‘What the hell is going on here?’ I hissed, my voice echoing. ‘And how was it possible for you to organise a wedding in the three weeks Luke’s been back? And why not warn me? And now you’re asking me to not marry him after all this?’
She huffed. ‘Luke hired me a few months ago, on condition that I wouldn’t tell you.’
I couldn’t believe my ears. ‘Months? He was so sure I’d say yes that he actually hired you to organise my wedding before he even proposed?’
‘He was sure you would say yes. We all were. But now I’m begging you, Nina. Don’t! I don’t care about my bloody commission! Jack is more important!’
Good God, had she found out about our kiss? Was that why she had been distant all this time?
Tears welled into my eyes. ‘I’m sorry,’ I sobbed. ‘It was all my fault. I know the three of us had agreed to be friends forever, but it just happened. Give him a chance.’
Her jaw dropped. ‘What happened?’
‘I know, blame me. We kissed, and it was horrible. Not the kiss, I mean, which was actually the best I’ve ever had – lucky you – but the fact that we kissed is horrible, because we betrayed you! But it just happened, Em! And it will never ever happen again. I promise you. Please forgive him…’
‘Oh, my bloody God!’ she cried. ‘You think that Jack and I… Are you crazy? What’s the matter with you?’
I stared at her. ‘You and Jack are not… he’s not your secret bloke?’
Father Briarley appeared again at the end of the aisle in my line of vision, followed by the crowd that had migrated inside to listen in.
‘Ladies?’ he whispered. ‘So sorry to interrupt, but I have another wedding in Marazion in an hour…’
‘No, Jack’s not my secret bloke!’ Emma yelled, ignoring him. ‘I was shagging Paul Carruthers, you daft cow!’
Our audience snickered.
‘Paul Carr— one of the Northwood Dads?’
‘Yes!’ she said, slapping her thigh in frustration.
‘But Jack – I saw him come out of your house one morning.’
‘That’s because he was in pieces after Luke returned! And FYI, he slept on the settee!’
‘In pieces? I don’t—’
‘Ladies, please – it’s getting late,’ Father Briarley reminded us.
‘Just a minute more, Father, please?’ I begged before turning back to Em. ‘But Alf said you and he were an item…’
All of the faces that had been glued to us, now swung to Alf accusatorily.
‘He said that Jack was in love with you.’
‘What?’ Emma crowed. ‘Rubbish!’
‘That’s exactly what he said, “Jack’s sweet on Emma”!’
Alf looked around him in a panic, raising his hands. ‘Emma, Nina… what do I know? These girl names are all the same!’
Beverly, Deirdre’s sister, put her hands on her wide hips in a teapot stance. ‘Oh, Alf, how could you?’
‘So what, I got confused!’ he shouted. ‘Can’t a man at my age make a mistake?’
‘But why didn’t you tell me you were dating Paul?’ I cried.
‘Shagging – not dating!’
Someone behind me gasped, while someone else hissed ‘I told you so!’
‘What? What do you mean? Are you not an item, then?’
‘Not really. I didn’t want to tell you because I knew you wouldn’t approve because basically, I’m the reason he and his wife split up. And Jack was furious with me. But he has been very supportive while I was ending it.’
‘Bloody hell, Em,’ I said. ‘You could have told me! I would have helped you, too! And all this time I thought you and Jack… First I thought that you and he had problems, and then I thought that you and he were seeing each other in secret, and that he didn’t care anymore and… What are you going to do now?’
Emma’s eyes popped open wide. ‘You’re standing in a church with a man waiting at the altar, and you’re asking me what I’m going to do?’
And then it dawned on me. ‘So all those times you asked for my opinion on your pop star’s wedding, it was actually mine…?’
‘Exactly!’ she cried. ‘It was killing me to keep it a secret!’
‘Ladies, please…’ Father Briarley insisted. ‘Tempus Fugit.’
‘In a minute!’ everyone roared at him, sending him scurrying down the aisle again, hopefully for good this time.
‘Nina, you can’t marry Luke. Jack’s in love with you!’
My hand shot to my heart. ‘Me?’
‘Yes, you, you muppet!’
Jack was in love with me? Real love?
‘But that night when you got drunk and started to kiss him, you said he had a very huge—’
‘Crush! He had a very huge crush! On you! And I’m sick and tired of hearing him bang on about it, so get your arse down to Crooked Hill, already!’
‘Nina!’ came a familiar voice, and we turned to see Alice scrabbling up the aisle in a cloud of yellow. ‘Sorry I’m late! Don’t listen to her! You have to marry Luke. He is so the guy for you!’
‘Shut up, Alice!’ Emma shouted. ‘Jack is the one for her! It’s always been him!’
‘Absolutely not!’ Alice proclaimed. ‘Luke O’Hara—’
‘Shut up, Alice!’ the crowd echoed.
I couldn’t believe my ears. How the heck did I get caught in the middle of all this?
Suddenly, exclamations and expletives erupted in the church, topped by Father Briarley’s voice. ‘Folks, please watch your language, this is holy ground! Take your swear words down to the Bobbin’ Buoy, for heaven’s sake!’
I turned to Luke who was hovering just outside the church doors, eyeing me every now and then anxiously. I left Emma and Alice and reached him. ‘Luke? Can we talk? In private?’ I whispered as the entire village of Penworth Ford watched the exchange, some oblivious to my predicament (at least I hoped my love life wasn’t completely public) some waiting for the bomb to explode.
Reading what was next, he reluctantly followed me outside to the church steps.
‘Are you dumping me for Jack? Are you giving up California and Hollywood, for an apple farmer?’
‘A Cornish
