Chapter 12 – Back to Carrisbrooke
Following Tuesday, London, Heathrow
Spike pulled their last piece of luggage from the carousel and they headed for the Arrivals lounge.
“I’m sorry pet, we should have travelled first class”
“No, not with all the expense of the wedding coming up, now let’s get a taxi –to where was it?”
“Victoria Bus Station” Spike said wearily pushing the luggage trolley.
__________________
6 hours later Carrisbrooke, Devon
“William, and Buffy, so nice to have you back home!” Mrs Calendar greeted them, and then she continued,
“I bet you’d love a nice cup of tea”
“If you wouldn’t mind Mrs C, and um, could I trouble you for something to eat, we haven’t eaten since being on the plane this morning, we’re famished!” Spike said.
“Say no more, leave your cases there, I’ll have them taken up to your room shortly. Go into the sitting room, there’s a nice fire going”
Buffy and Spike did as they were told, each taking a huge armchair either side of the fire.
Buffy was warming her hands, she was freezing.
“The forecast says it should warm up a little towards the end of the week – we had this sudden cold-snap, my husband is going mad, frost getting at all the young tender shoots in the garden”
Five minutes later, she wheeled in a tea trolley, a plate with some split English Muffins, and some crumpets on, a dish of butter and a knife. There were also little pots of various conserves and a big pot of Carrisbrooke honey.
“Toasting fork is on the tray, I thought this would tide you over till dinner at seven, okay, there’s a beef casserole with our own beef of course, or a chicken and vegetable pie”
“Thanks Mrs C, we appreciate that” Spike said sticking the long toasting fork into a muffin and holding it to the flames of the roaring fire.
He offered it to Buffy once it was golden and she quickly juggled the hot treat to the plate, smothered it in butter and honey and bit into it.
“Hmmm – delish!” She poured them both more tea and they soon finished up the toasted treats.
“That was yummy, I was starving!” Buffy said sitting back and sipping her tea
“Haven’t done that since – God’s knows when”
“What toasting muffins?” Buffy asked and Spike nodded.
They both fell asleep in front of the fire and Spike woke just after 6pm.
“Buffy, love, wake up”
“Hmm – huh – oh, what – oh golly, (she stretched and yawned, then rubbed her eyes sleepily), must have fallen asleep!”
“Yup, we did, it’s gone six, do you want a shower or something before dinner?”
Yawning again Buffy stood and said tiredly,
“No, I don’t think so, it’ll wake me up, I’ll just go splash my face and get changed”
“Yeah, me too, we can have an early night and be right for the morning”
____________________
“Spike…Spike, are you awake?” Buffy asked moving the duvet slightly so she could hear him.
“Hmm…it’s 4.12am, and I can’t sleep” Spike said turning over. Buffy switched on her bedside lamp and sat up, clutching her knees around the duvet.
“Nor me. Shall we get up?”
“What for? It’s pitch dark, cold, I’d rather stay here and snuggle”
“Okay. Did you remember to pack your filofax – I just had a thought that I saw in my minds eye it was on the nightstand back in our bedroom in Sunnydale”
“I nearly forgot it, I had to go upstairs and get my ‘good’ watch out of the drawer, and I saw it and picked it up and it’s in my flight bag, why?”
“Only it’s got everybody’s phone numbers in it…Joany and stuff, I can never remember them as they’re on speed-dial at home”
“What are we going to do today?” Spike asked propping up his head leaning on his elbow.
“Well, after breakfast, I want to go and see Lydia – is it, the lady that does the weddings here – she said I could see her anytime between 9.30 –and 11 today – I want to choose the napery colours for the wedding reception, and the flowers and table decorations”
“Do you need me?” Spike asked.
“Well, no, not really, as long as you trust my choice, why, what have you got to do?”
“I trust you implicitly, anything your little heart desires. Anyway, I’ve got to see a man about a car”
“Ahh, yes. Okay, well I’ll go see Lydia, and then start looking on the ‘net for wedding dress shops in London, I can take down some addresses and have them ready for when Willow comes over”
“Yeah, okay, oh, when is that by the way?”
“Sunday, there’s a flight into Heathrow at lunchtime, she’s booked into the Dorchester hotel and I’ll see her on Monday”
”Didn’t you tell me the daughter-in-law of Joany was making your dress?”
“Un huh, she is, but I need Bridesmaid dresses for the teenies”
Spike nodded and said,
“Well you know best, love”
________________
They met up again at 3pm, Buffy was in their bedroom, sitting on the bed reading a wedding magazine.
“Did that man phone you, Doug Bryson? – He rang here at the house and I told Mrs C to give him your mobile number”
Spike took his mobile out of his pocket and looked at it, he’d got three missed calls and set about calling them…
“Sorry, I was in car show-rooms until gone 1pm, I need a car now I’m back in England, and I can’t keep on borrowing dad’s – that’s why my mobile was switched off, now Doug, what can I do for you?......................................................I see, sure, no problem – when…tonight is a bit short notice, hold on…can I get back to you okay I’ll just check and get straight back onto you” Spike ended the call and explained to Buffy,
“Just going down to see Mrs C, to see if she can squeeze another in for dinner, Doug wants a chat before we start filming and he says he won’t get a chance once we’re on set”
“Okay – I went really tired, came up for a rest”
“Jet lag, I’m knackered myself – it’s the middle of the night really!”
Spike went down and squared things with the housekeeper and phoned Doug again to tell him to go there.
“See you at seven then Doug, bye”
_____________________
Sunday, 3.30pm
Buffy was lying down after a huge lunch of roast beef, Yorkshire puddings, boiled baby new potatoes with the skins on, roast potatoes and parsnips, carrots and broccoli, then apple-pie and ice cream. Her mobile rang and she answered.
“Willow – how are you, how was the flight?.......Oh never mind, still you’re there now hmm? – Good…is it, well you can show me tomorrow……um, around 12-12.30 is that okay, give you chance to have a rest I’m still a little jet-lagged even though we’ve been here five days! Okay then, yes I will, see you tomorrow then, bye Will!”
Spike turned over sleepily and asked if Will was okay.
“Yup, her flight was delayed for an hour and an half but she’s at the Dorchester now, she said the room is lovely, and she sends her love”
Spike smiled and said ‘that’s nice’
“What time are we leaving here in the morning?”
“About 8, I want to take it steady, I’ll have to drive straight to the studios, and you can take a taxi to the Dorchester okay?”
Spike said, and Buffy nodded.
_____
At 7 o’clock, Buffy and Spike went downstairs and went outside. It had been raining and the air smelt clean and fresh, green, like new mown grass.
“Cor, get a lung full of that girl, good honest fresh air!” Spike said breathing deeply.
“So who is this we’re meeting in the pub?” Buffy asked as they walked up the lane towards the village.
“Ozzie Davis, he produces all the pigs we use for the catering at Carrisbrooke – I was thinking love, we’re having a formal sit down meal in the afternoon, the traditional ‘Wedding Breakfast’ as it’s called, even though it’s a lunchtime, but on the night, with the marquee up I was thinking, what if we have a BBQ, there will be a lot of show biz people and quite a few from the world of rock, as well as formal guests like the dukes and the duchesses we’ll have to invite, we can do the buffet in the ball room too, I just thought that if the rockers wanted to get rowdy, outside, in a marquee, with a BBQ might be a good idea, what do you think?”
“I think that’s an excellent idea – can we have fireworks too?”
“All in hand my little one – we’re seeing him tomorrow night!”
“Who?”
“The pyrotechnics specialist who does all the displays here”
“Brilliant!” Buffy said grinning and Spike grinned too and squeezed her hand.
Ozzie was at the bar when they walked in
“William, good to see you again – and this is your intended is it – well I must say, you definitely have an eye for the pretty ones you old git!” Ozzie shook Spike warmly by the hand and found it hard to take his eyes off Buffy!
“This is indeed my beautiful fiancée! And you can keep your beady eyes off her!” Buffy Blushed and giggled, shook Ozzies hand.
“You should hear the stories I could tell you about this one, what he used to get up to when he was young, little hooligan he was!”
“Only by your provocation!” Spike said laughing, and then he looked at the barman and asked for a pint of bitter, he turned and asked Buffy what she wanted, she opted for a glass of merlot, and Ozzie drained his pint and Spike said lager, was it?”
“Nope, pear cider”
“And a pint of pear cider for him, and one for yourself my good man!” The barman poured the drinks and thanked him, gave him his change and they went and sat down.
“So William, you said you’d got an idea but you wanted to run it passed Buffy First?”
“Yup, I have, and she agrees, we’d like a BBQ in the evening. We’re still going to have the traditional buffet in the ballroom, all forma like, but we’re putting the marquee up outside and we thought if it got a bit rowdy, then being outside it wouldn’t matter”
“Great idea, and you want me to supply the stuff I take it” Ozzie asked, taking another deep draught of his pint.
“That’s what I thought, you could give us some ideas as to what to have and that” Spike asked
“No problem, on a budget?”
Spike shook his head ‘no’ and said,
“No mate, go with the flow, nothing would get wasted anyway, the kitchens at Carrisbrooke can always use what’s leftover”
“Great…well I think a pig roast obviously, we could do one big one, or how about if I did some suckling pigs, and a small pig, you could have something else too then, like a side of wild boar or some chickens too”
“Or both, yeah that sounds great mate, what do you think babe?” Spike asked
“Fantastic, would you be the one cooking it?” Buffy asked
“Me and me brother, my lad could help too, and the Mrs” Ozzie said
“Well they’d be invited anyway – how old is your lad?”
“15, joined the ‘Young Farmers’, and I’m pleased to say he’s following his old dad into the business!”
Spike smiled and then said,
“Don’t you have a daughter too?”
“Oh yes, our Charlotte is eight, proper little madam too with her airs and graces, won’t come anywhere near me if I smell of pig, which is most of the time!”
“Eight…how tall is she?” Buffy asked
“Tall…let me see…she’s about so high, why?” (Ozzie held his arm up)
“Do you think she’d like to be a bridesmaid – I need a forth one, so they can walk down the aisle in pairs” Buffy said
“Are you serious?” Ozzie asked
“Yes, do you think she would?”
“It’s only her dream, to be a bridesmaid at ‘the big house’ as she calls it, she keeps telling me that she’s going to get married there one day, I said I’m glad she told me coz I better start saving now for it!”
“I’m going to London tomorrow until Wednesday, how about if – “ the pub door opened and Ozzie stood up, it was his wife.
“Hold on Buffy, this is Tracy, my wife”
“I forgot my front door keys, can I have yours?” Tracy asked
“Love, have you got our Lotty with you?”
“Yes, she’s outside in the car, I’ve just fetched her from pony club, why?”
“This is William, from the big house, I told you about him?” Ozzie said.
“Oh yes, pleased to meet you” Tracy shook hands with Spike and Buffy.
“Well, tell you what, you tell her Buffy”
“I asked Ozzie if he thought Charlotte would like to be a bridesmaid – I want four so they can walk down the isle in pairs”
Tracy grinned and said,
“Would she – come outside and meet her!” So Buffy went outside to see a Range Rover parked on the other side of the road.
“I won’t be a minute, just got to get the front door keys from Oz, go introduce yourself” Tracy said to Buffy.
Buffy crossed the road and opened the door to the Range Rover.
“Hello, you must be Charlotte, your mom just said to come out and introduce myself”
“Hello! – Where are you from?” the child asked confidently.
“America, but my boyfriend and I are getting married here in England, William lives in the big house as you call it”
“Oh I love it there…I like the petting zoo, and the tea rooms and the gift shop. I want to get married there when I’m older!” Charlotte said, twirling her hair around her fingers.
Buffy smiled and said,
“Well Charlotte, I know we’ve only just met, but I was wondering if you would do me a big favour?” The child nodded and saw her mother crossing the road coming towards them.
“Well, how would you like to be a bridesmaid for me?” Buffy asked
Charlotte stopped fiddling with her hair and sat up straight and looked serious, she said,
“At the big house?”
“At the big house” Buffy said nodding
“For real?” the child’s eyes were as big as saucers
“For real!” Buffy said grinning
“OH YES PLEASE!” She flung her arms around Buffy and squealed with delight, calling,
“Mum, mum, I’m going to be a bridesmaid at the big house!!”
“I know, but only if you’re good!”
In a quiet aside Tracy said,
“I’m glad I’ve got something over her now, her behaviour will be impeccable!”
“I’m going to London tomorrow, here…I’ll give you my mobile number, could you give me her measurements and shoe size, I shall be touring the wedding shops tomorrow” Buffy said.
“No problem, I’ll get the tape measure out when I get home – when is the wedding?” Tracy asked, taking the number off Buffy.
“June 23rd”
“Oh, only a few months then – hear that Lotty, only a few months to wait!”
I can’t wait, will I look like a princess?”
“I hope so!” Buffy said
“I can’t wait!” Lotty said again.
“Well I let you get back inside – tell Ozzie not to make it too late, I want a bath and bed”
“Will do, bye then Tracy, Bye Charlotte”
“Bye Buffy, and thank you for letting me be a princess!” Buffy smiled, waved them off and went back inside the pub.
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