Summer at the Star and Sixpence by Holly Hepburn

Let me know if you need any help over there.’
    Nessie nodded and made her way out of the marquee. Her skin still tingled from where he’d held her.
    The next time Nessie left the Star and Sixpence, the skies had begun to darken. The trees outside had been festooned with fairy lights, giving the approaching twilight a
magical, otherworldly feel, so that Nessie half felt as though she had stumbled into
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
. The music floating across the air from the marquee was quite different,
though; Jamie’s family were from Edinburgh and they had organised a traditional Scottish Country dance, complete with ceilidh band and a caller to instruct their guests on the steps. Any
other time, Nessie would have loved to join in but after the way half a dance with Owen had made her feel, she wasn’t sure she wanted to risk meeting him on the dance floor again.
    She made her way around the green, collecting the empty glasses that were dotted here and there and loading them into the glass tray she’d brought. The catering company had stopped serving
drinks at the end of the meal, passing on the party baton to the Star and Sixpence. Most people were inside the marquee, enjoying the dancing, although the night air was still warm. Later it would
be chilly but for now Nessie could see scattered groups and couples seated on hay bales or standing around chatting.
    Luke flew past, his face aglow with happiness as he chased another child across the grass. She looked around, wondering where Owen was. And then she saw him, standing underneath a twinkling
tree. She wasn’t sure whether he was watching her or Luke, but she raised a hand to wave anyway. He waved back. Then he started towards her.
    ‘It looks pretty full on in there,’ he said, nodding at the crowded pub at the top of the green, with light spilling from its windows and laughter drifting through its door.
‘How’s it going?’
    ‘Not bad,’ she said. ‘Joss and Tilly are great and the extra staff we hired are a huge help.’
    He nodded. ‘Good. Have you heard from Sam?’
    ‘About ten minutes ago. She’s on her way home.’
    ‘Emergency sorted?’
    Nessie shifted uneasily. ‘I have no idea. All she said was that she was heading home. I’ll have to wait until she gets here to find out more.’
    Owen tipped his head. ‘Again, if there’s anything I can do to help, just shout.’
    ‘Thank you,’ Nessie said with a smile. ‘I’ll keep that in mind.’
    She spotted an empty glass upside down under the next tree and lowered the glass tray to the ground while she collected it. When she straightened up, Owen had picked up the tray.
‘It’s no bother,’ he said, when she protested. ‘It won’t take long if we work together.’
    Nessie didn’t argue. They strolled across the green in silence for a moment then Owen spoke. ‘Has it been hard for you today?’
    Nessie stared at him, wondering what he meant. Having Sam disappear in a fog of uncertainty hadn’t been a picnic but she’d coped. Dancing with him had been harder.
    Owen saw her confusion. ‘The wedding,’ he explained. ‘I wondered whether it made you think about Patrick at all.’
    Nessie pictured the divorce papers lying on her bed, neatly addressed and ready to be posted. ‘A bit,’ she answered warily. ‘There were some good times, and our wedding day was
one of them.’
    ‘Of course,’ he said, and Nessie thought he sounded embarrassed. ‘I didn’t mean to imply you and Patrick weren’t happy.’
    They had been neither happy nor unhappy towards the end, Nessie wanted to say, they’d just
been
. But she swallowed the thought. ‘How about you?’ she said instead.
‘I expect it was harder for you.’
    ‘In some ways,’ Owen said, with a sigh that made Nessie ache for him. ‘Being in the church was tough, although I’ve been in there countless times since Eliza’s
funeral. But it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Maybe Kathryn is right. It’s time I