The next morning, I woke early. I use the word ‘woke’ loosely, since I’d been semi-awake half the night, despite my exhaustion.

Alain had been restless, too, although now I could hear his steady breathing beside me and was thankful that he was getting some sleep.

I glanced at the clock. Not long after five. And yet I felt good. Relief over finding Gabriel, happiness that Alain and I were still together, still in love, and the knowledge that Mum and I had made up, and Mum understood my viewpoint … All those things overrode any underlying tiredness.

Slipping out of bed and into a robe and flip-flops, I pottered around the side of the house to let myself in quietly through the main door, my only thought a steaming mug of tea.

And came face-to-face with Ellie, silently slipping her shoes on in the hall.

We stared at each other, mute.

‘Er. Emmy. Morning,’ Ellie whispered eventually. ‘You’re up early.’

My brain tried to compute what was happening. It wasn’t even five thirty yet. Ellie had no reason to be here other than if she’d … Oh. My. God … spent the night.

‘Yes. I. Er.’ I glanced at Rupert’s closed door. I knew those two had become closer over recent months, but I’d assumed it was closer, as in firm friends. Not closer, as in …

Ellie gave me an Oh, for heaven’s sake look. ‘Come into the kitchen, and I’ll make us some tea. You look like you need one.’

She shut the kitchen door behind us to minimise noise and filled the kettle, while I tried to get my head around the fact that she and Rupert must be sleeping together.

When the tea was ready, Ellie picked up both mugs, jerked her head in the direction of the patio doors and led me down the garden, where she patted a bench and I sat down beside her.

‘This is awkward, isn’t it?’ Ellie said brightly, thrusting a mug into my hands. ‘I thought getting up at five was mad but safe.’ She narrowed her eyes at me. ‘Apparently not.’

‘Sorry,’ I mumbled, taking a gulp of tea. God, that was good. ‘And I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel awkward. I didn’t expect it, that’s all.’

‘So I gathered.’ Ellie grinned. ‘Looks like we’ve done a better job of keeping it quiet than we thought.’

‘Guess I haven’t been on top form. Things have been a bit manic lately.’ I smiled. ‘But I’m pleased for you both, really I am.’

‘Yes, well. That’s why we need to talk.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Emmy, I don’t want you getting any ideas about Rupert and me having some grand romance. It’s not like that at all. I won’t debase it by saying it’s merely a fulfilling of mutual needs …’

I hastily took another sip of tea.

‘Because it’s more than that.’ Ellie stared into the distance. ‘You know, I think Rupert and I would have been closer friends sooner, but Gloria complicated things. After she’d gone – for good – Rupert and I learned that we had a lot more in common than we’d been allowed to discover before. We get annoyed by the same things. We laugh at the same things. We like the same people. Eventually, we realised we’d been ignoring a spark. Both of us had been scared to mention it because we valued our friendship. Maybe we didn’t want to muck it up. But then one night at my house, we had a glass of wine too many, and I forbade Rupert from driving home and said he’d have to stay in the spare room. It brought us a kind of freedom we hadn’t had before, and one thing led to another.’

My eyes were as wide as they would go. ‘How long has this been going on?’

‘Three months.’

‘Three months? But why not tell anyone?’

‘Rupert and I are hardly the kind to go shouting from the rooftops. And it’s not a romance or an engagement or the kind of thing people do shout about. We can hardly announce, “By the way, we’re having regular sex now” to the world, can we? And the last thing we want is the kind of reaction you’re doing your best not to have, but can’t help: “Oh, how lovely, Rupert and Ellie found each other after all Rupert’s been through and after all Ellie’s said about not wanting a long-term relationship.”’ She stuck a finger in her mouth and made a puking noise.

I laughed. ‘Okay, I take your point. So … no plans?’

‘Absolutely none, Emmy,’ she confirmed sternly. ‘Neither of us wants anything more from this.’

‘I get it. And you want me to keep it a secret?’

‘I suppose you’ll have to tell Rupert that you know. We’re all adults here. And it might be better, not having to creep around La Cour des Roses all the time.’

‘But what about other people? What about Sophie?’

‘You must be joking. Mademoiselle Romance? No thanks.’ She sighed. ‘You’re going to tell me that we’re a trio and you’ll feel guilty knowing something she doesn’t, aren’t you?’

‘Yes.’

‘Grrr. You two drive me mad.’ She puffed out her cheeks. ‘I’ll discuss it with Rupert. It’s his sex life as well as mine, after all.’

‘I only meant for you to tell Sophie that you’re … you know. Not to discuss the finer details.’ I drained my mug. ‘Having said that, is it …? I mean, you two, I presume it’s …?’

‘Yes, Emmy, we are sexually compatible. That’s all I’m prepared to say on the subject – and all you want to know, I’m sure.’

I grinned. ‘I wasn’t being nosy. Honest. I was only thinking that it’s quite a risk you two took, after being friends for so long. If it hadn’t gone well …’

‘I agree. And there’s nobody more relieved than me that it’s working out.’ She stood. ‘Right, I need to go home and get changed and …’ She stopped suddenly. ‘See ya.’ A quick wave, and she was off.

I watched her walk up the garden, her narrow, jean-clad hips sashaying. This was … Well, it really was quite excellent.

When Gloria ran off with Nathan, it had been hard for both Rupert and me. But I’d got together with Alain, and although Rupert swore blind that he never wanted another relationship, I felt guilty that I was moving on and he wasn’t. He said he wouldn’t contemplate marriage again – that he wasn’t cut out for it – but I hadn’t liked to think that should preclude some kind of relationship. Companionship. A release valve. Rupert was too lively to settle into his dotage on his own.

I couldn’t be more pleased that he and Ellie had got together. But I also knew I had to avoid ‘doing a Sophie’ by thinking roses and confetti. Ellie didn’t believe in that stuff, and Rupert had had his fill of it. For once, I had no intention of meddling.

Heading back up the garden, I doubted I could sleep, not after this, but maybe if I lay down a while, that would count as rest.

Alain was still fast asleep. I would’ve loved to wake him and tell him the news, but I didn’t have the heart. I climbed in and lay there, trying not to disturb him, but he murmured something and his arm came around my waist. And somehow, with that familiar warmth and weight against my skin, I managed to drift off into sleep.

‘Emmy. Get up!’

I groaned and rolled over.

‘Emmy.’ Rupert rapped on the internal door.

A distant part of my brain told me there could be another emergency. The rest decided that someone else could deal with it.

But I was not to be left in peace. I heard rattling, and a minute later, Rupert was in the room.

‘I have my eyes closed if you’re not decent. Now will you please pay attention!’

Startled, I sat up, then looked down to check I was decent – or as decent as you can be in a five-year-old three-quid T-shirt. Glancing at the bedside clock, I was amazed to see that I’d slept in, after all.

‘I’m decent,’ I snapped. ‘What do you want?’

‘It’s more a question of what you want.’

‘Huh?’ I scraped yesterday’s wedding waves out of my eyes. Rupert was looking rough himself, but he was dressed, at least.

‘Do you want to get married to that accountant of yours or not?’

My lip curled. ‘I believe you have the date wrong. That was yesterday.’

‘No, I believe that I and numerous others have waved our magic wands, and that date is now today, if you want it to be.’

‘What?’ I looked at the empty space beside me. ‘Where’s Alain?’

‘He came round to the kitchen for coffee, and I sent him home. A groom’s not supposed to see his bride on their wedding day.’

‘Huh?’

‘Try to focus, Emmy. As you know, the mairie is booked all morning, it being Saturday, but I phoned Patrice to see how much heart he has. Quite a lot, it turns out. He and his staff will stay behind to fit you in at the end of the session.’

‘Oh! That’s good of them.’ My mind raced. ‘It would be nice to have that part of the wedding, at least.’ I sighed. ‘A lot of people have come a long way for not much of a wedding, though.’

Rupert held out his hand. ‘Come with me, lovely Emmy.’

I swung my legs out of bed, checked I was wearing the other half of my nightwear before flinging off the sheet, and allowed him to lead me barefoot through the house to the patio doors.

The garden was a hive of activity. Ryan was up a stepladder, his parents feeding him the strings of fairy lights we’d used for last year’s anniversary party for Julia Cooper’s parents. A van was parked in the courtyard, and two men were unloading trestle tables, directed by my mother. My dad was blowing up white balloons with a helium machine, tying them in clumps and handing them to Nick and Kate to dot amongst the trees. Kate gave me a wave from her precarious spot at the top of her stepladder.

I turned back to Rupert. ‘What’s going on?’

‘A wedding’s going on. I suggest a shower and breakfast. Sophie and Ellie will be here by eleven for hair and make-up. We need to be at the mairie for one. Then back here for the reception.’

I looked helplessly around me. ‘Rupert, we can’t have a reception here. We discussed this months ago. That’s why we booked the château.’

‘We did, and it is,’ Rupert agreed. ‘But that was before yesterday happened. The château can’t accommodate you today, but I can.’ He stretched an arm towards the blue sky, small white clouds scudding across it on a light breeze. ‘No rain forecast. The garden will be as pretty as we can make it. Patrice lent us the trestle tables from the town hall – the ones they use for town festivals. They’re wobbly, but they’ll do. The château still has the wine and champagne, obviously, and the table flowers. They’d already started cooking the food by the time we knew we couldn’t go ahead, but your mum and Ellie caught them in time to adjust, so they went ahead with as much as they could, for us to serve cold today. They need it out of their way by eleven, so I’ll take my estate car and Ryan can take his – we’ll manage in a couple of runs. The pâtisserie will collect the cake from the château and bring it here in their van. Daren’t put that in my car. The château will spare us two wait staff. Juliette’s coming to help, too. Oh, and the hotel are loaning us glasses and crockery.’

‘Why on earth would they go to all that trouble, after we cancelled?’

‘They know the circumstances, Emmy. They’re not heartless. Besides, your dad forked out a fortune to that place. They want you to have a wedding as much as everyone else. And your mother and Ellie were in charge, remember. That manager would need a spine of steel to stand up to them! Your mum spoke to the guests last night, and most of them aren’t leaving till tomorrow anyway. A few who were going today have managed to extend their stay. Ryan and Sophie got hold of everyone else. The band’s available, too.’

I gaped at him. ‘I can’t believe you’re all doing this. When on earth …?’

‘We had a conference after you went to bed. I’m sorry we couldn’t say anything, but we didn’t want to get your hopes up until we were sure we could pull it off.’

Now it made sense. All those glances between Ellie and Mum, Sophie and Rupert.

‘I thought Aunt Jeanie was trying to get rid of us.’

‘Are you saying you didn’t need a bath and bed?’ When he saw tears in my eyes, his face fell. ‘Please don’t cry, Emmy. Any wedding’s better than none, right? Everyone will do their best, I promise, even though it’s not what you wanted.’

I looked around the busy garden at the mayhem and goodwill. As I saw Ryan teeter on his ladder with strings of fairy lights dangling, I remembered how enchanting the garden had looked for the anniversary party last summer, guests dancing on the lawn to the music from the band.

I shook my head. ‘That’s not why I’m crying. Quite the opposite, in fact. Rupert, this is so perfect. Thank you!’ I rested my cheek on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms tightly around me.

‘Now, Emmy, we can’t have tears, or your eyes will get puffy.’ My mother approached in her usual whirlwind manner, Aunt Jeanie in tow, and prised us apart – but I only switched my hug to her. A quick pat on the back, and she pushed me away. ‘I said stop it, or Sophie won’t be able to do anything with your face.’

Dad waved at me from his balloon machine as Adrien hurried over to stop the dog popping the balloons.

‘Come into the kitchen,’ Mum ordered. ‘Tea, breakfast, plan of action. Then I need to wipe those tables down with some disinfectant.’

Allowing myself to be led away, I couldn’t stop smiling. I was getting married, after all.

After I’d allowed Mum to feed me, I told her I needed a word with Rupert and went outside to find him.

He was on the patio, on the phone – to the limo company, I gathered.

When he clicked off, he said, ‘They still have the limo available, surprisingly, but the two smaller cars aren’t.’

‘The limo was the most important. Thank you.’ I hesitated. ‘Rupert, I’d like a word.’

He inclined his head towards the orchard, where we went to stand in the shade. He already knew what I wanted to talk about.

‘Ellie told me about this morning,’ he admitted, then waited a moment, perhaps for some quip or jibe from me. When none was forthcoming, he said, ‘I’m sorry you found out like that.’

‘You’re entitled to a private life.’

‘I thought you’d be cross with me for not telling you.’

‘No. But I’m glad I know now. Less chance of putting my foot in it. Or maybe more chance, if I’m supposed to be hiding it from everyone else.’

‘It wasn’t meant to be this huge a secret,’ Rupert said. ‘At first, we wanted to be sure we weren’t making a mistake that would embarrass us and everybody else. Then we kept it quiet because we didn’t want everybody making a fuss. It snowballed from there – the longer it went on, the odder it would seem that we hadn’t said anything.’

‘Well, it’s up to you, but I think you’d be safe letting the cat out of the bag. You must be fairly sure where you both stand by now, and it’d be less stressful for you to not have to watch yourselves all the time. I’m sure everyone’ll be pleased about it.’ When he made a face, I said sternly, ‘You won’t avoid that. People know what you’ve been through, and they want to see you happy.’

Rupert rolled his eyes. ‘I know for a fact that you won’t be able to stop yourself from telling Alain. But if we come out into the open with this, I don’t want people having overly romantic expectations.’

I couldn’t help myself. Just one little play at being devil’s advocate. Tongue in cheek, I asked, ‘No wedding bells in the air, then?’

Rupert spluttered. ‘Not even in jest, Emmy, please.’

‘Maybe you could have one of those binding ceremonies instead.’

He gave me a look. ‘I don’t think Ellie’s into that kind of thing.’

I laughed. ‘I mean like New Agers and pagans do.’

‘Don’t fancy dancing naked in the orchard under a full moon, either. Leave it out, will you?’

‘I’m only teasing.’ I placed a hand on his. ‘I’m glad you’ve got someone.’

‘Thanks, love. Now, you’d better get off and make yourself beautiful – and by that, I mean more beautiful than you already are, of course – before your mother lynches me for waylaying you.’

But on the way back into the house, I was waylaid by Adrien.

‘Emmy, I want you to know that the children will be at the wedding.’

‘I’m so pleased. I didn’t think Gabriel would be up to attending.’

‘Not just attending,’ Adrien said. ‘They want to be your page boy and flower girl, after all.’

My eyes lit up. ‘Really? I thought after yesterday …’

Adrien smiled. ‘Gabriel feels terrible about that. He wants to make amends.’

‘Then I shan’t stop him.’

‘The only thing is, Emmy, they want their mum to come. They won’t feel able to do it otherwise, and they so want to, for you and Alain. I know, after all the upset she’s caused …’

‘If the children need her, Adrien, they do.’ I laid my hand over his. ‘Please tell her she’s welcome.’

He nodded gratefully and strolled off across the courtyard, leaving me to greet Sophie and Ellie.

Our bride and bridesmaid preparations were like a surreal rerun of the day before.

‘See? I told you we needn’t have bothered with all those stupid dress and make-up trials,’ Ellie grumbled. ‘We could practically do this in our sleep now.’

Kate laughed as Sophie began on her make-up. ‘I don’t know about you, Ellie, but I couldn’t do what Sophie does to my face while I was wide awake, never mind in my sleep.’

A knock on the door. ‘Are you decent?’

I opened it to find Rupert bearing a tray with four steaming, frothy cappuccinos.

‘Thought you might need something to keep you going.’ He sent a pointed look Sophie’s way. ‘Except you, Mama Bear. Yours is decaff, in the red cup.’ He indicated an envelope on the tray. ‘This got mixed up with my post, Emmy. I might have had it a couple of days. Sorry.’ He cast his eye around the room to find a flat surface, tutting at the clutter. ‘Women never cease to puzzle me.’

‘That’s patently obvious,’ Ellie said wryly. ‘Here.’ She pushed make-up to one side, so he could put the tray down.

I sniffed appreciatively at the coffee, then kissed his cheek. ‘You’re a star. Thank you.’

‘I agree.’ Ellie didn’t stand on ceremony. She took his face in her hands and kissed him full on the lips, causing us to whoop in delight.

Kate and Sophie both gaped at Ellie, while Rupert’s cheeks flushed red, and he scurried off before anything else could befall him.

Sophie was the first to recover her poise. ‘What was that?’

Ellie looked across at me over the rim of her cappuccino. ‘You tell them. I know you’re practically bursting.’

‘No. It’s for you to tell.’

Ellie huffed. ‘Rupert and I are seeing each other. More than friends. In a relationship.’

Sophie squealed. ‘Since when?’

‘Three months.’

‘Why didn’t you tell us?’

‘She wouldn’t be telling you now if I hadn’t caught her sneaking away from La Cour des Roses at dawn, like a teenager,’ I said mildly.

Sophie gasped. ‘You knew?’

‘I only found out this morning.’

Sophie threw her arms around Ellie’s neck. ‘I think it is wonderful!’

‘And that’s precisely why I didn’t tell you,’ Ellie said drily.

‘Oh.’ Sophie’s face fell. ‘Is it a secret?’

Ellie sighed. ‘It won’t be for long, if you have anything to do with it. But don’t make a big deal out of it. Please? We don’t want a lot of fuss.’

Kate grinned. ‘I love it, but I’m not sure I can get my head around it.’

‘A good reason to be more out in the open, then,’ Ellie said firmly. ‘People might as well get used to the idea.’ She fixed us with a glare. ‘What are you all staring at?’

To rescue her, I reached for the envelope on the tray. Another wedding card. But when I opened it and saw who it was from, my eyes nearly popped out of my head.

‘From someone who can’t come?’ Ellie asked.

‘No. From someone who wasn’t invited.’

‘Who?’

‘From Nathan. Listen to this: “Dear Emmy, I want to wish you all the best for your wedding. I hope you and Alain will be happy together. I didn’t behave well, Emmy – not in France and not since. That’s my loss. I didn’t see what I had and I didn’t appreciate you. I apologise for that. And I sincerely wish you a happy future. Love, Nathan”.’

Kate gaped. ‘Crikey.’ She put her arm around me, rereading the card over my shoulder. ‘Are you alright?’

‘Just surprised. He knew I was getting married, but I never mentioned a date. He must have asked around on the grapevine.’

‘It’s nice, that he sent a card. And that he said what he said,’ Sophie said quietly.

‘Yes. It takes away some of the nasty taste of our relations over the past year. I wonder if he’s with anyone new, now?’

‘Ha!’ Ellie shook her head. ‘A few weeks with Gloria probably put him off for life.’

I laughed. ‘I hope not. He’s been a total brat and an idiot, but maybe that would improve if he found the right person.’

Kate kissed my cheek. ‘And that’s exactly why you’re too good for him.’

‘Never mind Nathan,’ Ellie said. ‘We need to get this show on the road, otherwise we’ll have Flo breathing fire – and I think my dress might be flammable.’