Page 82 of The Day After Christmas
‘This man is a fraud,’ said the woman, pointing at Adam, her blue eyes flashing with hatred as she scanned the crowd. ‘He was sleeping with me less than two weeks ago and then had the audacity to tell me he was getting married today. It might not be a lawful impediment or whatever the word is but there’s no way this wedding should be going ahead, today or any other day.’
At her words, all hell was unleashed.
CHAPTER 40
All around them was total pandemonium. Petunia had fainted or, at least, someone nearby was fanning her with an order of service. Some people were shouting at the woman in the black dress. Other random relatives were shouting at Tabitha. Still more were shouting at the vicar. Adam was shouting at himself, weirdly, his hands gesticulating wildly as if berating himself for ever having been born in the first place. As well he might.
‘Get. Me. Out. Of. Here,’ hissed Bex as Felicity and Sophie dithered backwards and forwards as if someone had hit pause on an old-fashioned video, neither quite sure what the hell to do.
Eventually James jumped up, waving his car keys. ‘My car is just across the road, let’s go,’ he said. Felicity almost had time to appreciate how hot he looked when he took charge.
Bex nodded grimly. Tears were openly falling onto her silk dress, causing tiny little watermarks. Sophie went to dab at it with a tissue but Bex batted her away. ‘Don’t bother. I don’t need it now, do I?’ she muttered, grimly.
Sophie nodded, her jaw set in a tight line. She hated any kind of confrontation. ‘Let’s go then.’
All around them was noise and chaos. Petunia had been moved to the side of the church and someone had found her a chair. Relatives on both sides were putting their coats on and tutting, others seemed to have taken it as an excuse to air their own dirty laundry and there were little mini-scenes happening all over the church. The poor vicar had come over all faint, too, and someone had gone to fetch him a brandy. Adam was marching up and down the aisle, still berating himself, while the woman in black followed him, shouting abuse at his back as she did so.
As they made their way down a side aisle towards the door, Felicity realised Tabitha was right in front of them, also beating a hasty retreat.
‘Yeah, you better run!’ screamed Bex, speeding up her steps and reaching out to pull the woman’s hair. Sophie grabbed her hand.
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, do you?’
‘Don’t tell me what’s a good idea,’ spat Bex. ‘Why did no one tell me? Why did I have to get to the bloody altar before someone had the guts to tell me what I was dealing with?’
At that, Felicity lost the plot.
‘I do hope you’re joking,’ she said, trying to keep her voice calm even as her blood pressure rose to boiling.
Bex turned to her at the door, looking blank.
‘I told you, Bex. I tried. God, how I tried.’ Tears filled her eyes.
They blinked at each other. Then Bex’s face changed. Softened just a fraction. Or was that resignation? ‘You’re right. I think you might be my only friends in the world, you two. You did try to warn me. And now look what’s happened.’ She dropped her hands to her sides as if to say the whole world was ruined, then smoothed her skirts absent-mindedly. Her skin waseven paler than before and Felicity wondered if she was going into shock.
As they headed outside the church, Bex muttered quietly, ‘What was I thinking?’
‘There’ll be plenty of time for the post-mortem later,’ said James, from behind Felicity’s right ear. ‘Right now, we need to get you the hell out of here.’
‘I’ll take her home,’ came a stern voice, and they turned on the steps to find Petunia standing behind them, looking grim.
‘Mum,’ said Bex, collapsing into her arms. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘You have nothing to be sorry for,’ said Petunia, stroking her daughter’s hair a little awkwardly. ‘This is not your fault, my darling. I blame those awful women.’
James scoffed. ‘Don’t you think you ought to be blaming Adam?’
Petunia waved a hand. ‘Men will be men,’ she said. ‘But to bring it up on my darling’s special day, that’s just cruel.’
Felicity and James exchanged a look.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Felicity. ‘Did you just say, “men will be men”?’
Petunia raised her chin defiantly. Her perfectly coiffured hair had slipped forwards giving the appearance she was wearing a bad wig. Perhaps she was. ‘I did say that. And I stand by it. Anyone with any sense knows that men cheat. But as long as they are loyal when it counts, that’s what matters.’
Bex’s mouth dropped open. ‘You cannot be serious right now,’ she said, jaw clenching.
‘We’ll discuss this at home, come along now, Rebecca.’
