Jane rubbed her eyes. ‘I don’t mind either way. I mean… the idea of having a lovely wedding with our families and friends there, with a beautiful dress and flowers and all that is nice. However, I also like the idea of a quiet wedding on a beach somewhere with just me and Harry. If we did that though, our mothers would flip, and we’d never hear the end of it.’
‘You could do both,’ Edith said.
‘Both?’
‘It’s not impossible. Perhaps you could do one now and the other after the baby’s arrived. That way, your mothers would both be so distracted by being grandmothers they may back off over the wedding planning.’
Jane blinked as she mulled the idea over. ‘I don’t know what Harry will say.’
‘Well, maybe you should speak to him about it and take it from there. I have a–a friend with a lot of contacts, and I’m sure he could help with the overseas details for a beach wedding or even a Vegas one.’Perhaps even get you a discount for somewhere nice. Surely Wyatt wouldn’t mind her asking a favour. After all, that’s what business people did, wasn’t it? Helped each other out.
‘I… Harry is a bit… I mean, he’s lovely, but he’s terrified of upsetting his mum and so he usually does what she wants.’ Jane screwed the tissue into a ball and chewed at her bottom lip.
So Harry was a mummy’s boy?
‘But he loves you and wants you to be happy, right?’ Edith prompted.
‘I think so.’
‘Especially now you’re carrying his child.’ Edith glanced at Jane’s flat stomach, aware that as soon as she started to show, things would escalate if she hadn’t already told their mothers.
Her mind strayed to Wyatt again as she looked across the beautiful gardens to a fountain where water gushed from the mouths of lions into the pool below. She felt suddenly too hot and wished she could stand in the pool and let the water rush over her head and cool her down.
Wyatt, too, had been heavily influenced by his mother. During their three-year relationship, Edith had never met the woman, but she knew that Wyatt had struggled with trying to be there for his mother emotionally, even though he’d tried not to let on.
A widow living in New York, his mother had had anxiety and depression and so never travelled to the UK to visit her son. Wyatt went home a few times over the years to visit her, but not once in that time did he invite Edith.
She’d asked about going with him, of course she had — after all she was his partner, and she had never been to New York and wanted to go. But Wyatt had explained that his mother couldn’t really cope with visitors and that it would be better if they waited until after they’d graduated. Edith had been busy with herdegree and trying to work to support herself through university, and so she’d let the matter go, not wanting to put pressure on the man she loved when he clearly had enough pressure from his mother.
But then graduation came, and Wyatt went home — and that was that. There was no invitation, no explanation. Just silence. Soon all contact had ceased, and Edith had never met his mother.
It had made her understanding of brides whose future mothers-in-law were difficult because she too had been at the mercy of a controlling matriarch, albeit one she’dnevermet. It was one of those things about life that seemed grossly unfair. If the bride was a strong woman who knew how to stand up for herself, then she would be better off, but if she was a quiet and gentle soul like Jane seemed to be, then it could be the start of a challenging time for her. And if the groom didn’t have the backbone to stand up to his mother, then Edith often ended up feeling protective of the bride herself and wanting to spare her as much pain as she could.
Wyatt had let her down, she’d always thought, but then he’d been tied by his sense of responsibility to a mother who had no concern for his personal life. His mother had often phoned him at all times of the night and day and always expected him to be available to talk to her. Wyatt had never complained and had consistently put his life on hold for his mother. It had made Edith both pity and resent him, depending on the situation and how far it affected their relationship. Surely there came a point in a man’s life when he had to put his partner first and let his mother know that while he loved her, his partner was his priority?
‘I guess Harry and I need to tell them about the pregnancy,’ Jane said, dragging Edith back to the present.
‘Only if that’s what you want,’ she said softly.
‘If we don’t, this will just continue. We can always delay the wedding by a year, anyway. I mean, we were looking at next summer, so we could wait until the year after,’ Jane said thoughtfully.
‘You could still plan it for next summer, but it depends on you and how you feel. When are you due?’
She touched a hand to her stomach. ‘December.’
‘So if you had a summer wedding next year, in August, you’d have time to get to grips with parenthood before the wedding.’
‘We could do it that way as long as we can find a venue.’
‘Well, I think I can help with that,’ Edith said. ‘There are always cancellations, and I have plenty of contacts. But I want this to be right for you and for Harry. That’s the most important thing.’
Jane nodded. ‘Thank you.’
‘It’s my pleasure.’ Edith stood up. ‘Now can I get you a soft drink instead of this wine?’
‘Yes, please. I’m quite thirsty now.’ Jane offered a smile that was like the sunshine emerging from behind the clouds.
Edith couldn’t take Jane’s concerns away, but she could listen and make helpful suggestions. Yes, Jane was a client, and planning her wedding was a job that meant money for Edith, but she wanted it to be right for Jane and Harry. She believed that the wedding had to be right for the couple first and then everything else would fall into place. Jane had a busy time ahead of her, and so she should have the wedding she wanted,when she wanted it and how she wanted it. No one else should pressure her to do it their way.
