BEFORE I DO by Sophie Cousens

Author:Sophie Cousens [Cousens, Sophie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
Published: 2022-07-20T00:00:00+00:00

28

Seventy Minutes Before I Do

There was a knock on the door of the bridal suite, and Miranda’s long red hair, now curled into tight ringlets, appeared around it. She was dressed in the same lilac floor-length bridesmaid dress that Clara was wearing.

Audrey gave a single nod to her mother, a thank you for the letter, and then she quickly stowed it in her white clutch. She would open it when she had a moment alone.

‘Oh wow, look at you! I’m going to cry!’ Miranda said, coming in and waving both hands in front of her face.

‘Miranda came to the hairdressers with us,’ Vivien said, pressing a hand gently against her hair-sprayed updo. ‘Doesn’t she look fabulous?’ Miranda pulled self-consciously at the rigid ringlets. ‘Right, I’ll leave you girls to it. Nothing worse than a crowded green room. I have to speak to the violinists about their positioning in the church, and help Debbie stow the confetti somewhere dry. Can you believe we didn’t have a wet weather confetti plan? Utter madness!’

Clara emerged from the bathroom, and she and Miranda both complimented each other on how good they looked in the same dress.

‘You both look lovely,’ said Vivien, seeing Clara and turning back from the door. ‘Now, I know you two missed the rehearsal last night, but has Audrey filled you in on the entrances and exits?’

‘I’m sorry, I’ve been the worst bridesmaid,’ said Miranda. ‘I couldn’t get yesterday off work for the rehearsal, and then this morning the hairdresser took forever.’

‘It’s fine.’ Audrey waved a hand in the air.

Vivien coughed, keen to be heard. ‘You’ll follow Audrey down the aisle, and then walk out with one of the groomsmen. Clara if you could walk with Mark, the tall chap, and then Miranda, you’ll walk down the aisle with the best man, Paul.’

Miranda’s eyes suddenly took on a pained expression and her chin began to wobble. Though she and Paul had broken up over a year ago, Audrey knew it had been a significant relationship for them both, and there might still have been feelings there.

Audrey caught Clara’s eyes. ‘Maybe the other way around.’

‘Yes, Miranda’s taller than me, it might look better if she walks with Mark,’ Clara added.

‘Fine, fine, work it out among yourselves.’ Then Vivien turned back to Audrey, squeezed her arm and said, ‘You have the parachute, I know you do. Now all you need to do is jump.’

As soon as Vivien left the room, Miranda’s face crumpled.

‘Sorry, that was tactless of her.’ Audrey winced, putting an arm around Miranda.

‘Sorry.’ Miranda wiped at her cheeks, and Clara ran to get her a tissue. ‘This is your day, and I’m your bridesmaid. I shouldn’t be making it about me.’ But as she said ‘me’, she erupted into tears and it came out ‘meeeeeeee’.

‘I don’t own the day,’ said Audrey, feeling surprisingly stoical suddenly. What with Clara and Hillary having wobbles about motherhood and their careers, what was one more life crisis thrown into the mix? ‘Is it awkward, with you and Paul?’

‘Not especially.

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