‘Finally,’ Anna added.
‘I know, I’m sorry she interrupted our evening. She’s just nervous about tomorrow.’ He put his arm around her as they went inside.
‘She didn’t seem very nervous to me.’
‘Ah, well, she puts on a front to people she doesn’t know.’
‘I just wish she wouldn’t turn up unannounced, like you haven’t got anything better to do.’ She knew she sounded like a petulant child, but she couldn’t help herself.
‘I know, but I couldn’t really turn her away, not with Ben standing there.’
‘No, I don’t suppose you could.’
‘Come on, let’s go and finish our dinner. I’m starving.’ He led Anna back into the kitchen.
While Anna sat in front of the reheated food, she could only pick at it. Her stomach was still twisted into knots, her appetite vanished.
‘Does she do that a lot?’ she asked eventually.
‘What?’ Daniel said between mouthfuls.
‘Turn up on your doorstep.’
‘A couple of times. Not really,’ he said evasively. ‘Come on, let’s forget about Lucinda and enjoy our evening.’
But that was the problem — she couldn’t forget about Lucinda, even though she desperately wanted to.
* * *
Anna got up early the next morning and headed into Chester. Normally she liked to amble around, taking her time to find the perfect shot, but today she was on a mission. She had a list of places to go for her reshoots and she was determined to get through them as quickly as possible. She knew she would need all her confidence to face tonight, so that morning she’d booked herself into the hairdresser’s and was going to have her make-up done too. A quick blow-dry and a flick of mascara, her usual routine, was not going to cut it tonight.
Daniel was dressed and downstairs by the time Anna had finished getting ready. She barely recognised herself as she looked in the mirror. Her make-up was much heavier than she was used to and she wasn’t sure if it was really her, but it would certainly help her blend in with the other women. She liked the way the hairdresser had piled her hair on top of her head, though, with a few tendrils coming down the sides. And Eva’s dress was stunning. Skimming her curves and accentuating her slim waist, it made her legs look incredibly long. The dress was perfect and she couldn’t wait for Daniel to see her in it. She picked her way downstairs, hesitant in the unfamiliar high heels.
As she descended the stairs, Daniel came into the hallway, wearing a white tuxedo. She hadn’t envisaged that — she’d imagined him wearing black.
As he saw her, a look of anguish crossed his face. ‘Oh, shit!’
‘What? What’s the matter?’ she asked anxiously. ‘Is it the dress? Do I look all right?’
‘No, no, you look wonderful, it’s just that . . .’
‘What is it, Daniel? You’re really starting to worry me.’
‘You look amazing.’
‘And that’s bad?’
‘No, it’s just that . . .’ He paused. ‘It’s just that it’s white tie.’
‘White tie?’
‘Yes, it means that everyone wears—’
‘White. I know what it means. But why didn’t you tell me?’
‘It slipped my mind.’
‘It slipped your mind? Surely you knew you were wearing white.’
