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Mum doesn’t meet my eye. ‘A cappuccino would be lovely.’
‘Three cappuccinos coming up,’ says Elaine. ‘Decaf for you, Liz? How about you, Annie?’
‘I’ll have caffeine,’ I say. I’m tempted to ask for a shot of whisky in it. If an Irish cappuccino isn’t yet a thing, I’ll make it one.
‘Did she say you’d arranged to meet here?’ I ask Mum.
She pushes the pile of carrier bags to one side and sits down. ‘I thought it would be nice for us to have some company today.’
‘I’m not sure how to take that.’
‘Don’t be so silly,’ she says. ‘It’s always good to have a fresh pair of eyes. And Elaine has super taste. She’s the one who persuaded me to buy that gorgeous leaf-green two-piece last spring. Remind me to show it to you when we get home. If you’d bothered to unpack your things last night, you’d have seen it in the wardrobe.’
‘I’m sure it’s very nice,’ I say.
‘It is, actually.’ She brightens. ‘It came from Xander’s. Perhaps we’ll start there today. I wouldn’t mind having a quick browse.’
I sip my coffee in silence while Mum and Elaine talk about the vow renewal. Apparently, there’s still a lot to do.
‘I never expected it to be so much work,’ says Elaine. ‘It started out as quite a simple affair, but it seemed to grow and grow. Your mother is a terrible influence on me.’
‘Nonsense!’ says Mum. ‘If a thing’s worth doing, it’s worth doing properly. I always say that, don’t I, Annie?’
‘You do always say that,’ I agree. I catch Elaine’s eye and detect a flash of amusement.
‘That’s enough talk about our wedding arrangements,’ she says. ‘I’m very glad you’re able to come, Annie, but all these silly details must be boring you senseless. I’m far more interested to hear what you do in London. Tell me everything!’
‘There’ll be plenty of time for that over lunch,’ says Mum. ‘We ought to get going. It could take us quite a while to find exactly the right thing.’
My heart sinks. I’ve been planning on buying the first decent outfit I see and leaving. Evidently, Mum has other plans.
Elaine picks up her bag. ‘Good idea. If we can’t find anything we like here, I thought we might try Plum’s. They had some lovely evening dresses when I was in there last week.’
‘I’m sure we’ll be able to find something here,’ I say. ‘And it’s still only ten o’clock. We’ll be home well before lunch. You must be very busy with all the last-minute arrangements.’
She shrugs. ‘It’s all under control. I’ve given Robert a list and told him I want it all done before I get home. It’s about time he started pulling his weight with this vow renewal. If not, Liz has promised to stand up and object when the vicar gets to that part.’
‘I have indeed,’ says Mum. ‘Our husbands need to learn that we modern women have options.’
She sees my expression. ‘Don’t look like that, young lady! Your generation doesn’t have the monopoly on feminism.’
‘Absolutely not,’ agrees Elaine. ‘Now, if you’re both ready, let’s make a start. We have plenty to do if we’re going to give Annie a complete makeover by closing time.’
She takes Mum’s arm, and the two of them set off towards the escalator. Is it my imagination or is Mum actually hummingPretty Woman? I follow them reluctantly, wondering what on earth I’ve let myself in for.
Chapter Thirteen
If the first floor was crowded, the second floor is even more so. Half the town seems to be here, pushing their way through the crowds, banging fellow shoppers with bulging carrier bags, and above all, shouting. It feels as though every single shopper has been separated from their companions and is yelling at the top of their voice in an effort to attract their attention.
Mum and Elaine seem unperturbed. They happily join in the shouting, and Elaine uses her shopping bags to carve a path through the crowds towards the evening wear.
Judging by the shocked gasps and glares as she passes, the packages are doing their work very effectively. Maybe she gift wrapped a set of bricks for the occasion.
‘Keep up, Annie!’ shouts Mum.
‘What?’ I shout back.
‘Keep up!’ she booms, making a nearby shopper jump.
