“This is really good stuff,” said Lulu, when Emma stopped at the table where she was sitting with Liam. “Really good. Although if it had been me, I’d have used just the very smallest little bit more paprika on the chicken.”

Emma stared at her. “This is my wedding day, Lulu,” she reminded her. “I cannot believe that you have just criticized the paprika on my wedding-day chicken.”

“Neither can I,” said Liam. “The paprika’s perfect, any more would be too much. I’m surprised at you, Lulu. There is rather a lot of sage, though, which might have confused your taste buds.” Looking up, he caught Emma’s eye. “Although it’s quite delicious,” he added hastily. “And you probably shouldn’t listen to me about the sage, I’ve always happened to prefer thyme with chicken myself, but that’s just me.”

“Oh, God,” said Emma. “Two of you.”

“Are you okay to dance?” whispered Matthew to Emma as the applause died down on Cheng’s best-man speech. “Those shoes are pretty, but can you dance in them?”

“They’re not pretty,” she corrected him. “They’re beyond heavenly. And just watch me.”

After Matthew and Emma had danced, the floor was thrown open and Lulu and Liam danced together for the first time.

“Thanks for inviting me,” he said. “This is a great wedding. I like weddings.”

“It is a good one, isn’t it?” she agreed. “But it was always going to be—Emma’s so efficient.”

“Isn’t she,” he said. “I like weddings.”

Lulu said nothing.

“Weddings,” he said after a moment. “Funny things, but I like them.”

Lulu stopped dancing and drew back to look up into his eyes.

“If you say that one more time,” she said levelly, “I won’t take you to the Cheddar cheese shop.”

“Sorry,” he said quickly. “I like funerals, too, if that’s any help? We do marvelous ones in Ireland, we’re famous for them.”

While Emma danced with David, Matthew danced with Caroline.

“She’ll make you a good wife,” she told him. “I don’t care for the mother, and the younger sister is an odd sort of girl, but her boyfriend’s surprisingly normal.”

Which, coming from Caroline, was praise so stratospherically high that Matthew tripped on his step, kicking himself in the shins.

After Emma had danced with David, she danced with Andrew.

“Look after my boy,” he said to her. “Give him a happy place to come home to, always.”

“I plan to,” she told him, fumbling for the emergency tissue tucked discreetly into her pearl-buttoned sleeve.

At the end of Matthew’s dance with Fee, Liam cut in.

“It’s so very good to meet you at last, Liam,” Fee said to him as they danced. “I’m immensely fond of your sister, as you know, and I know how close you both are. I don’t want to pry, and please do say if you don’t want to talk about it, but how old were you when your mother died?”

“You know, Fee,” said Liam, “I have huge admiration for Lulu, and I’m hoping that you and I can be friends, too. But …” He stopped. “Did you just ask me about my mother?” he asked.