really, and had welcomed Nina into the family with open arms. ‘I think she just wants to celebrate. She's been waiting for Robby to settle down for so long.’
‘She probably wouldn’t care if it was in a shed then.’
Nina nodded thoughtfully. ‘I think I’ll have a bit of a heart-to-heart with her when we go round for a roast at the weekend.’
‘Good idea. What will Robby say?’
‘He wants it to be just about us and not a big fuss. You know what he’s like. Not the best at parties and stuff like that.’
‘Honestly, a wedding in the garden at The Summer Hotel sounds idyllic. It's so you. Plus, with the river and the sea as your backdrop, it'll be stunning.’
‘Possibly.’
Nancy joked. ‘You’re welcome. I’ll pop my bill for the wedding planner services through your door.’
‘Ha! I can’t afford you.’
Nancy rolled her eyes. ‘Oh, alright, I’ll give you a freebie. As you know, Lovely Bay takes care of its own.’
‘In all seriousness, it does.’ Nina sighed. ‘I'm so glad I ended up here. It’s changed my life.’
‘And now it's giving you a wedding,’ Nancy said with a wink. ‘Let's get planning. We've got a garden party to organise. You know what? The wildflowers will be out. Wow, that would be stunning, actually. The colours and the scents would be incredible. Very you.’
‘It would make it feel even more connected to Lovely Bay.’
‘We could put fairy lights in the trees and have tables set out under the stars. Birdie could cater.’
‘Yeah, nah. I don’t want the Shipping Forecast as a backdrop, plus she’s a guest.’
‘True.’
As they headed away from the marshes and back towards Lovely Bay, Nina felt as if she was getting somewhere. She wasn’t sure about The Summer Hotel, but she was settled on Lovely Bay itself. So that was one thing sorted, at least.
17
With a moving box full of crockery from the kitchen in her arms, Nina hooked open the front door of the rental cottage with her foot, stomped the few steps out onto the pavement, and made her way towards Robby's work van. Robby was away in Bath working on a building with his team and had left her with his work van to use to move a few boxes from the rental cottage to the harbour property. The plan was to do the move bit by bit here and there to avoid a removal company. She stepped off the pavement onto the road behind the van and slid a box into the back. As she closed the doors behind her and just as she was walking back towards the front door, she saw Lindsay coming the other way.
Lindsay, seeing Nina, quickened her steps and smiled. 'Oh hi, how are you?' Lindsay asked.
'Good thanks, how are you?' Nina replied, cursing herself for asking how Lindsay was after Birdie had told her to steer well clear.
'Yes, I’m well.' Lindsay turned towards the cottage and beamed. 'How are you getting on?'
