I reach out and hug her tightly.

‘Laurel... you’re a star,’ I mutter. ‘I don’t know what to say.’

‘Becky, believe me. This is nothing. After what you did for me, you could have had ten planes.’ She hugs me back, then looks at her watch. ‘You’d better find Luke. I’ll see you in a bit.’

After she’s gone there’s a short, interested silence.

‘Becky, did I just catch the words “private plane”?’ says Danny.

‘Er... yes. Yes, you did.’

‘You’re flying on a private plane?’

‘Yes.’ I try to sound nonchalant. ‘We are. It’s Laurel’s wedding present to us.’

‘She snapped up the private jet?’ Danny shakes his head. ‘Damn. You know, I was planning to get you that myself. It was between that and the egg beater...’

‘Idiot! She’s president of a plane company.’

‘Jesus. A private plane. So... where are you heading? Or is it still a big secret?’ I watch as he takes a drag from his cigarette, and feel a sudden huge wave of affection for him.

I don’t just want to tell Danny what’s going on.

I want him to be a part of this.

‘Danny,’ I say. ‘Do you have your passport on you?’

It takes me a while to find Luke. He’s been trapped in a corner by two corporate financiers, and leaps up grate­fully as soon as I appear. We go around the huge crowded room, saying goodbye and thank you for coming to all the guests that we know. To be honest, it doesn’t take that long.

Last of all, we approach the top table and interrupt Elinor as discreetly as we can.

‘Mother, we’re going now,’ says Luke.

‘Now?’ Elinor frowns. ‘It’s too early.’

‘Well... we’re going.’

‘Thank you for a wonderful wedding,’ I say sincerely. ‘It was really amazing. Everyone’s been saying how wonderful it is.’ I bend to kiss her. ‘Goodbye.’

Why do I have the strongest feeling I’m never going to see Elinor again?

‘Goodbye Becky,’ she says, in that formal way of hers. ‘Goodbye Luke.’

‘Goodbye Mother.’

They gaze at each other – and for a moment I think Elinor’s going to say something else. But instead she leans forward rather stiffly and kisses Luke on the cheek.

‘Becky!’ I feel someone poking me on the shoulder. ‘Becky, you’re not going yet!’ I turn round to see Robyn looking perturbed.

‘Er... yes. We’re off. Thank you so much for everything you’ve–’

‘You can’t go yet!’

‘No-one will notice,’ I say, glancing around the party.

‘They have to notice! We have an exit planned, remember? The rose petals? The music?’

‘Well... maybe we could forget the exit–’

‘Forget the exit?’ Robyn stares at me. ‘Are you joking? Orchestra!’ she says urgently into her headpiece. ‘Segue to “Some Day” Do you copy? Segue to “Some Day”.’

She lifts the walkie-talkie. ‘Lighting crew, stand by with rose petals.’

‘Robyn,’ I say helplessly. ‘Honestly, we just wanted to slip away quietly...’

‘My brides do not slip away quietly! Cue fanfare,’ she mutters into her headpiece. ‘Lighting crew, prepare exit spotlight.’

There’s a sudden loud fanfare of trumpets, and the guests on the dance floor all jump. The lighting changes from disco beat to a radiant pink glow, and the band starts to play ‘Some Day my Prince Will Come’.

‘Go Beauty and Prince,’ says Robyn, giving me a little shove. ‘Go! One two three, one two three...’

Exchanging looks, Luke and I make it onto the dance floor, where the guests part to let us through. The music is all around us, a spotlight is following our path, and, all of a sudden, rose petals start falling gently from the ceiling.

This is rather lovely, actually. Everyone’s beaming benevolently, and I can hear some ‘Aahs’ as we go by. The glow of pink light is like being inside a rainbow, and the rose petals smell wonderful as they land on our heads and arms and drift to the floor. Luke and I are smiling at each other, and there’s a petal in his hair–

‘Stop!’

As I hear the voice, I feel a sudden horrible lurch.

The double doors have opened, and there she is, standing in the doorway. Wearing a black suit and the highest, pointiest black boots I’ve ever seen.

The evil fairy herself.

Everyone turns to look, and the orchestra peters out uncertainly.

‘Alicia?’ says Luke in astonishment. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Having a good wedding, Luke?’ she says, with a malicious little smirk.

She takes a few steps into the room, and I see the guests shrinking away as she passes.

‘Come in,’ I say quickly. ‘Come on in and join the party. We would have invited you...’

‘I know what you’re doing, Becky.’

‘We’re getting married!’ I say, trying to sound light-hearted. ‘No prizes for guessing that!’

‘I know exactly what you’re doing. I’ve got friends in Surrey. They’ve been checking things out.’ She meets my eyes triumphantly and I feel a coldness around my spine.

No.

Please, no.

Not after we’ve got so far.

‘I think you have a teeny little secret you’re not sharing with the rest of your guests.’ Alicia pulls a mock-concerned face. ‘That’s not very polite, is it?’