blame Thomas for his caution.
Leo knew his own reputation.
‘I understand your reservations,’ Leo said, ‘but I love your daughter and I want you to know I would never hurt her.’
‘See you don’t, then.’
It was her perfect day—they walked along the beach and went on all the rides on the pier and then she took Leo for coffee at her favourite place. They walked past the house where she had grown up and, after a suitable pause, returned to the nursing home, where Lizzie shared the lovely news with her parents. Then it was back to the Hewitts’ B&B for an afternoon in bed and to the future that was waiting for them.
‘I miss our game,’ Leo said.
‘What game?’ Lizzie asked, as he started to undress her, those beautiful blue eyes examining her.
‘Our game.’
‘Oh, that one.’ She smiled. ‘There’s nothing to miss, Leo. We’ve only just started.’
‘NERVOUS?’ ETHAN ASKED as Leo pulled on his jacket, and Leo paused.
‘Not in the least.’
For the first time that black churning in his gut was gone. A rapid wedding should be stressful to arrange, yet it had been seamless. When Lizzie had realised that a wedding in her home town and her father giving her away was causing Thomas so much stress, Leo had suggested they marry at Claridge’s and that they could go and visit her family before their honeymoon.
‘I never thought I’d see the day,’ Ethan said as he checked that he had the rings.
‘Neither did I,’ Leo admitted.
‘I’m pleased for you,’ Ethan said. ‘I always felt bad about—’
‘Not today,’ Leo interrupted. He didn’t want to think about Olivia on his wedding day and he didn’t need Ethan’s apology. All Leo wanted was for his brother to know the peace and happiness that he himself had found, but happiness, for Ethan, still seemed a very long way off.
‘Can I ask one thing?’ Leo watched as Ethan’s face shuttered as he braced himself to answer one of Leo’s many questions on this his wedding day.
‘You can try.’
‘It’s been bugging me.’ Leo looked at the tension in his brother’s face. There was so much he wanted to know, just not today. ‘Why does everyone always end up crashing on my sofa?’
He watched as Ethan’s face broke into its first genuine smile of the day.
‘I mean,’ Leo continued, ‘everyone’s got a sofa in their office, the place is littered with them, yet you all end up on mine.’
‘It’s longer,’ Ethan said. ‘And wider. When you’re over six foot there aren’t many sofas where you can actually stretch out.’
‘Oh.’
‘And you keep your drinks topped up.’
‘Okay,’ Leo said. ‘Good to know.’
‘Come on, then,’ Ethan said. ‘You don’t want to keep Lizzie waiting.’
It was Leo who was kept waiting.
Lizzie actually felt sick at the thought of all eyes being on her, and even though she was relieved that her father didn’t have the stress of her wedding to deal with, today, especially, she missed them.
‘Have a brandy,’ Brenda, who was her bridesmaid, suggested. Lizzie was booked into a hotel suite, where nothing was too much trouble and a brandy was soon poured.
She took a sip and felt the burn but it did nothing to calm her and she took another. ‘I’m scared I’ll be sick or faint,’ Lizzie admitted. She knew all brides were nervous on their wedding day but this was ridiculous.
She stood and looked in the mirror, worried she wasn’t a suitable society bride.
‘You look beautiful,’ Brenda said. ‘I’m so jealous I could be sick.’
Lizzie smiled—she loved her friends so much.
‘Your dress is perfect,’ Brenda said.
It had been the first one Lizzie had tried on—instantly she had known it was the right one. Very simple, it had delicately capped sleeves and was tied with a very thin silver belt. It was stunning in its simplicity. She carried white roses and her hair had been coiled and everything was perfect, except … Lizzie closed her eyes and took another sip of her brandy. She didn’t want to dwell on the sad parts today.
‘Come on,’ Lizzie said, or she’d start panicking again.
She made her way down the steps and as the huge doors were opened she was briefly aware of all the people—nothing in Leo’s world was small. There were people from the clinic and some terribly impressive people and there, smiling widely, was Francesca. Just one look at her and Lizzie straightened her back and walked forward.
Then she saw Leo standing beside Ethan—two brothers for today united. They both looked beautiful, but she only had eyes for Leo—a man who, even when she was completely and utterly petrified, could still make her smile. ‘Been drinking, darling?’ he said, as he caught a waft of brandy when she finally stood beside him. Then he took her hand and squeezed it. ‘You look beautiful.’
When Leo was beside her, she knew that she was.
‘About time,’ he muttered when he was told he could kiss the bride, and then, very nicely, he kissed her.
There were photos and congratulations and as they stepped outside, Lizzie assumed it was for more photos, except she was being ushered into a car.
‘Where are we going?’
‘More photos.’
‘Won’t the guests mind us disappearing?’ Lizzie asked. She knew he was up to something.
‘It’s our wedding, we can do what we want to.’
‘Are we going to have photos at the zoo?’
‘Nope,’ Leo said, watching her face as she realised they were about to get into a helicopter. ‘We’re going to where you want to be.’
Lizzie had never been in a helicopter before and had never thought her first ride in one might be in her wedding dress.
In less than half an hour they were there, walking into the nursing home. All the guests and even the staff were dressed up for a wedding. There was sparkling apple juice and sandwiches and a stunning wedding cake.
‘Catering by the Hewitts,’ Leo said, out of the side of his mouth.
It could not have been more wonderful, especially when her mother took her hand and looked at the ring and then admired her dress.
‘You look beautiful,’ Faye said.
‘So do you,’ Lizzie said, because the staff had been busy, making sure Faye was a very beautiful mother of the bride, even if Lizzie couldn’t be sure her mother knew that she was one.
A photographer had also been arranged and the photos he took of Lizzie and Leo with her family on their actual wedding day were ones that would be treasured for ever.
‘Where are you going for your honeymoon?’ Thomas checked a little while later, as they got ready to leave.
‘Not far,’ Lizzie said.
Finally she would see Paris.
‘Take care of her,’ Thomas warned Leo as they said their goodbyes.
‘I will,’ Leo said.
He