The Chocolate Lovers’ Wedding Read Online Free PDF

hoped, would come later. ‘I feel a bit better now.’
‘Did you call the doctor?’
‘I don’t think it’s anything to bother the GP with. I expect all mums with young babies are permanently exhausted.’
‘I’d be happier if you made an appointment. You don’t seem yourself at the moment.’ Jacob frowned with concern. ‘Maybe the stresses and strains of life have piled up a bit. Don’t they say that divorce is one of the most stressful life events?’
‘Moving house is up there too and we’ll be doing that soon,’ she said.
When the family home was sold, she and Jacob were going to move in together. She’d bought a small terraced house in a nice, quiet mews street not far from where she currently lived. This part of north London was nice and trendy with lots going on – not that she availed herself of it now that she had Lana, but it was still good to know that it was close to hand. She sometimes wondered whether Jacob minded being thrust into the full flow of parenthood, but he didn’t seem to. He’d made a fantastic surrogate father to Lana, who was too young to have noticed the transition from Ted to another man; that in itself was so sad.
They’d got together at Christmas when she’d rented a huge farmhouse in the Lake District for everyone to stay in. It had taken some organising, but all the members of the Chocolate Lovers’ Club had come along. The cottage had been fabulous and they’d all enjoyed the snow, the roaring fires and spending a relaxing time together. After she and Ted had broken up, Nadia had invited Jacob to come along too as a surprise. The truth was that she’d loved Jacob for a long time, which had never helped her marriage. Now it was their chance to be together.
Despite the pain of the looming divorce, Christmas had been a great success. If anything, it had helped her to fall in love more deeply with Jacob. All their previous time together had been snatched moments. In the seclusion of the cottage, they’d been able to spend time together as a couple.
‘I’ll start dinner,’ Chantal said.
‘I’m famished. Lunch was a quick espresso.’ Jacob’s event-planning business was keeping him very busy. He was quite often out a couple of evenings in the week and at the weekends, though he did his best to delegate those.
‘I have no idea what’s lurking in the depths of the fridge, but I’m hoping there’s something edible.’ As she turned away, she felt a sharp pain, high on her chest, that took her breath away.
‘Are you sure you’re OK?’
‘Just a twinge,’ she said, rubbing the area. ‘Lana’s getting very heavy to lift now. Perhaps I’ve pulled a muscle. I’m sure it’s something and nothing.’
‘Promise me that you’ll phone the doctor tomorrow.’
‘It’s impossible to get an appointment. You have to be on the phone from eight o’clock in the morning and sit in a holding queue of a dozen people. I’ll either be cured or dead by the time I get through.’
‘Try. Promise me.’
‘I will.’ She had no intention of doing so, but when the pain seared through her again, she thought that Jacob might have a point.

Chapter Six
    Autumn held Flo’s tiny hand as they all came out of the cinema, both of them blinking as they hit bright daylight. Miles’s young daughter was happily singing the typically annoying theme tune to the movie. In the months that she’d been with Miles she’d become used to seeing more films featuring princesses than the usual rom-coms or soulful art-house films that she loved. But it was a small price to pay to be with a man who was as kind and loving as Miles Stratford.
    She felt as if she’d been looking for someone like Miles all her life. He loved her in the way she had always hoped existed. Their relationship was quiet, caring. There was no walking on eggshells, no histrionics, no rollercoaster of highs and lows. They simply got along well, shared the same values, had similar interests. And if that all sounded a bit boring,