Breaking All the Rules

by Rachael Richey

  “I’ll take it,” Vicky offered. “I can find somewhere to put it, but there’s no way you can have it with you. If I have it, it’ll never be far away from you. You can keep it until we get to the church, then give it to me before Jen and I walk down the aisle.”

  Kate hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Okay. Thank you. I know you think I’m crazy, and to be honest I probably am, but thank you anyway.”

  “Let’s go downstairs. The cars will be here any minute.” Jenny opened the door, Vicky straightened the train of Kate’s dress, and the three of them made their way slowly down the stairs.

  “Darling, you look wonderful!” Helen was in the hall attempting to get her hat to stay on. “Peter, come and see. She looks so beautiful.”

  Peter appeared in the doorway of the living room and stared up at his daughter. He nodded and smiled at her. “Yes. She looks lovely. Very beautiful.”

  Kate reached the bottom step and turned to flick her train round. “Thank you.” She watched her mother’s face and could see the glint of tears in her eyes. She really couldn’t let her down. It would destroy her. “Where’s Granny?”

  “She’s already left for the church. The car for me and the bridesmaids is already here, so if you two are ready, we should probably get going.” Helen gave up on the hat and picked up her bag. “Do I look all right?”

  “Mum, you look lovely.” Kate was fighting to keep the tears in. “Really nice. That colour really suits you.”

  “Well, this may be my only chance to be mother of the bride.” She fixed Vicky with a stern glare. “I may as well make the most of it. Come on, girls, let’s go.” She stepped forward and kissed Kate on the cheek. “See you in a little while, darling.”

  Kate stood very still as she watched them leave, Jenny glancing back over her shoulder with an agonised look before closing the door behind them. Her mother’s only chance to be mother of the bride. How could she spoil that for her? God, people kept making things more and more difficult.

  “Katy? Come and sit down for a minute.” Peter held out his hand to her. “We don’t need to leave for a few minutes.”

  She followed him into the living room and carefully sat down, trying not to crease her dress. She was acutely aware of the still slightly sticky makeup on her arm, and tried to avoid bumping it on the chair.

  “You look nice too, Dad.” She managed a smile. “Very smart.”

  “Thank you.” Peter watched her, his head on one side. “Do you want to talk about anything before we go?”

  “No. Thank you.” Kate looked away. “Maybe we could just go now. Drive round the block a bit or something? The car is here, isn’t it?”

  “Of course, if that’s what you want.” He got to his feet and helped her organise her train. “Come on, then. Have you got your bouquet?”

  Kate collected the blue-and-mauve bouquet from the hall table and waited while her father opened the front door. The old-fashioned white Rolls Royce was waiting in the road, and several of the neighbours had come out into their gardens to watch Kate leave. Summoning up a smile for them, Kate waved her hand as she climbed into the back of the car and arranged her dress around her. She leaned back against the leather seat and closed her eyes. It was really happening. This should be the happiest day of her life, and all she wanted to do was leap out and run as far away as possible. She was possibly about to ruin her life.

  Her father slid in beside her and leant forward to speak to the driver. “Go to the left at the end of the road. We’ll take the long way round to the church. Take your time.”

  “Dad? That’s going to take ages.” Kate looked at him in surprise.

  “I think we need to talk.”

  “No, I’m fine.” She shook her head and turned to look out the window, her face feeling suddenly hot.

  “Well, now, I have to say I don’t think you are.” Peter settled back in his seat and watched her. “You are, quite honestly, the saddest bride I have ever seen. And I don’t like to see my little girl like that.”

  Kate turned towards him, her eyes swimming with tears. “Oh, Dad, I’ve really messed up.”

  “Well, I thought you might have.” Peter smiled slightly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  Kate shook her head miserably. “No. Nothing to talk about. It’s my mess, and I need to sort it.”

  Peter narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. “And how are you going to do that?”

  Kate was silent. How could she answer that? By marrying Richard and then leaving him in a few months time? Was that really what she was thinking of doing? What sort of plan was that? What had Granny said? Not at all the way to go into a marriage—that had been it. And it was her decision. Why did that still stir a memory? Why was that important? Who had said that?

  “Kate?”

  “Dad, it’s all right. I know what I’m doing. I love you.”

  “I know. And I love you. We both love you, and whatever you decide, we always will.” He paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. “I just—I just don’t want you to make the same mistake my mother did.”

  Kate’s head shot up in surprise. “You know about that?”

  Peter smiled sadly. “I just know how sad my mother was when I was young. She tried not to let it show, but I knew. We were very close. She used to take me everywhere with her, and I got to recognise how she was feeling. Even when I was very young. My father was rather a cold man. He didn’t really deal with feelings very well, and I dare say he never noticed, but I knew.”

  “Granny talked to me the other day.” Kate spoke quietly. “She told me things about her life. Sad things, but she said you didn’t know.”

  “I have a very good memory.” Peter smiled. “I remember a very hot summer when I was about five, when Granny took me to lots of parties. She was happy and laughing all the time. She had lovely friends who played with me. There was one in particular. Looking back on it, I suspect there was something between them. Then one day it was all over. We never saw them again, and after that my mother always seemed just a little bit sad.” He caught Kate’s hand in his. “I don’t want you to be sad, Katy. Don’t make the wrong decision. Don’t make a decision you’ll regret all your life.”

  There it was again. Decision. Everyone kept saying it was her decision. Granny, Dad, and Sam. Sam! She stiffened in her seat. That was what Sam had said after they kissed. That was all until she had made her decision. He was making her decide. Just like Granny’s lover had made her decide. She went all hot and cold, and her head began to spin. He hadn’t told her to leave Richard because it had to be her decision. Not because he didn’t love her. He had been telling her he loved her, but trying to tell her she had to make her own decision. How could she have forgotten? How could it have taken her this long to figure it out?

  She turned to her father, her eyes wide. “Dad. I love you. Can we go straight to the church now?”

  “Of course.” Peter looked at her closely, muttered something to the driver, and the car turned right, heading towards the village and the church. Kate found her heart was beating at double speed, and beads of sweat were beginning to form on her forehead. Oh, why had she been so stupid? But it was still too late to cancel—how could she do this to Richard? Or to her Mum? Whatever her Dad said, she knew her Mum would be devastated. How could she do that to her? And poor Richard, he really hadn’t done anything wrong except be boring. And not be Sam.

  As they drew up at the church gate, Kate saw Jenny, Vicky, and the two flower girls waiting for her. Vicky was looking quite agitated and came straight over to the door when the car stopped.

  Kate stepped out onto the path and heaved her train with her.

  “Kate, I need to speak to you. Now.” Vicky caught her arm. “Dad, wait over there. I need to speak to her alone.”

  Peter nodded and stood to one side as his daughters moved over to the gate.

  “Kate, you can’t go through with this, and there’s something you need to know about Richard. He’s l
ied to you about other things.” Kate raised her eyebrows. “Remember the girl at the restaurant? That was me. I was also the girl at the party in Mayfair.”

  Kate stared at her, realisation dawning on her face. “Of course. I thought the girl at the restaurant looked familiar, but you had had your hair cut and I hadn’t seen it like that. But why? What’s been going on?”

  “We’re not having an affair.” Vicky shook her head. “It’s not like that. He’s been representing one of our clients in that big case in London, and I had gone with them. That’s why I was having dinner with them.” She hesitated. “The party was a bit different, though. I was in London on business, and when Richard found out, he asked if I’d like to go to a party with him. It was in Mayfair, and I must say I jumped at the chance. It didn’t really occur to me that it might seem odd, or that he wouldn’t tell you. He actually said you weren’t into those sorts of things, which if I’d cared to think about, might have seemed odd.” She took a deep breath and wrinkled her nose slightly. “Don’t freak out, but he actually made a pass at me.”

  Kate stared at her in horror. “Richard made a pass at you? How, why? What did you do? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Vicky looked distressed. “I didn’t tell you ’cause I thought it would upset you. I told him where to go, of course. I wouldn’t do that to you, however much we fight. He was a bit drunk, and he hadn’t seen you for ages, so I just put it down to a stupid moment. He apologised afterwards. I’m sorry, Kate. I should have told you.”

  Kate caught her sister’s hand. “Thank you for telling me now. That’s kinda shocked me in several ways, actually. I honestly thought he wouldn’t do something like that with anyone, let alone my sister, and you say he was drunk? I’ve never seen him drunk. I always thought he was way too boring to misbehave. And did he honestly say I wouldn’t like to go to a party in Mayfair? I’ve been asking him to take me to things like that for ages. He always says I’d get bored. I think he believes I’d let him down in front of his snooty friends.” She narrowed her eyes at her sister. “Did he say that?”

  Vicky shook her head. “No.” She made a face. “He did keep saying how well I fitted in with everyone, though. It got a bit creepy, actually. It was just after he’d said that for the dozenth time that he made his move. He tried to kiss me and said how much fun I was.”

  Kate took a deep breath. “More fun than me, I guess?”

  Vicky gave an apologetic shrug. “Well, he didn’t actually say that, but I kinda thought that’s what he meant. But please believe me when I say I told him where to go. And it was only the one party I went to. Did you say that man thought he saw you at several?”

  Kate nodded. “Yes, he did. I suppose he could have been mistaken, but maybe not. Now I know what he tried to do with you, maybe he has been taking other women out too. I do believe you, by the way. Thank you. I wish you’d told me sooner, even yesterday when I mentioned the party thing, but never mind. I reckon I’ve got enough there, and it makes me feel a lot less guilty.”

  “And there’s the skydiving,” Vicky added.

  “What?” Kate was confused.

  “He told me he wanted to go skydiving. Remember, I told you? I wondered if he’d do it for the Stag? Well, he never told you that. You don’t tell each other things, and if you loved each other enough to get married, then you would tell each other things, and neither of you would have felt the need for anyone else.”

  “Vicky, why are you doing this?”

  “Because I’ve never seen you so sad. I know we don’t usually get on, but I don’t want you to be sad, and I really meant it when I said Sam is better suited to you. Don’t ruin your life, Kate. Make the right decision. There’s still time. I can make it right with Mum and Dad.”

  Kate squeezed Vicky’s hand. “I know. Thank you. Maybe we can be better friends after this. Right. Shall we?” She smiled at Vicky’s expression. “Trust me. Here take my phone, and keep it handy.”

  She turned and started up the path towards the church door. As she and Vicky approached, Jenny left the flower girls and came to meet them.

  “Kate? What’s happening? You’re not going through with it, are you? Didn’t Vicky tell you?”

  “Trust me, Jen, I know what I’m doing.” Kate managed a grin. “Are we ready to go in?”

  “Kate, this isn’t like your job.”

  “What?”

  “Pretending it’s temporary. That wouldn’t work. You can’t go into it like that.” Jenny shook her arm gently.

  Kate’s face broke into a smile. “Oh, that’s what he meant! God, why did he have to be so cryptic? I shall have words about that. Don’t worry, Jen, it’ll all be okay. You two go and take the flower girls. Dad and I will be just behind you. Trust me.”

  With a puzzled look at her friend, Jenny took the smaller flower girl by the hand and walked into the church. Vicky followed with the other flower girl, and Kate heard the music start up. She turned to her father and took a deep breath.

  “Okay, Dad. Are you ready?” She took his arm, and they moved to the door. The bridesmaids were slowly making their way down the aisle, the flower girls carefully scattering their petals in front of them, and over their heads Kate could just make out Richard and his best man standing at the front.

  She took a deep breath and held tight to her father’s arm. As the music began to swell and they took their positions in the doorway, Kate murmured in her father’s ear, “I’m sorry, Dad. Please forgive me. I tried to do it for you and Mum, but I can’t. I’m sorry. I love you both.”

  Peter squeezed her hand. “I love you, Katy. We just want you to be happy. Should we be walking down the aisle, though?”

  “I couldn’t take that away from you. This may be your only chance to walk one of your daughters down the aisle.” Kate gave him a small smile.

  “You may do this again.” Peter was watching her closely.

  “Not like this.” Kate shook her head. “If I ever do decide to marry someone else, it won’t be in a church. It’ll be on a beach, or up a mountain, or on a boat. This is our only chance to walk down an aisle. Shall we?”

  Peter nodded and kissed her on the cheek. “Good luck, Katy. I hope it all works out. You deserve to be happy.”

  “Not sure about that.” Kate grimaced. “But thanks.”

  The music reached a crescendo, and they stepped into the church and started down the aisle towards the altar. Kate was uncomfortably aware of the smiling faces watching her, and very nearly lost her nerve when she caught her mother’s eye. Helen was already crying, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, Marion beside her, an inscrutable look on her face.

  As they arrived at the front of the church, Peter let go of her arm and took a couple of steps backwards, leaving her standing a few feet away from Richard. She glanced sideways at him, then took a deep breath and leaned forward to the vicar.

  “May I have a word with Richard, please?”

  “Of course.” The vicar looked from one to the other of them in surprise. “Would you like to go to the vestry?”

  “No. Here is fine.”

  “Kate?” Richard’s voice had a slight edge to it. “What are you doing?”

  “I need to ask you a couple of questions.” Kate turned to face him, aware that the congregation had gone silent. “Do you want to go skydiving?”

  “What, now?”

  “No, not now. Don’t be ridiculous. You told Vicky you would like to go skydiving. Is that true?”

  Richard glanced nervously across the church to where the bridesmaids were standing. “Well, yes. I do quite fancy it. Kate, what is this?”

  “Richard, why didn’t you tell me?” Kate’s voice was sad. “That’s a big thing. Something one would normally share with a fiancée. But you didn’t tell me. You let me believe you were even more boring than you actually are.” Richard started to speak, but Kate held up her hand. “No, wait. I haven’t finished. I haven’t told you everything, either. You actually thought I liked being a secretary, and t
hat was my fault because I never told you I didn’t. I hate that job. It was only ever temporary. I should have told you that, but we never talk about things like that, do we? Richard, don’t you think that people who are going to spend the rest of their lives together should tell each other things? I do.”

  Richard was staring at her, a look of incomprehension on his face. “Kate, why are you saying all this? We can get past this. We can start talking more.”

  “No, Richard, I don’t think we can.” Kate stared at him sadly. “I’m really sorry, but I don’t think we can. We’ve also been lying to each other, and people in love don’t do that.” He was staring at her in horror, his face beginning to go red. “If I didn’t know it wasn’t the case, I could be forgiven for thinking you were having an affair with my sister.”

  He made a strangled sound, and Kate held up her hand.

  “Wait. I know you’re not, but you lied to me. She was the woman I saw you with at that restaurant. You told me she didn’t stay for long at your Stag party. She stayed all evening. And she also told me you took her to the party in Mayfair, and what happened while you were there. We won’t go into that now, but I am sure you can see why I might be bothered by that?”

  Kate looked up at him. “And that friend of yours mentioned other parties he thought he’d seen me at. Vicky says she only went to one, so who were the other women who looked like me? I’m sorry, Richard, but I really don’t think we should get married. I’m sorry.”

  She was aware of a low moaning sound behind her that she was rather afraid was coming from her mother, and she almost faltered.

  Richard was staring at her nervously. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me at that party. It’s you I want, Kate.”

  “I’m not sure you do, actually. If we were as in love as we need to be to get married, then you wouldn’t have done what you did, and neither would I.” She saw his frown and held up her hand. “I’ll explain that in a minute. And if you really think I wouldn’t enjoy one of those parties in London, then you don’t know me at all. My guess is you think I’d embarrass you, and you found Vicky and maybe some other people were more sophisticated companions. And—let’s be honest—what do we really have in common? You said I wouldn’t be any good as an explorer. I want a man who will let me be myself, and if I want to be an explorer, or an astronaut, then I expect his support. Not someone who tells me I’d be a better secretary.”