Chapter 17
SEVENTEEN
The taxi pulled up in front of an enormous, elaborate house, with pointed arches, spires and carved finials.
The neat, low hedges flanking the drive were flecked with white fairy lights and there was an enormous wreath on the dark blue front door, but otherwise no Christmas decorations.
We stepped out of the car and the front door was opened to admit us.
A lugubrious man in a black tailcoat and white gloves greeted us by name and led us through the house, past closed doors and console tables groaning under enormous displays of flowers, until we heard the murmur of voices.
He stood in front of a door, his hand on the knob and intoned:
‘Pre-concert drinks are being taken in the White Drawing Room.’
He then opened the door.
I don’t mind going into parties by myself, but I have to admit that, this time, I was glad to have my arm hooked through Nick’s as he strode forward confidently and thanked the – well, the butler, I suppose.
I hadn’t appreciated what a smart family Steph was marrying into, and I felt a pang of sympathy for her meticulousness over the wedding arrangements.
There were about eighty people in the room, chattering away as they drank champagne.
Everyone was dressed beautifully, the men in black tie and the women in mostly floor-length dresses in an array of gorgeous colours.
I was grateful again to Marilise for the dress, which was perfect.
At least in that respect I fit in, I thought.
A statuesque woman glided over to us, a tight smile on her face.
This must be our hostess. She held out her hand palm down to Nick, who touched it briefly, with a slight nod of his head.
‘Good evening, Bridget.’
‘Good evening, Nick,’ she said. ‘Thank you for joining us tonight.’ She turned her head towards me.
‘And welcome, Miss Wilde. Stephanie is here, and your dear parents, of course.’ I settled for giving her a slightly sickly smile, rather than saying anything; it hadn’t occurred to me that Mum and Dad might be here; stupid of me.
She turned back to Nick. ‘Miss Wilde and I are soon to be related, through her sister’s marriage to Hugo. ’
‘So I’ve been told,’ said Nick smoothly. ‘I shall be attending myself, as Laura’s guest.’
‘Of course you will,’ replied Mrs Montgomery. ‘We are all looking forward to seeing you there, particularly Araminta. You must look out for her this evening.’ She shot me a final look, which belied her gracious tone of voice and told me exactly what she thought of me. ‘Do enjoy the concert.’
With this, she melted back into the crowd. I turned to Nick, horrified, but he was wiping tears of laughter from his eyes as he grabbed two glasses of champagne from a waiter, who had been hovering nearby, looking unsure as to whether or not he should interrupt our being greeted by Mrs Montgomery.
‘Cheers!’ he said. ‘Let’s drink to her never being my mother-in-law.’
I sipped my drink.
‘I’m feeling bad about the whole thing,’ I said. ‘Accepting her hospitality when she so obviously doesn’t want me here.’
Nick took my free hand in his and looked at me, all humour gone from his face.
‘Don’t,’ he said fiercely. ‘It’s not you personally, it’s anyone with me other than Minty, and Minty most definitely doesn’t want to be with me.
This started out as you doing me and her a favour, but you know I want you here for you, don’t you?
’ I nodded. ‘Bridget Montgomery disapproves of anything happening outside her control. That makes her amazing at supporting charities, but horrendous if you cross her.’
‘I hope Steph will be all right,’ I said. ‘She’s enjoying it all at the moment, all the fuss over the wedding, and I think she does love Hugo, but what if she falls foul of her new mother-in-law?’
‘Won’t happen,’ said Nick confidently. ‘Once Bridget has approved somebody, especially to the extent of letting her marry one of her precious sons, that person has complete immunity. Short of leaving the marriage and running off with someone else, your sister will be in the inner circle.’
‘Good,’ I said. I may find Steph hard work, but I wanted her to be happy.
I glimpsed a waving hand out of the corner of my eye, and turned slightly, to see my parents and Dorothea advancing fast. We greeted each other and I introduced Nick to my parents, then Dorothea adopted her most ringing tones.
‘I heard that you were coming, Laura. Jolly good on you, Nick, giving her a night out.’
She couldn’t have reduced me to “staff” so quickly if she had tied a starched white apron round my waist. I had no quick reply, but Nick wasn’t fazed by her.
‘It’s Laura doing me the favour, actually,’ he replied calmly. He turned to my parents. ‘You must be so proud of her. She’s a wonderful nurse; my grandmother wouldn’t be without her now.’
My parents both beamed, and I basked in their approval. It wasn’t something I was used to, particularly from my mother.
‘We’re very proud of her,’ said Dad warmly, reaching over to squeeze my hand. ‘Laura is very special.’
Dorothea was looking more sour by the moment.
‘Far too good for a philistine like me,’ replied Nick with a self-deprecating grin. ‘I know it was the music that tempted her here tonight, really.’
‘Oh no,’ gushed my mother. ‘I’m sure she’s thrilled to be here with a real prince.’
Dorothea’s eyebrows nearly hit the ceiling, and I died a little inside, but Nick’s smooth confidence had rubbed off. I turned to him.
‘Are you?’ I asked in incredulous and slightly offended tones. ‘You told me you were an app designer.’
‘Only my surname,’ he said, sighing. ‘A little irony, courtesy of my grandfather.’
All of this went straight over my mother’s head. She laid a reassuring hand on Nick’s arm.
‘But you have blue blood,’ she said earnestly. ‘And that is what matters.’
I could see the wedding at Westminster Abbey taking shape in her mind already. She, perhaps, would arrive in a state coach; I would wear Alexander McQueen. Maybe Dorothea saw the same fantasy unfolding and was quick to snuff it out.
‘I have always appreciated Giles’ title,’ she said grandly. ‘And sharing it, of course. Being in the know is all very well, but when it’s official, it does open doors.’
‘Well then, let’s hope it’s not too long before it’s yours,’ said Nick gravely. ‘Although his father is looking well, and so young.’
Dorothea, no doubt furious to be reminded that the title wasn’t yet actually in her grasp, shot him a look of pure venom.
‘Shall we go and find Steph?’ she said to my parents. ‘I know she wanted to talk wedding a little tonight.’
As they sailed off, I bit my lip and put a hand to my head, glancing up at Nick, who was also trying not to laugh.
‘Ouch,’ I said. ‘Sorry about Mum.’
‘It doesn’t matter at all,’ he said. ‘She meant to be kind, unlike Dorothea.’
‘Talking about my delightful sister-in-law?’ came a voice, and we turned to see Minty, wearing a silk dress with a chiffon cape in the exact blue of her eyes.
She hugged both of us, then drained her glass and swiftly swapped it for a full one from the tray of one of the ubiquitous waiters.
‘I’m so glad to see you both, my mother has been intolerable.
She keeps trying to fix me up with people now she thinks you’ve been taken, Nick, and no matter how much I tell her that I don’t care about being at the wedding on my own, she seems to think it’s some terrible indignity. ’
We laughed and glanced at each other and Minty looked at us intently.
‘Ooh, I think you have been taken!’ she said. ‘I’m right, aren’t I?’
We grinned back at her dopily.
‘You are,’ said Nick, taking my hand again.
‘Good,’ she whispered, squeezing my arm, as the butler struck a gong which stood in a corner of the room.
‘Please will guests make their way to the ballroom, where the Christmas concert is due to begin in five minutes,’ he intoned.
We walked back into the hallway, and I saw that a huge pair of double doors now stood open, revealing an enormous ballroom, its walls covered in gold flocked velvet wallpaper and hung with oil paintings and large, gold-framed mirrors.
A stage had been erected at one end and chairs laid out in neat rows.
Minty led us to the front of the room, and we sat down as the seats filled around us.
A hush fell as the musicians stepped onto the stage.
A woman sat at the grand piano, which was so highly polished you could do your eyeliner in its reflection, two men sat down and picked up violins, a third man lifted a cello and another woman took up a viola while a third sat down amongst various percussion instruments.
Finally, a woman dressed in a navy-blue velvet suit with diamante buttons, holding a baton, walked onto the stage and bowed as we applauded.
Then she turned around, lifted her baton, and the music began.