Just hearing his name gave Sarah a small shock. 'Is he?' She joined her sister on the sofa and looked at the photo again. 'Oh. I see what you mean.' God, he was very like Bruce – the same charming smile and laid-back, easy manner. Was that why, although he was undoubtedly attractive, a part of her had instinctively always been so resistant to him? He definitely looked like the boy who'd broken her heart so many years before. And all the more reason to keep things strictly professional between them from now on, she told herself.

‘So, Lily,' she said now, trying to think how to change the subject without looking as if she was, 'show me your ring!’

Although it was a ploy, Sarah realised it was quite a useful one. The engagement ring would give her some clue as to the budget. If Dirk could afford to give Lily a socking great rock, he maybe could afford to give Lily the wedding of her dreams.

‘Oh, it's so sweet!' she enthused. It was a genuinely very pretty ring. Obviously antique, it was a small ruby with gold work round it to make it look like a scarlet pimpernel. But it didn't seem to Sarah to represent the small fortune that Lily probably wanted to spend on her wedding. 'I love it,' Sarah said. 'You've got such delicate fingers. Not many people could make a ring like that look so pretty.'

‘It is lovely, isn't it? Dirk just produced it from his pocket one morning while we were going for a cappuccino. It fitted perfectly.' She admired her hand for a few moments. 'Apparently he'd taken one of my junk jewellery rings and kept trying rings until he found one that was the same size.’

'Oh, that's so romantic. So much less conventional than selecting rings in a price bracket and getting you to choose.' Sarah was impressed that Dirk, who had struck her as slightly lacking in imagination, had managed to give her sister a ring that she really loved, in a romantic way.

Lily closed her scrapbook, put it back in her carrier bag and said, 'So, let's go to this fair. You don't mind driving, do you? It's in Swansea.’

Sarah was horrified. 'But that's miles! The other side of the Severn Bridge.'

‘It's why we need to get a shift on!’

'This is the sort of thing I'd have done with Mum, if she'd still been alive,' said Lily, painting her nails as they travelled down the motorway.

Sarah heard her sister's voice crack and felt sudden compassion. Their mother had been dead for over ten years and both girls still felt the loss. Of course a girl would expect her mother to help her with her wedding. But their mother would have been far more likely to accompany Lily to an agricultural show than a wedding fair.

‘Well, she might have,' acknowledged Sarah, 'but she wasn't really into girly things, was she? She was a practical, outdoors type.’

Lily giggled, which Sarah thought was a good sign. 'S'pose so. Do you remember that time we went camping? She was the only one who liked it.’

Sarah joined in with the giggling. 'And the family opposite who had the boys? They both fell madly in love with you.'

‘Yes, they did, didn't they.' Lily had always been so sure of her charms, even as a little girl.

‘No, I expect I'd have had to go with you to wedding fairs anyway,' said Sarah. 'If I got on better with Kay, I might have asked her.’

Sarah was getting fed up with Lily moaning about their stepmother. 'Come on, Lily, be fair, she's fine. She and Dad get on really well. You're always so hard on her. Anyway, she's got the boys to look after. She's really busy!’

Lily sighed. She hadn't really enjoyed having her place as the youngest member of the family usurped by a couple of rumbustious lads who were now five and seven. 'We just don't see eye to eye on artistic matters.’

Sarah snorted.

Lily blew on her nails and looked reproachfully at her sister. 'And are you going to tell me they have to be pageboys?’

Sarah nodded. 'Well, you have to ask them. If they, or Dad and Kay, really hate the idea, you're off the hook. Otherwise, you have to think of what you'd like them to wear.'

‘Reins!' said Lily defiantly.

‘Silly!'

‘Well, you know how naughty they are. By the way, did I tell you, we want to get married quite soon?'

‘That doesn't surprise me. You were never much good at deferring your pleasures.'

‘What does that mean?' asked Lily, pouting.

‘You know perfectly well. You always want everything immediately.'

‘Well, you can't say that about me this time.'

‘No? You were pretty insistent that we set off to this fair immediately!'

‘Well, I have got a reason to hurry..

‘Which is?'

‘I'm pregnant.’

Sarah's hands tightened on the steering wheel and she nearly swerved. 'Oh,' she said after a frantic second. 'That's very exciting.' It crossed her mind to wonder why Lily had announced her engagement before she told her she was pregnant, but her sister was always a bit of a mystery to her so she didn't waste time on it.

‘That's why we want to get married so quickly.'

‘But Lily, people don't worry about these things nowadays – there's no need to rush. You could get married after you've had the baby.' It was not ideal, but relatively common. She pictured the flowing gown that Lily might want the baby to wear to go nicely with her own dress. Maybe they could have the baby christened at the same time, and save money.

Lily was shaking her head worriedly. 'Dirk's parents will go mad. If they find out-'

‘Oh, for goodness' sake! It's the twenty-first century!’

‘Not in their land. They're very strict. They don't believe in sex before marriage.’

Without ever having met them, Sarah was already very fed up with these people. 'But they must know you were married before – if only for a very short time.'

‘We told them it was annulled.'

‘Oh, so getting your wedding annulled instead of being divorced somehow restores your anatomy to its original state?'

‘Oh well, they know I'm not a virgin in the actual sense..

‘Is there another way?'

‘They're just from a different planet! They didn't have sex before they were married and don't think anyone else should.'

‘But, sweetie, they'll find out you're pregnant sooner or later.'

‘Please, let it be later! I'll die of embarrassment having to tell them!’

Sarah chuckled. 'You mean, you have to admit to having sex?'

‘Yes! Nightmare!'

‘Why doesn't Dirk stand up to them? Tell them you're pregnant and you want to have the wedding at your leisure.’

There was a pause. 'But I don't want to. I want a proper white wedding, and so does Dirk.'

‘Lily, lots of vicars won't marry you in a church if you've been married before.'

‘It's all right,' said Lily quietly. 'Dirk's parents have already booked the church.'

‘What!' This really did shock Sarah. 'How come?'

‘The moment we told them they were on the phone. The vicar's an old friend of theirs, has known Dirk since he was tiny, and he's all right about me being divorced.'

‘That's good then! When is it?'

‘The eighteenth of August.'

‘Oh, quite soon.' She didn't currently have much going on in August but still… 'It gives us – what? – end of June, July – a couple of months. It's cutting it fine, love.'

‘I know, but I promise you, Dirk's mother must have suspected something because she was on that phone before you could say butter.' Sarah smiled. Lily's mixed metaphors were always funny.

‘I think you mean before you could put a knife through butter.’

Lily shrugged. It wasn't important.

‘And you will have to tell them. Otherwise they'll be writing to the tabloids about a three-month pregnancy ending in a ten-pound baby.'

‘We will tell them, but not until it's too late for them to make a fuss. As I said, I think she may have an inkling but can't bear to face the truth.’