Chapter 40
All around them was total pandemonium. Petunia had fainted or, at least, someone nearby was fanning her with an order of service.
Some people were shouting at the woman in the black dress.
Other random relatives were shouting at Tabitha.
Still more were shouting at the vicar. Adam was shouting at himself, weirdly, his hands gesticulating wildly as if berating himself for ever having been born in the first place. As well he might.
‘Get. Me. Out. Of. Here,’ hissed Bex as Felicity and Sophie dithered backwards and forwards as if someone had hit pause on an old-fashioned video, neither quite sure what the hell to do.
Eventually James jumped up, waving his car keys. ‘My car is just across the road, let’s go,’ he said. Felicity almost had time to appreciate how hot he looked when he took charge.
Bex nodded grimly. Tears were openly falling onto her silk dress, causing tiny little watermarks. Sophie went to dab at it with a tissue but Bex batted her away. ‘Don’t bother. I don’t need it now, do I?’ she muttered, grimly.
Sophie nodded, her jaw set in a tight line. She hated any kind of confrontation. ‘Let’s go then.’
All around them was noise and chaos. Petunia had been moved to the side of the church and someone had found her a chair.
Relatives on both sides were putting their coats on and tutting, others seemed to have taken it as an excuse to air their own dirty laundry and there were little mini-scenes happening all over the church.
The poor vicar had come over all faint, too, and someone had gone to fetch him a brandy.
Adam was marching up and down the aisle, still berating himself, while the woman in black followed him, shouting abuse at his back as she did so.
As they made their way down a side aisle towards the door, Felicity realised Tabitha was right in front of them, also beating a hasty retreat.
‘Yeah, you better run!’ screamed Bex, speeding up her steps and reaching out to pull the woman’s hair. Sophie grabbed her hand.
‘I don’t think that’s a good idea, do you?’
‘Don’t tell me what’s a good idea,’ spat Bex. ‘Why did no one tell me? Why did I have to get to the bloody altar before someone had the guts to tell me what I was dealing with?’
At that, Felicity lost the plot.
‘I do hope you’re joking,’ she said, trying to keep her voice calm even as her blood pressure rose to boiling.
Bex turned to her at the door, looking blank.
‘I told you, Bex. I tried. God, how I tried.’ Tears filled her eyes.
They blinked at each other. Then Bex’s face changed.
Softened just a fraction. Or was that resignation?
‘You’re right. I think you might be my only friends in the world, you two.
You did try to warn me. And now look what’s happened.
’ She dropped her hands to her sides as if to say the whole world was ruined, then smoothed her skirts absent-mindedly.
Her skin was even paler than before and Felicity wondered if she was going into shock.
As they headed outside the church, Bex muttered quietly, ‘What was I thinking?’
‘There’ll be plenty of time for the post-mortem later,’ said James, from behind Felicity’s right ear. ‘Right now, we need to get you the hell out of here.’
‘I’ll take her home,’ came a stern voice, and they turned on the steps to find Petunia standing behind them, looking grim.
‘Mum,’ said Bex, collapsing into her arms. ‘I’m so sorry.’
‘You have nothing to be sorry for,’ said Petunia, stroking her daughter’s hair a little awkwardly. ‘This is not your fault, my darling. I blame those awful women.’
James scoffed. ‘Don’t you think you ought to be blaming Adam?’
Petunia waved a hand. ‘Men will be men,’ she said. ‘But to bring it up on my darling’s special day, that’s just cruel.’
Felicity and James exchanged a look.
‘I’m sorry,’ said Felicity. ‘Did you just say, “men will be men”?’
Petunia raised her chin defiantly. Her perfectly coiffured hair had slipped forwards giving the appearance she was wearing a bad wig. Perhaps she was. ‘I did say that. And I stand by it. Anyone with any sense knows that men cheat. But as long as they are loyal when it counts, that’s what matters.’
Bex’s mouth dropped open. ‘You cannot be serious right now,’ she said, jaw clenching.
‘We’ll discuss this at home, come along now, Rebecca.’
And with that, she took Bex’s arm and led her across the street to her waiting car. Behind them, guests were pouring out of the church doors, their voices raised in excited discussion, and Felicity guessed the vicar had finally managed to call it a day.
When Bex had gone, Sophie, James and Felicity looked at each other, their faces grim.
‘Well, that went well,’ said James after a moment.
‘Perfect,’ said Felicity. She was shaking with what? Shock? Relief? Some combination of the two?
‘Swimmingly,’ said Sophie, with a light laugh. Then she stopped and ran a despairing hand down her face. ‘What a bloody mess,’ she said.
‘At least we’ve given this lot something to talk about,’ said Felicity, nodding to the heavy wooden doors. Wedding guests were still pouring through, blinking in the afternoon sun like giant moles, even though they’d only been inside the building for less than thirty minutes.
‘What now?’ said James.
‘Pub?’ said Felicity.
‘Pub,’ said Sophie, nodding. ‘I’ll drive.’
‘How are you feeling?’ said James, passing Felicity her drink and slipping into the booth beside her.
Felicity pondered this for a second or two, pulling at her corset.
Her dress was made of cheap fabric that still itched whenever she moved.
She couldn’t wait to get it off. How was she feeling?
This was the outcome she had wanted, deep down.
She wanted Bex to know the truth about Adam and now she did and she supposed she should be happy but all she could think of was those little dark tear-stains on Bex’s beautiful cream dress.
Her heart, torn in two. Felicity had been through break-ups herself, of course, always with Adam incidentally, but to be so humiliated in front of all those people like that.
Felicity couldn’t even imagine how Bex must be feeling right now.
‘I’m fine,’ she said, coming back into the moment.
‘Yes, me too,’ said Sophie.
‘Me three,’ said James lamely, and they attempted a polite laugh, which died swiftly on their lips.
‘Good, glad we’re all fine,’ said Sophie.
‘Poor Bex though,’ said James.
Felicity put her head in her hands and gave an anguished groan. ‘That poor girl. I should have tried harder. I should have done more. Hell, I should have locked her in her house so she never even had the chance to get there. So he never had the chance to do that to her.’
James rubbed her back absent-mindedly.
‘To be fair to the guy, even he couldn’t have predicted that would happen.’
‘Talk about your past catching up with you. Literally,’ said Sophie.
‘Your very attractive past,’ said Felicity. ‘That Tabitha was stunning. Did you see her? Wow. Those boobs, my goodness.’
‘I’m glad you’re the one who said that,’ said James.
Felicity leant her head on his shoulder. ‘Thanks for pretending not to notice them,’ she said, with a feeble attempt at a smile. He turned and placed a kiss on top of her head. It sent a warm shiver down her spine despite the circumstances. ‘You’re welcome.’
‘Gross,’ said Sophie.
‘Anyway,’ said James, ‘what happens now do you think?’
‘We have to see if Bex is okay. What if she’s not okay? How can we just sit here drinking, when she’s in all that pain?’
Felicity half stood as if to go right that very second but Sophie reached out and put a hand on her arm. Her honey-coloured hair was still bound up in its bridesmaid’s plait but her make-up had slipped. She looked tired.
‘Do you think you’re the best person to go to her?’ she said to Felicity, gently.
Felicity sat down again. ‘I suppose you’re right.’
James nodded his agreement. ‘She doesn’t need to be reminded of you right now, I expect.’
It was a kind of relief.
‘I’ll go,’ said Sophie. ‘James, can you take Felicity home?’
‘Sure,’ he said.
Sophie turned to go, then turned back to the table, downed the last of her half pint, and grimaced. ‘What a crappy day,’ she said.
‘Way to put it mildly,’ said Felicity. ‘Good luck, Soph. And thanks.’