Knight and Day

Chapter Thirty-Two

“Champagne for the bride,” Kara carried two full flutes into Sophie’s bedroom, dressed in a cream silk slip with her hair wound around velcro rollers. She set one glass of bucks fizz down on Sophie’s dressing table and sipped from the other. “Don't worry, yours is mostly orange juice," she grinned. “How are you doing?”

“Good,” Sophie raised her glass with a smile a mile wide.

“This is probably the coolest wedding ever,” Kara said happily. “Hardly any guests, sand under your toes, and champagne on tap.”

Sophie sipped her fizz. “Yeah, well, I did the big dress and party number last time around, remember?”

This was the second time that Kara had been Sophie’s bridesmaid. She made a rueful face, casting her mind back for a moment to Sophie’s wedding to Dan, her first husband. It all seemed so long ago now, and they’d all done a lot of growing up since those days.

“Jeez, remember your mum? She was practically hysterical by the time the wedding day actually arrived. Thank God you’re getting married while they’re not around,” Kara said. “I don’t think she’d be able to stand it all over again. Especially with it being shot-gun, and all.” Her mock-scandalised gaze dropped dramatically to the almost imperceptible swell of Sophie’s tummy.

Sophie laughed. Kara had a point. Her mother had no desire to reprise her role as mother of the bride; she’d found it terribly stressful first time around, almost as stressful as she’d found her only daughter’s divorce. Lucien had of course charmed her parents completely in the intervening years; even her father seemed to enjoy his son-in-laws company. They all got along like a house on fire, under the tacit understanding that no one mentioned Lucien’s line of business under any circumstances. Her parents liked to consider themselves liberal, just as long as no one used the ‘sex’ word.

Still, they’d been thrilled to hear about the wedding plans, delighted to hear about the new baby, and ecstatic at the thought of throwing a small wedding party at the golf club when they were all back in England in a few weeks time. At this precise moment, Sophie’s parents were enjoying a long-anticipated cruise, and the timing could not have been more fortuitous for all concerned.

“Yes, I think it’s worked out pretty well for everyone,” Sophie agreed.

She eyed herself in the mirror. In just a few hours she would finally become Lucien’s wife. The fact that she’d been someone’s wife before hadn’t even figured in her thoughts in the days leading up to the wedding, because this felt brand new. Being Mrs. Knight would bear absolutely no relation to the time she’d spent as Mrs. Black.

In truth, being Mrs. Knight was a unique proposition: their relationship hadn’t followed any of the conventional patterns and she had no doubt that their marriage would be all the stronger for it. They knew each other so very well now.

Behind her, her ivory wedding dress hung on the wardrobe door. Raw silk tulle overlaid with a cobweb-fine layer of beaded vintage Spanish lace, the delicate empire line dress shimmered with nineteen-twenties glamour. Sheer capped sleeves and a gracefully scooped v neckline made the very best of her pregnancy bloom, highlighting the swell of her breasts and skimming over the new curves of her abdomen. It made her feel like a million dollars, a film star for the day.

“Come on Juliet,” Kara said, putting her already half empty glass down and starting to unravel Sophie’s hair from her rollers. “Let’s get you ready for your Romeo.”

Sophie caught her friend’s eye in the mirror, her own expression merry.

“You do know how that ended, right?”

Kara tittered. “Imagine that. You and Mr. K.” She drew her finger across her throat dramatically.

Sophie arched her eyebrows and reached for her champagne flute.

“If we’re talking star-crossed lovers, how about we get onto you and delicious Dylan?”

Sophie didn’t miss the way Kara’s face softened at the mention of his name.

“I can’t believe I’ve only known him a few months,” Kara said. Then, more seriously, “Is it too fast, Soph?”

Sophie laughed softly. “There isn’t a rule book, Kara. You could spend your whole life looking and never find anything close to how you feel now ever again. You remember how it was for me with Lucien? He came out of the blue and totally blindsided me. It was like love on fast forward, and look at us now. Look at us today.”

Kara nodded, drawing in a deep breath.

“I… I love him.”

“I know you do,” Sophie said, as if Kara had just told her that the sun rose in the east. “And I know he loves you right back.”

“How can you know?”

Sophie sighed. What was it about love that it could make nervy, moonstruck teenagers out of two usually confident, self-assured adults?

“Because it’s written all over his face every time you’re in the same room. He can’t take his eyes off you.”

A slow tingle of happiness ran deliciously through Kara’s body. She knew that Sophie was right. She could feel Dylan’s love all around her, and it was time for them to act like grown ups and talk about it. This wasn’t like all the other times in her life. He wasn’t like Richard, some selfish prick living two lives just so he could have his cake and eat it. He wasn’t like her father, someone who always put his own happiness first at the expense of the people who loved him.

He was Dylan-fucking-yankee-doodle-Day, resident of the floating shag palace, world-class kisser, and the owner of her heart.

“I’m going to tell him tonight.”

“Well, you picked a good day for it.” Sophie’s eyes shone over-bright as she met Kara’s in the mirror before her.

“The best, Soph.” Kara squeezed Sophie’s shoulder then laughed a little, breaking the emotional charge.

“Now pull yourself together, you daft cow. Those baby hormones have a lot to answer for.”