‘And I’ve changed my mind about the wedding cake. I don’t think a sponge is going to be special enough.’
‘Okay.’ Hattie didn’t let her dismay show. There was so little time now. Then she thought of thecroquemboucheNina had made. ‘I’ve got an idea. I’ll text you some pictures, see what you think.’
‘Hats, you’re so much easier to deal with. I wish Daddy was as easy.’ Gabby winced. ‘You know what he’s like. He won’t listen. He’ll just think I’m worried about him spending too much money. He’s so determined to give me a “proper” wedding because he and Mum didn’t have two beans to rub together when they got married. And Mummy is so excited.’
Her uncle was a man who killed with kindness and didn’t listen. He wasn’t a bully, just so jolly and determined to make everyone around him happy that he didn’t believe that he couldn’t, and wouldn’t take no for an answer.
‘I’m so worried that he’s wasting his money.’
‘His money isn’t going to waste, I promise you.’ To make her cousin feel better, Hattie proceeded to tell her all about Luc’s champagne ambitions and how the money was going to help. ‘Honestly, he’s so driven and determined,’ she finished, realising she’d been talking about Luc for a solid five minutes.
‘The complete opposite of Chris, then,’ said Gabby.
There was a knock at the door and Luc peeped around it holding up a bottle of wine to refresh her glass. Hattie immediately brightened at the sight of him – how could she not? – and then panicked, not wanting him to hear what her mother might say next. But it was too late, he was advancing into the room holding out the bottle.
Then as if all the gods of sod’s law had lined up to deliver their very best, Gabby suddenly said out of the blue, ‘Oh my God, Hattie! Luc Brémont is fit! I’ve just looked him up on my laptop.’
‘Oh my,’ said her mum, peering sideways off screen. ‘He’s very handsome.’
Hattie focused on the screen with sudden intensity. She was NOT going to look at Luc.
‘Are you sleeping with him?’ asked Gabby in a high-pitched squeak. ‘He’s lush.’
Oh God, could this get any worse?
Luc was grinning from ear to ear. Of course he was.
‘Er hello. My mother is sitting right beside you. I’m not sure she needs the details of my sex life.’
‘Oh darling.’ Her mum gave an exasperated sniff.
‘So you are,’ pressed Gabby. ‘Good for you.’
Luc looked at Hattie for a couple of seconds and then he sauntered round the desk to stand beside her. There was time for her to snatch up her phone and turn away but for some reason she sat there and let him hand her the glass and appear on the screen of the phone that was propped up on the desk in front of her.
‘Thank you,’ he said and lifted his glass in a toast to them.
Part of Hattie wanted to curl up and die, but funnily enough a much larger part wanted to say, ‘Hey yes! Isn’t he gorgeous? And hell yes, I’m sleeping with him.’ But her mum and Gabby’s wider than saucer eyes were more than enough for her.
‘This is Luc,’ she said. ‘Luc, meet my mum and my cousin, the bride, Gabby.’
‘Bonsoir. I’m very pleased to meet you and I shall look forward to meeting you in person. You are both well?’
They both nodded vigorously, like a pair of nodding dogs in the back of a car.
Dear God, Hattie wanted to shut her eyes. Her mum was positively swooning and, even more inappropriately, Gabby was beaming with unseemly interest.
‘Hello, how nice to meet you,’ said Hattie’s mum, her vowels suddenly a lot richer.
‘We’re so looking forward to coming to the château. Hattie tells us it’s beautiful,’ said Gabby, suddenly reverting to her usual self-assured, confident self.
‘It is and we’re looking forward to having your wedding here. Hattie has some wonderful ideas. She’s so talented.’
Hattie glanced round at Luc in surprise and found pride on his face.
‘She’s going to do a wonderful job for you. There is nothing for you to worry about. You must be very proud of your daughter, Mrs…’ Hattie wanted to laugh; they were sleeping together and he had forgotten her surname. If ever that was a sign that they were having a no-strings-attached thing, that was it.
‘Carter-Jones,’ she whispered under her breath but Luc moved on seamlessly. ‘She has a genius for organisation. It will be a wonderful arrangement and I can’t wait to meet you properly.’
