Leona came bustling back into the room with some dresses draped over her arm and a pair of shoes in her hand.
‘You’ve got your wedding shoes, right?’ she said. I nodded. I’d bought them in Harvey Nicks in Edinburgh. They were – a bit kookily, which was very unlike me – a beautiful deep, dark blue. I had thought they would count as my “something blue” and would hardly be seen under my dress.
‘They’re blue,’ I told Leona now, frowning. ‘I thought no one would see, but this dress is short.’
The Audrey Hepburn dress I was wearing showed off my feet. My blue shoes would be well and truly on display.
Leona looked thoughtful.
‘I can make a blue belt,’ she said. ‘Bring me the shoes tomorrow and I’ll try to match the colour. It’ll look great.’
‘Okay,’ I said. It seemed my wedding was going to be anything but traditional, so I may as well embrace it.
‘And,’ said Leona. ‘How about we go for blue bridesmaids’ dresses?’
She draped the dresses on her arm over the back of a chair and began leafing through them.
‘Ah ha,’ she said, pulling one out. ‘Like this?’
The dress was perhaps a shade lighter than my shoes, but it was close. It was strapless and quite plain, with a full-length skirt.
‘Put it on,’ Leona said to Harry, who was already pulling off her jeans.
She wriggled into the dress, which was huge on her lean, yoga-honed frame. Leona pulled in the back tightly and clipped it with a giant bulldog clip.
‘I’ll cut the skirt off,’ she said, looping up the bottom so Harry’s dress was a similar length to mine. And insert a panel to make it fuller, and more 1950s-style. I can make a belt for your dress from this fabric too – then you’ll all match.’
‘What about Chloe?’ I asked. ‘I’m not even sure if she’s going to make it.’
‘I’ve got another dress like this in the store room,’ Leona said. ‘And I’ve got all Chloe’s measurements. We can make one for her, just in case.’
‘Would you do that, really?’
‘Of course,’ said Leona. ‘But I’m going to need some help.’
Harry whipped out the iPad.
‘I’ve made a list of people with sewing machines,’ she said. ‘There are quite a few people who have volunteered to help with the alterations. I’ll email everyone and copy you in, then you can divide up the work that needs doing.’
I looked at Harry in admiration. She really was amazing. She saw me looking and stuck her tongue out at me. Not that amazing, after all.
We took the dresses off again, and hung them up, then Leona made a pot of tea and we sat down to drink it, chatting as Leona sketched out the alterations she was planning.
‘So tell me, Esme,’ she said, casually, as she drew a woman who looked just like Harry with a few strokes of her pencil. ‘Who’s this Tansy?’
‘What have you heard?’ I asked, suspicious about the way the Claddach network of gossips worked.
‘Oh not much,’ Leona said, filling in Harry’s skirt with a blue pencil and not looking at me. ‘Just that she’s Jamie’s ex.’
Now she looked up.
‘And she’s got a little boy.’
I sighed.
‘Is the wee boy Jamie’s?’ Leona asked. Anyone else would have seemed nosy, but Leona was so trustworthy and had been so good to me that I didn’t resent her interest at all.
‘She says he’s Jamie’s,’ I began. ‘His name is Parker and he’s a lovely little lad.’
Harry looked at me curiously.
‘What do you mean “she says”,’ she asked. ‘I didn’t realise there was any doubt.’
‘I got hold of Parker’s birth certificate,’ I explained. ‘His middle name is James, but Jamie isn’t named on it as his father.’
‘Ah,’ said Harry. Leona looked confused.
‘Why wouldn’t she put his name on it?’ she asked.
I poured more tea into my cup and took a biscuit. Harry frowned at me.
‘Do you need that biscuit?’ she said. ‘Think of that dress.’
I bit into my bourbon in defiance.
‘And it gets worse,’ I said, through chocolatey crumbs. ‘Tansy wants her fiancé to adopt Parker – they’ve made an application to the court.’
‘Shit,’ said Harry. ‘So they were basically going to write Jamie out of Parker’s life?’
I nodded, grim-faced.
‘Yep,’ I said. There was a pause as we all thought about what Tansy had planned to do.
‘So why is she here?’ Leona said. ‘She could have just done all that and Jamie would never even have known Parker existed.’
‘Did she have an attack of conscience?’ Harry asked.
‘Kind of,’ I said, not wanting to give Tansy too much credit. ‘But also she knew we were getting married and she wanted to check if there were still any feelings between her and Jamie.’
Leona gasped.
‘What a cow,’ she said.
‘I know.’
‘I quite like her,’ Harry said. ‘She’s not hurting anyone, she’s just keeping her options open.’
’They’re my options, not hers,’ I said. Harry shrugged.
‘S’pose,’ she said, but she didn’t sound convinced. ‘She’s here, though, isn’t she? She’s told Jamie he’s a dad, and she’s told Parker. There’s no going back now – they’re in each other’s lives.’
‘That’s where I come in,’ I said. ‘I’m going to make it all official. Get Jamie on the birth certificate and stop Michael adopting Parker. I’ve told Tansy we’ll need a DNA test.’
‘What does Jamie think?’ Harry asked.
‘Oh he just agrees with me,’ I said breezily.
Harry looked at me.
‘He doesn’t know,’ she said. ‘Does he?’
‘He’s got a lot on his plate,’ I said. ‘I will tell him. When there’s a good moment.’
Harry opened her mouth to argue, so I changed the subject.
‘Harry’s smitten with Parker,’ I told Leona.
‘Really,’ she said. ‘What’s he like?’
‘He’s amazing,’ Harry gushed. ‘He’s really clever, and sweet and he’s affectionate.’
‘He’s a bit strange actually,’ I said, ignoring Harry’s fierce look. ‘He’s way too interested in science for a little boy, and he’s just overflowing with facts. He knows something about everything – it’s crazy. But Harry’s right, he’s cute too. I can see Jamie in him, but I still think we should get a DNA test, just to be sure.’
Leona nodded.
‘Sounds sensible,’ she said. She grinned at Harry. ‘You’ve never been that interested in kids,’ she pointed out. ‘What’s happened?’
Harry took a gulp of her tea.
‘Nothing,’ she said. ‘Well Parker happened. He’s a good kid, that’s all.’
But I knew my cousin.
‘That’s not all,’ I said, narrowing my eyes. ‘What aren’t you telling us?’
Harry stared out of the window.
‘Do you think it’s going to snow again?’ she said.
‘Harry,’ I nudged her. ‘What’s going on?’
Harry sighed and looked at me.
‘Louise wants us to have a baby,’ she said.