Alice could hear gasps of glee.
‘Oh my God – amazing!’ said another girl. ‘He is such a party animal.’
‘He says just wait for the parties he’s going to have here.’
‘Chop it out on the sink surround,’ said another. ‘I’m not snorting it off the loo seat.’
Alice stood up, rearranged her dress and came out of the cubicle. Lulu smiled at her brightly.
‘Do you want some?’ she asked. She held up a little bag of white powder.
They were too stupid and drunk to be careful, thought Alice, or to realise that she wasn’t like them. They assumed because she was marrying Hugh she would be the same as they were. She held out her hand.
‘Can I have it, please?’
Lulu blinked for a moment. ‘Sure – if you want to do the honours.’
‘Thanks.’ Alice took the bag. She looked down at it.
‘There’s loads,’ said Lulu. ‘Enough for all of us to have a good time.’ She giggled. ‘Hugh said just because he’s moving to the country doesn’t mean he’s going to turn into a bumpkin.’
Alice shut her hand around the bag. ‘Sorry, girls,’ she said. ‘But this is mine.’
Lulu was outraged. ‘You can’t just walk off with it!’
‘Watch me,’ said Alice.
She felt very calm as she walked down the steps and across the lawn back to the reception. No one dared to follow her. She could see Hugh, holding court at their table. He’d looked her in the eye and lied to her, she thought. She could almost, almost have excused the cocaine, but not the lying. You couldn’t be married to someone who was prepared to hide that kind of thing from you.
She walked over to their table. Hugh saw her and stood up with a smile.
‘My beautiful bride,’ he said.
She wasn’t going to take issue with him about what he’d said about her scar. She couldn’t be bothered.
Instead, she dangled the little bag in front of him. His face turned as white as the powder.
‘Here’s the deal,’ she said to him. ‘You leave this wedding reception right now. On Monday morning you call your solicitor and arrange for an annulment. For which you will pick up all the fees, yours and mine. And I never want to see you again.’
Hugh opened his mouth to protest. He put up his hand to take the bag off her, but she snatched it away.
‘Either that, or I call the police. But then it would all be over the papers and, to be honest, we don’t want the scandal.’
She could see her parents bearing down on her out of the corner of her eye.
‘Darling?’ said Sarah.
‘Hugh will explain,’ said Alice. ‘Won’t you, Hugh?’
Ralph loomed over his son-in-law. ‘What’s the story, Hugh?’
‘It’s not what it looks like. I think Alice is—’
‘Alice is what?’ asked Alice. ‘Look, I don’t want a fuss. I want everyone to carry on and enjoy themselves. It would be a shame to break up the party now. Daddy, perhaps you would get Hugh a taxi? I don’t think he’s fit to drive. And Mummy – there’s someone I need to go and see. Could you be hostess for me? I’ll be back later.’
Sarah hesitated for a moment. Whatever had happened, it was serious. Things weren’t going to pan out as she’d thought they would. But she trusted Alice, and had made her a promise that very morning. She and Ralph would be there for her, whatever happened. And she thought she knew who it was Alice was going to find.
‘Of course, darling.’
Alice gave her mother a hug and left the reception.
She was going to leave Hugh to explain. She smiled as she thought about his bluster. How he would try and squirm out of it. Her parents would deal with him appropriately, she was sure, and make certain there was as little fuss as possible.
She made her way to the courtyard round the back of the house, where her old banger was parked. She fished around for the key on the top of the wall. She always kept it there, because she lost it otherwise. She started up the engine and put the car into reverse. Luckily she’d only had one glass of champagne, because she was still on painkillers. She turned the car round and headed off down the drive.
Dillon was on his second pint of cider. He’d better stop at that, and maybe have something more to eat. Or maybe he should go home now. The trouble with drink was it could fool you into thinking it made you feel better.
Brian walked past him and patted him on the back. ‘Not at the wedding of the year, mate?’
‘No chance,’ said Dillon. She’d be married by now, he thought. He took another sip of his pint, then put it down. It tasted sour. He didn’t want any more.
There was consternation over by the door. He looked over and frowned. It was dark outside so he couldn’t be sure. But the figure in the doorway was wearing a white dress. A wedding dress. The veil on her head had come loose and her hem was spattered with mud.
‘Alice?’
She walked over to his table.
‘I think I’d like a glass of elderflower cordial,’ she said. ‘And maybe some crisps. Salt and vinegar.’