‘They can hold the date for a week!’ he said. ‘And they’vegotavailability for the carriage company. We might just have to ask my dad for alittlebit of money, but he’ll be happy to pitch in.’
Maddy smiled. ‘That’s great.’
Eva watched Maddy carefully, and she thought, I don’t care what she says. That man is a tit. Because he couldn’t see Maddy’s performance. He couldn’t see the crack in it.
Thirteen
Today was dress day. It was going to be a trying day.
Because Maddy’s mother believed that wedding dress shopping was as close as most people could get to a papal coronation.
And what did Maddy believe? She believed she looked terrible in white. It washed her out.
The boutique was fancy, or trying to be. Soft music played at a volume designed to make people cry gracefully. Racks of white dresses stretched across the room. A raised runway led away from the changing rooms in a way that said, ‘Strut or else.’
Her mother clasped her hands together. ‘So beautiful,’ she whispered, as if entering a cathedral.
Adam was perched nearby with a cup of tea, placed there by a sales assistant, smiling encouragingly. Neither of them believed the thing about bad luck, and it seemed sensible to get a look at each other’s duds, he said. Maddy could tell he was trying.
‘Bring on the frocks!’ he said, a touch too loudly.
Maddy smiled at him. She felt hollow.
Her mind flashed, absurdly, to the feel of Eva’s jacket beneath her cheek a week ago. The way Eva had held her, sturdyas an oak tree. No matter what she’d said, she was simply good at all of this. Even down to being able to read a stressed bride’s breaking point. Quite a skill. So comforting…
The stylist—a woman named Petra with a blonde French twist and very white teeth—clapped her hands. ‘Let’s start with silhouettes! Maddy, tell me what you’ve imagined for your big day.’
Maddy opened her mouth without hope of any sense coming out. Luckily, her mother jumped in. ‘Something timeless. Elegant. Traditional but modern.’
‘Of course,’ Petra said warmly to the absolute nonsense Kelly had spouted.
Maddy’s eyes flicked to Adam. He gave her another encouraging nod, this time adding a thumbs-up.
What would Eva do in this situation, she wondered. She’d advocate for Maddy if needed. She’d make Maddy admit what she wanted. If only to herself.
Maddy decided there was one thing she did want to say. ‘I… just want to feel comfortable,’ she said finally.
Petra beamed. ‘We’ll find that.’
The first dress was vast, just enormous. Tulle and lace and some kind of scaffolding holding it all up. ‘You’ll need my help with this one,’ Petra said, ushering Maddy into the changing room where she waited for Maddy to take her clothes off.
Maddy looked at Petra. ‘Umm…
Petra smiled. ‘I’ve seen it all.’
Hints were not Petra’s strength then. Just the ability not to gag, no matter what you looked like in your undies.
Maddy got undressed, feeling like Petra was going to give her a cavity search. Once she was down to bra and pants, Petra zipped her into the first monstrosity while Maddy tried to avoid eye contact.
As the zip hit its zenith, Maddy’s body felt locked in. Shouldn’t she be able to move properly? One wrong move and she’d break a rib.
Petra ushered her out. ‘Off you go.’
Maddy shuffled out and stopped in front of the curtains.
‘All the way!’ her mother said.
Only after Maddy had pushed herself to the end of the catwalk did her mother’s eyes begin to shine. ‘You look like a princess,’ her mother breathed.
