Lily's eyelashes fluttered briefly. 'It's all right, you've seen me. And Dirk will see me, and Dad. And Mum may be looking down on us from somewhere.’

As the sisters hugged Sarah felt a moment of role reversal: Lily was comforting her and she was the one close to tears.

Lily had accepted the place settings, agreeing with Sarah that at least with her in-put, there shouldn't be too many disasters. She was very relieved not to have the formal lineup her future mother-in-law wanted, but the two-part version as suggested by Sarah. Sarah, torn in two by her sister's wedding and her first celebrity one, felt pleased to have made Lily's day easier. She knew that she'd already done loads – in fact it was through her and her contacts that it had all been done so thriftily. But Sarah also knew that she might have to scoot off early when Lily might still need her support.

There had been a few hitches before they got to this point, of course. The marquee, which had been such a bargain to hire, developed a split. Hardly surprising, considering its age and the very low rental, but it had meant Sarah had to spend quite a lot of time up a ladder with a roll of gaffer tape.

Mrs Boscastle's fine herbaceous border was the backdrop for one side of the marquee, but there had been a very small budget for flowers. Her friends, aided by the Catering Ladies, each of whom Sarah would have awarded an MBE had it been in her gift, put their many skills to good use and had made table arrangements out of what blooms there were, all of which seemed to come from their own gardens. The WI and its ilk, so despised by Mrs Boscastle, had added the final touch to make the marquee fit for a wedding. Sarah crossed her fingers that Sukie had managed to save the floral day at Somerby. She was very good, and it was a major stroke of luck that she was available, but would she have been able to get hold of enough material for something suitably sensational?

Sarah glanced at her watch as her father and Lily were deposited at the front of the church. It was twenty minutes past two.

By the time Lily's second bridesmaid went up to do a reading Sarah knew they were running very late. In theory she should get into her car now and make haste to Somerby, possibly adding the cost of speeding tickets to Carrie's bill. But she couldn't do that, she realised as Lily's friend stumbled over The Prophet – it wasn't Carrie's fault her wedding day coincided with Sarah's sister's. It was just a horrible coincidence. Should she have said no to Carrie? No, she couldn't have. A wedding like that could make her name, or – if it all went wrong – break it.

Nor could she run away yet, not until after her father had made his speech. The best man, the groom and any other random orations could go on without her, but she had to hear her dad.

Outside the church, the photographer, booked only for a very few formal shots, was rather surprised to be hustled along quite so briskly, but he knew Sarah, wanted to be used by her again, and did what he was told.

‘You don't want all those pictures of the relations,' Sarah muttered to Mrs Boscastle, as they watched the bride and groom smiling up at each other. 'Frightfully common!’

Sarah, who'd booked this photographer when she'd developed cold feet about Uncle Joby's reliability, was very glad she had. He was far more interested in chatting up Charlene than taking photographs.

Nor was there time for the bride and groom to have a glass of champagne and a cuddle in the car on the way to the reception. This was something that Sarah always suggested if it were possible. It was a moment for the newly-weds to be alone to savour the moment before the hurly-burly of the reception.

This time, however, Dirk's friend, who'd been entrusted with getting them to the reception safely, was told the priorities had changed – they now had to be there in record time. Fortunately it was very near by and anyway, Lily wasn't drinking.

The double line-up worked brilliantly. Sarah, hanging round Lily so between them they would remember the names of the more obscure family members, did overhear people asking her when the happy event was due, but if they said similar things to the families, at least Lily didn't know about it.

‘Right,' said Sarah to Lily, 'let's get people sitting down with a glass of wine – save the fizz for the toasts.’

She whisked to her father's side and explained her problem. He was already aware that Carrie's wedding was due to happen a couple of counties away.

‘But, love, we can't start straight into the speeches until people have something to eat. It's a buffet – it'll take ages.'

‘Dad, I know that, and I feel awfully mean.' She paused. 'Maybe I should just abandon Carrie. There's a good team over there. They don't need me.'

‘Now, love, don't say that. Your mother would have been so proud of you. And you know Dirk and Lily are on your side. They want you to do Carrie's wedding just as much as they want you at this one. You do what you need to do.' He leant forward conspiratorially. 'And if that bitch' – he indicated Mrs Boscastle – 'pardon my language, with a mouth like she's chewed on a lemon, gets uppity, tell me and I'll sort her.’

Sarah hugged her father, chuckling into his ear. 'That's where I get my bossiness from. It's you.'

‘No time for sentiment, girl,' he said. 'Get those glasses filled. I'm getting ready to start!’

She moved deftly through the crowd to Veronica, in charge of the Catering Ladies. 'I want you to make sure everyone has a plate and then just move among the tables with plates of food and bottles of wine, serve people where they are. I desperately need to get to Carrie's wedding!’

As the Catering Ladies were all quite excited at the thought of Carrie's wedding, they were keen to help. 'Leave it to us. We'll get this lot fed and watered before they've had time to work out what their names are.’

Sarah wondered if power was going to her head. Although she organised weddings she usually deferred to her clients. Now she practically was the client she let her organisational skills let rip. Everyone was seated, somewhere, in minutes flat. No one was allowed to complain if they were not on the table allocated – they just saw Sarah and did what she told them.

She was up by the top table, where, in theory, she was sitting, in seconds. 'Lily, darling, do you mind if Dad does his speech now? I really have to leave soon.’

Lily, who most of her life had been awkward and attention-seeking, had been transformed by marriage. 'Saresy, you've been so brilliant, you go when you like. We'll be fine without you, won't we, Dad? Charlene will do her bridesmaid bit, if necessary. Come on, Dad.'

‘Dad' nodded obligingly. 'We'd better let them get one drink down them though. My speech won't stand up to total teetotalness.’

Sarah smiled and patted his shoulder, wishing she didn't have to stick to total teetotalness herself. 'OK.' She perched on the edge of her seat and got out her mobile phone, hoping no one was looking and would think her rude. She tried the Somerby number but couldn't get an answer so she pressed in Hugo's number almost instinctively. He'd know what to do. 'Hugo?' she whispered, leaning down as if she was picking up her napkin. 'We've only just sat down but I should be able to set off from here in about fifteen minutes.'

‘Ri… ght,' said Hugo, in a way that meant it was not right. 'Carrie's not frightfully happy at the moment. No chance you can get here a little sooner?’

Sarah took in all the unexpressed urgency – she understood 'not frightfully happy' meant 'in a major strop' and knew she had to get there instantly, if not before. If Carrie got really upset with Sarah for not being there and refused to pay, it would bankrupt her and ruin her reputation. She'd had an instalment of her fee, but not enough to pay all the suppliers.