‘That was really good, really natural. I’d have believed you’d done time.’ Ramona sounded mildly astonished. Between them, they uploaded the clips to the appropriate platform and hit send.
Cassie punched the air with her fist, feeling strangely at peace. She’d made the decision not to hope and stress, as she’d done in the past. She’d cast her bread upon the waters and that would have to do. She wasn’t going to tell anyone either; the last thing she wanted was well-meaning people constantly asking if she’d heard any news. Say nothing and let it take care of itself, she decided.
Chapter 29
‘They’ve arrived, are you going to drop round and open them?’
Mam sounded like an overexcited ten-year-old. So, the dress she was going to be decked out in for Mam’s wedding, chosen by Maxine, had finally arrived. It could go either way: she was an autumn-colouring type and Maxine was winter, so there was going to have to be a compromise somewhere. Frankly, she’d more pressing things to attend to. The Bondarenko twins’ mother hadn’t been able to find a cow costume to fit them, so Cassie had volunteered to make it herself, and time had become dangerously short. She veered left off the N11 and headed up towards Mam’s.
There was a large cardboard box sitting on the sofa, like an unexploded bomb.
‘Don’t touch it while I make tea. I picked up a Black Forest gateau, will you have a slice?’
‘Mam, we’re supposed to be trying to look our best, we can’t be scoffing cake every day.’
‘Ah, well, we’ll all be dead long enough. We can cut down the fortnight before, that’ll do it.’
After they enjoyed a slice of cake and a cup of tea, Mam couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer and approached the box with a pair of scissors.
‘Right, let’s have a look.’ She cut open the sticky tape and folded back the lid to reveal .?.?. pine-green fabric .?.?. with silver piping. Mam’s horrified expression mirrored Cassie’s. It was a July wedding.
She pulled the first dress, her size, out of the cellophane bag and stared at it. The fabric was cheap and shiny, and she could see Mam beginning to panic.
‘I’ll try it on, it may be one of those garments that doesn’t have .?.?. what do they call it? Hanger appeal.’
She slipped out of her clothes and into the slithery polyester dress, which clung to her but definitely not in the right way. Eric bustled in gamely with a full-length mirror. He caught sight of her and there was no mistaking his look of dismay. Mam was starting to cry.
He couldn’t restrain himself. ‘Oh dear, I’ve seen classier-looking fertiliser bags.’
‘They’re awful, just dire.’ Mam sobbed.
‘I’m phoning Maxine, she’ll be around at this time. They must’ve looked completely different online, that’s the only explanation,’ Cassie muttered, aware of rising fury. She video-called her sister’s number and paced up and down, waiting. Surprisingly, Maxine picked up almost immediately.
‘Hey, how’s it going?’
Cassie tried to control her voice. ‘Maxie, you stay right there, don’t move, and I’m going to show you the dress.’
She propped the phone up on the mantelpiece and stepped back into view. It took a moment for the shock to register on Maxine’s face.
‘Oh. I mean, I was a little unsure about the colour, but the dresses looked gorgeous.’
‘Well, they’re not. Maxine, they’re poxy. We’re going to look like Santa’s elves’ mammies.’
‘Oh God, Mam, I’m sorry.’
By this point Mam was helping herself to a second wedge of Black Forest gateau, but Cassie whipped it out of her hand.
‘That won’t help, trust me. OK, what’s going to happen is, I’m going to pack this dress into the box and send it straight back. Then Mam and I are going straight back down to Marian Gale, this very minute, and we’re going to buy two new bridesmaids’ dresses.’
‘Cass, I’m sorry, I was genuinely thinking of your colouring.’
‘I know, stick around, I’ll need you later. It’s all going to be fine,’ she said confidently, feeling the exact opposite. If things didn’t fall into place fast, they were in big trouble.
* * *
‘And do you have an appointment?’ enquired the formally dressed assistant, flicking through a large diary. They both shook their heads guiltily.
‘It’s an emergency.’
