There was anaudible silence from the other end of the phone.'Darling, I know you're hurting just now, but do you thinka one-night stand is going to make you feel anybetter? How will you look yourself in the mirror in the morning?’
Flora feltit was time to put her friend out of her misery. 'It's all right, I'm withCharles.' Then she held the phone away from her ear while Emma screeched.
‘Oh my God! That's so romantic!'
‘Itis, rather. But, obviously, I can't talk much now . .
‘I want allthe details, just as soon as you can tell me. Oh, that's so sweet! I'll let you gonow.' She was still cooing as she disconnected.
Charles held a hot thick-cut chip outtowards her. Flora opened her mouth andclosed her eyes. It was delicious. Hewent on feeding her chips until she opened her eyes again. 'Can I havepudding now?’
*
Flora had made an effort with her appearance. She had washed all her underwear the night before and usedher emergency make-up kit to good effect. She hadn't bothered with thesafety pin to keep her décolletage to a discreet minimum and her hair was alittle wild. It had been washed (bymistake, while they were in the shower) and conditioned, courtesy of thehotel, but she hadn't had herfrizz-controller and mousse and the other things she used to tame itwith. But she felt her attempts at respectability weren't too despicable.
Charles,wearing yesterday's shirt and a very satisfied expression, stood at the desk withcomplete lack of embarrassment.
‘Thereyou are, Mr Stanza,' said the girl on reception, handing him the bill. 'We do hope you enjoyed your stay.'
‘Oh, we did, very much,' said Charles.He signed the credit-card slip and thenopened his wallet. 'Do you have a staff box?’
The girl indicated a discreetbrass-bound opening in the wooden desk.Charles posted a couple of notes in it. 'The room service was reallyexcellent,' he said.
‘Good. That's very kind.' The girlcaught Flora's eye and smiled. 'I do hope you enjoy the rest of your honeymoon,Mrs Stanza.’
Flora opened her mouth and shut it againas she realised what had happened. Becausethey had the same surname, the hotel had assumed they were married.There were advantages to keeping things in the family.
When they reached the pavement sheallowed her giggle to emerge. 'They really did think we were on our honeymoon,because of our names being the same!’
Charles frowned. 'Yes.'
‘I expect you've got used to beingengaged now. You were for such a long time.'
‘I'm thoroughly fed up with it,actually. I think I'd definitely prefer to be married. What do you think?'
‘I might quite like to get married, oneday, when I've had plenty of time to decide what my dress should be like, but I'm not taking your slot at BishopsbridgeAbbey,' she said firmly.
‘So you probably don't want me hangingthe picture of Annabelle naked above our bed?'
‘No,'she said patiently, 'I wouldn't like that. Although I must say I amquite curious to see it.’
He kissedher nose. 'I might ask William to do one of you.’
She squeaked and hit him.
*
Their journey back to Bishopsbridge tooklonger than their separate journeys to London had taken. This was because Charles flatly refused to allow them todrive their own cars home. He insisted on Flora parking the Land-Roverat the house of a friend of his who lived in Richmond.
‘If I got home without you, I'd belynched by practically the whole town,' heexplained as he handed her into his car. 'Now I've got you, I'm hangingon to you.’
As theyfought their way through the traffic and on to the motorway, Flora wascontemplative. She was ecstatically happy but she wanted to make sure that Charles was, too. 'Were you upset when you and Annabellebroke up? You'd been together for ages. Your heart's not broken?'
‘Whatdo you think?' He looked at her so lustfully his feelings on the matterwere fairly clear.
‘It'syour heart I'm talking about, not - you know.'
‘Annabelle and I were just a habit,really. We'd both become so accustomed tothe idea that we were together thatwe'd stopped thinking about it. And once we thought about it, I think weboth realised that we'd changed and moved onsince we got engaged. I was -am - veryfond of her in a way. You never saw her at her best, but—'
‘I made her "her best"!' Florawas indignant. 'Without me she'd still bewearing pussy-cat bows and skirts just the wrong length.'
‘Well,anyway, she's out of our way now.'
‘Charles,you don't just want to marry me for the sake of the business, do you?’
Risking both their lives, he leant overand kissed her nose. 'When I knew how much inlove I was with you, all my feelings for the company felt prettypathetic in comparison. If you wanted us to sell up, I'd do it in a heartbeat,for you.'
‘Oh,' said Flora in a very small voice, trying notto cry.
*
There was a garland of flowers round thearchitrave of the house. Everyone, all the porters, were gathered in the doorway. Geoffrey had a tray of champagne. Asthey got out of the car, Flora said, 'How did they know when we werecoming?'
‘Irang from the last service station, when we got petrol.'
‘But you're not supposed to have yourphone on in service stations!'
‘I know, I'm such a rebel,' he saiddryly, and then laughed.
They walkedup the steps arm in arm. 'It's like getting married,'murmured Flora before she found herself being embraced by Virginia.
‘Welcome back! We've missed you!'
‘I was only away for - oh!’
Geoffreygave a note and acted as conductor and then what there was of the choir, mostlysopranos, but with Geoffrey, Fred from the ironmonger's across the road, and acouple of other men and some altos obviously roped in for the occasion, brokeinto 'Brightly Dawns Our Wedding Day'.
Flora laughed and cried at the sametime. 'That's so lovely!'
‘Here,'said Edie, at her elbow. 'This person might cheer you up.' She put Imelda into her arms, who instantly startedpurring and putting cat hairs on Emma's black suit.
‘Imelda, how lovely to see
