‘Oh, okay. Do I need to wait somewhere else?’ She was a little confused, and felt her spit thicken at the prospect that something had gone wrong, but one look at the vicar’s quiet smile and her worry fled. What was it he had said during their practice? ‘Don’t aim for perfection on your day, there is always some unforeseen hiccup – think about the bigger meaning and embrace all that it brings you . . .’ She nodded, deciding to do just that and embrace all that was coming her way.

‘Yes.’ He smiled at her again. ‘If you could come with me. And you, too, Mr Kellow. The rest of the wedding party – you can wait here.’

‘Don’t be long, Merry!’ Bella called out. ‘It’s bloody hot and my bra’s digging in!’ She fanned herself with her flowers and Merrin cringed at the fact that her friend had announced this to Reverend Pimm.

The vicar walked at pace around to the back of the church. With her dad by her side, Merrin did her best to keep up, her kitten heels clattering on the path. Finally, they followed the vicar into the gabled porch that led to the vestry. The large square room with flagstone floors and wood-panelled walls smelt dusty, but it was cool and she was thankful for a respite from the heat. The vicar pushed a red velvet chair into the middle of the room.

‘Please sit down, Merrin.’

Quite bewildered as to what part of the ceremony she might have misunderstood, she did as Reverend Pimm requested, spreading her dress around her on the floor so as not to crease the bodice. Her dad stood behind her, his hand on the back of the chair.

‘I’m not sure what’s going on!’ She giggled.

The vicar dropped down on to his haunches and balanced on the balls of his feet in front of her. Then his smile disappeared and, looking her in the eye, he started to speak slowly.

‘I have only just this minute received a telephone call,’ he began, his words issued from a mouth sticky with nerves.

‘Is everything okay?’ she asked quietly, with a creeping dread that made her bones feel brittle.

He shook his head. ‘I’m sorry to say, Merrin, that everything is not okay.’

‘Oh?’ She took a deep breath and gripped her bouquet tightly.

‘It was Digby. The call was from Digby.’

Merrin was glad she had taken up the offer of a chair as the room seemed to spin and her knees went a little weak. ‘He called you from the church?’ She looked towards the wall beyond which her love stood, her thoughts jumbled. ‘Is he all right?’

‘He is all right, I think. Yes.’

‘Well, good.’ She exhaled with relief, because as long as he was all right, everything would be fine . . .