Page 108 of Merrily Ever After
Hester sucked in a breath. ‘Part of me would love to see it, but the other part wants it to be a surprise on the day. You go ahead.’
‘Come on up if you change your mind,’ I said, giving her a squeeze. ‘OK, girls, upstairs.’
‘What are you up to?’ Cole narrowed his eyes, amused.
‘Just wedding stuff,’ I said sweetly. ‘You know, nailing down that detail.’
Chapter Thirty-Five
Emily
Merry herded Emily and Nell into her bedroom, shut the door and turned around. ‘Can someone undo me please?’
While Nell undid her button and pulled down the zip, Emily perched on the bed and gazed around the room. Merry’s style was similar to her own: a mix of vintage and shabby chic. She had an old-fashioned dressing table, which had a triple mirror attached to it, the glass silvered with age. The dressing table had a glass top, although between the candles, perfume bottles and jewellery stands draped with chains and beads, there wasn’t much to see of it.
‘Sorry, it’s a bit messy,’ Merry said, catching her looking.
Emily shook her head and laughed. ‘No more than mine. I think we share a magpie gene.’
‘No prizes for guessing which is Cole’s side of the bed.’ Nell grinned, nodding to the nightstand nearest the window. On it was a biography of a famous drummer. ‘He was telling me earlier that when he was little, he asked for a set of drums for Christmas every year. Never got them. Clearly the dream still lives on.’
Merry clasped a hand to her chest. ‘Ah, sweet. I didn’t know that! I was the same with the Care Bears. I wanted them all and only ever got one.’
‘Me too!’ Emily exclaimed.
Merry gave her a high five and the sisters laughed.
‘I wish I’d brought my dress,’ Nell said, flopping back on the bed beside Emily. ‘We could do a dress rehearsal.’
‘I wish I’dgota dress,’ said Emily. She mentally rummaged through her wardrobe for a wedding outfit but came up empty-handed. She wanted to look her best; she was the sister of the bride after all.
‘Emily, every time I’ve seen you, you look amazing, whatever you wear, I’m sure you’ll look gorgeous.’ Merry laughed before slipping behind the wardrobe door where the others couldn’t see her.
‘Thank you.’ Emily took a deep breath in and felt her shoulders sink from somewhere up around her ears. She hadn’t realised how nervous she’d been about coming to Merry’s house tonight, meeting all the people who meant the most to her, being introduced as the sister Merry had never known. But now the tension was beginning to leave her. Cole, Nell, Hester, even the adorable elderly couple, Fred and Astrid, had made her feel welcome, had gathered her to them and, without question, accepted her connection to Merry. It felt as if the universe was singling her out for special treatment. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve it, but she was making the most of it. ‘What colour is Freya’s dress?’ she asked. If there was a colour theme, would it look bad if she joined in? She didn’t want Merry to think she was pushing for a part in the main event.
‘Blush pink,’ Merry said. ‘And silver sequin shoes. She’ll look gorgeous. Harley and his dad are in navy.’
‘Old rose for me,’ Nell said, explaining, ‘I’m the best woman.’
‘Hester is also in pink.’ Merry’s head appeared from behind the wardrobe. ‘You can too, Ems, wear whatevermakes you feel happy. Except a wedding dress obviously, I draw the line there.’
Ems. Her sister’s nickname for her; Emily felt a swell of pride. And she was allowed to wear the bride’s chosen colour, which, by chance, was her personal favourite.Thanks again, universe.
Emily grinned. ‘Understood.’
Behind the wardrobe door, she saw Merry’s dress slither to the floor and her foot push it to one side, still with her heels on.
‘OK,’ Merry blew out a breath. ‘Are you ready for the grand reveal?’
‘Whoop-whoop!’ Nell cried.
‘Ta-dah!’ Merry closed the door of the wardrobe so they could all see her, and she slowly did a twirl.
Emily gasped. ‘It’s the dress from Vintage by Violet! It was you! I saw you both looking in the window. And I’ve since wondered but …’
‘No way!’ Nell cried.
Merry nodded slowly. ‘Outside the shop, you were carrying a big box.’
