From behind us there was an enormous gasp. Kelly and I turned to see Nina frozen to the spot, mouth open in horror.
‘Got to go,’ said Kelly, sidling out of the marquee.
‘You told me you were a florist.’ Nina jammed her hands on her hips, her face flushed and jaw set grimly. ‘I’d never have left you in charge of Rosie’s wedding flowers otherwise.’
I shifted uncomfortably, aware that all the staff in the marquee had paused in their tasks to watch the drama.
‘I am. I’ve done a course, I like flowers, therefore I’m a florist. Just not … a professional,’ I said weakly. ‘Does it matter?’
‘Of course it matters!’ Nina raked a hand through her hair. ‘I’m such a plonker; my friend’s wedding and I’ve left the flowers to … what even are you?’
‘I have a degree in business studies and for the last ten years, I’ve been a data analyst, in the paper industry.’
At that, Nina’s eyes glazed over; an expression I was used to.
Scamp, deciding I needed support, rolled over from where he’d been lying under the top table and sat down proprietorially on one of my feet. His faithful presence gave me a boost and I decided to style it out.
‘Look, I can see you’re annoyed but you needed help and I stepped into the breach,’ I pointed out. ‘Do you like what I’ve done? Kelly helped.’
Nina’s eyes slid sideways to the spring meadow table runner and pursed her lips. I sensed her soften towards me. ‘It looks charming,’ she admitted.
‘Thank you,’ I said relieved.
If I hadn’t turned up she’d probably still have been sitting in a puddle of tears, the marquee wouldn’t have any flowers at all and she’d have missed the actual wedding.
Through the entrance of the marquee, I could make out the bridal party in the distance. The little boy, Noah, was running around with his dog and the photographer was organising people into groups.
‘I’m quickly going to do something with the arch,’ I said steering her towards the entrance, once I’d removed Scamp from my foot. ‘Why don’t you go and be in the photographs, while I finish off. If you trust me, that is?’
Just then a diminutive white-haired woman bustled into the marquee, pursued by an old man.
‘Santo cielo!’ she cried, clapping her hands to her cheeks. ‘Look atta this!’
‘Oh balls, now we’ve had it,’ Nina muttered, shaking my arm off from around her shoulder and striding up to the old couple.
‘I can explain, Maria,’ said Nina, hanging her head. ‘I accepted help from this woman who told me she was a florist and it turns out she’s not a professional.’
Maria wafted Nina away, walked to the nearest table and bent over a jam jar of flowers to smell it. The old man checked over his shoulder anxiously. ‘Maria, I think they want us for a photograph.’
‘Un momento, Stanley,’ she replied, walking over to the top table. She shook her head in awe. ‘Perfetto, bellisimi fiori.’
‘It’s true. I don’t have much professional experience,’ I said hotly, frustrated that Nina had changed her tune again. ‘But I’ve been around flowers since I was a little girl helping at my grandmother’s market stall. Flowers are my passion.’
‘Passion.’ The old lady pointed at me, nodding in agreement. ‘Worth ten times any papers.’
‘But there are skills, techniques,’ argued Nina. ‘And it takes longer than five days to learn them.’
‘You like my biscotti, si?’ Maria asked her.
Nina looked confused. ‘Yes, but …’
‘Not once you say to me, I not eat your biscotti till I see your papers. No. They look, they smell, they taste. Passion come from here.’ She banged her chest. ‘You don’t learn it in cotton blue cookery school.’
‘It’s cordon bleu, my dear,’ said Stanley, with a twinkle in his eye.
‘No, I learn from my grandmother, like her,’ Maria said, ignoring him. She reached for my hands. ‘Brava, cara. Whoever you are, this come from your heart.’
‘I’m Fearne,’ I supplied.
She smelled of lemons and vanilla and lavender and I felt a wave of nostalgia for summers spent with my granny.
‘When me and my Stanley get married, I want flowers like this. From the heart. Now, come on Stanley, we gotta go.’
She held her hand out to Stanley who tucked it under his arm. The two of them walked away, leaving Nina and I staring awkwardly at each other.
Nina chewed her lip. ‘I’m so sorry, Maria’s right, your flowers are bellisimo. And I’ve been incredibly rude and ungrateful.’
With a jolt, I remembered the arch and without replying, I made to leave the marquee, Scamp trotting loyally behind me. Professional or not, I wasn’t a quitter and I was determined to decorate it somehow, though perhaps not with the finesse it deserved.
‘Wait!’ Nina caught me up. ‘Don’t leave like this.’
‘I’m not,’ I said, distractedly. Instead I surveyed the remaining foliage. I couldn’t decorate the whole arch, but maybe that semi-complete garland could go across the top and then I could have tumbling fronds of ivy wound around the sides.
‘OK, look, the job is yours.’ She beamed at me, clearly expecting me to be thrilled.
‘The job?’ I looked at her blankly.
‘The vacancy for assistant manager?’ She raised her eyebrows mischievously. ‘That’s why you came to the shop, isn’t it? Because you’d seen the ad in the newspaper.’
‘Um … well …’ Technically, I’d gone to the café for sustenance before my day had taken such an unexpected turn. Walking past Nina’s Flowers had been purely as a result of it being next door.
She held up a hand. ‘No, I insist. This has been your interview, practical task and references all rolled into one. You’ve passed. With flying colours. Plus, you’ve impressed Maria Carloni, grandmother of the bride, which is in itself quite a feat.’
‘Well. Thank you,’ I replied, slightly dazed. ‘I suppose.’
‘Fab.’ She threw her arms around me, taking my gratitude for job acceptance. ‘Welcome to Nina’s Flowers.’
This was the point at which I could have told her that I was having a year’s sabbatical to work on my happy list. That I didn’t want a job, I wanted to experience new things and get out of the rut I’d fallen into. In essence, to find a new way to live without Freddie. But a golden glow of happiness was spreading through my body and instead of turning Nina down I was smiling back at her.
‘I can only commit to three months,’ I blurted out.
‘Hmm.’ Nina narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. ‘How about four?’
I shrugged. ‘OK, four. But Scamp will have to come with me.’
‘Done.’ She stuck her hand out and we shook on the deal. ‘Ring me on Monday and we can talk money etcetera. Now if you really don’t mind finishing the arch by yourself, I must get back to the wedding.’
And with that she dashed off across the lawn to rejoin the bridal party. I stared after her, stunned into silence, and then looked down at the dog.