Read Online Two Weddings and a Baby by Scarlett Bailey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Scarlett Bailey
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It’s really bad.’
‘It’s all right, love.’ Eddie held his wife, kissing her. ‘Come on. We can worry about the pub once we know we’ve got all our people safe, OK? Whatever happens here can be fixed, in time.’
‘Right,’ Jed said as the group began to don extra coats and jumpers. ‘If everyone does exactly as I tell them, we will make it. I promise you.’
And Tamsyn didn’t know why, but she believed him. She might not believe in God, but the vicar seemed like exactly the sort of person it was sensible to put your faith in.
Chapter Seven
‘Stay close behind me,’ Jed told them, as the shock of the cold and the rain that instantly drenched the small party made Tamsyn want to head back into the pub, even though she knew it was a bad idea. Her instinct was to hide away, to find a safe spot, a bed, maybe, and crawl under it, but that was the worst thing she could do, especially with a tiny life strapped to her chest by a scarf in a makeshift sling.
‘Stick close to the buildings. There seems to be quite a current now. The water’s really coming down.’
‘And up,’ Cordelia said, glancing over her shoulder. When Tamsyn followed her gaze, she could see that seawater now covered the square.
‘Right,’ Jed nodded briskly. ‘We are going to do this as quickly as we can: no talking, no deviating. Keep your eyes peeled; there’s bound to be debris, possibly falling tiles, trees, shop signs. You are each responsible for keeping an eye on the person ahead of and behind you. Keep a tight grip on the boys. Smaller ones don’t do so well in fast currents. If you need help, shout out. Let’s go.’
Tamsyn was surprised by the genuine fear that coursed through her body as she began to follow Jed against the flow of the water that was tumbling down the narrow maze of steep streets, white-water rapids coursing through the town at devastating speed. It was as if the town she had grown up in had vanished entirely, lost in an alien nightmare version. Tree branches, plants and bits of fence tumbled past them at speed, and the downward drag of the water tugged at her legs, giving her the feeling that she could easily pitch backwards at any moment. Just as they neared the church, almost at the top of the hill, a terrifying metallic roar seared through the air and a car juddered into view at speed. Jed covered Tamsyn’s body with his, pressing her and the baby back against the wall of a cottage, as the car veered dangerously close to the huddled group.
‘Mummy, I’m scared,’ Jamie said, clinging onto Keira, along with his brother. Keira did her best to look calm, although Tamsyn could see the anxiety wrought in her face.
‘It’s an adventure,’ she told her boys, who were now both in tears. ‘Just like in your storybooks!’
‘And we are almost there,’ Jed told the boys brightly, smiling for them. ‘It’ll be a walk in the park now. A piece of cake, made by the Poldore WI, which we can all have a big piece of once we are inside, OK?’
Tamsyn saw him glance just briefly at the churchyard, which was now entirely underwater. Merryn’s headstone was probably lost in swirls of dark water, seeing as the cedar tree now lay crumpled across the path that led to the church.
‘Come on,’ he said grimly and they set off once again, veering right to take a narrow alley that cut off the corner and led to the gate to Castle House, water cascading down the steep steps like a waterfall. Tamsyn didn’t think that in all her years living next door to the fanciful Victorian ideal of a castle, she’d even noticed that the bridge that led to the entrance went over a narrow but deep moat, probably because it was now filled to the brim with water for the first time in living memory, keeping the house and grounds that lay beyond the ramparts thankfully dry.
Fortunately Sue hadn’t been mistaken when she said that the small, door-shaped gate that had been cut into the portcullis was open, and as they stepped
‘It’s all right, love.’ Eddie held his wife, kissing her. ‘Come on. We can worry about the pub once we know we’ve got all our people safe, OK? Whatever happens here can be fixed, in time.’
‘Right,’ Jed said as the group began to don extra coats and jumpers. ‘If everyone does exactly as I tell them, we will make it. I promise you.’
And Tamsyn didn’t know why, but she believed him. She might not believe in God, but the vicar seemed like exactly the sort of person it was sensible to put your faith in.
Chapter Seven
‘Stay close behind me,’ Jed told them, as the shock of the cold and the rain that instantly drenched the small party made Tamsyn want to head back into the pub, even though she knew it was a bad idea. Her instinct was to hide away, to find a safe spot, a bed, maybe, and crawl under it, but that was the worst thing she could do, especially with a tiny life strapped to her chest by a scarf in a makeshift sling.
‘Stick close to the buildings. There seems to be quite a current now. The water’s really coming down.’
‘And up,’ Cordelia said, glancing over her shoulder. When Tamsyn followed her gaze, she could see that seawater now covered the square.
‘Right,’ Jed nodded briskly. ‘We are going to do this as quickly as we can: no talking, no deviating. Keep your eyes peeled; there’s bound to be debris, possibly falling tiles, trees, shop signs. You are each responsible for keeping an eye on the person ahead of and behind you. Keep a tight grip on the boys. Smaller ones don’t do so well in fast currents. If you need help, shout out. Let’s go.’
Tamsyn was surprised by the genuine fear that coursed through her body as she began to follow Jed against the flow of the water that was tumbling down the narrow maze of steep streets, white-water rapids coursing through the town at devastating speed. It was as if the town she had grown up in had vanished entirely, lost in an alien nightmare version. Tree branches, plants and bits of fence tumbled past them at speed, and the downward drag of the water tugged at her legs, giving her the feeling that she could easily pitch backwards at any moment. Just as they neared the church, almost at the top of the hill, a terrifying metallic roar seared through the air and a car juddered into view at speed. Jed covered Tamsyn’s body with his, pressing her and the baby back against the wall of a cottage, as the car veered dangerously close to the huddled group.
‘Mummy, I’m scared,’ Jamie said, clinging onto Keira, along with his brother. Keira did her best to look calm, although Tamsyn could see the anxiety wrought in her face.
‘It’s an adventure,’ she told her boys, who were now both in tears. ‘Just like in your storybooks!’
‘And we are almost there,’ Jed told the boys brightly, smiling for them. ‘It’ll be a walk in the park now. A piece of cake, made by the Poldore WI, which we can all have a big piece of once we are inside, OK?’
Tamsyn saw him glance just briefly at the churchyard, which was now entirely underwater. Merryn’s headstone was probably lost in swirls of dark water, seeing as the cedar tree now lay crumpled across the path that led to the church.
‘Come on,’ he said grimly and they set off once again, veering right to take a narrow alley that cut off the corner and led to the gate to Castle House, water cascading down the steep steps like a waterfall. Tamsyn didn’t think that in all her years living next door to the fanciful Victorian ideal of a castle, she’d even noticed that the bridge that led to the entrance went over a narrow but deep moat, probably because it was now filled to the brim with water for the first time in living memory, keeping the house and grounds that lay beyond the ramparts thankfully dry.
Fortunately Sue hadn’t been mistaken when she said that the small, door-shaped gate that had been cut into the portcullis was open, and as they stepped
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