The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham

Author:Madeleine Wickham
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Weddings, Contemporary Women, Reference, Humorous, Impediments to marriage, General, Fiction - General, Planning, Popular English Fiction, Fiction, Weddings - Planning
ISBN: 9780312383435
Publisher: New York : Thomas Dunne Books, 2009.
Published: 2009-06-15T04:00:00+00:00

A bit later on Francesca came downstairs again. She had brushed her hair and washed her face and changed into jeans and a jersey. Rupert looked up from the sofa, where he was still sitting with his bottle of whisky. It was half empty, and his head was spinning but he didn't feel any happier.

`I've spoken to Tom,' said Francesca. `He's coming round later.' Rupert's head jerked up.

`Tom?'

`I've told him everything,' said Francesca, her voice trembling. `He says not to worry. He's known other cases like yours.' Rupert's head began to thump hard.

`I don't want to see Tom,' he said.

`He wants to help!'

`I don't want him to know! This is private!' Rupert felt a note of panic edging into his voice. He could just imagine Tom's face, looking at him with a mixture of pity and disgust. Tom would be revolted by him. They would all be revolted by him.

`He wants to help,' repeated Francesca. `And darling ...' Her tone changed and Rupert looked up in surprise. `I want to apologize. I was wrong to react so badly. I just panicked. Tom said that's perfectly normal. He said ' Francesca broke off and bit her lip. `Anyway. We can get through this. With a lot of support and prayer . . .'

'Francesca-' began Rupert. She raised her hand.

`No, wait.' She came slowly forward, towards him. Rupert stared at her. `Tom said I must try not to allow my own feelings to get in the way of our . . .' she paused `... of our physical love. I shouldn't have rejected you. I put my own selfish emotions first, and that was wrong of me.' She swallowed. `I'm sorry. Please forgive me.'

She edged even closer until she was standing inches from him.

`It's not up to me to hold back from you,' she whispered. `You have every right to touch me. You're my husband. I promised before God to love you and obey you and give myself to you.'

Rupert gazed at her. He felt too shocked to speak. Slowly he reached out a hand and put it gently on her sleeve. A look of repulsion passed over her face, but she continued staring at him steadily, as though she was determined to see this through; as though she had no other choice.

`No!' said Rupert suddenly and pulled his hand away. `I won't do this. This is wrong! Francesca, you're not a sacrificial lamb! You're a human!'

`I want to heal our marriage,' said Francesca in a shaking voice. `Tom said '

`Tom said if we went to bed then everything would be sorted, did he?' Rupert's voice was harsh with sarcasm. `Tom told you to lie back and think of Jesus.'

`Rupert!'

`I won't allow you to subjugate yourself like that. Francesca, I love you! I respect you!'

`Well, if you love me and respect me,' said Francesca in suddenly savage tones, `then why did you lie to me!' Her voice cracked. `Why did you marry me, knowing what you were?'

`Francesca, I'm still me! I'm still Rupert!'

`You're not! Not to me!' Her eyes filled with tears.

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