Suitable. There was that word again.

Katy felt as though her head was exploding.

What was happening to her?

Normally she’d do anything to keep the peace for her mother’s sake, but today she just wanted to run screaming into the distance.

‘Start the job if you must,’ her mother carried on, ‘but you’ll be marrying Freddie in three months and you’ll have to give it up then. Oh, look, there’s Freddie’s mother. I must talk to her about the arrangements.’ She glared at Libby. ‘Elizabeth, go and change into something that hides your underwear before your father sees you. Please.’

She turned and walked with studied elegance across the lawn, beaming at her guests and reaching for another glass of champagne.

Libby gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘It’s a good job we’re triplets. At least they managed to get the physical contact over in one go.’

‘Libby!’ Katy turned to her, her blue eyes wide with reproach, and Libby shrugged.

‘Well, it’s true. Look at them.’ She tilted her head to one side. ‘They don’t show each other any affection. Their marriage is a business arrangement. It’s no wonder you, Alex and I are so dysfunctional. Look at our role models.’

Katy licked dry lips. ‘We’re not dysfunctional.’

‘Yes, we are. You’ve spent so much of your life trying to please Dad and avoid his wrath that you don’t even know who you are any more. I’m so determined to be the opposite of everything they want me to be that I’ve forgotten who I am, too. And as for Alex…’ Libby turned and scanned the garden, looking for their brother. ‘Alex is so disillusioned about marriage that he sets a three-month rule. After three months with a woman he ends the relationship just to be sure that they don’t start hearing the word “serious”. He’s the original commitment-phobe.’

Katy looked at her. ‘So are you.’

‘And can you blame me?’ Libby looked at her parents and shuddered dramatically. ‘If that’s marriage, then I hope I die single.’

‘Libby, that’s an awful thing to say.’

A bee hovered close to them and Libby took a step backwards.

‘Oops. Killer insects.’

Katy frowned, knowing that her sister was very allergic to bee stings. ‘Are you carrying adrenaline?’

Libby grinned and tapped her tiny bag. ‘Lipstick and adrenaline. A girl’s best friends.’

Katy knew that, despite the smile, Libby took her allergy seriously. They all did. Libby had had a frighteningly severe reaction to a sting in the past and none of them had ever forgotten it. Particularly Alex, who had been the one who’d kept his sister alive until the ambulance had arrived. Ever since then Katy had always carried adrenaline and she knew that Alex did, too. Just in case.

The bee moved away and Katy’s gaze was caught by Freddie, who was taking a call on his mobile phone.

Libby’s soft mouth tightened. ‘Don’t marry him, Katy.’ Her voice was soft. ‘As Mum says, there are three months to go. Plenty of time to change your mind.’