Best Friend To Royal Bride / Surprise Baby For The Billionaire. Annie Claydon

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      They’d worked hard at the weekend. Alex had chosen an old millstone, with water bubbling from the centre of it, which was a great deal heavier and more expensive than Marie had envisaged. Jim was going to have to construct a base for it, and install the motor and drainage tank, but Alex and Marie had heaved the millstone into the place reserved for it in the courtyard, and it already looked stunning.

      She hadn’t stopped Alex from buying plants, some more planters for them, and four wooden benches. This was a labour of love, and the look in his eyes when they’d hauled the first of the planters through into the garden, filled it with compost and arranged echinacea and lavender in it had told her that it meant a great deal more to him than anything money could buy.

      On Monday morning everything was ready. Tina, the receptionist, was at her post, and Alex and Marie were sitting in the chairs at the far end of the reception area, along with one of the counsellors, a physiotherapist, and therapists from the pool and the gym. Tina would welcome visitors and summon the relevant person to talk to them.

      ‘You’re sure we shouldn’t be next to Tina? She looks a bit on her own.’ Alex waved across to Tina, who waved cheerily back.

      ‘No. We don’t want to frighten anyone away with a horde of therapists waiting to pounce.’

      ‘But I want to pounce. Actually, I want to go out onto the street and kidnap anyone who walks by.’ Alex was looking a little like a caged lion at the moment.

      ‘Well you can’t. We’re supposed to be friendly and non-intimidating. We wait, Alex. We’ve got some groups coming soon. Before you know it you’ll have more people than you can cope with.’

      ‘I hope so…’ He caught his breath, stiffening suddenly as a shadow fell across the entrance. ‘Aren’t they the women you were talking to the other day?’

      Carol and Nisha had manoeuvred their pushchairs into the lobby and were standing by the door, looking around. They moved forward to let a group of young mums past, who had obviously just dropped their children off at school.

      ‘Yes.’ Marie smirked at him. ‘They’re mine, Alex. You can wait here until Tina calls you…’

      He grinned at her, obviously relieved that the reception area was beginning to fill up. ‘No one likes an overachiever, Marie.’

      ‘Too bad. I’m still first.’

      She stood up, walking across to where Carol and Nisha were standing.

      ‘Hi, Marie.’ Carol saw her first, and gave her a wave. ‘We’ve come to check out the mum-and-baby swimming classes.’

      ‘That’s great. I’ll get you signed up… Would you like to come and see the pool first? It’s in the old gym.’

      ‘The gym?’ Carol rolled her eyes. ‘That I’d love to see.’

      Marie led the way. Both women had been to school here, and by the time they got to the swimming pool the three of them were swapping memories of their years spent here.

      ‘You’ve worked wonders with it all, that’s for sure.’ Carol nodded her head in approval of the changing rooms and showers, and then stopped short when Marie opened the door that led through to the pool area. ‘Wow! This is a bit different!’

      The aqua blues and greens of the tiles and the light playing across the water made this one of Marie’s favourite parts of the clinic. ‘This is the main exercise pool. The hydrotherapy pool is where we’re holding the mum-and-baby classes.’

      ‘Does it matter if I can’t swim?’ Nisha was looking uncertainly at the pool.

      ‘No, the hydrotherapy pool is much shallower than this one. You’ll be able to stand up in it. It’s kept at a warmer temperature, which makes it more suitable for babies and children.’

      Marie led the way through to the smaller pool, where the same blue-and-green tones lent a more restful, intimate atmosphere. Georgie whooped with joy and started to wriggle in his pushchair, obviously keen to try it out straight away.

      ‘I think that’s one taker!’ Carol grinned, taking him out of the pushchair and keeping a tight hold on him in case he decided to try and jump in. ‘What do you think, Nisha?’

      ‘Yes, definitely.’

      The matter was settled. Marie had filled two places on the mother-and-baby swimming course, and maybe she’d get a chance to talk a bit more to Nisha.

      ‘Would you like to come to the cafeteria for some coffee?’

      ‘That would be nice. There was something I wanted to ask…’ Nisha smiled hesitantly.

      ‘Oh. Yes—good idea. I’ll leave you to it, then. See you tomorrow, Nisha. Thanks for the tour, Marie.’