working out her thoughts as she spoke. “Mostly.”
“Mostly?” Sophie asked her gently. “What do you mean, Bella?”
Bella shrugged. “I just mean mostly,” she said. “I want you and Daddy to be married, mostly.”
“Okay,” Sophie said briefly, pressing the palm of her hand against Bella’s cheek. “Well, if you think of what the mostly bit means, then you will tell me, won’t you? Because how you feel is more important to me than anything; and anyway, as if I could ever possibly have any bridesmaids other than you even if I wanted to. Although I think we might have to work on your look a bit.”
“I was thinking wings,” Izzy said. “Glittery ones.”
“And I was thinking of ponies,” Bella said, catching Izzy’s enthusiasm and making her momentary reticence seem like a passing whim. “I thought we could ride ponies down the aisle. That would be really cool!”
The word “aisle” made Sophie think of a million different things at once. But principally churches, dresses, guests, an actual wedding that would result in an actual marriage that would mean she had made a real and life-changing decision that would be finally finalized in about the most final way that a decision possibly could be. With a legally binding contract. Suddenly she found that she was the one who was “mostly” glad she had agreed to marry Louis Gregory.
“Well, we can sort out all the details later,” Louis said, catching the look in Sophie’s eyes and peeling himself off the banister to help her to her feet. “For now we’re going to Newquay to get Sophie’s engagement ring resized.”
“Can we wear this?” Bella asked him, gesturing at her bridesmaid-meets-Vegas outfit.
It would have been churlish to refuse.
• • •
It wasn’t a long journey to Newquay, but it had been a very loud one.
“Aunty Sophie,” Izzy had asked. “Who will you be once you and Daddy are married?”
“Who will I be?” Sophie had glanced at Louis, who was driving. “I’ll be me, of course.”
“Mrs. Sophie Gregory,” Louis said proudly.
“I’m not changing my name,” Sophie said without thinking. She glanced at Louis, unable to read his expression from his profile. “I mean, no one changes their name these days, plus I’ve got my professional reputation to think of. Sophie Mills has a reputation in the events industry. No one will have heard of Sophie Gregory.”
“But, Sophie, you don’t have a job anymore,” Bella pointed out with her usual clarity. “No one cares what you’re called.”
“Don’t have a new job yet , Bella,” Sophie corrected her, noticing how Louis kept his eyes on the road, his expression set in neutral. “But I will have one and, well, I’ve been me for a long time now. I’m used to it.”
“Could I change my name to Princess Izzy, Queen of Ice?” Izzy piped up. “I’m not used to my name at all!”
“The second you turn eighteen,” Louis told her, soliciting an extended “not fair” moan from the rear of the car.
Sophie did not mention the other niggling anxiety that had popped into her head the second Louis mentioned her potential name. She’d already taken Carrie’s children, admittedly according to the wishes of her friend, and now she also had her dead friend’s husband. To take her name seemed to be going too far, as if she were really trying to step into the shoes of that mythic first wife, just like a latter-day second Mrs. de Winter obsessing over Rebecca.
“How about Mrs. Aunty Sophie?” Izzy hazarded.
“I like ‘Sophie Mills,’ ” Bella said, providing Sophie with an unexpected ally. “And just because her and Daddy will be married doesn’t mean she won’t be our aunty Sophie anymore.”
“Exactly,” Sophie said.
“But what if I want to call her—” Izzy began.
“GIRLS!” Louis had raised his voice to cut across whatever Izzy had been about to say. “That’s enough questions, you’re giving Sophie a headache!
“Mostly?” Sophie asked her gently. “What do you mean, Bella?”
Bella shrugged. “I just mean mostly,” she said. “I want you and Daddy to be married, mostly.”
“Okay,” Sophie said briefly, pressing the palm of her hand against Bella’s cheek. “Well, if you think of what the mostly bit means, then you will tell me, won’t you? Because how you feel is more important to me than anything; and anyway, as if I could ever possibly have any bridesmaids other than you even if I wanted to. Although I think we might have to work on your look a bit.”
“I was thinking wings,” Izzy said. “Glittery ones.”
“And I was thinking of ponies,” Bella said, catching Izzy’s enthusiasm and making her momentary reticence seem like a passing whim. “I thought we could ride ponies down the aisle. That would be really cool!”
The word “aisle” made Sophie think of a million different things at once. But principally churches, dresses, guests, an actual wedding that would result in an actual marriage that would mean she had made a real and life-changing decision that would be finally finalized in about the most final way that a decision possibly could be. With a legally binding contract. Suddenly she found that she was the one who was “mostly” glad she had agreed to marry Louis Gregory.
“Well, we can sort out all the details later,” Louis said, catching the look in Sophie’s eyes and peeling himself off the banister to help her to her feet. “For now we’re going to Newquay to get Sophie’s engagement ring resized.”
“Can we wear this?” Bella asked him, gesturing at her bridesmaid-meets-Vegas outfit.
It would have been churlish to refuse.
• • •
It wasn’t a long journey to Newquay, but it had been a very loud one.
“Aunty Sophie,” Izzy had asked. “Who will you be once you and Daddy are married?”
“Who will I be?” Sophie had glanced at Louis, who was driving. “I’ll be me, of course.”
“Mrs. Sophie Gregory,” Louis said proudly.
“I’m not changing my name,” Sophie said without thinking. She glanced at Louis, unable to read his expression from his profile. “I mean, no one changes their name these days, plus I’ve got my professional reputation to think of. Sophie Mills has a reputation in the events industry. No one will have heard of Sophie Gregory.”
“But, Sophie, you don’t have a job anymore,” Bella pointed out with her usual clarity. “No one cares what you’re called.”
“Don’t have a new job yet , Bella,” Sophie corrected her, noticing how Louis kept his eyes on the road, his expression set in neutral. “But I will have one and, well, I’ve been me for a long time now. I’m used to it.”
“Could I change my name to Princess Izzy, Queen of Ice?” Izzy piped up. “I’m not used to my name at all!”
“The second you turn eighteen,” Louis told her, soliciting an extended “not fair” moan from the rear of the car.
Sophie did not mention the other niggling anxiety that had popped into her head the second Louis mentioned her potential name. She’d already taken Carrie’s children, admittedly according to the wishes of her friend, and now she also had her dead friend’s husband. To take her name seemed to be going too far, as if she were really trying to step into the shoes of that mythic first wife, just like a latter-day second Mrs. de Winter obsessing over Rebecca.
“How about Mrs. Aunty Sophie?” Izzy hazarded.
“I like ‘Sophie Mills,’ ” Bella said, providing Sophie with an unexpected ally. “And just because her and Daddy will be married doesn’t mean she won’t be our aunty Sophie anymore.”
“Exactly,” Sophie said.
“But what if I want to call her—” Izzy began.
“GIRLS!” Louis had raised his voice to cut across whatever Izzy had been about to say. “That’s enough questions, you’re giving Sophie a headache!
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