book a table at the Inn for seven fifteen and – I’ll risk you having to dash off.’ He turned and strode down the path.
‘You’ll never get a table at this short notice,’ she called after him, rather taken aback by his remark. ‘And I haven’t agreed to go with you anyway!’
‘Yeah, yeah. See you tomorrow at seven,’ he said, without looking back.
‘Of all the arrogant, pig-headed ...’
Becky slammed her front door as Max jumped into his car and drove off.
‘You’ll never believe this Jess,’ Becky said, holding the phone to her ear whilst she poured herself a large glass of wine. ‘I’m organising a wedding at Beckleston Hall and guess who is getting married?’
‘Don’t tell me it’s Max. I thought he was too good to be true.’
‘It’s not Max, although I thought it was at first, especially as he’s paying for the wedding, jointly with his mother.’
‘His mum?’
‘No. She’s in her seventies.’
‘So, you can still get married in your seventies. There’s no age limit, you know, which is just as well, for the three of us.’
‘I’ve been married once. I’m not sure I want to do that again. Anyway, I’ll tell you because you’ll never guess, especially after what Connie Jessop told you. It’s his ex-wife! Jess? Jess, are you still there?’
‘I’m here. You mean ... Max’s ex-wife?’
‘The one and only. At least, I assume there’s only one ex-wife. Actually, now I think of it, they didn’t say. Perhaps he’s been married more than once.’ Becky took a gulp of wine; she felt she needed it after everything that had happened today.
‘No,’ Jess said. ‘Connie said he was only married once.’
‘But Connie said his wife ran off with someone and that he was heartbroken and was still trying to get over her. You don’t pay for the wedding of someone you’re trying to get over, do you?’
‘No. I suppose you don’t. How strange. So, hold on a minute. His ex-wife is getting married in his mum’s house and he and his mum are paying for it?’
‘Yep.’ Becky flopped onto the sofa.
‘Wow! Have you told Susie?’
‘Not yet. I’m going to call her now.’
‘Can we come round?’
‘Of course you can, but it’s getting very icy out there so you need to be very careful. Oh and I ... No. I’ll save that bit of news until you get here. Give me half an hour will you? I want to call Lily before she has her bath and goes to bed.’
‘Okay. You call Lily and I’ll call Susie. See you soon.’
Jess and Susie arrived with two bottles of wine and a “Beckleston Bridal Belles”, bag.
‘Ooh! What’s in the bag? Let me guess, you’ve found a dress for me to borrow. Actually, I really hope you have. The other bit of news, and one I’m not sure is good or bad, is ... Max has asked me to be his date for the Valentine’s do and , he’s taking me to dinner at the Inn. Well, to be honest, he didn’t really ask me, he told me and I know we always go to the dance together so I can still tell him to get lost, if you’d rather.’
‘Don’t be an idiot,’ Jess said. ‘Of course you won’t tell him to get lost.’
‘No way! Do you think either of us would dump him to be with you?’
Becky smiled. ‘Yes. Actually I do.’
‘Okay, but you wouldn’t let us so that’s that. Here.’ Susie handed her the bag. ‘And it’s not for you to borrow; it’s for you to keep. I threw a few pieces of material together this afternoon. I think it’ll fit but I’ve brought my pins in case it needs a bit of tweaking. Go and try it on.’
Becky opened the bag and peered inside. She pulled out a dress of the richest chocolate brown and creamiest ivory, she’d ever seen. It was made from several layers of chocolate brown, silk chiffon that billowed out from an empire-line, band of ivory taffeta just under the bust. From the centre of the bust area there was a clasp made up of tiny pearl-like beads which swept the low neckline down into a bra top effect.
‘You’ll never get a table at this short notice,’ she called after him, rather taken aback by his remark. ‘And I haven’t agreed to go with you anyway!’
‘Yeah, yeah. See you tomorrow at seven,’ he said, without looking back.
‘Of all the arrogant, pig-headed ...’
Becky slammed her front door as Max jumped into his car and drove off.
‘You’ll never believe this Jess,’ Becky said, holding the phone to her ear whilst she poured herself a large glass of wine. ‘I’m organising a wedding at Beckleston Hall and guess who is getting married?’
‘Don’t tell me it’s Max. I thought he was too good to be true.’
‘It’s not Max, although I thought it was at first, especially as he’s paying for the wedding, jointly with his mother.’
‘His mum?’
‘No. She’s in her seventies.’
‘So, you can still get married in your seventies. There’s no age limit, you know, which is just as well, for the three of us.’
‘I’ve been married once. I’m not sure I want to do that again. Anyway, I’ll tell you because you’ll never guess, especially after what Connie Jessop told you. It’s his ex-wife! Jess? Jess, are you still there?’
‘I’m here. You mean ... Max’s ex-wife?’
‘The one and only. At least, I assume there’s only one ex-wife. Actually, now I think of it, they didn’t say. Perhaps he’s been married more than once.’ Becky took a gulp of wine; she felt she needed it after everything that had happened today.
‘No,’ Jess said. ‘Connie said he was only married once.’
‘But Connie said his wife ran off with someone and that he was heartbroken and was still trying to get over her. You don’t pay for the wedding of someone you’re trying to get over, do you?’
‘No. I suppose you don’t. How strange. So, hold on a minute. His ex-wife is getting married in his mum’s house and he and his mum are paying for it?’
‘Yep.’ Becky flopped onto the sofa.
‘Wow! Have you told Susie?’
‘Not yet. I’m going to call her now.’
‘Can we come round?’
‘Of course you can, but it’s getting very icy out there so you need to be very careful. Oh and I ... No. I’ll save that bit of news until you get here. Give me half an hour will you? I want to call Lily before she has her bath and goes to bed.’
‘Okay. You call Lily and I’ll call Susie. See you soon.’
Jess and Susie arrived with two bottles of wine and a “Beckleston Bridal Belles”, bag.
‘Ooh! What’s in the bag? Let me guess, you’ve found a dress for me to borrow. Actually, I really hope you have. The other bit of news, and one I’m not sure is good or bad, is ... Max has asked me to be his date for the Valentine’s do and , he’s taking me to dinner at the Inn. Well, to be honest, he didn’t really ask me, he told me and I know we always go to the dance together so I can still tell him to get lost, if you’d rather.’
‘Don’t be an idiot,’ Jess said. ‘Of course you won’t tell him to get lost.’
‘No way! Do you think either of us would dump him to be with you?’
Becky smiled. ‘Yes. Actually I do.’
‘Okay, but you wouldn’t let us so that’s that. Here.’ Susie handed her the bag. ‘And it’s not for you to borrow; it’s for you to keep. I threw a few pieces of material together this afternoon. I think it’ll fit but I’ve brought my pins in case it needs a bit of tweaking. Go and try it on.’
Becky opened the bag and peered inside. She pulled out a dress of the richest chocolate brown and creamiest ivory, she’d ever seen. It was made from several layers of chocolate brown, silk chiffon that billowed out from an empire-line, band of ivory taffeta just under the bust. From the centre of the bust area there was a clasp made up of tiny pearl-like beads which swept the low neckline down into a bra top effect.
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