‘How’s Logan doing?’ Birdie asked.
Cally shook her head again. ‘Yeah, not great. To be frank, he’s been getting worse as this day has drawn closer.’
Birdie screwed up her lips and made a funny face. ‘I’m not surprised.’
Cally paused for a second. ‘He’s been drinking way too much. Ireallydon’t like it.’
Birdie swore. ‘That’s the way he’s dealing with it then, is it?’
‘It is.’ Cally sighed. ‘I don’t know, but I’m hoping today will give some closure or something. I don’t mean that in a nasty way.’
‘No, no, of course not. I get you. He’ll be fine; he’s a good lad. He just needs to put today behind him and go through the stages of grief.’
‘Mmm. True.’
‘What about you? Are you alright? You’re right in the middle of it all.’
Cally nodded. ‘I'm managing. It's not easy.’
Birdie gave a sympathetic smile. 'It’s tough. Give it time. Come on, let's get going.'
Cally walked around and climbed into the front seat of Birdie’s huge car, smoothed her dress over her knees and tucked her bag in the footwell. They chatted as Birdie drove through Lovely, out past the lighthouse, and down into the lanes as fields of green stretched out on either side. A few grazing sheep dotted the fields here and there, and the occasional ancient oak tree lined the road. In the distance, Cally could just make out theoutline of Lovely Manor, its imposing silhouette surrounded by a sea of red poppies.
'I've always loved this drive when the poppies are out. It's so peaceful out here.'
Cally nodded. 'It is beautiful. I can see why the Henry-Hicks family chose this spot for their home back in the day.'
As they got closer, signs of the day's event became more apparent. A few cars lined the long driveway, dots of men in dark suits and women in sombre dresses made their way towards the house. To the left, Cally could see the large white marquee she’d helped Doreen to prepare. Cally swallowed at the sheer scale of the event, and as they pulled up to the ornate iron gates, one of the ground staff, not in his usual work gear but smartly dressed in a black suit and tie, approached the car. Birdie rolled down her window.
The man recognised them instantly. ‘Oh, morning, our Cally, Birdie.’
Birdie nodded. ‘I'm just dropping off our Cally.’
‘Right you are. You’ll need to go left there and around the back. We’re keeping cars off the main driveway as much as we can.’
Cally shook her head and reached for the door handle. 'No, no. I'd prefer to walk if that's alright.'
'Of course.’
Cally turned to Birdie. 'Thanks for the lift. I’ll see you at the church.’
Birdie reached over and squeezed Cally’s hand. 'See you later. Give my best to Logan. Tell Doreen to just shout if she needs anything. I’ll keep checking my phone. Colin is on standby, too.'
‘Will do.’ Cally lowered her voice as she got out of the car. ‘To be honest, I can’t wait for this to be over.’
‘I don't think you’re the only one.’
33
Cally could see Logan standing near the entrance to the house. In a flash, she was on the stairs of the riverboat, her brown paper bag having fallen away at the bottom, a chicken breast at his feet. He didn’t look anything like he had then; his face was pale and drawn in his dark suit as he scanned the approaching guests. When his gaze landed on Cally, she saw a very evident flicker of relief cross his face. Quickening her pace, she tucked her bag under her arm, weaved in and out of a few people and made her way towards him. He didn’t smile. The closer she got, the more she could see the strain in his eyes and the tension in his shoulders. Without a word, he reached out and took her hand.
'Hey,' Cally said softly. 'How are you holding up?'
‘I’m fine. That's about all I can say right now. I can’t tell you how pleased I am that you are here. It was a big mistake for me not to be with you last night.'
Cally nodded, not sure what to say for the best. ‘Right.’
Logan's grip on her hand tightened as they stood for a moment, surrounded by people in black clustered here and there. Cally could see Logan's parents near the entrance to the house, greeting guests with solemn nods and murmuringthanks. Octavia was there too, looking pale and fragile, supported on either side by family members.
