Daisy could feel his breath on the back of her neck, as gently, a.s.suredly, his fingering continued.

'All right, Violet?' gasped Daisy a minute later. 'Fine, thanks.'

Drew propped the drawing-room door shut with his back as, with trembling hands, Daisy unzipped his flies and slid her mouth over the rampant red fireman's helmet. It was over in ten seconds.

'Oh, goodness, your c.o.c.k'll smell of firelighters,' said Daisy collapsing on to the sofa.

'Come on baby, light my fire,' said Drew, handing her her gla.s.s.

'That was crazy,' mumbled Daisy as the apple logs sprung into merry flame.

'But incredibly nice,' said Drew, sitting down close to her. 'Very Rupert sort of behaviour.'

'Is he OK?'

'Not at all. Crucified he's let Venturer down and worried sick about the effect the memoirs are going to have on the children. Worst of all he's now decided he's madly in love with Declan's daughter, Taggie, and there's no way now Declan'll ever let him marry her.' He put a hand on Daisy's thigh. 'When's Violet going?'

'Tomorrow early.'

'I'll pop back mid-morning. Sukey's not back till the afternoon. Christ, that fish pie smells good. I didn't have any lunch.' He kicked open the door slightly. 'You OK, Violet?'

Violet came in hanging her head.

'Oh, Mum, I was so busy reading about Rupert I've eaten all the mashed potato and all the scallops out of the fish pie.'

'Oh, darling,' wailed Daisy. 'Never mind, there's a packet of Smash in the cupboard.'

'There was,' admitted Violet, 'but two moths and a bluebottle flew out so I threw it away.'

Drew fortunately thought it was funny. 'I'll take you both out to dinner.'

I love him, thought Daisy, in pa.s.sionate grat.i.tude, imagining the scene Hamish would have made. She knew Drew had said he couldn't leave Sukey, but she could still hope.

Contrary to every expectation Venturer won the franchise.

'And you'll never guess what,' said Drew when he rang to tell Daisy. 'Rupert's getting married to Taggie O'Hara. I'm going to be an usher and I've persuaded her to commission you to paint Rupert's old Olympic horse Rocky as a wedding present. Can you do it in a week?'

'I'll try,' said Daisy. 'You are are wonderful.' wonderful.'

'I'll smuggle you into the house while Rupert's in London and there are ma.s.ses of photographs. And I've got you an invite to the wedding. It'll be the thrash of the century. Cotchester Cathedral first, then back to Rupert's. He'll pay for everything because Declan's flat broke, but he's so happy he'd buy Taggie the sun and the moon.'

'D'you like her?'

'Adorable and virtually untouched by human hand. She must be nearly twenty years younger than Rupert, lucky sod.'

Then, realizing what he'd said, 'And you look about twelve, my darling. Anyway I've always been attracted to older women.'

'I love you,' sighed Daisy gratefully. 'Can I really come to the wedding? What ought I to wear?'

'I'll take you into Bath and buy you something. The crumpet will be astonishing so you've got to look stunning.'

As Sukey had been nagging him about over-spending all week, he would take perverse pleasure in blueing her money on Daisy.

42.

Not since the Civil War when it had been a Royalist stronghold, which only yielded to the Roundheads after a long and b.l.o.o.d.y battle, had the sleepy market town of Cotchester witnessed such scenes of mayhem. Police had been bused in from all over the West of England to control the crowds who, despite driving snow and bitter East winds, had turned up to catch a glimpse of Rupert and his bride. The media, who almost outnumbered the crowd, were going berserk because Rupert had banned them from the cathedral and refused, to the rage of his mother and his mother-in-law, even to allow the wedding service to be privately videoed. 'We are not f.u.c.king film stars and the only record we need of this marriage is Tag's wedding ring.'

Dusk had fallen and the snow turned to sleet as Daisy arrived. There were such traffic jams in the High Street that she was frightened she might be late. She was also slightly apprehensive about the clothes Drew had bought her which consisted of a black velvet blazer printed with big pale pink roses, black velvet knickerbockers, a white frilled shirt and black buckled shoes. She had added a bright pink c.u.mmerbund and tied her hair back with a black satin bow.

But all her nerves disappeared when the first person she saw was Drew holding a vast blue-and-green umbrella over the Tory Leader and her husband as they progressed to loud cheers and the popping of hundreds of flashbulbs through the great doors of the cathedral. Next minute Basil Baddingham, a wonderfully elongated figure with his red-and-yellow umbrella bucking in the wind like a spinnaker sail, dived forward to shield Daisy from the blizzard. 'Darling, you look so s.e.xy, just like d.i.c.k Turpin. Bags I be Black Bess.'

Daisy giggled. The flash bulbs popped.

'There's that Koo Stark,' yelled a fat flushed woman, pointing at Daisy.

'Well done getting the franchise,' said Daisy, breathing in the heady scent of Givenchy for Men and Bas's gardenia.

'Marvellous, isn't it. About time my awful brother got his come-uppance. When can I come and see your etchings?' Gazing down, Bas ma.s.saged the inside of her rose-patterned arm with his thumb.

'Any time.' Daisy was anxious to spin out the conversation as long as possible so she might grab a word with Drew on his return journey.

'How was Rupert's stag party?'

'h.e.l.l.' Bas put down his umbrella as they entered the cathedral. 'Rupert wouldn't drink, wouldn't chat up any of the stunning crumpet we'd provided, just banged on and on that he wasn't good enough for Taggie, with which I entirely agree, and how he wasn't going to see her until this evening and how he was suffering from the mostG.o.dawful withdrawal symptoms, which is not something that'll happen in their nuptial bed this evening.'

Inside the cathedral to the smell of musk, incense and antiquity were added wafts of a hundred scents and aftershaves and of huge banks of white roses, lilies and freesias. The women's jewellery, much of it paid for in the past by Rupert, and their excited painted faces were lit up by thousands of white flickering candles. And the clothes they wore were also in jewel colours, sapphire, ruby, garnet-pink, emerald and amethyst; satins, silks and taffetas all rustling and gleaming. Daisy thanked G.o.d she'd taken so much trouble with her appearance.

'We could fill the bridegroom's side alone with Rupert's step-parents and his exes,' murmured Bas. 'Now, where can we find a s.p.a.ce to squeeze you in?'

'For Christ's sake stop ga.s.sing, Bas,' snapped Drew. 'h.e.l.lo, Daisy, you look pretty.'

'Just finding a glamorous, unattached man for her to sit next to,' said Bas maliciously, 'No, let's make it two,' and he swept Daisy off to a pew ten rows in front, which was already noisily inhabited by the Carlisle twins, mahogany-tanned from playing in the Mexican and Argentine Opens, and Janey Lloyd-Foxe, an incredibly glamorous journalist, married to Billy Lloyd-Foxe, Rupert's best man and old show-jumping crony.

'They'll tell you who everyone is,' said Bas, ma.s.saging Janey's collarbone, and sliding his hand down the front of her bright blue suit.

'Mrs Macleod, you look stunning,' said Seb, patting the s.p.a.ce between him and Dommie. 'How's that s.e.xy, toffee-nosed daughter of yours? Janey's just telling us how furious the Bishop is.'

'The Bishop's got a thumping crush on Taggie,' Janey smiled wickedly at Daisy, 'so he agreed to marry her in Christmas week, which is quite unprecedented, before he realized she was marrying his bte noire, bte noire, or rather bteCampbell-Black. And Declan told the Bishop it was going to be the tiniest wedding, and now look at this circus.' She waved a gold-braceleted hand at the packed pews who were yelling away like a vast drinks party. 'And someone's lit all the candles which were meant for Midnight Ma.s.s. G.o.d, look at that.' Janey paused in her lecture as a Brazilian or rather bteCampbell-Black. And Declan told the Bishop it was going to be the tiniest wedding, and now look at this circus.' She waved a gold-braceleted hand at the packed pews who were yelling away like a vast drinks party. 'And someone's lit all the candles which were meant for Midnight Ma.s.s. G.o.d, look at that.' Janey paused in her lecture as a Brazilian polo player with blackcurrant ripple hair and an amazing brunette on his arm, shimmered past. 'And the Bishop's even more miffed because Rupert's mother - that's her up the front with her fifth husband and roulette chips rattling round in the bottom of her bag - insisted on inviting an outside priest to help. That's him in the red ca.s.sock. I'm sure he's got breeches and boots underneath like Richard Chamberlain in The Thorn Birds.' The Thorn Birds.'

'Here comes the bride's mother,' said Dommie, as Declan O'Hara's wife Maud swept by in a fuschia-pink suit, clashing dazzlingly with her piled-up red hair.

'That suit cost more than the wedding put together,' said Janey scribbling frantically. 'Balmain, I think. She's determined to upstage the bride.'

'And that's Rupert's immediate ex-mistress, Cameron Cook, even more determined to upstage the bride,' said Seb, as a furious-looking girl in a clinging, leopard-skin dress and no hat on her short, sleeked-back hair stalked by. 'Cameron's taken up with Declan's son, Patrick,' explained Janey to Daisy. 'He's the beauty following her. Isn't he amazing looking? But it must be h.e.l.l for Cameron handing the torch over to Taggie so publicly. My G.o.d, there's Victor and Sharon Kaputnik. How the h.e.l.l did they get invited?'

'Victor paid me 5,000,' said Seb simply, 'half of which I split with Rupert.'

'You never told me. I should get a cut,' protested Dommie as Victor, carrying his telephone, and Sharon all in white like a great swan, filled up almost an entire pew.

'That's Declan's other daughter, Caitlin,' went on Janey, as a pretty teenager with gra.s.s-green hair clumped by in a black cloak and Doc Marten boots. 'She refused to be a bridesmaid unless she could wear jeans,' she added, as Caitlin slid into a pew two rows in front, already inhabited by her brother and Cameron Cook, and promptly lit a cigarette.

Daisy was aware of Drew going steadily back and forth bringing in different people, smiling slightly in her direction. He made so much less din and worked twice as efficiently as the other ushers, particularly Bas, who couldn't resist squeezing and joking with every girl heaccompanied. I love Drew, thought Daisy, I love his dependability and sense of responsibility.

'Interesting, she's turned up,' said Dommie, offering Daisy a swig of brandy, as the arrival of Rupert's ex-wife Helen caused a ripple of interest. She was wearing a dark grey suit with a white, puritan collar and a tiny grey hat with a veil over her huge, yellow eyes.

'She's stunning,' sighed Daisy.

'Bit earnest,' said Janey. 'Beattie Johnson was dead right describing her as a lead balloon at an orgy. That's their son, Marcus, sweet boy, never got on with Rupert. Taggie might bring them together.'

A colossal cheer went up from outside the cathedral as Dancer came in, glamorously emaciated in a light grey morning coat, his glittering; grey eyes emphasized by kohl, his streaked, tousled mane coaxed forward to hide the Mantan join on the hairline.

'He's going to sing the anthem,' said Dommie.

'And I'm the only member of the press Rupert's allowed in to witness it,' said Janey smugly, 'although that acolyte who's just whisked by in that white laundry bag looks suspiciously like Nigel Dempster. I'll kill Nigel if That's the one I want,' went on Janey lowering her voice and her neckline by a b.u.t.ton.

'Who?' asked Daisy.

'El Orgulloso,' murmured Janey, pointing at Ricky who'd just sat down beside Dancer. 'Look at that duelling scar and those hard, hard cheekbones beneath those dark, dark eyes, and all that sadness waiting to be comforted. And he still never takes off that black tie in mourning for Will.' murmured Janey, pointing at Ricky who'd just sat down beside Dancer. 'Look at that duelling scar and those hard, hard cheekbones beneath those dark, dark eyes, and all that sadness waiting to be comforted. And he still never takes off that black tie in mourning for Will.'

'He is lovely,' agreed Daisy.

'I could cheer him up. In fact I'm going to have a crack at him this evening.' Janey had to raise her voice above another even more deafening burst of cheering, accompanied by pealing bells. 'Oh look, here comes my husband and the bridegroom.'

Having not seen Rupert for eighteen months, when he'd been chatting up pretty mothers and cheering on his daughter Tabitha at the Pony Club Championships, Daisy was shocked by his appearance. He must have lost a stone and a half, and was as white as his carnation.

As he stalked up the aisle, he was followed by Janey's husband, Billy, whose top shirt b.u.t.ton was missing and whose morning coat had split on the left seam. Running to keep up with Rupert, smiling and waving at everyone, he paused to kiss Janey.

'Rupert's in the most frightful tiz. I've been trying to force-feed him quadruple brandies, but he won't drink because he's got to fly the helicopter afterwards. See you later,' and he was off to the front pew, simultaneously trying to calm Rupert down and turning round to chatter to Rupert's score of stepparents in the rows behind.

'What a lovely man,' said Daisy.

'Isn't he?' said Janey, who was, however, looking at the bridegroom's cold, unsmiling face. 'Perhaps Rupert's having second thoughts. I never thought Taggie was very pretty.'

'That's because you're not a man,' said Dommie, offering Daisy another swig. 'We're awfully late starting. Oh, do look.' He started to laugh. The next moment Janey, Daisy and Seb had joined in. For on Caitlin O'Hara's heavily laddered black knees sat a little black-and-white mongrel Gertrude, with a pink bow round her neck bristling with disapproval and shutting her eyes to avoid Caitlin's cigarette smoke.

'I do think you ought to take that dog out,' said her mother petulantly. 'It's so selfish of Rupert not to allow the television cameras in.'

Rupert looked at his watch.

'Go and ring and see what's happened,' he snapped at Billy.

'Do use Sir Victor's phone,' said Sharon Kaputnik, graciously waylaying Billy on the way down the aisle and cutting off a furious Victor in mid-call to New York.

'Oh, look,' whispered Janey to Daisy. 'Here comes Sukey Benedict. Silly old fossil always doing up other people's b.u.t.tons. That's a nice suit, Sukey,' she called out as Bas maliciously showed Sukey into the pew in front.

'Drew chose it,' said Sukey, lowering her voice in deference to her surroundings. 'h.e.l.lo, twins, h.e.l.lo, Daisy. I absolutely adore the picture of Flash. Drew couldn't resist giving it to me before Christmas. Such a good likeness.'

Drew, on his way back from delivering yet another of Rupert's stepmothers, froze in his tracks when he saw where Sukey was sitting. b.l.o.o.d.y Bas stirring it again.

'h.e.l.lo, darling,' stage-whispered Sukey. 'Just telling Daisy how much we love Flash.'

Drew's eyes flickered. 'It's very good.'

A great party of show-jumpers and their wives, who'd obviously just finished a good lunch, were ushered into a side aisle as a returning Billy sat down beside Rupert whispering that Taggie was on her way.

With stately dignity the Bishop mounted the steps to the pulpit, which was topped with pink-and-white carnations, leaning out for a first glimpse of the bride. He looked thunderous. The heathen had invaded his church.

'I should like everyone to spend the next five minutes before the bride arrives,' he announced heavily over the microphone, 'in silence, praying for the happiness of Rupert and Agatha and examining their own marriages.'

Everyone's jaw dropped in amazement. Then, because none of them wanted to think about their marriages, they all started yakking again, ignoring the Bishop stomping furiously back down the aisle.

'Rather suspect vowel sounds,' said Rupert's mother.

'Who on earth's Agatha?' grumbled Rupert's father. 'Thought Rupert was marrying someone called Taggie.'

'D'you think Rupert's got AIDS?' murmured Sharon Kaputnik nervously. 'He looks so thin. Oh, do stop phoning for a second, Victor.'

'Where the f.u.c.k is she?' snarled Rupert. 'I bet Declan's had a shunt. I should never have let her out of my sight.'

His knuckles were white where he gripped the edge of the pew. A muscle flickered non-stop in his cheek.

Just a simple service, thought the Bishop, inflating like a bullfrog as he began the long procession up the church, followed by choirboys and acolytes.

'I'm sure that's Nigel Dempster,' said Janey. 'Nigel ' she hissed.

The pa.s.sing acolyte flicked his censer in her direction, winked and moved on.

I want to marry Drew, thought Daisy, as Handel's Water Water Music Music petered out and the organ swelled to the soaring yellow roof with 'Here comes the Bride'. Rupert, who was petered out and the organ swelled to the soaring yellow roof with 'Here comes the Bride'. Rupert, who was tone deaf, didn't recognize the tune, but the congregation stumbled to their feet.

'It's OK. It's your opening number,' said Billy soothingly.

And slowly up the long, long aisle came Declan O'Hara. His hair was almost all silver now, the worry of the fight for the franchise had dug great trenches on his forehead and on either side of his mouth. His morning coat was crumpled, he was wearing odd socks, tears poured down his cheeks, but Daisy, glancing round, thought his face should have been hewn out of rock on Mount Vernon. Surrept.i.tiously taking a pencil out of her bag, she started to draw him on the back of her service sheet.

Beside him, almost as tall but half the breadth and shivering frantically like a young poplar in a force-ten gale, walked the bride. She wore Rupert's mother's tiara, shaped like the new moon, in her cloudy dark hair, now covered by the slightly yellowing Campbell-Black family veil. Her dress of heavy, ivory silk, only finished two days ago, was already too big for her. The train glittered in the candlelight like a dragonfly's wing and seemed to have a life all its own as it slithered, iridescent, over the faded flagstones.

'Look at that body,' sighed Seb. 'Oh lucky, lucky Rupert.'

The Bishop of Cotchester waited in his gold robes on the red-carpeted steps. Rupert glanced round. For a second he gazed unbelievingly at the trembling white figure, then the tension seemed to drain out of him. Walking straight down the aisle with his arms out, a huge smile suddenly transformed his face, the handsomest man in England once again. Meeting Taggie just level with Daisy's row, he drew her against him, shutting his eyes for a second, stilling her trembling, checking she was real. Then he looked down at her and mouthed, 'I love you.'

'h.e.l.lo, Daddy,' interrupted the shrill voice of Tabitha Campbell-Black, angelic in light and dark pink striped taffeta with a coronet of pink-and-white freesias over her nose. 'D'you like my dress?'