Lizzie giggled. ‘If you had an inkling of the preparations that are going on, you’d never call it a shotgun wedding, even if I am pregnant.’
‘And you’re rebelling against them?’ said David. ‘You don’t think having a homosexual on the guest list is rebelling enough?’
‘No,’ said Lizzie, ‘not half enough. I’m going to make my own dress and I’m even trying to avoid having a wedding list. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’mgoing to draw what I plan to walk down the aisle in. And, David, if my father doesn’t come round to the idea of me being pregnant, you can walk me down it!’
The moment her pencil hit the paper the dress began to appear. A round neck, not high, just grazing her collar bones, three-quarter-length sleeves, a full-length skirt starting under the bust (which would help with the bump) and a ribbon with a bow with tails down the front (which would also help with the bump).
‘OK,’ she said, taking her drawing up to the other end of the room where Meg was adding the final touches to a late snack, ostensibly for David, who had a small part in a play and had not been home long, but of course she’d made enough for everyone. ‘Have a look. What do we think?’
‘Lovely. It’s sweet, suitably demure for a wedding dress and extremely pretty,’ said David. ‘Well done, Lizzie.’
‘I love that!’ said Meg, having set down a platter of nibbles. ‘You could use the lace for the sleeves.’
‘Tell you what,’ said Alexandra. ‘If you manage to get your pattern made and your dress cut out, we’ll come with you to Peter Jones to make a wedding list.’
‘That would make it more fun, I must say. Apparently if I don’t have one people will be forevertelephoning my mother asking her what we want as presents. And as my mother is staying with me at Patsy’s that could be difficult.’ She laughed. ‘Imagine my father having to answer the calls! He’d go mad!’
‘Maybe your mother would go home? Once the invitations are out and people start wondering what to give you?’ suggested Meg. ‘It’s going to be short notice for people.’
Lizzie sighed. ‘I know. The guest list from our side of the family has been ready since I was born, probably, but Hugo’s mother isn’t so accommodating.’
‘So your mother will be staying with you at Patsy’s for a bit longer? Is it driving you mad?’
Lizzie shrugged. ‘I’m not sure if Mummy could be wrenched from the house. She is enjoying herself too much. It’s funny, earlier today I was almost ready to strangle her but now, after a few hours away from it all, I’m happy for her and Patsy to organise my wedding if they want to – not that I have the slightest chance of stopping them. Hugo and I have the rest of our lives to do what we want.’
‘So youwillmake a list?’ asked Meg. ‘For your mother’s sake?’
‘If I’ve got time,’ Lizzie agreed. ‘But making my dress is my priority.’
‘Are you going to make a toile?’ asked David. ‘I could get hold of some muslin or something if you wanted to.’
‘I wasn’t going to bother—’
‘I think you should,’ David said firmly. ‘I think you shouldn’t go back to the country until you’ve got a toile that fits and your dress cut out.’
‘What’s a toile?’ asked Alexandra. When Lizzie and David had both explained she said, ‘Do you have to make it out of muslin? There are a lot of sheets which are now practically transparent they’re so old. Could you use them?’
‘They sound perfect,’ said Lizzie. ‘And then I don’t have to wait to get muslin. But my sewing machine is in the country.’
‘There’s another sewing machine in the attic,’ said Alexandra. ‘One of my nannies used to make my dresses with it. It’s probably pretty antique.’
‘The other one is pretty antique too. That won’t matter at all.’
‘There really is a lot to be said for being part of a family who never throws anything away,’ said Alexandra.
‘They only never throw anything away because they never come here,’ said David.
‘This is going to be fun!’ said Lizzie.
Although it was so late, everyone wanted to get involved. David found her enough brown paper to make a pattern for the bodice, and lining paper for the dress, which didn’t need such precise fitting. He also found another Anglepoise lamp so she couldsee better. Alexandra helped with measurements and Meg supplied everyone with snacks. A second dressmaker’s dummy was found with a sewing machine – the one the girls had brought with them when they visited Lizzie was still in the country, of course. It was a fairly good match for Lizzie’s own figure round the top. As her bump – very small at the moment – would only show underneath the bust line, it didn’t need to be accommodated.
Eventually, Meg told her it was time for bed. ‘It’s half past two in the morning. You’ve got plenty of time to finish this and if you do it when you’re tired you’re likely to make a mistake.’
‘Oh. Yes, I suppose you’re right.’ Now she thought about it, Lizzie realised how exhausted she was.
‘We should have made you go to bed earlier,’ said Alexandra. ‘After all, you’re sleeping for two now. Isn’t that what they say?’
Lizzie laughed. ‘My mother says I’m eating for two when she’s not telling me not to eat potatoes as I don’t want to put on weight and make my bump show. Although I do get tired. But I was so involved in making my dress I didn’t notice I was fading a bit.’
