As an afterthought, she bought some cold meats from the deli for anyone who might want a sandwich over the weekend and hadn’t time to cook a meal. Then she went to see the florist in the Avenue. The owner was nowhere to be seen and unfortunately her assistant turned out to be a ditherer. Ellie said, ‘Look, all I need is an extra bridesmaid’s bouquet. Can’t you do one for me?’ ‘The boss is out and I can’t . . . She’s at the church now, doing the flowers. The bouquets and buttonholes for both weddings are already on the van together with the rest of the table decorations, so that all she has to do is give them their final touches on site tomorrow morning.’ Exercising patience and flashing her credit card, Ellie persuaded the girl to find a basket suitable for a child to carry – even one with an arm in plaster – and to fill it with white, yellow and lilac flowers, firmly set in a block of wet Oasis. The only problem then was that Ellie would have to add the basket to what she was already carrying.
