They shook hands, then Sue sat down beside her. ‘Mandy said you’re a professional photographer and are free next Saturday, so you can take the photos for my daughter, Ellie’s, wedding? I can’t tell you what a relief that is. The other photographer only cancelled this morning – distressing circumstances, so it couldn’t be helped – and I really didn’t want to break the news to Ellie and her fiancé Reece at such short notice.’
‘Yes, I’m free and I’d love to do it.’ Hattie paused; she didn’t want to mislead the woman. ‘I’m only a part-time photographer at the moment but am hoping to expand my business to full time. I completed a photography course at college and have been taking photographs for years now, but I had a day job and took photos in my spare time. I have had my photographs published in several magazines, and I’ve photographed several weddings too so I am very experienced.’
‘Well, that all sounds very promising. Have you got some samples of your work with you?’
‘Yes.’ Hattie opened her portfolio at the wedding-photo pages and showed them to Sue, who seemed very impressed. ‘Do you mind if I look at some of the other photos as well?’ she asked.
‘Of course not,’ Hattie told her.
She watched the expression on Sue’s face as she turned over the other pages, photos of young babies, children, family groups then stunning sunsets, moonlit lakes, magical woodlands and forests. ‘These photos are wonderful.’ Sue closed the album and handed it back to Hattie. ‘I would love you to take the photos for my daughter’s wedding, but the final decision will be Ellie and Reece’s. They are coming tomorrow morning; they want to spend the week here, having a relax and getting the hotel ready for the wedding. Could you pop in and meet them tomorrow afternoon? I’m sure they will be as impressed with your photos as I am.’
‘Of course. What time do you want me to come?’
‘About three thirty?’ suggested Sue.
‘Perfect,’ Hattie replied. She just hoped that Sue’s daughter and fiancé would be as impressed with her photos as Sue was.
‘Do you live in Port Medden?’ Sue asked.
‘Not permanently. I’m here for the summer. My uncle recently died and left his cottage to me and my dad in his will.’
‘Albert’s cottage? Fisherman’s Rest?’
‘Yes.’ Hattie replied anxiously, wishing she hadn’t mentioned it now. What if Sue thought she was a selfish money-grabber, as Marcus did, and didn’t want to employ her?
‘Ah, then you live next door to Marcus, our chef. He’s a lovely man. You’ll meet him at the wedding – he and Shanise are doing the food.’
A lovely man! Well, that’s not how she would have described Marcus and she certainly hoped that she didn’t bump into him at the wedding reception. As far as she was concerned, the less she saw of him, the better.
Chapter Five
Hattie spent the rest of the afternoon reacquainting herself with Port Medden, which hadn’t changed very much in the years since she’d last visited. Such a lot had happened since then. Hattie had left home as soon as she started work in the insurance office, renting a flat and intending to build up her photography business so that she could eventually leave her job. Then she had met Adam who had moved into her flat a few months later, and there had been little time for her photography, as they set up home together, worked full time and had a busy social life. She really had thought Adam was the one, and it had devastated her when, after three years of living together, she’d discovered that he’d cheated on her. She told him where to go in no uncertain terms and decided from then on, she was going to live her life for herself. That’s when she’d started to build up her photography business again. Now, thanks to her redundancy money, she might be able to do it full time, and thanks to Uncle Albert, she might be able to rent a studio and put a deposit down on a little flat. Things were looking up, especially after this morning. She couldn’t believe that she’d got her first professional photography job in Port Medden. Well, she hoped she had – she still had to meet the bride- and groom-to-be and get their approval.
When Hattie arrived back home she was greeted by the usual ‘Bugger off’ from Buddy as soon as she walked in.
‘Well, you’re a pleasant soul, aren’t you?’ she said, walking over to the cage to see if he had eaten anything yet. The pellets seemed untouched. ‘What’s the matter with you? Do you fancy something tastier?’ she asked.
Buddy gave her a scornful look and turned his back on her.
He really was a character, Hattie thought, remembering that she still hadn’t googled what parrots liked to eat. She grabbed her phone and pulled up a search on feeding parrots. Ah! They liked fresh fruit, veg, cooked eggs, chicken and turkey. She’d get him some broccoli, a good source of vitamin D. And a corn on the cob to peck at. That should cheer him up. As soon as she’d had a bite to eat, she’d clean out the fridge and then go to the local supermarket for a shop. She wanted to spend tomorrow morning cleaning and sorting out the two bedrooms and bathroom, before going to Gwel Teg to meet Sue’s daughter and fiancé. Then she planned on taking a walk along the beach. She was going to make the most of the glorious late-May weather and beautiful location. The day after, Monday, she would take a trip to Truro and leave a poster in some of the shops there too.
It was still warm, too warm to traipse around the supermarket in her bike leathers, so she changed into crops and a T-shirt, then
