Changing her hair, however, had been the coup de grâce. Alanna had found an old picture of Rita Hayworth and taken it along to a top city hairdresser to reproduce. The end result was a very sexy style, which fell in bangs and waves from a side parting to Natalie’s shoulders. Her naturally auburn colour had been deepened with some more red, making her pale skin glow by comparison.

‘I couldn’t agree more,’ Alanna said. ‘If Mike doesn’t go for you in this outfit,’ she whispered in the bride’s ear as she adjusted the ivory chiffon scarf around her head, ‘then I’ll go jump off the penthouse balcony.’

‘You and me both,’ Natalie murmured back.

‘I can’t believe you didn’t buy that dress in a bridal shop!’ Holly exclaimed. ‘It looks like a wedding dress. Yet it’s so original. I love the idea of the scarf instead of a veil.’

‘Yes, it’s most unusual,’ Alanna replied. ‘Ready, Natalie?’

Natalie looked away from where she’d been staring at herself in the mirror.

‘As ready as I’ll ever be,’ she returned, and picked up the small spray of orchids that she’d chosen as her bridal bouquet.

God, she was nervous. Yet excited at the same time.

She felt, not so much like a bride, but how she imagined an actor felt on opening night on Broadway. For what was this but a performance? She was going out there, not just to marry a man, but to seduce one.

She hadn’t set eyes on Mike since that Friday over a month ago. She’d made sure she hadn’t, deflecting him on the two occasions when he’d wanted to check on the clothes she and Alanna had been buying, then, today, making sure that the men didn’t come to Richard’s penthouse for the ceremony till she was safely in the guest bedroom, getting ready.

She and Alanna had been like two conspirators, plotting and planning.

Alanna had been right, though. It had been fun. Natalie was over the moon with the clothes they’d bought, not just her wedding dress, but her entire wardrobe. There was one evening gown in particular that she couldn’t wait to wear.

Mrs Helsinger had emailed Mike their social itinerary on the yacht, which included this really swish yacht-warming party on the second night of their stay on board. Mike had given this itinerary to Alanna, telling her to make sure his future ‘wife’ had everything she needed.

On his part, Mike had taken Reece shopping with him to make sure he wouldn’t let down his side in the clothing department. According to Alanna, Mike now had a wardrobe second to none.

‘What does Mike look like?’ she asked Holly.