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‘Chill out, Clark It’s all going to be fine,’ he said

‘I’m perfectly relaxed Why would you think I wasn’t?’

‘You’re ridiculously transparent Plus you’ve chewed off four of your fingernails while you’ve been driving’

I parked, climbed out, adjusted my wrap around myself, and clicked the controls that would lower the raround Across the road froe, Ger to their husbands as their heels sank into the grass They were all leggy and streamlined in paleif I had put on too much lipstick I suspected I looked like one of those plastic to today?’

Will followed my line of vision ‘Honestly?’

‘Yup I need to know And please don’t say Shock and Awe Are you planning so terrible?’

Will’s eyes met mine Blue, unfathomable A s to be incredibly well behaved, Clark’

The butterflies’ wings began to beat wildly, as if trapped against an to speak, but he interrupted me

‘Look, we’ll just do whatever it takes tocould ever be less painful than root canal surgery But it was Will’s choice Will’s day I took a breath, trying to pullthe wrap around my shoulders for the fourteenth time

‘What?’

‘You’re not to do the Christy Brown If you do the Christy Broill drive home and leave you stuck here with the pointy-heads’

As Will turned and began ht I heard hih the ceremony without incident Alicia looked as ridiculously beautiful as I had known she would, her skin polished a pale caraure as if it wouldn’t dare rest there without permission I stared at her as she floated down the aisle, wondering hoould feel to be tall and long-legged and look like so most of us only saw in airbrushed posters I wondered if a team of professionals had done her hair andcontrol pants Of course not She would be wearing pale wisps of so lacy – underwear for wo actually supported, and which cost more than my weekly salary

While the vicar droned on, and the little ballet-shod bridesuests There was barely a woes of a glossy azine Their shoes, which matched their outfits to the exact hue, looked as if they had never been worn before The younger woantly in four- or five-inch heels, with perfectly manicured toenails The older women, in kitten heels, wore structured suits, boxed shoulders with silk linings in contrasting colours, and hats that looked as if they defied gravity

Theto look at, but nearly all had that air about them that I could sometimes detect in Will – of wealth and entitlereeably around you I wondered about the companies they ran, the worlds they inhabited I wondered if they noticed people like me, who nannied their children, or served theues, I thought, res I went to usually had to separate the bride and groo the terms of their parole

Will and I had positioned ourselves at the rear of the church, Will’s chair just to the right of my end of the pew He looked up briefly as Alicia walked down the aisle, but apart froht ahead, his expression unreadable Forty-eight choristers (I counted) sang souin suit and raised an eyebrow as if he felt pleased and a bit daft at the same time Nobody clapped or cheered as they were pronounced man and wife Rupert looked a bit aard, dived in towards his bride like sohtly missed her mouth I wondered if the upper classes felt it was a bit ‘off’ to really get stuck in at the altar

And then it was over Will was alreadyhis way out towards the exit of the church I watched the back of his head, upright and curiously dignified, and wanted to ask him if it had been a s for her I wanted to tell hiood for that silly caraest, and that … I didn’t knohat else I wanted to say

I just wanted to ht up

The bottom line was, it should have been him

He blinked a couple of times ‘Fine,’ he said He let out a little breath, as if he had been holding it Then he looked up at et a drink’

The ateway into it intertwined with garlands of pale-pink flowers The bar, positioned at the far end, was already crowded, so I suggested that Will waited outside while I went and got hih tables clad in white linen cloths and laden with lassware than I had ever seen The chairs had gilt backs, like the ones you see at fashion shows, and white lanterns hung above each centrepiece of freesias and lilies The air was thick with the scent of flowers, to the point where I found it alot to the front ‘U that this was actually the only drink on offer ‘Oh Okay Two, please’