Lorcan and I exchanged a look. I knew they went back a way but Peyton had omitted to mention that they’d dated.

‘Really?’

‘You shouldn’t listen to gossip,’ her brother cautioned.

‘It’s not gossip, actually,’ Aoife said, pointedly. ‘I saw them just this afternoon. Mark took me for lunch at the hotel. They were on a corner table cosied up together, giggling away.’

Lorcan’s body was tensing beside me and, without thinking, I rested my hand on his leg. His hand slid to mine and covered it. OK, that was unexpected but, if it kept him calm, it wasn’t the most unpleasant feeling in the world. If I’d had more time to think about anything other than the wedding, I might have thought it was a very pleasant feeling indeed.

‘They’re old friends and she hasn’t seen him for a long time. I’m sure they were just catching up.’

‘I guess.’ Aoife’s expression didn’t match her words.

‘Does Patrick know they dated in college?’

‘Not that I’m aware of,’ Lorcan replied, his brows lowered, thoughts clearly running through his mind on behalf of his friend. ‘I can ask.’

‘No!’ Aoife, Maria and I all replied.

‘What?’

‘It’s not our place to ask questions like that.’

‘I’m his best mate. I can ask what I like.’

‘And say what?’ I questioned him.

‘I don’t know. How about “Did you know that louse of a so-called photographer, who has seemed entirely unenthusiastic about this whole wedding from the start, used to date your fiancée and has been getting cosy with her?”’

‘You do that and I will do something extremely unpleasant to parts of your anatomy I imagine you’re very fond of. Do you understand?’ My voice was calm but my words were sincere.

Silence drifted over the table for the first time.

‘Oh my God, please marry him. You’re the best.’ Aoife shattered it, laughing as she spoke.

Lorcan flicked his gaze to her momentarily, which she returned without flinching.

‘Fine. I won’t say anything.’

‘Everything’s going to be fine. This time tomorrow, Patrick and Peyton will be married and partying and that little twit can disappear back from whence he came.’

‘And what will you be doing then?’ Maria asked me.

‘Oh, I’ve got a morning flight back to London the following day. I think I might treat myself to a couple of days with my feet up.’

Lorcan gave a snort of disbelief so I kicked him. His mum hadn’t actually specified booting him was only in particular circumstances, after all.

‘After that it will be back to planning the next weddings on my books.’

‘Are you spending Christmas with your family?’ Maria asked and I felt Lorcan’s hand, still resting on mine, tighten.