‘Darling, your shoes!’ he chided as I linked my arm through his, giving the impression that he would be the one helping me to the barn.
‘Ah, it’s only a bit of mud. It’ll wipe off later.’
‘Now wait a wee moment, let me get a proper look at you.’
I dutifully took a step back and let him look.
He breathed out a long, slow sigh and reached for my fingers, bringing them to his lips, even as the tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes.
‘You were the most precious thing I’d ever seen, from the moment I first saw you. Even red, bald and wrinkly, you stole my heart with a glance. I’d never known a feeling like it. Emma Maraid Donovan. My firstborn. I know it’s considered silly and old-fashioned and anti-feminist and whatever to be giving you away. As if something so priceless could ever be owned in the first place. But today I give away the joy of holding first place in your heart to another, trusting that soon enough you’ll be the first in his. And for that I’m full of delight even as my heart breaks a little. You know I could not love you more, no matter what you did, and I’m so blessed to see the woman you are. God bless you with a man who is worthy of you. And now let’s get on because it’s feckin’ freezing out here. Stop crying or you’ll be messing all that lovely make-up and making Annie cross.’
And so my father, the first man in my heart, led me off to meet the man who we all hoped, prayed, dreamed, would take his place.
15
Cooper
‘Mr Cooper, kindly explain what’s going on.’
Cooper was in trouble. There aren’t many situations where the termMris an insult. But here it was a calculated reminder that Cooper’s title wasn’t Dr, or Professor. That his position in the Nottingham University Neuroscience Department depended on, first and foremost, keeping in his boss’s good graces. ‘I’m not sure what you mean.’
All Cooper wanted to be doing was focussing on what was about to happen, while trying to keep reasonably calm and not come across as a total idiot. And instead he had to stand here underneath an archway of white flowers and fairy lights while enduring a grilling from Professor Cole, who had already established that everyone present was related to the bride, not him.
‘Well, they seem to all know you.’ Cole raised his straggled eyebrows, rocking back on his heels as he smirked. Orla, Sofia and Annie had each given him a hug and a kiss when they’d arrived in the barn. Gabriella had nearly broken a couple of ribs as she’d flung her arms around him, swiping fat tears from her heavily pencilled eyes. Even Bear had shaken his hand, calling him ‘son’ as he’d asked how he was holding up. ‘And not just the family. The vicar is clearly a close acquaintance.’
‘Actually, I’ve not seen any of them in years.’ Well, apart from Bear. And that was hardly worth mentioning.
‘But you do know them.’
‘Yes. But I don’t know the bride.’
‘Although you know who she is.’
‘I don’t think having known her relatives a few years ago could constitute me knowing her.’
‘Oh, come off it, Cooper. This is Dr Donovan’s family!’ Cole gestured at Bridget with his chin, sending his jowls jiggling. ‘I cannot fathom how you hypothesised that the lead researcher’s sister could pass as a valid test subject.’
Cooper took a deep breath, reminded himself that this was meant to be a celebration, and that he really needed to not lose his job today. Then he thought,Screw it.
‘She’s the woman who’s about to become my wife. She’s not a test subject.’
Cole interrupted him with a loud guffaw. ‘Well,MrCooper, I think you’ll find that today those are mutually inclusive. The overlap of the Venn diagram, as it were.’
‘Look, with all due respect, Professor, this might be a little side project for you, to win a bet and save you a bit of pride. This is mywedding day. I’m about to turn my whole life upside down, and commit to this woman for better or worse. You signed off on me leaving the project in order to become one of thetest subjects.Bridget handled every step of the anonymous process to match the two most compatible people taking part. That happened to be me, and her sister. At this point in the project, if you really want to end it now, and trash all those weeks of work, meaning you’re the one who’ll have to explain what happened to the funding that was supposed to be spent on a new centrifuge, let alone look Ernestine Lavinski in the face and tell her that your couple didn’t even make it to the vows, then there’s a specific moment during the service when you can officially object. If you’d rather make the best of the situation, and graciously accept Prof Love’s award from her bitter hands, then let’s get on with it, shall we?’
Before Professor Cole could let him know which of those options he was going for, Bridget burst through the door at the back of the barn, and for a split second Cooper couldn’t think about anything else.
She wore a deep red dress, one of those 1950s styles with a square neckline and a full skirt, highlighting the curve of her hips. Her hair was curled into soft waves and she wore lipstick to match the dress. She was smiling, but he knew full well that this particular smile was as fake as her new nails.
Then she saw him, and as their eyes met Bridget’s real smile burst out across her whole face. He had the three seconds it took her to race up the makeshift aisle to pull himself together.
‘Looking good,’ he said, giving her a brotherly peck on the cheek. Bridget was about to reply, when she noticed Professor Cole standing there.
‘Oh! Hello, Professor. This is an… unexpected… pleasure. How lovely of you to come.’
‘Purely for scientific reasons. Making sure nothing happens without my knowledge, which may then go on to invalidate the project.’
‘Right. Of course. I’ll find you a seat, shall I? We’re about to start.’ She led Cole off to a folding chair beside Sam, Orla’s husband. Cooper had helped babysit Sam and Orla’s son Harry a few times with Bridget, and from what he could remember Sam was only a year or so older than him. The years had not been kind. He looked closer to forty than thirty. And a knackered, lost-the-will-to-live forty at that.
