‘OK,' said Sarah quickly, knowing she had a short window of Lily's attention to get the wording of the invitations right. 'Mr and Mrs Gerald Stratford…'
‘That sounds weird!'
‘It's how it's always done. We want traditional, don't we?'
‘But she's not my mother!'
‘No,' said Sarah, 'but she's Dad's wife and they're contributing a fair bit, you mustn't be ungrateful. She was really thrilled about the baby.'
‘Mm, yes, she was. Which is more than Dirk's mother will be.' Lily sighed. 'Maybe she's not such a bad old thing.’
Sarah typed the next few lines on her computer. 'Come and choose a font. There are a few that are very traditional.’
Lily came and leant on Sarah's shoulder. 'Oh, I want that one.'
‘No,' Sarah snapped. 'Your in-laws would never wear it. You can have an Edwardian script or, if you must, Blackadder ITC, but that's a bit quirky for the older generation.'
‘OK, you do it.' Lily moved to stand in front of Sarah's full-length mirror and looked at her stomach. 'Honestly, it doesn't really show I'm pregnant.’
Sarah didn't look up from what she was doing. 'Not now it doesn't, but it will by August. Trust me. Or even if it doesn't, you can't take the chance. You have to choose a sensible style.’
Sarah was keeping hold of her patience with difficulty. When Lily had turned up at ten that morning she'd decided to set the whole day aside to get her sorted out. Lily had sworn they'd do everything that Sarah said they must, but it was now two o'clock and all they'd done was go out for lunch. Lily refused to focus.
‘It's so boring having to be sensible all the time!' Lily wailed.
Sarah exhaled. Her patience was about to desert her, especially with so much still to do for Carrie's wedding -the one she was actually being paid to organise. 'I know, sweetie, and you can have a lovely, gorgeous, fairy-tale dress, as long as it's within budget, but it can't be tight-fitting. Now let's get the invitations finished at least.'
‘OK.' Lily flopped down on the sofa and crossed her legs. She was still enviably slim and Sarah was beginning to wonder if perhaps she should indulge her in the Spanish-style dress with full, flamenco-style train and ruffles that her heart was currently set on – provided the Wedding Fairy produced the five grand required to pay for it.
‘You've got the card?’
Sarah nodded. 'These invites should have been out weeks ago.'
‘It's OK, Dirk's mother has rung up everyone and said the invitations are on their way. Are you sure we don't need reply sections?'
‘Absolutely. Sometimes tradition works out cheaper. You don't need favours on the tables either. Although do have a photographer, just for a few formal shots, or you're risking not having any photos at all. Unless you know Dirk's Uncle Joby is really good?’
Lily shook her head. 'I think he may be a bit of a lush, actually.'
‘OK, well, I'll make sure that he doesn't get near any alcohol before he's done a few pictures outside the church. The others aren't so important. Dirk's mother will need a lovely one of you both to put in a silver frame on top of her grand piano.’
Lily's jaw dropped. 'How did you know she's got photos in silver frames on her grand piano? How did you even know she's got a grand piano? That's amazing.’
Sarah laughed. 'I was just guessing, but it's nice to be right.'
‘Oh, you're always right. It's what makes you so boring.' Then Lily realised what she'd said. 'Oh, Sarah, I didn't mean it like that! You're not boring at all. It's just the fact that you're always right that's boring. Not you.'
‘It's all right. I'm not at all offended. I like being right.' She paused for a second as she hunted for the card she'd bought for the invitations. As was happening annoyingly often these days, Hugo popped into her mind. Did he think she was boring? Probably, if he was with someone like Electra. But it hadn't stopped him kissing her. She had been right not to take it any further. Although even if she now knew it had been a terrible mistake to let herself go that night, she had really enjoyed it at the time.
She put a few sheets of card into her printer. The thing was to keep herself very very busy, at all times, and banish all thoughts of him into the box marked 'toxic', for ever. 'If this doesn't work, I'll get them photocopied down the road. It won't cost much.'
‘So do you think a wedding list is a good idea?' Lily had opened a magazine and was leafing through it. 'If so, what about Harrods?'
‘Not Harrods, or you'll only get really small things like eggcups and napkin rings.' Sarah considered. 'You could make your own list in a loose-leaf binder, then you can put really imaginative things on it, like..
‘A daisy punch?’
Sarah was completely nonplussed. 'What's a daisy punch?'
‘Like a hole punch only it makes daisy shapes. There are lots of lovely crafty things I'd put on if I made my own list.'
‘You could even put on things you need for the baby.' Sarah was encouraged – Lily seemed to be making a sensible decision at last.
Lily shook her head. 'No. Dirk's mother would never wear it. I'll just have a normal list and if people give us money, use it for other stuff.’
Sarah nodded in agreement. 'It would take far too much organising. Have a list at a department store that has several branches so it's easy for people to get to.'
‘I want really nice presents,' said Lily.
‘You'll get them! Don't worry, and don't be so mercenary!'
‘Dirk's mother said it was a good idea to have a big wedding because you get lots of presents and they set you up for your married life.’
Sarah muttered to herself that if you were mostly paying for your own wedding it probably wasn't cost-effective.
‘There, that seems to work,' she said out loud, as her printer spat out a perfect invitation. 'Now I'll get it to do two hundred and then we'll have to fold them.'
‘Couldn't I draw some butterflies on them instead?’
‘Lily! I know you drew butterflies or kittens on every bit of schoolwork you ever produced, but-'
‘I'm good at butterflies and kittens. And it's my wedding. This is something I can do for it. The amount of bossing around I've had to put up with, you'd never believe I was the bride. Honestly, I think what I want is the last thing anyone thinks about. I'm not even allowed to have the dress I want.’
Sarah sighed. 'OK, butterflies on just a few, the ones you're sending to your own friends. But don't let Dirk's friends get any with them on. I'll just set the printer up.' She was halfway through doing this when the phone rang. Sarah's hand fell on it as if it were saving her life. 'Elsa! Hi! What's up!'
‘Golly, Sarah, you're very pleased to hear from me! What are you up to?'
‘Lily and I are printing the invitations for her wedding, or at least we will be in a minute. And yes I know they should have been done weeks ago.'
‘Did you? I don't have a clue about any of that stuff.'
‘We're also deciding about dresses.' Sarah glanced at her sister who seemed to be buried in a bridal magazine so fat a pregnant woman should probably be advised against lifting it. She lowered her voice. 'Hey, I don't suppose you could come round, could you? Lily's a bit fed up with being so restricted on style-'
‘Because she's pregnant?’
`Mm. You might be a bit more imaginative about what she can have than I am.' The thought of another adult to help her with her sister's dottier ideas was wonderful.
‘Well, I know you said Mandy would let you know the moment she knew, but I was just ringing on the off-chance to ask if Carrie had said which of my designs she likes yet, because I'm going quietly mad here. I've got all the fabric samples, the drawings all done in detail, bridesmaids' dresses, everything, but I can't start until I hear from her. I know the dress'll take ages because they always do if you're short of time. Sod's law.'
‘Tell you what, if you come, talk to Lily and fold invites, I'll ring Mandy and see I can hurry things along a bit. Deal?'
‘Deal. See you in about ten minutes. Shall I bring wine?’
Sarah considered. 'White wine, warm. Then we can't drink it until it's cooled down which will mean we'll get the work done first.’
Elsa laughed and they disconnected.
Lily looked up from the magazine. 'You are so MachieM- Who was that Russian person?'
‘Machiavelli. And he was Italian. Why?’
Lily pouted. 'What you said about the wine. Actually, I'm not going to drink at all any more, although I had cut right down.'
‘Good! What brought this flash of sanity down on you?’
‘Something I read in the paper.'
‘Well, I'm really impressed.' Sarah patted her sister's arm. 'You're taking responsibility. Good for you.' Sarah felt ashamed of herself, assuming that Lily was just ignoring her pregnancy when really, she was beginning to take it all very seriously.
‘Actually,' said Lily after revelling in her sister's approval for a few seconds, 'it makes me sick.’
Elsa soon appeared with wine, crisps and chocolate biscuits. Both sisters were delighted to see her. Lily took the biscuits and ripped into them. 'The government hasn't told us we can't eat chocolate yet,' she said, tucking in. 'Although, it's only a matter of time.’
Elsa proved to be an accurate and willing invitation-folder. To reward her, Sarah withdrew to her office and made the call. Mandy was as ever rather vague. 'Oh, honey, Carrie hasn't had the designs that long and she'll want to make changes. I don't really like to ask her about stuff like this when she's so busy. But I promise I'll try my best. We do appreciate you're all being so wonderful about it.'
‘I wouldn't nag,' said Sarah, who felt she hadn't nagged, really, but Mandy was always so charming, 'but Elsa really needs to start work. You know she's got to make the entire dress out of muslin first to check that it fits properly.'
‘Oh yes, the toile? That sounds so French! I think we had forgotten. We'll have a think, but in the meantime, give Elsa our love.’
Sarah put the phone down wondering if Mandy and Carrie were joined at the hip or if Mandy was using the Royal 'we'. If so, did this mean her client was in fact royalty? In which case she could put 'By Appointment' on her business cards. On this happy but fantastical thought she went back to Lily and Elsa.
They were sitting together on the sofa, the magazine spread over both of them. Sarah, seeing them happily ensconced, decided she needed a glass of wine. She came back to the room a minute or two later with two glasses of wine and an elderflower pressé for Lily.
‘How's it going?' she asked, handing out glasses.
‘Well, Elsa's much better at this than you are!' said Lily indignantly. 'There are loads of other styles I can have apart from the marquees that you think I should wear.’
Sarah bit her lip. 'Thank goodness you reminded me! I must get on to the marquee people as soon as possible. Do you have any idea what size the garden is?'
‘Well, if you know how many guests there are going to be, you'll know what size you'll need, surely?' suggested Elsa.
Sarah shook her head. 'We don't want to order one too big and have to take the neighbours' gardens over too. I'd better ring Dirk's mother and ask her.'
‘Don't do that. Then they'll know I'm not organising everything!' Lily was so horrified at this suggestion she had to have another chocolate finger to help her recover.
‘Oh, Lily! Did you tell them you were doing everything? Didn't you mention at any stage that your sister was a wedding planner?' Sarah's impatience got the better of her for a moment.
‘I would have done,' said Lily, 'but I knew you had a top celebrity client having a wedding on the same day. I thought you might not be able to fit me in.'
‘Lily, really!' said Sarah. 'You didn't know anything about Carrie when you chose your date. Why didn't you say anything?’
Lily shrugged. 'What your sister does for a living doesn't necessarily crop up when you've just announced your engagement to your future in-laws.'
‘She's got you there,' said Elsa. 'But why don't you ask Dirk for the dimensions of the garden? He must have a rough idea.'
‘Good plan,' said Sarah, relieved to have another practical person on hand. 'Now, how are you two getting on with wedding dresses?'
‘Well, we've found several styles that would do well,' said Elsa. 'There's one with an overskirt that could look very pretty. The ball gown I've made is rather like it. I can show it to Lily and see if she likes it.'
‘I could try it on,' said Lily excitedly, sending the crisps flying as she leapt up.
‘Well, you could,' said Elsa, 'but…' She paused. 'As I seem to have a bit of time on my hands – until Carrie makes up her mind – I could make you a mock-up in muslin.'
‘Tell me, Elsa,' said Sarah, 'I've never known. How do you pronounce the word for that? Is it "twarl"' or "toil"?’
Elsa looked abashed. 'I always wait for the client to say first then I just say what they do.'
‘Cop out!' said both sisters together, united at last.