‘Elsa!' said Bron. 'You didn't get blood on your lovely dress?'

‘Oh no. Elsa didn't come with us to hospital. She drove the wife home in my Morgan.’

There was a tiny pause. 'Good God!' said Hugo. 'I can't believe you let her… no offence,' he went on to Elsa. 'But his Morgan..!'

‘She drove it perfectly,' said Laurence proudly.

‘But you couldn't wait until morning to check, could you?' said Hugo laughing.

‘No,' said Elsa firmly. 'Right, I'm just going to get rid of this lot then make some tea. Laurence and I have had bacon butties and I'm desperate for a cup.'

‘I'd love some,' said Bron. 'I'll just go and fetch the fake-cake from the car.'

‘I'll go,' said James.

‘I'll help you make tea then,' said Bron. 'Well?' she whispered as she found some more mugs and the tea bags whilst Elsa put the kettle on. Elsa's dreamy look said it all. She suffered a twinge of what felt decidedly like jealousy. Not that she begrudged Elsa her happiness.

‘Oh, Bron, he's so lovely! We didn't stop..

‘Too much information! I should be so lucky.'

‘Things still not progressing with you and James?' asked Elsa sympathetically.

Bron sighed. 'I know men are supposed to think about sex twenty-four / seven, but I think James thinks about bedding plants twenty-four / seven!’

Elsa giggled. 'That is quite funny.’

Bron shook her head, trying not to laugh. 'No it's not, it's pathetic. Have you got any sugar? Come on then, let's take these through.’

James appeared holding what looked like a huge spherical lollipop on a stick and a plastic box. 'I brought the cake as well, was that right?'

‘Yes, fine. I want Carrie to sample it.’

James grinned. 'And you just happened to have some handy when the word went out that she was arriving?' Bron shrugged.

‘Cake!' said Hugo, bearing down on the box that Bron was opening. 'I love cake!' And he took a large slice, closely followed by Laurence. The others took more modest slices. It really did look delicious.

‘This is to die for, Bron,' said Hugo, about to help himself to another slice.

‘Don't eat it all!' said Sarah. 'Leave some for Carrie and Mandy-'

‘There's loads,' said James. 'Don't worry.'

‘It is really lovely,' said Sarah. 'You're good at this, Bron. And how pretty is that fake one? How did you make it?’

‘That was easy,' said Bron. 'It's just a ball with icing on it. The real cake will go on this.'

‘This' was the pole with the metal discs that now was stuck into a stone pot. 'I don't know if Carrie will want to see all this really, but I brought it for you as much as anyone.'

‘If you can make the real cake look half as good as that one, it'll be dreamy,' said Sarah. 'You are talented.' Hugo, disconcertingly as far as Elsa was concerned, had begun wandering about taking photographs. 'Sorry,' he said, catching her anxious look. 'I'm doing some candid before shots for the wedding.'

‘It's true,' said Sarah. 'Mandy was most insistent that Hugo be here.' She sighed. She still hadn't quite got used to working with him. Her emotions were all over the place and she didn't like it. It was so much harder to be her usual professional self when he was around and yet she couldn't help secretly being pleased to see him. It was all very disconcerting.

‘It's useful to have someone around who's willing to eat cake,' said Bron. 'James has given it up.'

‘Not for ever, just for a few days,' he said.

‘I must get my samples out,' said Elsa, going to a huge cupboard in the corner. 'I've got four designs here and enough bits of fabric for her to see how they'd look over one another.'

‘Oh wow,' said Bron, looking at Elsa's drawing. 'They really are fairy tale.'

‘This is the one I like best,' said Laurence.

‘That's Lily's dress,' said Elsa. 'I've finished it. It's under that sheet over there.’

`Mm. It's simpler than all these,' Laurence went on. 'I don't think Carrie wants simple,' said Bron.

‘Well, we're just about to find out,' said Hugo, looking out of the window. 'She's here!’

Sarah watched as Elsa talked Carrie and Mandy through her designs. She was very impressed. Since Elsa had been forced into a bridesmaid's dress less than two months earlier she'd transformed into a much more confident young woman. She'd always been brilliant at her job but there was a sparkle to her now that hadn't been there before. Due, in no small measure, to Laurence, she felt.

Bron had been brilliant too. Carrie and Mandy had eaten quite a lot of cake for people so interested in keeping thin, and Carrie had adored the fake-cakes and would have ordered them to go all the way up the drive had she not been talked out of it by Mandy and Sarah and a panic-stricken Bron.

The impressive device for holding the proper cake had been admired and the designs for the final creation proved to be just what Carrie had wanted.

James and Laurence had slipped away to the pub at the earliest opportunity. Hugo was the only man in the room now, taking photographs, making jokes, flirting gently. Sarah forced him out of her mind and went over to join Carrie and Elsa by Elsa's flip chart.

‘This is the one, Sarah,' said Carrie, tapping the drawing. 'Only with many more crystals. I want to glitter like a fairy!’

Sarah took one look at the drawing and saw it was already fairly well spangled. 'Where else do you want crystals, Carrie? I can't see where you'd fit them on.'

‘Down the seams of the bodice,' said Elsa. 'They'll come down into a point and then flare out as the dress becomes full. Imagine a sort of Elizabeth the First busk, coming down into a point.'

‘She was known as the Fairy Queen, wasn't she?' said Bron.

‘Sort of,' agreed Hugo, capturing Mandy and Carrie together, fingering a fragment of crystal-nylon that shone like gossamer.

‘Are you having wings?' asked Bron. 'To complete the fairy look?’

Sarah intercepted a look of horror from Elsa.

‘No,' said Carrie, luckily. 'I think that would be a bit tacky.’

Silently several people sighed with relief.

‘Will you be able to finish it in three weeks?' asked Sarah quietly, while Carrie was posing again for Hugo.

‘Oh yes,' said Elsa. 'I'll have to crack on, but I've got nothing else going on now. There's a chance I'll have a work-experience girl to help me sew on the crystals.'

‘And the bridesmaids' dresses?' Mandy, usually quite happy to be demanding on Carrie's behalf, did now seem abashed that not only had Carrie not previously chosen her wedding dress, but that she'd been equally vague about what her bridesmaids should wear.

‘They're going to be much simpler than Carrie's,' said Elsa. 'It should be fine.'

‘I've just had a thought,' said Carrie. There was a general holding of breath. 'While wings would be tacky for me, they'd be darling for the little ones. Don't you think?’

Elsa was firm. 'If I simplify their dresses even more, they can have wings. I think wings would be quite sweet and they're perfectly possible, but with the amount of spangles currently on that design, they'd be OTT.'

‘Oh that's fine! You decide how many spangles, as long as I can have wings,' said Carrie.

‘Way to go, Elsa,' muttered Bron and Sarah.

Now everything had been sorted out and everyone seemed happy, or potentially so, with the dresses and cake, Mandy looked at her watch and said, 'I think we'd better be going, honey. It's been great! You must be so pleased that Carrie has finally made up her mind about the dress, Elsa.'

‘I do think that's a lovely choice,' Elsa agreed, not allowing the frustration she had suffered at not knowing what she would have to do until the last minute to show. 'And if you want a stand-up ruff, let me know. It could look very fairy-like.’