Mia didn't have quite as much time for reading that week, but she still managed to cover several years. Again, there were lots of blank pages. A diary wasn't top of Mattie's to do list, obviously. Mia had reached 2005 and Little Pondale was as lively then as it was now. Basically, nothing much was happening. But Mattie did write about Hettie and all the others in the village. And she wrote quite a bit about two people in particular. One was Grace Tyburn, Tom's gran; the other was a cheeky child, growing up over the years, called Jet Cross and it was clear that both of them had found a place in Mattie's heart, but for very different reasons.

On Tuesday, Mia, Ella and Lori went with Hettie to have their final fittings. Hettie's long, silk chiffon gown was pale lavender with a silk, one-button coat of lavender with purple flowers embroidered here and there. The bridesmaid dresses were full-length, purple silk chiffon with lavender lace, bolero jackets. Prince Gustav would be wearing his purple jacket and Jet and Fred would wear grey morning suits and matching top hats with a pale lavender band, and purple waistcoats.

'You look stunning, Hettie,' Mia said. And she meant it.

The gown was empire style, as were the bridesmaid dresses, and the one button on the coat was set just below Hettie's ample chest. The sweep of the outfit gave her a streamlined figure.

'Fred said I could have whatever I want, deary, and this is it.' There were tears of pure joy in her eyes but she sniffed and wiped them away with the back of her hands. 'What a silly old fool I am, getting all emotional.'

'You should be emotional,' Ella said. 'It's your wedding day on Saturday and Fred's a

lucky man. You look beautiful.'

'Get away with you, deary. I look like an old woman.'

Lori hugged her. 'You look like a woman in love, Hettie, and the girls are right. You look incredible.'

On Wednesday, Gill and Ella went shopping and Gill informed Mia that she had to go with them.

'I promised Jet, at Hettie's engagement party, on pain of … I'm not sure what exactly, but something very unpleasant if the look on his face at the time was anything to go by, that I would never leave you alone in the cottage.'

'But it's the middle of the day and I'll be fine.'

'Yes you will, because you're coming with us,' Ella said. 'Don't argue. I promised Jet too.'

'Well, I didn't. Oh okay. Don't look at me like that. I'm coming. But I'm bringing one of the diaries with me and I'll read it every chance I get.'

Hettie came to clean on Thursday and stayed all morning showing Mia and Ella the cruise she and Fred were going on for their honeymoon.

'I need to ask you a favour, deary. Will you look after Prince Gustav while we're gone?'

'Of course, we will. Gill will bring his cage round here just like Garrick did when you stayed with us.' That memory sent a pang of sadness through Mia's heart, especially as it was getting close to what would have been her and Garrick's wedding day.

On Friday, she, Ella, Lori and Hettie went into town for manicures, pedicures and to have their hair done and Friday night, when Fred was having a stag night in the pub, the 'girls' had Hettie's hen night in Little Whitingdale, watching The New Frog Hill Hounds, but they weren't the same without Justin.

'I still can't believe he left without saying goodbye,' Ella said.

'He didn't say a proper goodbye to anyone, deary. Didn't want a fuss, he told me. Fuss indeed. After all the years he's lived in Little Pondale. But he wasn't having it. Jet was the only one he spent any real time with before he jumped on that plane. But I can't believe we still haven't got fresh bread, deary. That cousin of his should be over here by now. Once you close a bakery, people will start looking elsewhere.'

'Gill's been baking bread for us,' Ella said. 'It's not as good as Justin's but it's better than that plastic stuff, or a long journey to town to get some. Sorry, Hettie. I'll get him to bake you a loaf or two.'

'Well it's a bit late now, deary. I'm getting married tomorrow and then we're off on our cruise. By the time we get back, the bakery should be up and running, or so the note said on the door.'

On Saturday, Mia just about had time to read the start of the diary for the year 2010 and what she read almost made her late to Hettie's wedding. She was sitting on the window seat in the attic when Ella came thumping up the stairs.

'I've been looking everywhere for you. We've got precisely an hour before the wedding and we've got to get to Hettie's to help her. You're not even showered!'

'Oh my God. I lost track of time. Why didn't you call me sooner?'

'I thought you were getting ready. I called you two hours ago and told you you were cutting it fine. You said you'd come right down.'

'I got to the bit where Mattie decides to start watching me. She doesn't mention her will, she just says she got an interesting idea and needs to get to know me to see if it will work. And I've only just found out what that idea was. You'll never believe it, Ella. Not in a million years.'

'I'll believe it, but you'll have to tell me later. We've got a wedding to get to.'

She grabbed Mia's arm and virtually dragged her down the stairs and threw her in the shower. She laid out her clothes, did her hair while Mia did her own make-up and Mia was still putting on her jacket as she was being dragged along the hall.

They made it in time to help Hettie and by the time they arrived at the church, even the clouds that had been threatening rain all morning, lifted to reveal the sun.

'That's Hector,' a tearful Hettie said. 'He's arranged for the sun to shine for me and Fred.'

'I think you'll find ... Oh never mind,' said Ella. 'Let's get you married. Where's Prince Gustav?'

'I've got him,' Mia said, holding up the Cinderella carriage-like cage. It had a pale lavender cushion for him to sit on and he looked every bit the prince in his purple jacket.

'Off you go then,' said Ella.

Mia grinned. 'When did you get so bossy?'

'When you buried your head in those damn diaries on Hettie's big day. Now go.'

The Wedding March rang out from the organ pipes and Mia began her slow walk down the aisle. Fred looked handsome and she smiled, trying to forget that this could have been her walking down the aisle as the bride.

And then she saw Jet and she almost stumbled.

She had never seen him in anything other than work clothes or casual clothes – and both consisted of jeans. In his grey morning suit, white shirt and purple waistcoat, he looked like a piece of heaven had beamed down before her eyes. The man was gorgeous casual. Like this, he was divine. His midnight black hair gleamed in the beams of sunlight filtered by the stained-glass windows. His tanned face was clean shaven as usual, but his skin seemed to glow today. And as he watched her – and he definitely was watching her – walk down the aisle towards him, she had to remind herself again that this was not her wedding. And she was definitely not walking down the aisle to Jet. As his bride to be. But the image was making it difficult for her to breathe.

A smile spread across his face and reached his eyes. And for a second, she thought he was seeing her as she was seeing him and then his smile faded and was replaced by a frown and he turned away, although it looked as if it took great effort because she could see his eyes and head keep twisting back in her direction.

She reached her spot and stepped aside to let Hettie, and Hector's ghost, pass and Jet suddenly looked at her and mouthed the words. 'You look beautiful.'

Or was he saying that to Hettie?

No, he was definitely not looking at Hettie.

'So do you,' she mouthed back, and she saw the twitch take hold again and bloom into a full-blown, sexy, loving smile.