She said nothing at first.

‘JUDE!’ Gareth shouted.

And she nodded, numb, blasted.

Gareth turned once more to Lana. ‘You sick in the head or something?’

And everyone watched as Lana ran out of the room, Rick Astley ringing in her ears.

‘Inside we both know what’s been going on …’

30

Catrin

‘Are you sure we can postpone?’ she asked him again. ‘I mean, she’s got Gareth. And my mum and dad, of course.’ Catrin was sitting on a hard plastic seat in the waiting room of Coed Celyn General.

‘Ssh,’ comforted Sol, his arm firmly around the shoulders of his new wife. ‘My dad’s taken care of it. We can go on Thursday. And that’s only if you feel you can leave her.’

They were meant to be heading to the airport the next day, to fly to Kingston, Jamaica for their two-week honeymoon. But since ten a.m. that morning Catrin and Sol had spent most of their time at the hospital, waiting to see Jude again. Endlessly waiting.

At first they’d thought she was all right. She certainly did a good job of convincing them and once the shock of Lana’s walkout had receded, the guests slowly returned to their celebrations. It wasn’t until an hour later that Judith was taken ill. Catrin had been talking to Father O’Leary at the time.

‘I’ve called an ambulance,’ said Gareth, rushing up to them. ‘There’s something wrong.’

Edward and Amelia Blythe were at Judith’s side in an instant, making her comfortable, reassuring her with the well-practised calm of two doctors long used to navigating a health crisis.

When the ambulance arrived, Catrin had wanted to go with them, but Judith and Gareth both refused.

‘It’s your bloody wedding, Cat,’ said Judith, her breath shallow and her face white. ‘I’d never forgive myself if you abandoned it just for me. I’m gonna be fine. Don’t be an idiot.’

And with that they’d left.

Later that night as she lay with Sol in the honeymoon suite of Montgomery Hall, Catrin called the hospital, asking for news.

‘She’s stable now and sleeping,’ said a kind nurse on the end of the line.

‘And the baby?’

‘I’m afraid I can’t divulge anything over the phone, but be assured your friend is being looked after.’

Catrin asked the nurse to pass on a message to Gareth, asking him to phone as soon as he knew anything.

But they didn’t hear from him until the following morning.

‘Will you come and see her?’ was all he said.

On their way to the hospital, Catrin thought again about what had happened. Could she have stopped it? Probably not.

Since finding out about Judith and Gareth’s relationship, and the huge subsequent revelation that Judith was pregnant, Catrin had been in turmoil. She had asked Judith over and over to tell Lana. And each time, Judith would say she was waiting for the right time.

‘Why on earth she thought our wedding day was the right time, Sol, I will never understand,’ she said as she looked out of the car window.