“Everyone is happy for us,” Edward whispered in her ear.
“Your friends don’t look happy,” she hissed back.
He chuckled. “Don’t mind them. They’re all delighted. They simply aren’t showing it. Shall we?”
He offered her his arm. She took it and the pair made their way between the rows of chairs to the back of the room. As they walked, Janet smiled and nodded at everyone on both sides of the room. Edward’s associates all stared back at her blankly, except for one man who looked a good deal younger than the rest. He matched her smile and then winked at her as she walked past.
“If everyone would like to move into the next room, we have champagne and starters for you to enjoy before dinner,” Bridget Jepson, the owner of Ashcroft Hall, announced. “Mr. and Mrs. Bennett will be receiving their guests at the entrance,” she added before she stepped out of the way.
“Ready?” Edward asked, giving Janet’s hand a squeeze as they moved into position right inside the door of the large room where they’d be having dinner.
“Not at all. I feel very odd,” she told him.
“I hope you’re feeling happy.”
“Mostly happy, partly queasy.”
He chuckled. “Champagne?” he suggested.
“That might help.”
“Here we are,” Bridget said, holding out a tray with two crystal champagne glasses on it.
Janet took one and sipped slowly. “Delicious,” she said. “But I can’t drink too much on an empty stomach.”
“You didn’t have breakfast?” Edward asked, looking concerned.
“I was too nervous to eat,” she confessed.
“Congratulations,” Joan said, pulling her sister into a hug.
“Thank you,” Janet replied, hugging Joan tightly. “I can’t believe we’re both married now.”
Joan laughed as she released her. “Two years ago, I wouldn’t have believed you if you’d told me that we’d both be getting married in the same year. It didn’t seem remotely possible.”
“Congratulations,” Michael said, offering his hand to Edward. “Welcome to the family.”
Edward beamed. “Thank you.”
“I’m so happy for you,” Bessie Cubbon said as she and her friend, Doona Moore, entered the room.
Bessie and Doona lived on the Isle of Man. Janet and Joan had first met Bessie when they’d been on holiday on the island, not long before they’d bought the bed and breakfast, and they had all become good friends over the years. Bessie had last been in Doveby Dale for Joan’s wedding, and Janet had been thrilled when she’d agreed to come back again.
“Congratulations,” Doona told Janet and Edward before the pair walked further into the room.
“Another beautiful wedding,” Stuart Long said, after hugging Janet tightly.
His daughter, Marie, smiled at Janet. “Thank you for inviting me,” she said politely.
“I’m so glad you both came,” Janet replied.
“I wasn’t certain about it,” Stuart admitted. “I thought a wedding might be difficult, being that I’m still sorting out the mess that was my marriage, but it was truly lovely.”
The pair moved away. They were quickly replaced by Ted and Todd, the two young men who owned the village’s small café. They hugged Janet and shook Edward’s hand before moving on.
“I don’t think I know many of the others,” Edward whispered.
“Some of them are former guests,” Janet told him. In the time the sisters had owned the bed and breakfast, their guests had been something of a mixed bag. Although both Janet and Joan felt as if they’d had more than their fair share of difficult ones, they’d also had some who’d become more like friends than customers.
“Congratulations,” Sue Mortimer said, blushing slightly. “We were so surprised to be invited, but we’re so very happy for you.”
“Edward, meet Harry and Sue Mortimer,” Janet said. The couple still looked incredibly young to Janet, but they also still appeared to be madly in love. They shook hands with Edward before continuing into the room.
“I’ve heard of them, anyway,” Edward told her. “My sister helped get them both into good training programmes. She has high hopes for them.”
Edward’s sister worked for an organization in London that helped young people find career training.
“So do I,” Janet told him.
“I must say, today’s event was something of a surprise,” Nancy Johnson said as she looked down her nose at Janet.
Janet forced herself to smile. “Edward, darling, this is Nancy Johnson from the Doveby Dale Ladies’ Club.”
“It’s very nice to meet you,” he told her.
She nodded. “The others are behind me somewhere,” she said before turning and walking briskly away.
“Hello,” Paula Ellsworth said with a bright smile. “Thank you so much for including Tara in your kind invitation.”
Janet beamed at the woman and then shifted her gaze to the sleeping baby in her arms. “She’s lovely,” she said softly.
“Thank you,” Peter, Paula’s husband, replied. “We’re completely over the moon, even though we haven’t slept in thirty-seven nights.”
Paula laughed. “He says that, but I haven’t slept well since before I fell pregnant. Men don’t know how good they have it.”
The baby wriggled and then her tiny mouth scrunched up.
“She’s getting ready to scream,” Peter said.
“We have a space where you can nurse her, if you prefer privacy,” Bridget said. “You are, of course, welcome to feed her anywhere you’d like.”
“I think I’d rather have privacy,” Paula replied. “She’s not used to crowds.”
As the trio walked away, following Bridget, Janet could hear the baby starting to cry.
“Congratulations,” Robert Parsons said.
Janet smiled at the police constable who was responsible for policing both Doveby Dale and the neighbouring village of Little Burton. He was young, but he was very good at his job.
“You look beautiful,” Stacey added. The pretty blonde worked at the café with Todd and Ted and had been seeing Robert for several months now. Janet thought that it was likely
