Page 47 of Wedding Games
‘I do. From Edinburgh about twenty-odd years ago, then at a few weddings?’ Rory replied.
Henry’s face relaxed. ‘Thank you for the invitation and congratulations. This is quite an event.’
Rory gave a tiny eye roll as if to convey that the amount of fuss was the opposite of what he wanted.
Henry nodded in return.
‘Henry! Come on, boy!’ His father barked. ‘Don’t hold up the line. It’s champagne time!’
Henry’s wince was almost imperceptible as he moved on, but Rory felt it.
By the timethe last guests had passed along the receiving line, Rory had almost lost the will to live. They’d been standing there for nearly an hour and a half.
‘You doing okay, husband?’ Zoe asked, her grin lighting up her face.
His heart soared, and the smile he gave back was one of genuine joy.
‘Yes, wife,’ he replied. Now that they’d greeted their guests, he wanted to step back from the limelight and spend time with the most important person in his life.
‘Well done, everyone,’ Barbara said. ‘Now for the photos.’
A smartly dressed woman wearing a headset and carrying a clipboard strode towards the line, two photographers and a team of assistants following her.
‘We’ll start in the great hall,’ she said. ‘Please follow me.’
Rory did notlike having his picture taken. And most of all, he disliked crowds of people.
‘You can do it,’ Zoe whispered. ‘Your mum can’t freeze time. Eventually this will be over and everyone will bugger off. Tomorrow it will seem like a dream.’
‘Dream? It’s a fucking nightmare,’ he muttered back.
Enough wattage to illuminate the whole of Kinloch had been trained on a raised stage at the end of the great hall where the formal photos were being taken. Rory felt like they were the entertainment for the guests who were happily drinking champagne and eating canapes on the other side of the wall of lights.
His stomach grumbled. Nerves and excitement had taken away his appetite, but now it was back with a vengeance.
Charlie appeared at his side. ‘Turn your back on them a sec,’ he said.
Rory did. Charlie was holding a plate on which a steak had been cut into chunks. Each piece was skewered with a cocktail stick.
‘Remember, we don’t eat the wooden bit,’ Charlie said. ‘Sharpy-sharpy in your tum-tum.’
‘Thanks, mate,’ Rory grunted. He stuck a chunk in his mouth, took two bites and swallowed.
‘Chewy-chewy,’ Charlie continued as Rory inhaled more steak. ‘Or you might chokey-chokey.’
‘Uff off,’ Rory replied, his mouth full of food.
‘Lord MacGinley? Can you please turn around?’ one of the photographers called out.
He swallowed the last chunk of meat, and Charlie dabbed his mouth with a napkin.
‘Who’s a good boy then?’ Charlie said. ‘Eating all his din-dins! Now back to smiley-smiley!’
After half an hourof photos in the great hall, they were moved to different locations around the castle. After another twenty minutes, he could see Zoe’s smile slipping.
Sam pulled them to the side.
‘Do you want any more photos?’ she asked.
