He turned to look at me as if to say Get real. ‘Now get going. The party’s at three.’
‘So early?’
‘It’s a black and white charity ball,’ he said. ‘I want you to look fabulous. Hair, make-up. Everything.’
Fabulous? Oh, goody. Just the way I was feeling.
‘Chop chop, the clock is ticking,’ he said, clapping his hands. I didn’t like him when he got bossy like this.
I groaned and got to my feet. ‘I’m going, I’m going.’
Upstairs, I stared at the black dream of organza. It must have cost a fortune. When had he had it delivered? I slipped out of my clothes and tried it on. It fit like a glove. Luke really did have a good eye, in every way.
I threw myself in and out of the shower and in twenty minutes I was finishing my make-up while sticking my tongue out at myself in the mirror. I was not my favourite person at the moment.
Luke called up the stairs. ‘You ready, Nina? It’s time to go.’
I stared again at my reflection in the mirror. I looked like the miserable cat from Breakfast at Tiffany’s when Holly Golightly abandons him in the rain. The last thing I needed was to attend a party and pretend I was happy.
Already anticipating the moment I’d come back through the door and slip back into my jeans I gathered my skirts, checked my boobs were inside the scanty bodice, and waved my reflection goodbye.
‘I need to call another babysitter to be here when Deirdre drops the kids off,’ I said once we were in the car. ‘I can’t expect her to stay too long. She’ll be wanting to get home and cook Alf’s dinner.’
‘Good idea,’ Luke agreed as the car rounded the bend, Saint Piran’s church coming into view at the top of the hill that dominate the village and countryside. Today it was festooned for a wedding celebration.
‘Why are we here?’ I asked. ‘Didn’t you say we were going to an important party?’
‘I did,’ he said, pulling me out of the car. ‘But first, a little detour.’
There were white calla lilies in pots on each tread leading to the open front door of the church, everywhere and bows on benches and practically everyone I knew was there, including Alf and the Ice Cream Ladies, including Deirdre. What about my children? Wasn’t she supposed to be with them?
‘Who’s getting married?’ I asked, but Luke just smiled.
‘Someone very important. You’ll see.’
And then, I saw her. Emma, coming towards me in a dream of pearl grey silk. She was radiant, absolutely stunning and laughing with the guests. She was getting married! Here, today, in this fantastic setting, and hadn’t bothered to invite me. Granted, I hadn’t been around lately, but to completely bypass me like this? Did our friendship really mean nothing to her anymore? If so, it was really the end of an era. And where was Jack? Why wasn’t the groom there? Shouldn’t he precede the bride?
I stepped towards her, feeling myself going. She may not have wanted to talk to me, but I still loved her. ‘Hi…’
She turned to me, still smiling. ‘Hey…’ she whispered, hugging me, her eyes moist.
‘I’m sorry we quarrelled, Em. I’m so, so sorry. You are my BFF on this whole earth and I never want to quarrel with you again.’
‘Ditto,’ she said, dabbing at her eyes.
‘See, I told you they’d be friends again!’ Deirdre cried to everyone, clutching her handkerchief.
‘Where’s the uh, lucky man?’ I asked. I couldn’t see him anywhere.
‘Here he is,’ came Luke’s voice at my side, and to my shock, he bent down on one knee in his Brioni suit and proffered me a Tiffany ring box. I knew that it was Tiffany because I’d seen it on TV and in the movies a thousand times.
‘What… Luke?’
‘Marry me, Nina! Marry me now!’
40
Breakfast At Tiffany’s
I swallowed, looking around for any indications of a Candid Camera crew. There were none.
He was serious, and so, apparently, was the entire village who had dressed up for a wedding. Our wedding.
‘What? You want to marry me? Now…?’ I croaked. ‘Here?’
He took my hands. ‘Yes, Nina. Here. Now.’
I was aware of everyone watching me, and caught sight of, oh my goodness, Chloe with Jessica and Chanel, all decked out in pastel colours. They were all so beautiful! Were they… my bridesmaids? And Ben, bearing a ring cushion? It was all too much!
‘But I only got my divorce papers yesterday…’ I mumbled.
Luke nodded. ‘Yes, well, I gave Phil a little incentive, and we were all on stand-by for the minute the papers arrived. The whole village was waiting for this moment, Nina!’
The whole village had been keeping this secret from me, including my best friends? And Alf, and my Ice Cream Ladies? And even my own children? Had they all gone mad?
‘But… but, I can’t marry you just like that, Luke,’ I whispered.
‘Why not, Nina? I love you and you love me, right?’
‘But… but… I don’t even have a wedding dress…’ I stammered. You’d think I’d come up with something better than that, right?
‘No problem,’ he said. ‘Emma’s got one for you, haven’t you, Emma?’
I turned to her. ‘What? Emma…?’
‘Say hi to your personal wedding planner,’ Luke said. ‘She thought of everything – the invitations, and the wedding reception. And—’ he raised his eyebrows repeatedly ‘—even the honeymoon. Surprised?’
‘Gobsmacked is more like it.’ I stared at her, expecting some help, but there was none. ‘Seriously? What were you thinking, Emma?’
The whole mood suddenly changed from festive to hushed. By now everyone’s eyes were trained on us, as if watching some Hollywood romcom that I, incidentally had had no part in writing.
‘I was thinking that was what you wanted,’ Emma said. ‘A fairy-tale wedding.’ She took my hand solemnly while swallowing and darting her eyes to Luke. ‘But now I’m begging you not to go ahead with it. Don’t marry Luke.’
Luke’s mouth fell open. ‘Emma, what the fuck…?’
‘Language, my son,’ Father Briarley chided as he approached us.
Emma’s face was contrite
