‘Maybe you’d better help me put sugared almonds into the favour bags,’ piped up another woman, who was tiny, with bright blue eyes and a mass of glorious titian ringlets. She giggled. ‘Ooh, sorry, we haven’t met! I’m Araminta and I’m awfully tiddly after all those bubbles. I kept dropping stitches and my crochetroses looked like the greenfly had got to them, so they put me on sugared almonds, but I keep losing count.’
Steph and Dorothea tutted in unison.
‘Five per bag,’ said my sister, her mouth tightening. ‘And a mix of colours.’
‘Oops.’
Araminta grinned sheepishly at me as she emptied out three little bags, and it was at that moment I decided I liked her.
‘I think that job would suit me, too,’ I said, sitting down. ‘And maybe you could help me catch up on the prosecco, Dorothea?’
Huffing, she went off to the kitchen.
‘How did you dare?’ whispered Araminta, putting four pale green sugared almonds into a bag and pulling the drawstrings. ‘I’m terrified of her. More sister-in-awe than sister-in-law.’
‘Well, sheischief bridesmaid,’ I whispered back, opening the bag again, redressing the balance of colours and adding another nut. ‘So, she should expect to be kept busy.’
‘Don’t you mind that it wasn’t you who was asked to be chief bridesmaid?’ asked my new friend. ‘Being Steph’s sister?’
I shuddered.
‘Not at all. The official line is that it might be insensitive, seeing as I lost my husband, but my sister has never been sensitive about anything that didn’t suit her. I think she’s more worried that I might bring bad luck with my widowhood. I consider itgoodluck, in this case.’
Dorothea plonked a glass of, well, plonk down next to me on the table and returned to decorating a large blackboard with rather uneven chalk pen hearts. I took a welcome swig.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to be catty,’ I said insincerely. ‘Steph just wants everything to be perfect. How do you know her?’
‘I don’t really,’ replied Araminta, eating a sugared almond absentmindedly. ‘Hugo’s my brother – and Giles, who marriedDorothea earlier this year, is my other brother, so I wasn’t given much option.’
Now, it was my turn to giggle.
‘Gosh, with these two as sisters-in-law, Christmases are going to be fun.’
‘It’s all right, I’m going to elope with someone unsuitable and hope they disown me,’ she said, grinning. ‘What about you, though?’
‘I always work over Christmas,’ I said, and explained what I did for a living. ‘In fact, I came tonight to tell them that I’ve got a new job, but I’d better pick my moment so I’m not accused of ruining things.’
‘I shouldn’t worry about that,’ said Araminta airily. ‘I’ve been blamed for that so many times that my family’s almost disappointed if I don’t play up. Where’s the job?’
‘Just up the road, a place called Lyonscroft.’
‘With the Princes?’
‘That’s right. I’ll be working with Marilise. Do you know them?’
‘You bet I do – I’ve known them my entire life. Nick’s one of my oldest friends.’
‘He’s her grandson, isn’t he? Owns the lot?’
‘That’s right. His father died young and Nick inherited, not that he’s interested in any of it. I’m not even sure if he’s in the country at the moment; he isn’t very often.’
‘What are they like?’
‘The ones you’ll be living with are great. There’s Astrid, Nick’s stepmother, who spends most of her time up to her elbows in the garden, and her daughter India, who’s fifteen and completely crazy about horses. Say something about fetlocks or saddle soap when you meet her, otherwise she won’t even notice you’ve arrived. I’m not sure about her father, but she was born after Nick’s father died.’
‘How are you getting on with those almonds?’ Dorothea’s strident voice cut across what Araminta was saying, and we both jumped.
‘One, two, three, four, five,’ we counted loudly in unison, while Dorothea narrowed her eyes at us and moved on to bully one of the others about her tissue paper crumpling technique.
