Breaking All the Rules

by Rachael Richey

  “You will be. Mrs. Richard Cresswell. How middle-aged does that sound?”

  “I shall be Mrs. Kathryn Cresswell,” Kate corrected sharply. “We’re not living in the nineteen fifties. It’ll feel very different.”

  “Well, I’m never going to do it.” Vicky sat back and crossed her long tanned legs. “Marriage is totally outdated. Really boring.”

  “And why are you here?” Jenny was getting annoyed. “Either get in the swing of things, or we’re going to drop you off at the next bus stop, bride’s sister or not.”

  Vicky had the grace to look slightly embarrassed, and slid down in her seat. “Okay. Sorry. I guess that was a bit crass. Sorry, Kate.”

  Kate shrugged. “S’okay. You don’t like marriage, you don’t have to get married. It’s your life. This is my life. And scary though it is, I’m getting married in three weeks. And one day.”

  “Yes, you are.” Jenny was watching her. “To Richard.”

  “To Richard.”

  Vicky peered round Jenny. “Of course it’s to Richard. I’m sure she doesn’t need reminding. They’ve been together like forever. How long is it, Kate?”

  “Three years and two months.”

  “Wow. I’d be dead of boredom if I’d been with a man that long.” Vicky tossed back her hair. “We must be very different. Richard is okay, though.”

  Kate looked at her suspiciously. “You like him, then? I’ve always wondered what you talk about with him. He seems to like you. Much more than I do.”

  Vicky smirked. “Just stuff,” she said. “We have stuff in common. We often talk about my job. After all, it is rather more interesting than yours. But I guess you’ll just have babies once you’re married. You won’t need a career, so I s’pose it doesn’t matter that you haven’t ever really had one.”

  “Right, that’s enough.” Jenny held up her hands. “We are not going any further unless you two try and get along. Vicky, you know that was out of order. We’re going out for a nice night to celebrate Kate getting married. She didn’t want you here, but as you are her sister and her bridesmaid, you had to be. So, since you’re stuck with each other, you will get along, or we all go back home now and cancel the whole thing.”

  “And the wedding,” Kate murmured under her breath, sitting back and staring out the window.

  “What?” Jenny looked at her sharply. “What did you say?”

  “Nothing. Nothing.” Kate shook her head. “Yeah, let’s stop this, Vick. We need to get on, just for tonight. And actually it’s quite nice that you get on with Richard.”

  Vicky grinned. “Okay, let’s have a ceasefire. Just for tonight. And maybe on the wedding day, too. Yeah, Richard’s okay. Too good for you, of course.” She saw Jenny’s warning glance and laughed. “Only joking. You want to know what we talk about? Well, last time I saw him—when we all had lunch at Granny’s, remember?—we were discussing one of his cases that had a connection to my firm. Boring for you, of course, but I was actually able to give him some information.”

  Kate looked at her in surprise. Vicky had qualified as an accountant fairly recently and was a very junior associate in a large firm in Bristol. Kate thought it all sounded very boring, but it probably was the sort of thing Richard would relate to. If she was honest, her conversations with her fiancé were fairly neutral and banal. They didn’t often talk about very deep subjects. In fact, in recent times all they had talked about was the wedding and where they were planning on living. So once they were actually married, would they have anything left to say to each other? She felt a sudden wave of panic flood through her, and she turned to Jenny.

  “Are we nearly there? I need another drink.”

  “Nearly, couple of minutes. Are you okay, Kate? You look a bit weird.”

  “She’s probably having second thoughts.” Vicky chuckled. “Bit late now, Katy. Only three weeks to go.”

  “Three weeks and one day,” Kate snapped. “And don’t call me Katy. I’m Kate now. Have been for years.”

  “Okay, okay. Don’t be so touchy. So are you having second thoughts, then? Have you realised I have more in common with your fiancé than you do?” Vicky flicked her long glossy hair over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes at Kate.

  “Fuck off, Vicky.” Kate reached round Jenny and slapped her sister on the leg. “No, I’m not having second thoughts, and Richard and I get on very well. We have loads in common.”

  “Right. We’re here.” Relief sounded in Jenny’s voice. “Look, there are the others, waiting for us.” She waved at the three girls standing on the pavement outside a brightly lit Italian restaurant. “Come on. Out you get, and please stop bickering.” She turned to the driver. “Meet us back here at nine? That should be about right. Thanks.”

  She ushered Kate and Vicky out onto the pavement, and Chelsea, Maria, and Hannah rushed forward and pounced on Kate, dragging her towards the restaurant, all chattering together.

  Chapter 8

  “Kate! Kate, you still awake?” Jenny shook Kate’s shoulder as the taxi drew up alongside the kerb. “We’re back in the village. Just one more stop, then home.”

  Kate opened her eyes and smiled woozily. “Yeah, I’m awake. I’m fine. Ready for anything.” She pushed open the door of the taxi and stepped out onto the pavement. As the cooler night air hit her, she wobbled slightly and caught at Hannah’s arm to steady herself.

  “You too, Kate?” Hannah hiccupped and giggled at the same time. “I can barely walk. Have you had fun, though?”

  “Brill’ant fun.” Kate nodded over-enthusiastically and found her head began to spin. “Should do this ev’y day.” Still clutching on to one another, she and Hannah waited as the others joined them on the pavement. “Where we goin’ now, Jen?”

  “Our last stop. The Harlequin’s Arms. Thought our local should be the finale.”

  “I like the Harlee…Harlequin—thingy.” Kate nodded again, wishing the pavement would stop moving. “Lead on.”

  Laughing, the six girls wobbled their way along the main street of the village towards the large timbered pub that had pride of place on the village green. As they approached, Kate suddenly felt her face go hot and cold, and she grabbed Jenny’s arm.

  “Jen, Jen. I can’t go in there.” She was suddenly sober, her eyes wide with panic. “We can’t go in there. Stop them.”

  “Kate? Whatever’s wrong? Do you feel sick?”

  “No, no. Of course not. I’m fine. I can’t go in because of who owns the pub.”

  Jenny stared at her for a moment; then her hand flew up to cover her mouth. “Oh, shit. I never even considered that. Sam’s parents.”

  “Yeah, Sam’s parents. They own it, they live there, and he’s staying there. They’ll see me and tell him.” Kate tried to pull away and turn around.

  “Kate, come on!” Vicky was at the door of the pub. “It’s your night, and this is the last stop. Hurry up. Oh, god, you’re not going to be sick, are you? God, you’re such a lightweight.”

  “No, I’m not going to be sick.” Kate swung round again, her anger at her sister’s words overcoming her reluctance. “I am not a lightweight. I just think maybe we should stop now…”

  Her words were met with a chorus of disapproval from her friends, and before she could do anything about it, she found herself borne along to the entrance of the pub. Vicky opened the door and pushed her through, chuckling as Kate staggered a little and had to catch hold of a table to steady herself.

  “Come on, girls, I’ll get the drinks in. Shots everyone?” Vicky was already at the bar.

  “It’s okay, Kate,” Jenny murmured in her ear. “Look, it’s just bar staff. The Somervilles aren’t here. Come on, just a quick drink to finish off the evening.”

  Kate looked around cautiously and nodded. “Okay, I guess it would look really weird if I went home. But keep me hidden if they do appear.” She moved over to the bar with the others, several locals congratulating her as she passed, and took the glass Vicky held out to her.

 
; As one, the six girls downed their shots and put the glasses back on the bar. Vicky laughed. “Again? Shall we get six more?”

  Kate and the others moved slightly away, and Jenny suggested they take over the table in the corner. Kate was just about to sit down when Vicky’s voice reached her.

  “Kate, look. There’s Sam Somerville! I thought he was abroad somewhere. Didn’t you have a major crush on him at school?” Before either Kate or Jenny could stop her, Vicky had waved across the bar. “Sam! Hi, Sam, didn’t know you were back.”

  Kate shrank back in her corner seat as she saw Sam appear behind the bar and wander over towards Vicky.

  “Hello, Vicky. Up to no good as usual, I assume?” He stopped in front of her. “What can I get you?”

  “Six more Tequila slammers, please.”

  “Six?” Sam turned away to get the glasses. “That’s a lot, even for you.”

  “Stupid. I’m on a Hen Night. They’re all over there. This is our last stop.”

  “Ah, the Hen Night. Yeah, Katy mentioned that. Are you having fun?”

  “Yeah, it’s been good. You back now, then?”

  “Clearly.” Sam put the drinks in front of her. “Never was any fooling you, was there, Vicky.”

  “Back working here, I mean?”

  “For now. Until I get what I really want. So, where’s the bride? Do I know her?”

  Vicky stared at him and gave a short laugh. “Kate told you about the Hen Night but didn’t say who the bride was? That’s priceless.” She turned to the corner table. “Kate, get over here.”

  Kate shrank even further back in her seat and shook her head.

  “Come on, Sam wants to see the bride.”

  Before she could protest, Hannah and Chelsea had moved out of the way, and Maria was pushing Kate along the seat towards the bar. Realising she had no choice, and that whatever she did, Sam was going to find out, Kate slowly got to her feet, straightened her L Plates, and walked as steadily as she could towards the bar. Sam was staring at her, a completely unreadable expression on his face. She stopped in front of him and stared back.

  “Katy.” He gave a slight nod. “You look nice.”

  “Thank you.” Her voice just managed a whisper. Out of the corner of her eye she was aware that a grinning Vicky had taken her place at the table with the others. She took a deep breath and looked up at Sam.

  “So is there something you want to tell me?” he asked, raising his eyebrows and leaning his elbows on the bar.

  Kate shook her head. “No,” she said. “If I’d wanted to tell you I would have. Now I don’t need to.”

  “It’s your Hen Party.”

  “Yes.”

  “So you’re getting married?”

  “Yes.”

  “To the person you’re seeing on a casual basis?”

  Kate looked down at her hands resting on the bar. “I think I want to go home now.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She was silent for a moment, eventually raising her head and looking straight at him. Their eyes locked, and for a second Kate thought she saw something flicker. She shook her head.

  “It’s all right.” Sam took pity on her. “I understand. Well, let me congratulate you and wish you every happiness.”

  Kate swallowed. “Thank you. Can I get a glass of water?”

  Sam reached for a glass and filled it up, adding some ice and placing it on the bar in front of her. As she picked it up and took a long swig, he leant closer and murmured in her ear. “Are we still on for tomorrow night? Or…”

  Kate put the water glass back on the bar and wiped her hand over her mouth. “Yes. If you want to. I can explain…this.”

  “Yes, I want to. See you at seven. Enjoy the rest of your party.” He moved along the bar to serve someone else, and Kate slowly walked over to the table to join her friends.

  She slid back into her seat and found five pairs of eyes staring at her. “What?”

  “You told Sam Somerville you were going to a Hen Party but didn’t say it was yours?” Hannah stared at her in amazement. “Why didn’t you tell him?”

  “Because I only saw him for a couple of minutes.” Kate flashed a warning glance at Jenny. “It was at that dreadful WI fête last weekend. He suddenly appeared and said hello.”

  “And you told him about the Hen party, why?” Vicky was clearly enjoying her sister’s discomfort.

  “He suggested a group of us meet up tonight for a catch-up. I told him I was busy, and he asked where I was going. I said a Hen party. And then he had to leave.” Kate wriggled uncomfortably. “It’s no big deal. He knows now. He’s been away for eight years. It was a bit of a shock to see him, actually.”

  “I bet it was.” Chelsea giggled, her blonde curls bobbing over her eyes. “He’s just as hot as he was at school, too.”

  Vicky rolled her eyes. “God, did all your year fancy him, then? Kate had a real crush on him. Can’t see what all the fuss is, actually. Not my type at all, far too scruffy.”

  “Did he go abroad straight after…you know? Straight after Cerys…” Maria tailed off, her face sombre.

  “Yeah. Pretty much straight after.” Jenny nodded. “And this is the first time he’s been back, I think.”

  Kate wriggled a bit and yawned. “I’m getting really tired now. Can we make this the last drink? I’d love to get home and slob about for a bit. You’re all coming, yeah?”

  “Yeah, I’m getting a bit knackered too.” Jenny immediately backed her up. “Shall we go back to Kate’s and have snacks?”

  “You’re all so boring and old!” Vicky stared at them in disgust. “It’s only just gone midnight. I’m staying here until they throw me out.”

  “You’re welcome to.” Kate stood up. “I didn’t want you at my Hen night anyway, remember. Come on, girls, I’m the Hen, and I decide when we go home.”

  “Thought you’d all want to stay and ogle sexy Sam.” Vicky picked up Kate’s discarded Tequila and downed it in one. “Since you all love him so much.”

  “No, you’re coming with us.” Jenny caught Vicky’s arm and pulled her to her feet none too gently. “Not having you stay here and make a fool of yourself. We’re all going back with Kate. It’s what she wants.”

  Grumbling audibly, Vicky allowed Jenny to propel her towards the door, and they all made their way out into the clear night. At the door, Kate turned and glanced over at Sam. He caught her eye, and she detected the hint of a wink, then he went back to serving his customer. She followed the others outside and joined them on the pavement.

  “Thanks for tonight, girls,” she said, putting her arms around Jenny and Maria. “I’ve had a totally brilliant time. You are the best friends ever. You don’t mind if we go back now, do you?”

  “Not so long as you have snacks and wine,” Hannah said with a giggle. “Or maybe coffee!”

  “We have all that.” Kate smiled and started off down the road. “And Mum and Dad will be in bed. They know we’re all coming back, so they’ll keep out of the way. We can have another party.”

  Jenny caught her arm as they made their way along the road towards Kate’s house. “You okay?” she whispered.

  “Ish.” Kate gave a lopsided smile. “That was awful in the pub, but at least he knows now. That’s let you off the hook!”

  Jenny laughed. “Yeah, right. Like I was actually going to tell him anyway! I only agreed to that to shut you up.”

  Kate giggled and slapped her arm. “Bitch,” she said affectionately. “Love you, Jen.”

  “Love you too, Kate.”

  Chapter 9

  Saturday 4th July

  “Kate, are you asleep again?” Helen shook Kate’s shoulder. “Honestly, what time did you get to bed last night anyway?”

  Kate stretched and uncurled herself from the wicker chair in the conservatory. “Dunno. ’Bout five, I think.”

  “Good grief! I heard you all come back here about twelve thirty. What on earth were you doing after that?”

&n
bsp; “Oh, not much. Talking. Drinking, eating. We played a few silly Hen Night games. That was fun.” Kate grinned up at her mother. “I have lovely friends.”

  “You do. You’re a lucky girl. Lovely friends, a caring fiancé, and of course, the best parents in the world.”

  Kate grinned again. “Of course, Mum. Hannah and Maria went to sleep first, but they both had to work this morning. They left long before I woke up.”

  “I know. I gave them breakfast.” Helen looked smug. “Well I tried to, anyway. They actually only managed coffee and a piece of toast, but at least I tried. They did look a bit worse for wear. Chelsea and Jenny have both gone now too, haven’t they? Or are they tucked away in some corner and I haven’t noticed them?”

  Kate giggled. “They’ve gone. Jen has a date tonight, and Chelsea has to go to her grandmother’s birthday party. Has Vicky gone? I do hope so.”

  “Kate, when will you two learn to get on?” Helen sighed in annoyance. “But yes, she went about an hour ago. She’s going somewhere or other tonight, I think. She always seems to be out socialising. I’m surprised she can keep up with it all, with that demanding job of hers.”

  Kate closed her eyes and sank down in her chair. “Oh, bloody Vicky and her bloody job,” she muttered. “She’s so bloody perfect.”

  “Kate, language!” Helen frowned at her. “I do wish you two could get on. And Vicky has done very well for herself with that job. I heard her telling Richard all about it last time they were both here. He seemed most impressed.”

  Kate stood up and flounced over to the window. “Oh, bully for Vicky. Maybe Richard should marry her instead, then.”

  “Kate, now don’t be silly. You mustn’t be jealous just because your sister has a better job. You’ll find what you want to do soon, I’m sure. Vicky has always been more focused. Now I’m just going to make a cuppa. D’you want one?”

  Kate shook her head and stared out down the garden. “No. Thanks. What time is it anyway?”