‘Look! It’s Tom,’ she squealed again. Then she picked up her skirts and practically ran the rest of the way to the altar, Kate water-skiing after her, hanging onto her train.
Rachel flung back her veil, threw herself into Tom’s arms and covered his face in kisses. ‘Oh, I’m so glad to see you,’ she babbled. ‘I didn’t recognise you. We thought we’d come to the wrong church.’
‘My hair.’ Tom rubbed his head. ‘I can explain.’
‘It looks brilliant.’ Rachel pulled back to examine him. Her brush with disaster had put Tom’s radical haircut into perspective. ‘What made you do it?’
‘I just thought it’d make our wedding more rock ’n’ roll.’ He was giddy with relief.
‘And it feels gorgeous.’ She laughed. ‘So sexy.’
‘That’s what they said.’ Tom nodded to Will and Lorcan. Rachel had been too preoccupied with Tom to notice them, but now they smiled at her.
Kate gave a hoot of laughter when she saw them, but Rachel narrowed her eyes beadily. She might have known this had had something to do with them. ‘Oh, you’ve all done it,’ she said, ‘What a brilliant idea!’ She knew there was more to this than Tom was letting on, but she didn’t care. She was too happy that Tom was there and everything was going according to plan after all. Besides, the photographs would look really cool.
Finally the priest got tired of wringing his hands, pointedly clearing his throat and looking at his watch. ‘Good afternoon, everyone!’ he boomed into the microphone, bringing the congregation to attention.
‘Oh, we’re off,’ Tom said, taking Rachel’s hand and leading her to the altar.
The entire congregation heaved a collective sigh of relief as the ceremony got underway – everyone except Auntie Iris.
‘Same ol’, same ol’,’ she muttered dejectedly to Freddie, as she settled down for a nap. ‘Give me a poke when it’s over, would you?’
* **
By the time the wedding party got to the hotel, the guests had already been taking advantage of the free bar for more than an hour.
‘Where the hell have you been?’ Freddie asked Kate, when she had pushed her way through to him. He handed her two enormous gin and tonics. ‘Here, get these down you – you’re way behind.’
‘Mmm, thanks.’ Kate knocked back half of one, then came up for air. ‘We had to go to the park for a bloody photo shoot, so now I’m immortalised for all time in this get-up.’
‘God, I wishIcould have been posing in the park. I got nobbled by some woman with enormous boobs. I think she was scheming to get off with me.’
‘Well, you clocked her boobs, she must have thought you were interested.’
‘I couldn’t help it! She kept slipping her cup size casually into the conversation. I had to check them out.’
‘God, I hate women like that.’
‘I must say, I like the look of your Will – very tasty.’
‘You should see him with hair,’ Kate said.
‘Straight or curly?’
‘Curly.’
‘Oh dear.’ Freddie pulled a face. ‘We prefer straight, don’t we – when it comes to hair, that is? Actually, I usually prefer straight right down the line. That’s my tragedy.’
‘I usually hate curly, but Will’s is different.’
‘I’ll take your word for it,’ Freddie said. ‘Oh, look, something wicked this way comes.’ Lorcan was pushing through the crush with Carmen in tow. ‘Being bald hasn’t marred your gorgeous brother’s beauty one jot. Who’s the sultry piece he’s with?’
‘No one seems to know much about her, so they can’t have been together long.’
‘This is Carmen,’ Lorcan announced, as he led her forward. ‘Carmen, this is my sister Kate.’
‘Nice to meet you, Kate.’ Carmen shook her hand.
