‘JENNY?’ she called again. ‘Oh, she must have nipped to the ladies’ room.’
‘What are you talking about?Why wouldshebe here?’
‘Presumably because she was invited,’ Mum said. ‘I’m sure your schedule allows a couple of minutes to wait for your own twin to be included in the photographs. You share the same DNA. Were one person once upon a time. You can’t get more family than that.’
‘She does not share my DNA and we were never one person. We are non-identical twins, Mother. And she wasnotinvited to my wedding.’
‘Oh, crap,’ I breathed.
‘It’s not too late to sneak out the back and pretend we were never here,’ Mack said.
‘Well, you did once share this womb, and these breasts!’ Sister Claire pointed to indicate which womb, and which breasts, she was referring to, in case anyone wasn’t sure.
‘You bottle-fed us!’ Zara hissed.
‘I know you weren’t close growing up, but you lived and worked together for six years. Why wouldn’t you invite her? I expected her to be a bridesmaid, to be honest.’
‘Why wouldn’t I invite her?’ Zara’s voice was bouncing off the baubles hanging from the rafters, all thought of who might hear forgotten. ‘Do you recognise this nose, Mother? I’ll tell you why there is no reason on this earth that could have persuaded me to invite that jealous, lowlife maniac to my wedding day! Last year, she—’
‘I’m here!’ I practically screamed, wobbling on my tiptoes and waving my hands about. I don’t think either Birkenshaw twin wanted that titbit broadcast across the hall. Richard certainly didn’t, judging by the way his eyes were bugging out of their sockets.
He spent the eternity it took me to reach the staircase whispering in his wife’s ear, presumably reminding her who else had been invited and was therefore witnessing this scene, and asking if she wanted her wedding day to be remembered for the bride going ballistic.
Which was how I ended up jammed beside Zara, doing everything I could not to cringe under Sister Claire’s hand resting on my shoulder, pretending to ignore the frantic gossip zipping up and down the room like a swarm of wasps and trying not to faint from the unbearably stuffy heat caused by cramming into a giant glass ball in the height of summer.
As soon as the photographer had finished, I stumbled off towards the ladies’ room, head down, whole body trembling.
Before I reached it, a hand from behind gently pulled me to a stop. Turning, expecting to see Mack, instead I found myself face to face with my ex-boyfriend.
‘I’m so glad you came,’ he said, voice low.
‘I’m not sure Zara would agree.’ I looked down at his hand, but he didn’t take the hint.
‘She’d have regretted it later if you weren’t.’
‘No. I really don’t think she would have. Why would you invite me without telling her?’
He hunched his shoulders. ‘I thought it would be a good chance for you to make up. You must miss each other.’
‘No. We don’t. We didn’t exactly get on even before… what happened. There’s no making up to do.’
‘I wanted to apologise for that.’ Richard slid his hand down to my wrist. I yanked it away and tried to avoid gagging. ‘How it all happened. I really, really liked you, Jenny. And your sister, she kind of put me in a difficult position. You know what she’s like when her mind’s set on something. But I never meant to hurt you.’
‘Mmm-hmm.’
‘I’m glad you came, though.’ He twisted up his mouth in what I knew he considered to be his sexiest smile, because he once asked me to rate his smiles in order. ‘I’vemissed you. And you look amazing.’
‘You are kidding me?’ I laughed then. The whole situation was preposterous. I knew Richard was only hoping to keep his ego fully inflated by watching me melt beneath sexy smile number three. ‘Thank you for your apology. Duly noted, but really not necessary. You hooking up with Zara was the best thing that ever happened to me. Have a nice life, Richard.’
36
Mack and I decided to give the carol singers with bagpipe accompaniment a miss, instead opting for a pair of huge armchairs at the back of the library, and more tea and crumpets. We did attend dinner, having correctly guessed we’d be at an obscure table at the back, with a few of Zara’s lesser acquaintances and the now infamous nun.
‘The house is beginning to take shape,’ I said to her as we ate our starters. ‘I’ve done loads of work on it. Clearing it out, sprucing up the bits I want to keep.’
‘That’s very nice. I’m glad you’re making a home. But please don’t fall into the trap I did and start placing your worth in what you own, not who you are.’
‘If I did that, I’d not consider myself worth very much.’
