But Marcus shook his head, putting a hand on her leg. “It’s all been done to make things easier for you. I know you’re short on time. You’re working towards a promotion at work. You’re busy. This woman seems very capable. She can even step in to be your bridesmaid if you want her to, which might not be a bad shout seeing as Delta has fallen to pieces since Nora broke up with her.” Marcus wasn’t finished. “But mainly, her role is to be there for you, right up until the end of the wedding day.”

Abby frowned. She still couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “My bridesmaid? Are you mad?”

Marcus gave her a tepid smile. “She’s your personal assistant/bridesmaid. There just for you. Someone on call 24/7.”

Abby was still shaking her head. “I have bridesmaids, Marcus. I don’t need a fake one. Delta is my maid of honour, you know that. And it’s precisely because she’s just been dumped by her useless girlfriend that she needs something to focus on. Being my maid of honour is it. I can’t take that off her. She’d crumble completely.”

Now it was Marcus’s turn to frown. “I’m not saying take the title from Delta. Just the responsibility. You have to admit, she’s already causing you stress, asking you loads of questions about the hen weekend which she should have already sorted. Between Delta and my mother, I’d say this woman could be just what you need.”

He had a point. Abby had tasked Delta with organising the hen weekend trip, but had ended up doing most of it herself. Delta had promised to take on the details, but then her split had happened. Since then, she’d holed herself up like it was the end of the world, forgetting her best friend was getting married in a few weeks, and her hen weekend was fast approaching.

“I don’t know.” But Abby’s brain was already processing.

“I think you do. Is Delta going to be there for you? Or your cousin Taran? Think about it. Someone to confide in, someone to do whatever you need. You only get one go at this, Abs. I want you to arrive at our wedding stress-free. If that means paying for someone to hold your hand for the next few weeks, so be it.”

“I’m a grown-ass woman, Marcus. I can handle this myself.” She could just imagine what her Glaswegian mother would say about a professional bridesmaid stepping in.

He gave her a look. “This woman can deal with my mother for the next few weeks. She can take all the flack.”

Abby stilled. “Can she deal with her totally? And take over the hen do?”