“Sophie?” Richard’s voice was a little muffled by vestry’s thick oak door. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” I sang out for the third time in fifteen minutes. “I’m almost ready!”

“Oh, okay. You’re okay then?”

“Yes, love. I’m fine. We’re just putting up my hair. It fell down again.”

“Want me to help?” There was a muffled sound. “Right! Dad says I’m an ass. I forgot, I can’t see you yet.”

“You’re an ass, and I love you!”

There was a chuckle. “Love you, too.”

“I think he’s a little tense,” Mum said as she pinned the last loose lock in place.

“He’s as nervous as a turkey at Christmas,” Richard’s mum remarked as she handed me my veil. “His dad will take him down to the altar. That should settle him.”

On cue, there was another muffled announcement. “I’ll go down to the altar, okay?”

“Yes, I’ll be there in two ticks!”

“And you’re okay?”

I had to laugh. “Yes, you loon!”

Jack barked in agreement, and I heard another chuckle. “If you’re not there in two ticks, I’m coming to get you!”

“Dad!” Richard’s mum cried. “Take that crazy son of ours to the vicar!”

“Will do!” the answering yodel came through.

“You’re ready.” Mum stood back and admired her handiwork. “You look lovely.”

“Then don’t cry, silly!” I gave her a hug.

“But it’s true.” Richard’s mum was teary, too.

“I love you both,” I was fanning myself, “but if you make me smudge my mascara, we’ll have to touch up, and I don’t think Richard would survive!”

“I’ll go right out and tell him you’re on your way.” Richard’s mum bolted.

“Dad,” Mum called out, “Come and see the bride!”

“My little daughter! All grown up!”

Dad, bless him, was tearful, too. Determined to avoid a weep fest, I picked up my bouquet. “Come on, let’s go and celebrate our happy day.”

Outside, at the head of the pretty little path that led to the church, Andrea stood waiting with Fiona and Tammy, my littlest cousins. They were my bridesmaids, looking sweetly pretty in their pink dresses, and most amazingly, they were prettily behaved, too.

“What did you do?” I whispered to Andrea.

“The one who is best behaved gets a double-decker chocolate bar and six white chocolate buttons. The runner up gets pop rocks.”

“They’ll be totally sugared up!”

“But after the ceremony, when it’s not our problem.”

Andrea can be ruthless, but she is efficient. Fiona is known for her tantrums, and Tammy enjoys startling people with her squealing, yet there they were, two little angels, determined not to put a foot wrong and to earn that chocolate. I was properly grateful. “Bless you. I won’t forget this.”

“Pay me back by tossing me that bouquet,” Andrea grinned. “I’ll be standing behind you and a bit to the left.”

Like I said, she leaves nothing to chance. “You’ve got it,” I promised.

We entered the church, little cousins mincing down to the front in perfect sweetness. Jack followed, his collar decorated with a pink ribbon that matched the roses I was carrying, looking perfectly smashing. Then the music swelled as Dad and I began walking down the aisle.

“She’s here! Thank God!” Richard was standing by the vicar, being visibly restrained by his dad from rushing up to meet us. “Sophie! You look smashing!”

A wave of laughter drowned out the organ. I could see Tanaka collapse into giggles and hear Vladimir’s guffaws. Even Lorelei, standing up despite her massive baby bump, was smiling and giving me the thumbs-up. Seeing her on her feet, Vladimir pulled her against him protectively.

“Oh lord, sorry!” Richard was holding out his hands ruefully. “Did I ruin it?”

“Lord no! I love being told I look good!”

He swept me into his arms and kissed me. “I love you so much!”

“Richard,” the vicar boomed. “The kissing of the bride is after you take the vows!”

“Sorry, I forgot.”

More laughter, of course. And that’s pretty much how it’s been ever since. We’re doing awfully well, together and separately. When we left Basildon Hall and moved back to London, the distance between his penthouse and my ground-floor flat was too much for us.

“It’s two miles,” Mum pointed out.

“Jack gets tired,” I told her.

“Who’s moving in with whom?” Mum asked.

“We’re at his place during the week, and my place weekends. When we figure out what works best, we’ll decide.”

We liked both, but Jack voted for the garden so Richard moved in with us.

As for our work, Richard has been in tearing spirits because Trouper danced through all the tests. His bot is now slated to hitch a ride on a mission to Europa, one of the Galilean moons orbiting Jupiter. In honour of that, our first baby will have Europa as her middle name.

Yes, we’re going to be parents! Isn’t it exciting? I’m only five months gone, but Andrea has already organised the room, the flowers, and the various routes I might take. She’ll be godmother.

“Cinderella was gifted with beauty and song, but I think our girl will like an efficient fairy godmother better,” Richard grinned. And I bet he’s right.

Andrea and Tanaka are spending more and more time together, so I expect to be hearing some happy news from them soon. After all, she did catch my bouquet!

“I’ve told Vlad he should give Tanaka a hint,” Lorelei told me last week. “To hurry him along. But he won’t, and he’s forbidden me to interfere!”

Yes, Lorelei is around often, because Richard, Tanaka, and Vladimir are now business partners. I’m not terribly fond of her, but she’s much nicer than she used to be. Her twins, Elsa and little Vlad, are keeping her busy, and she’s super happy, just like Vladimir predicted.

And speaking of busy, my business is brilliant, too. I’m doing house parties one weekend a month and fancy-schmancy corporate lunches on weekdays. The change in focus means I can go dancing with Richard in the evenings, and when the baby comes, I will have plenty of time to be a mum. The switch also gives me plenty of time for my side business: a training course in Japanese cooking for housekeepers.

Does it surprise you? It shouldn’t. There are 65,000 staff working in the country and loads of people who work at it part time, so I’ve plenty of students. At the moment, Japanese dishes are popular and exotic, but as fads change, I’m ready to jump onto the next bandwagon. It means I’ll never be bored.

Well, I’d like to hang and chat, but I have a dozen apricot tarts in the oven that need tending. Be happy and bon appetit!

 

 

 

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