Wife After Wife by Olivia Hayfield

Author:Olivia Hayfield [Hayfield, Olivia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2020-01-21T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 29

Ana

November 1995

Two ushers raced to reach Ana first as she made her entrance into the Hurlingham Club’s Palm Court. “Bride or groom?” asked the winner.

Light filtered down through the glass dome, illuminating the sea of colorful hats below. The buzz of conversation floated up to meet it.

“Bride, I suppose,” said Ana.

She spotted Harry next to Charles in the front row and took an aisle seat two rows behind. She waited for them to turn around and notice her. In her red leather Chanel, she was difficult to miss. Ana had spotted the suit during Paris Fashion Week and had immediately known it would be perfect for Megan and Charles’s autumn wedding.

Charles laughed heartily at something Harry said. She smiled. Charles didn’t look at all nervous, which was par for the course. Neither of those boys was short on self-confidence.

If they hadn’t yet noticed her, others had. Glances were coming at her sideways. She could imagine the whispers. Harry’s girlfriend—the one he got rid of Katie for. It was only to be expected. Many of the guests would be Harry’s relatives who would have attended his wedding to Katie. And of course, everyone had loved dear Katie.

When Ana had seen the red Chanel, she thought she might as well go the whole scarlet woman.

Meanwhile, Charles’s relatives would no doubt be comparing home-wrecker Megan to Cassandra, who according to Harry had been a jolly good sort before she’d gone all New Age.

Ana peered around discreetly from beneath the brim of her hat, looking for faces she recognized. A group of girls tottered in, all blond highlights and high heels. Probably Megan’s workmates. Directly across from Ana were aunt and uncle types. She recognized Harry’s uncle Richard, who was still on Rose Corp.’s board. He saw her and nodded, but there was no smile. His wife noticed, ran her eye over Ana, and whispered something. Richard turned away.

And then she noticed Katie. And . . . Cassandra? Of course. Charles’s and Harry’s daughters were bridesmaids.

If Cassandra hadn’t been sitting with Katie, Ana wouldn’t have recognized her. Her hair had grown long and was loose around her shoulders, and there were flowers in it.

Katie sensed Ana’s scrutiny and turned slightly, meeting her eye. As recognition dawned, she looked quickly away again. She said something to Cassandra, who craned her neck to give Ana the full once-over. Surprisingly, she smiled.

Ana dropped her eyes.

Harry turned around, finally. He was looking dapper in his morning suit, his gold-patterned waistcoat a splash of color against the gray and white. He grinned, before his eyes traveled over the other guests.

There were calls of “shh!” as a string quartet began to play. Everyone turned to see Megan, a vision in white tulle, floating down the aisle, a beatific smile on her face. Behind her came the posse of bridesmaids, including Harry’s daughter, who wore an intense frown as she concentrated on not stepping on Megan’s dress.

As the ceremony began, Ana experienced an upwelling of emotion. She remembered Megan as she’d been in France, flitting from one relationship to the next.

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