You Promised

Chapter Twenty Six

Needless to say, no one wanted to work with Jenny.
'I have to work on your dress!' Said Anna
'I have to mind my poor recovering mother!' Explained Jayne.
'I have too many patients!' Excused Dolly.
'I wish I could Ami, but I'm helping Jayne in the bakery until her mother gets better.' Apologised Hazel.
I lean back in my seat and sigh.
'But...I could find a place in the bakery for her... If you really needed me to. Really needed.' Hazel says slowly.
My eyes widen in shock. 'In the bakery? Where you and I work? Would adding Jenny to the mix be a safe idea?'
Hazel nods. 'With you there to keep the peace, I'm sure that she'll stay mannerly.' She warns.
We are sitting in Anna's garden watching her brothers and father prepare to go out and farm. The snow is gone but our breath still sends smokey mists out of our noses as we talk.
'Ok. On a different topic.' Anna says, looking me directly in the eyes. 'Ami has plans.'
'What!' Exclaims Hazel. 'You know I hate being left out of plans.'
'We all do!' Jayne argues, looking from me to Anna.
'Well, it wasn't my story to tell.' Explains Anna still looking at me.
Three pairs of slightly offended eyes turn to me and glower.
'Well?' Asks Dolly. 'Tell us.'
I put down my tea cup and take a deep breath. 'I'm getting married in July. '
Suddenly, the still winter air is shaken by squeals of excitement.
'Oh my god! Really? When did you decide this? Oh! This is wonderful Ami!' They chant, voices overlapping as they clap their hands together.
'Wait.' Commands Hazel. 'We must wait.' She pauses dramatically. 'Are we invited?'
'No.' I say. 'Everyone except Hazel.'
She shrugs. 'John would bring me anyway.'
'But what about the dress Ami?' Jayne says. 'Who will em.....pay for this?'
'My father has said he will pay for the wedding.' I say.
Jayne's face lights up. 'Ami. I'm going to tell you my wedding present now. And you're not to complain.'
'Alright.' I agree dubiously.
'I'll pay for your dress.'
My mouth falls open in shock. I stare at Anna who seems as happy as I am now that she can use better materials.
'No, I can't let you Jayne.'
'Oh stop. We all know I can afford it!'
'Thats true.' Hazel and Dolly agree. Anna grabs Jayne's hand and pulls her inside to look at sketches.
'Ami?' Dolly says quietly. 'Am I coming to the wedding?'
'Of course!' I reply. 'It wouldn't be a party without you!'
She smiles and starts playing with her hair.
'Hey!' Hazel says slapping her hand. 'Thats Anna's thing!'
Suddenly, Dolly gasps. 'Ami. I have an idea for your wedding!'
'Well go on.' Hazel says impatiently.
'For the flowers.' Dolly responds. 'A wildflower wedding.'
The company gasps, before everyone bubbles out delighted responses and Anna runs inside again to grab her sketch pad. Jayne and Hazel run around the garden, picking out examples of flowers that complement each other then holding them in bundles in front of me. I laugh as they throw the flowers in the air and let the flowers land gently in my hair. I smile up at them through the rose petals.
Then, we hear the gate creak open and a familiar person walks up the path towards us.
'Stumpy!' Hazel cries out in greeting. 'How are you?'
He laughs his response as he and another man come and sit with us. Jayne blushes at the sight of Ollie who just grins cheekily at her. James sits beside Anna who offers him tea.
'If you want I'll hold the cup for you!' Jokes Hazel.
James punches her lightly in the arm and politely declines Anna's offer. Anna shrugs and gathers her sketches to bring inside but James immediately offers to carry them in.
Jayne shivers in the cold and Ollie places his jacket on her shoulders. She looks up at him from under her long lashes and thanks him. As she does up the buttons on the jacket, I catch a glimpse of something in the pocket, a swan shaped necklace with pearl eyes. Ollie also notices and slips his hand in the pocket to retrieve it. All this goes unnoticed by Jayne as Ollie slides her necklace into a back pocket in his trousers.
'Ollie.' I say loudly. 'Could you come into the kitchen with me for a moment?'
He looks confused but complies. We walk into Anna's house before arriving in the kitchen. It's a dark room, made no lighter by the weather, with has turned dull and overcast.
I turn around to look at him. He shifts nervously on his feet before trying a handsome smile.
'Don't even think about trying that.' I growl angrily. 'Give me Jayne's necklace now.' I hold out my hand.
His shoulders square and his eyes turn cold. 'I don't know what you're talking about.'
'Yes you do.'
He walks up to me, until he is just a few feet away. 'Drop it Amelia.'
'No. Jayne trusts you. Do you know what you are going to do?'
'No Ami.' He says. 'Do you know what I am going to do?'
He leaps over to me and grabs a fistful of my hair. I cry out in pain and try to reach for something to break his hold. I can hear the scraping sounds of chairs being pushed backwards from outside.
Jayne runs in a gasps at the unfolding scene. Hazel and Anna sprint in and push Ollie away from me. He falls to the floor and Jayne stares at him.
'How could you?' She whimpers. 'H-h-how....'
Hazel gets me to my feet and then walks to Jayne. She hugs her before turning to Ollie. She sees the necklace in his hand and sighs. 'Give her the necklace Ollie.'
He looks at her before showing a smile. 'Not in a million years.' His hand moves behind his back and before any of us could stop it, a huge saucepan goes flying through the air towards Hazel's head.
Time slows and as we all watch, helplessly, Jayne spins Hazel around and to the ground. The saucepan thuds into Jayne's skull and she falls to the unforgiving stone floor.
Everyone stops, then we speed into action. Anna and I tackle Ollie to the floor and snatch the necklace out of his grip. He races to his feet and runs from the house.
We stand and take a few shaky steps towards Jayne. She is lying on the floor across Hazel, whose eyes are huge in fear. A stream of crimson blood is trickling down Jayne's perfect cheek.
'Jayne?' I say quietly, my voice shaking as much as my fingers. James walks over and lifts her off of Hazel so she can get up. He lies her gently on the floor and Dolly rushes in.
'What happened?' She says then gives a horrified gasp at Jayne's condition. She pushes everyone away before bending down and taking her pulse.
What seems like moments later, Jayne is being carried from the house by an ambulance with Dolly in tow, shouting instructions at the medics.
Hazel, Anna and I walk dazed from the kitchen and slump onto the grass.
Dolly gets into the ambulance promising to give us updates.
Hazel wipes tears away from her pretty face. 'It's my fault.'
Anna and I look at her as she continues. 'I should have protected her. I should have looked after her, I.....I...' She is unable to continue and she starts crying loudly.
'Oh stop Hazel.' Anna says, patting her on the back. 'You know as well as us that no one could have stopped this.'
'Anna is right Hazel.' I say, trying to comfort her. 'This is no ones fault but Ollie's.'
'Then I'm going to make sure that the little rat gets what's coming to him.' Hazel says.