It was twenty minutes past the appointed time when Hattie’s phone went. She left the church to answer it. It was Nick.
‘I’ve done it. I got rid of Fiona’s father and we’re taking time to talk things through. But she wants to talk to her mum. She didn’t have her phone on her – no pockets in a wedding dress.’
‘I’ll get her.’
While Sheila and Fiona were talking, Hattie wondered what on earth Nick had done. Had he hijacked the wedding car? And how had he got rid of Malcolm? He must have shown an impressive amount of initiative, she realised, hugely relieved that she didn’t have to interrupt the wedding herself. Far better that it had never started, she felt. She wandered a little way away and looked at her watch – it was half an hour after the wedding was supposed to have got going.
Sheila came running up and handed Hattie her phone. ‘It’s all off. Fiona’s not coming. She… she couldn’t go through with it. I… I…’ She stopped and took a deep breath, making a visible effort to pull herself together. ‘And Malcolm’s back at the house; he needs me to pick him up. He confessed to drinking a bit in the car. Can you possibly give me a lift? I can’t bear to go through all the explanations so I can ask Camille for mine back.’
Hattie nodded. ‘Let’s go.’
A few seconds after they’d set off, leaving Lance none the wiser, pacing outside the church, Sheila said, ‘It’s all the most godawful mess and Malcolm is going to be fit to be tied but I’m really glad this has happened.’
Hattie nodded.
‘I think we should still have the party, don’t you? We’ll have to pay the caterers anyway so we might as well.’
Sheila was thinking aloud, she didn’t need Hattie to reply.
‘I blame myself entirely for all this going as far as it has. I knew Lance was a bully. My marriage has been very tricky and I’ve managed, but I don’t want that for my only child.’
‘Fiona could go to my house,’ said Hattie, before Sheila could blame herself any more. ‘Lance doesn’t have my address. Nick could take her there until we think of a plan.’ She paused. ‘Presumably she packed for a honeymoon? Could you get me her case? I could take it home so she could get out of her wedding dress.’
Sheila nodded. ‘Good idea!’
‘But I don’t want Malcolm to see me, to know I’m in any way involved, or he might tell Lance.’ Hattie didn’t want to deal with an angry Lance again if she could possibly help it.
‘How will I get it to you, then?’
They were nearly at the house. Neither woman spoke, both frantically thinking.
‘I’ll have to take Malcolm’s car,’ said Sheila. ‘I’ll have to give him coffee in case he’s more drunk than just over the limit. I’ll also have to tell him that the wedding is off and he has to tell all the guests.’ She paused. ‘I’ll say I need to use the bathroom, go upstairs and throw Fifi’s case out of the window. Malcolm will be in the sitting room, in the front of the house, so you could collect it. I’ll keep him occupied.’
‘OK,’ said Hattie. ‘That seems like a plan.’
Sheila hadn’t warned Hattie that she’d have to climb through a hedge to reach the case that was on thelawn but she plunged in and got through, hoping she wouldn’t catch Rose’s dress on anything. She couldn’t think of a better way of getting out of the garden, so she climbed back through it, clutching the case to her.
Hattie couldn’t help laughing as she saw a stately Rolls-Royce climbing the hill to her house, just in front of her. As it was a single-track road and there were a couple of cars coming towards her, she pulled into a passing place to watch the Rolls turn into her entrance and park. She saw Nick get out and bang on the front door and Xander open it with some confusion. Then the car door opened and Fiona emerged in her wedding dress. She had taken off her veil and abandoned her bouquet. Hattie breathed a sigh of relief.
Chapter Thirteen
‘Hi, everyone!’ said Hattie, calling from the car as she retrieved Fiona’s case from the boot. ‘Fiona! I’ve got your case here, if you want to get out of your dress.’
Xander regarded his aunt, clearly relieved that he didn’t have to play host. ‘Hattie! You look like you’ve been pulled through a hedge backwards.’
‘Hardly surprising,’ said Hattie, ‘although, to be fair, I went through it forwards. Do please go in!’
Nick took the case from Hattie and led the way. Fiona, who was looking pale and tear-stained, followed when Hattie took her arm. ‘Let’s get you upstairs and into some more normal clothes,’ said Hattie.
‘I haven’t got any normal clothes,’ said Fiona. ‘Lance doesn’t like normal clothes.’
They were all in the kitchen, which wasn’t large. ‘Xander? See if Nick wants a beer or something. Fiona, you come with me.’
She managed to get Fiona up the stairs and into her bedroom. She put the case on the bed and opened it. ‘What do you want to wear?’
Fiona thought for a moment. ‘Jeans and a T-shirt. Like I used to wear before I met Lance.’
Hattie rifled gently through the case. There was a pair of silk capri pants but they were hardly jeans. ‘Do you mind wearing something of mine?’
