“And here she is,” he said, rising to his feet. “The ripely beautiful woman I’ve been tracing in the unformed face of the pretty girl these last ten minutes while we talked of love. The one and positively the only Miss Amy Parker, the golden-haired goddess who holds the whole of this poor fool’s heart in the palm of her delicate hand.”

“Oh, Marcus,” said Aunt Amy as he bent to kiss her square, manicured fingers. “You do talk the most dreadful nonsense sometimes.”

“So let’s get this straight,” said Liam to Lulu, that evening over dinner. “We have your aunt Amy, who’s hated the Irish ever since the cook burned the potatoes on the Mayflower. We have your cousin Susan, who’s really, really nice but so scared of Aunt Amy that she gets hiccups whenever she’s around her. We have your mother, who’s as likely to ask me at what age I lost my virginity as she is to offer me a glass of wine. We have your father, who’s completely lovely until he gets together with Matthew’s father, Andrew, when they both take to smashing air guitars over each other’s heads and starting stories about going clubbing with Keith Richards, which they can never remember the endings to because, obviously, you wouldn’t if you’ve been clubbing with Keith Richards. And we have Matthew’s mother, who is agreed by everyone without exception to be the single most difficult woman on the face of the planet. Correct?”

Lulu nodded. “Correct,” she said.

“And this is the occasion,” he continued, “you’ve chosen to introduce me to your parents.”

“There hasn’t been time before now,” she said. “I’ve told you. Either Dad’s been away, or you’ve had to work.”

He thought for a moment.

“There are only two reasons why a man would agree to this invitation,” he said. “Either he’d be insane. Or he’d be falling very hard in love. Hmm, I wonder which I am?”

She pointed to his wineglass. “You’d better drink up,” she said. “The nice man will be here soon to help you back into your jacket.”

When Lulu and Liam arrived at Lulu’s parents’ house, Aunt Amy, cousin Susan, Sophie, Matthew, and Andrew were already seated at the kitchen table, Andrew at the farthest end from the door.

“Welcome, Liam,” said Fee, kissing him on the cheek. “I hope you don’t mind, but your sister feels so much like another daughter to me that it’s hard to be distant and polite. Come in, come in. Normally, we’d relax for a little in the living room before dinner, but my daughters tell me it’s good luck to spend the night before a wedding sitting around a table, so that’s what we’re doing. Would you like a glass of wine?”

“You know, Fee,” said Liam slowly, “I have huge admiration for Lulu here, and I’m hoping that you and I can be friends, too. But there are certain questions that you just don’t …” He stopped. “Did you just offer me a glass of wine?” he asked.