The Ticket to Happiness. Faith Bleasdale
workers from the sanctuary who didn’t often let their hair down were giving it a good go. Pippa let John, the vicar, who was also the leader of the morris dancers, spin her around the makeshift dance floor a couple of times before giggling and going to find another drink.
After checking all the guests were having fun, Pippa went over to Harriet and Connor, who were both pale-faced, talking to John – his wife, Hilary, by his side. John and Hilary were pillars of the Meadowbrook community. Not only was he the vicar and head of the morris-dancing troop, but he and his wife were also the people who knew everything that was going on in Parker’s Hollow, the village. They also looked scarily alike, both tall, slender or bony, as Harriet said, with glasses that dominated both of their faces. Freddie still found this hard to accept – to him, they looked more like brother and sister than husband and wife.
‘You really shouldn’t leave it too long to get the lad christened,’ Pippa heard John say as she approached.
‘Pip,’ Harry said, grabbing her.
Harriet was holding a baby monitor, so she could hear if Toby so much as murmured in the room he was sleeping in upstairs.
‘Yes?’ Pippa smiled.
John, the vicar, was grinning enthusiastically.
‘John thinks we need to organise a christening for Toby.’
‘You should. We’ve got the family christening robe and the way he eats he won’t fit in it if you don’t hurry up,’ Pippa laughed, thinking that a christening would be another wonderful Meadowbrook event. She might even get to organise it.
‘Thanks for the support,’ Harriet hissed in her ear. ‘OK, that’s great, John, but Connor and I still need to find godparents and then we need to organise a party, I guess,’ she said carefully.
‘I’ll do the catering,’ Gwen cut in, as it turned out she’d been listening. ‘And I insist on making a very special cake. I’ll go and get some brandy from Freddie now while I think of it.’
‘Mum, are you all right?’ Connor’s brows etched in concern.
‘Oh, yes, just had one too many sherries,’ Gwen replied, swaying slightly.
‘Now, if I might interfere, I’d be very happy to put my hat into the ring for a godfather role,’ Gerry offered.
Harriet looked so startled she was unable to speak.
‘Gwen’s Granny and I’m her partner, so it’d be nice for me to have an official title, too,’ he said. ‘I’m also willing to dress up as any character he might like for any of his birthdays.’
That was Gerry’s pitch. No one knew what to say. Gerry did like to dress up, though, at any excuse, which no one liked to think too much about; although it did come in handy for the Meadowbrook events.
‘Oh, and I should be godmother,’ Edie – one of the gardening club members and a pillar of the Meadowbrook community – said, appearing suddenly as if from nowhere.
Edie was eccentric to say the least. She’d just turned seventy-something but pretended she was sixty. No one dared argue with her.
Pip stifled a giggle. Harriet’s face had turned grey and even Connor looked concerned.
‘Great, well, you have two godparents right here. You only need one more man if tradition serves or, as I’m a very progressive vicar, you can have more if you like,’ John offered magnanimously. ‘I know some people these days like to have quite a few.’
‘We’ll definitely need more,’ Connor said, sounding a little shell-shocked.
‘Let’s think about it and we’ll call you soon to lock down a date.’
It wasn’t often that Harriet gave in but, Pippa realised, they’d caught her on the rare occasion she’d had a drink since Toby’s birth. She’d have agreed to anything, Pippa thought as Harriet downed the wine left in her glass.
‘And after the service we’ll be happy to do a special morris dance for Toby,’ John finished.
‘Oh, how lovely. A christening and morris dancing. Of course, I’ll make the quiches,’ Hilary offered. ‘I should go and find Gwen so we can discuss the menu.’
As Pippa watched Connor shrug helplessly and Harriet’s eyes fill with panic, she wondered if she should intervene.
‘I think I heard Toby crying,’ Harriet said. ‘John, it all sounds lovely, thank you.’ And grabbing Pippa’s hand, she thrust the baby monitor into Connor’s hands then pulled her sister with her before she was coerced into anything else.
‘For God’s sake, we’ll need to get Toby other godparents – you know, those who might even outlive his parents,’ Harriet whispered when they were in her old bedroom.
Toby was in a Moses basket sleeping soundly, silent but for the occasional snuffling noise.
‘Think of the pictures!’ Pippa laughed. ‘Oh, but Gerry’s so sweet, though, and so’s Edie. It’ll mean so much to them, too. They love little Toby.’
‘I know that,’ Harriet hissed, ‘but I’m not sure it’s the best thing for Toby. I mean, aren’t the parents meant to choose godparents, not the other way round?’
‘I wonder what Edie’ll wear?’ Pippa felt uncontrollable laughter bubbling up. They loved Edie and she certainly lent colour to Meadowbrook.
‘I dread to think, Edie in her finest. I adore her but tonight she was definitely channelling Madonna circa 1988.’
‘But she was delighted with her ra-ra skirt; she got it when Gemma took her to the charity shops in Bath.’
‘At least Toby’ll be oblivious to it all, so that’s one good thing—’
The door burst open and Connor ran in, brandishing the other baby monitor.
‘Oh no!’ Harriet cringed.
‘What did they hear?’ Pippa said, her heart falling.
‘Thankfully, as soon as I heard Harriet blaspheme, I ran out of the room. I think John heard you take the Lord’s name in vain, but I definitely saved you from the worst.’
‘Oh, Con, how can I ever thank you?’ Harriet giggled, throwing her arms around him.
‘You could always ask Edie if you could borrow her ra-ra skirt,’ he winked.
Pippa was woken by a quiet knock on her bedroom door. She slowly sat up, acknowledging that hungover, sleepy feeling as her memory seeped back. She was in her childhood bedroom, not her normal room. Of course, the bedroom now belonged to the hotel now. It had a four-poster bed and was one of the more romantic rooms, she often felt.
‘Come in.’ She stretched her arms above her head.
Harriet walked in clutching Toby and a baby’s bottle.
‘What time is it?’ Pippa asked.
‘Half six, but your nephew needs feeding and Connor’s snoring, which makes me want to stab him. How can he sleep through a baby crying? It’s ridiculous!’ Harriet hiccupped. ‘Pip, I think I might still be drunk and I’m not sure I should be allowed to be in charge of my baby. Gwen offered to have him sleep at hers but I’ve never spent a night away from him and …’
‘Hand him over.’
Pippa took Toby, cradled him in her arms and planted a kiss on his head. She loved babies. She loved this baby. When Harriet was first pregnant, Pippa didn’t like to admit it but she was jealous, or maybe that was envious, because she was so happy for Harriet and Connor at the same time. When she was married to Mark, she’d been so desperate for a child and