Perhaps this was for the best for Jack – this was the woman his family had wanted him to marry and, so long as he was happy, perhaps their marriage would help heal the rift between him and his parents. I could only hope something good came out of it, because Jack deserved that.

‘He’s absolutely fine, dear,’ Mrs Dorsey said, laughing, before I’d had a chance to say a word down the line. ‘Clive and I had a chat when you left and I told him you’ll be back later, and he seems quite happy with that now. Busy playing with his friends, he is, zooming around the garden at the moment.’

‘Thank you, Mrs Dorsey.’

‘Oh, none of that Mrs Dorsey lark. Call me Pearl, dear. Have you seen the bride yet?’

‘No, not yet. I should think we’ll be going into the church shortly, though.’

‘Would you take me some photographs, dear? I’m more than happy to look after everyone’s pooches today, but it’s always nice to see a lovely wedding, isn’t it?’

‘Of course I will.’

Judging by the massive rock on Cecily’s hand, Pearl might just have the chance to go to another big wedding in the village before long.

‘Thanks again, and I’ll see you in the morning.’ I hadn’t been sure what time I’d be back, so we’d arranged for me to collect Clive tomorrow.

‘Have a lovely time!’ she said cheerily before hanging up. I sat with the phone in my hand and stared out across the carefully tended cemetery.

‘There you are. We were wondering where you’d gone.’

I smiled. ‘It’s OK. I haven’t chickened out and gone home.’

Poppy sat down next to me. ‘We didn’t think you had.’ She placed her hand over mine. ‘You all right?’

It would be easy to pretend I didn’t know what she was talking about but that would have just been a waste of breath for both of us.

‘Did you know?’

‘No. But we haven’t seen him much since you two broke up. I have to say I’m a bit surprised. He was absolutely devastated at losing you.’

‘He’s known her for a long time. He mentioned her once when we were talking about things. Apparently, their parents have always wanted them to marry, but she got fed up with Jack not asking her and married someone else. She was widowed a few years ago so the old hopes had once again been raised between the two families.’

‘He can’t love her.’

‘He must do.’

‘Not like he loves you.’

‘Loved,’ I said, putting the emphasis on the past tense. ‘I blew that one well and truly. He must love her, anyway. He wouldn’t be marrying her if he didn’t, he wouldn’t hurt her by committing himself to something he didn’t believe in.’

‘You’re right. But I don’t understand it. It just seems so quick.’

‘Yes,’ was the only response I could make. My stomach churned and my head pounded. Right now, the last thing I wanted to do was attend a wedding knowing that the man I loved would soon be marrying someone else and that it had all been my own doing. Today was William and Faith’s day. I’d looked inward for far too long. It was time to look outward and today I would watch them marry and look for the joy, for once not thinking about all the things that could go wrong. I’d see only the love that had brought them together, full circle, where they were meant to be.