Jennifer scrunched the thin plastic into a tight pale green ball remembering how she used to run herself ragged trying to live up to David's high standards and expectations. He hated to see the children in anything other than pristine clothes, liked the house to be immaculate and expected her to look groomed and tidy all the time. When they'd divorced, the relief of no longer having to live by these strictures had been indescribable. 'I don't think you've anything to be worried about,' said Jennifer kindly, feeling sorry for Maggie. 'You've enough here to feed an army!'

Maggie's facial muscles relaxed for the first time since greeting Jennifer at the door. 'Thanks. I really appreciate you helping out with the food, Jennifer.'

'I can't expect you to cater for everyone, it wouldn't be fair, especially with Matt's appet.i.te. He'll eat you out of house and home if you don't watch him!' laughed Jennifer, trying not to let the fact that the party was here and not at her home, annoy her.

'I just want Oren to feel welcome.'

Jennifer surveyed the laden table, then shot Maggie a wry smile. 'I just hope he's hungry.'

Maggie giggled and some of the tension went out of her. Then a series of high-pitched shrieks coming from the adjoining room drew both women towards the door. Matt, in casual jeans and a hoodie, was chasing the children round the room. He lunged at Rachel across the back of the gold sofa with a roar that made Jennifer jump. Rachel shrieked, slipped his grasp and ran over to join Imogen, who was hiding behind the wing-backed chair in front of the crackling log fire. Both girls wore old-fashioned velvet party dresses in navy with broad pale blue sashes at the waist and white tights, and their long straight hair was tied up with ribbon. Where on earth Maggie got the outfits, Jennifer had no idea. She thought people had stopped dressing girls like dolls way back in the eighties. It occurred to her that the Christmas gifts she'd bought the girls modern leggings and tunic-style tops in bright colours might not be welcomed.

'Get him to stop, Auntie Jennifer!' implored Rachel, breathlessly, but she had her eye on Matt and a mischievous grin on her freckled face. 'Follow me,' she commanded her little sister and both girls crawled across the floor completely oblivious to their white tights and Maggie's remonstrations to take refuge behind the enormous, lavishly decorated Christmas tree, while Matt carried out a thorough search of the area near the fire.

The sight of Matt playing with his step-sisters delighted Jennifer. Maggie and David's beautiful daughters were the one good thing to have come out of the divorce, a sort of compensation to Matt and Lucy for the trauma of their parents' separation.

She glanced around the room, which, like the rest of the house, was stunning, and Jennifer couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at David and Maggie's good fortune. But, though she'd given up this lifestyle along with her wedding band, she would not make the trade back again.

David and Brian were chatting companionably by the tall bay window and Jennifer acknowledged with a little pride that everyone made a good job of papering over the cracks in this family. And much of the credit for that went to Maggie. Not many women would tolerate so graciously the presence of their husband's ex-wife and ex-father-in-law, nor be as kind and loving to step-children as Maggie had been over the years. Moved by this realisation, Jennifer turned to her former friend and smiled warmly. 'This is really nice. Thank you for hosting.' Maggie beamed with pleasure.

The doorbell went, David and Brian looked up and the girls made a beeline for the door. Moments later, amidst much giggling, Oren was dragged into the room by the two girls with Lucy following behind, looking severe in a long-sleeved dark green dress that Jennifer had not seen before and flat shoes. Oren, very respectable in a grey suit and tie, laughed good-humouredly. 'Hey steady on, Rachel, you'll pull the arm off that sleeve if you're not careful!'

'Have you brought us any sweets like the last time, Oren?' said Imogen. 'Please say you have!'

'Don't be so forward, girls,' cried a horrified Maggie, advancing and brushing her daughters off Oren with brisk efficiency, as if they were naughty puppies. She gave him a peck on both cheeks, and said, 'I'm afraid they're a bit over-excited what with Christmas just round the corner. Every day Rachel marks off the number of sleeps on her calendar.'

'That's quite all right,' said Oren genially.

While David and Brian descended on Oren, Lucy produced two colourful tubes of Smarties from her handbag and gave them to the girls which sent them tail-spinning around the room in paroxysms of delight. Everyone laughed, Maggie called out, 'Save them for after lunch now!' and the girls ran off. It took a good ten minutes for everyone to say h.e.l.lo and, to Jennifer's relief, there was no trace of any animosity from either Oren or Lucy. Perhaps they too had wiped the slate clean and were ready to start afresh.

Maggie shepherded everyone over to the three sofas arranged around the fire in a horseshoe shape, a ma.s.sive upholstered footstool serving as a coffee table in the middle. Once Maggie had handed out gla.s.ses of soft drinks and non-alcoholic mulled punch (in deference, Jennifer presumed, to Oren, for David and Maggie liked a drink as much as the next person) David stood by the fire, raised his gla.s.s and said, 'Let's have a toast. To family.'

Everyone mumbled a response, took a sip of their drinks and David sat down. Oren looked at Lucy sitting beside him, nodded and patted her hand. Only then did Jennifer notice the dull, old-fashioned ring on Lucy's finger and the rather dazed, slightly apprehensive look on her face. Her heart began to race.

'Ahem,' said Oren, clearing his throat and commanding silence. Everyone, even the girls nursing their gla.s.ses of flat lemonade, quietened. They all stared at him and waited and Jennifer felt certain that she knew what was coming next.

'Lucy and I have something to tell you,' said Oren. 'We're engaged to be married.'

Jennifer put a hand over her mouth to stop herself crying out. This couldn't be happening. But the ring was already on Lucy's finger and Oren was holding her hand like he owned her.

She wasn't the only one stunned by this news. The silence lasted a few long moments. And then David, consummate as always, was on his feet with a warm handshake for Oren, a kiss for Lucy and a ready smile to hide his surprise. Jennifer, reeling from shock, tried to take it in.

Her precious daughter was to marry this man? The toddler who used to come into her bed for a cuddle when she'd had bad dreams, the little girl who used to kiss her on the lips and tell her she was the best Mummy in the world? It couldn't be. He would never be right for her.

But marriage was a contract between two people. What right did she have to pa.s.s judgement or criticise? She knew she ought to accept Lucy's choice and give the couple her full support. That's what Donna would advise, she was sure of it. But she couldn't. A lump formed in her throat and tears filled her eyes. She simply couldn't.

'Well, that is a surprise,' said David, nodding at the surrounding company, while Jennifer's mouth went dry and she fought back the tears. Clearly, he had not been expecting this announcement either for his smile did not quite travel all the way to his eyes. David would've expected to be asked for Lucy's hand before any engagement took place and evidently that had not happened.

'We're delighted for you both, even though it is a bit unexpected, aren't we, Maggie?' he went on. Maggie beamed her approval and Jennifer, staring at Lucy's shining face, decided that she must dissuade her daughter from marrying this man. But now was not the time, nor the place. Her best chance of success would be to speak to Lucy alone. Meantime she would have to keep her reservations to herself. She set down the gla.s.s of sickly-sweet punch, got unsteadily to her feet and went over to Oren and Lucy, who were now both standing up.

Mustering as much enthusiasm as she could, and a smile that made her face ache, she said, 'Well, congratulations to you both,' and hugged them.

'What do you think of the ring?' said Lucy, holding out a trembling hand. 'It belonged to Oren's grandmother.'

'Oh, is that a garnet?' said Jennifer, unable to say anything positive about the ugly, dated ring.

'Uh-huh,' said Lucy, and Maggie, examining the brown-red stone, said with her usual diplomacy, 'It's an unusual colour, isn't it?'

'Oh, they come in all colours, apparently,' said Lucy.

Feeling like a fraud, Jennifer averted her eyes while Maggie, unable to find anything complimentary to say about the horrible garnet, enthused instead about the setting of tiny diamond chips.

Brian pumped Oren's hand. 'Congratulations, son,' he said.

Matt gave his big sister a fierce hug, then held her at arms' length. 'That's just great news, so it is, Lucy. I can't quite believe it though. You getting married?'

Lucy laughed and Matt gave Oren a bear hug, while Brian and Maggie stood watching with beaming smiles. Even David seemed to have recovered from the slight of not being asked for his daughter's hand, and chatted happily to Lucy whilst holding both her hands. And the girls were positively ecstatic, arguing already over whether Lucy should have a train and wear a veil.

'Can I be a bridesmaid?' said Rachel. 'I want to wear pink.'

'Me too!' exclaimed Imogen, bouncing up and down on the carpet like a wound-up toy.

Lucy laughed and looked at Oren. 'They can be bridesmaids too, can't they?' she said, a pleading note in her voice. 'As well as your niece? That wouldn't be too ostentatious, would it?'

Oren sucked air in through his teeth and shook his head doubtfully.

Warning bells rang inside Jennifer's head. 'Surely the decision over bridesmaids belongs with the bride and her family?' she heard herself say, the words bursting out of their own volition. 'After all,' said Jennifer, directing her comments entirely at Oren, 'when Lucy gets married, her father will be paying for the wedding.'

Oren didn't even look at Jennifer. He flashed Lucy the briefest of frowns, his lips pressed together like he was holding something back. 'Of course, Lucy. Whatever you want.'

Matt said, with a twinkle in his eye, 'Well, you're a brave man, Oren, taking her on.' Oren put his arm round Lucy's waist and Lucy gave Matt a playful, but painful-looking, whack on the arm.

Maggie then clapped her hands softly and her thin voice rose, only just, above the din of everybody competing with each other. 'Food's ready. Let's eat, everyone, before it's spoilt.'

Once everyone had helped themselves to the buffet, they sat on the sofas in the drawing room once more, balancing the plates on their knees. Immense responsibility weighed down on Jennifer. From everyone else's reaction to Oren, it looked as though she was the only one who objected to him. So, it would fall to her, and her alone, to try and dissuade Lucy from this union. She pushed food around her plate and listened, with increasing despair, to the conversation.

'So Matt, how're you getting on at Carnegie's?' said David. 'You know I've booked it for our staff night out?'

'Yeah, Ben told me,' said Matt, shovelling food enthusiastically into his mouth.

'Ben?'

Matt chewed and swallowed. 'Crawford. He runs the place. Owns it too. Isn't that right, Mum?'

Nervously, Jennifer speared a cherry tomato with her fork; an ill-advised move that sent juice squirting over her dress. She dabbed it with the napkin.

'How would your mother know that?' said David.

'Because she did the interior design, Dad,' said Lucy.

'Yes,' said Matt, waving his fork in the air like an old-fashioned cigarette holder. 'But they're seeing each other as well, aren't they?' he went on, as if this was common knowledge and they were all dunces for not knowing it.

All eyes turned to Jennifer. She felt a creeping heat start below her collarbone and work its way up her neck. She closed her eyes briefly, feeling faint, then opened them again. Suddenly there wasn't enough air in the room and her face was aflame with embarra.s.sment.

Matt, realising what he'd done, clapped his hand over his mouth, fork still held between forefinger and thumb. 'Oh, Mum. I'm sorry. It just slipped out.'

She shook her head and attempted to smile. She was annoyed with Matt but the slip had been unintentional. And if she'd not prevaricated about telling everyone, he never would have been placed in the unfair position of having to keep her secret. 'It's okay, Matt. I would've told everyone eventually anyway.' She set her plate on the big footstool, folded her napkin and dropped it on top of the remains of her meal. She adjusted the skirt of her dress, then waited.

'But your mother can't be going out with Ben Crawford,' said Oren. 'He's far too young for her, isn't he?'

Jennifer lifted her head and, in spite of her flaming cheeks, said, with as much poise and disdain as she could manage, 'I am in the room, Oren. And I think you'll find that if you direct your questions to me, I'm perfectly capable of answering them myself.'

In response, he glared at her with unblinking gimlet blue eyes, a look of distaste on his face.

'Well, are you going out with him?' said Lucy, her face a picture of incredulity.

Jennifer took a deep breath. 'Yes, I am as a matter of fact,' she said smoothing down her skirt with the flat of her hand. 'We've been seeing each other for a few weeks.'

'But ... but ...' stumbled Oren, for the first time stuck for words. 'That's just plain wrong.'

'How dare you,' said Jennifer, her calm, measured reply concealing the rage beneath.

'Girls, why don't you come and eat at the kitchen table?' squeaked Maggie, standing up and addressing her daughters as if someone had just said something indecent. 'You're getting food on the front of your frock, Rachel.'

Rachel looked down at the pristine dress. 'No, I'm not, Mummy.'

'You will, if you're not careful.' Maggie glared at her daughter and David said, 'Do as you're told. Go with your mother.' Immediately, the two girls scampered out of the room, followed by Maggie. When she reached the door she paused to glance back at Jennifer and gave her a small, encouraging smile. Then she was gone, leaving Jennifer feeling like she was in a lion pit.

'Seems to me that Jennifer can go out with whoever she likes, Oren. She's a free woman,' said Brian, throwing her a lifeline. Jennifer shot him a grateful look.

'But Mum,' said Lucy. She hugged the tops of her arms and said in an uncertain horrified whisper, 'He's young enough to be your son.'

'What age is this man?' demanded David.

'Twenty-eight,' said Oren, at the same time as Jennifer said, 'It's none of your business.' Oren and Jennifer locked eyes and glared at each other.

'Oh my goodness, you are cradle s.n.a.t.c.hing, Jennifer!' said David and he slapped his thigh and laughed uproariously for a long time while Jennifer fumed and glared at him.

Eventually Matt said, 'Look Dad, I don't see what the problem is. Older men go out with younger women all the time, so why not the other way round? And I've a lot of time for Ben Crawford.'

'Thank you, Matt,' said Jennifer while David wiped tears of mirth from his eyes.

'The problem is, Matt,' said Oren evenly, in a patronising tone, 'that this relationship is an abomination in the eyes of Our Lord. It's demeaning to your mother, it's inappropriate and she should end it immediately.'

'Don't you tell my Mum what to do!' cried Matt.

'Now steady on,' said Brian.

'And where exactly does it say that in the Bible, Oren?' demanded Jennifer.

In response, he simply shook his head sadly and smirked.

'And that aside,' she went on, 'my private life is none of your d.a.m.n business.'

'Yes, it is,' said Lucy, blinking back tears and holding tightly on to Oren's arm. 'Oren's part of the family now.'

'Not yet, he isn't,' snapped Jennifer.

'Hey, let's just calm things down a bit, shall we?' said David. Oren leaned back, threw an arm over the back of the sofa, and looked out the window with a scowl.

'Jennifer,' said David, his voice gentle and full of measured reason, 'I know we're divorced, but I do still care about you, you know. And I don't want to see you making a fool of yourself. I mean it's embarra.s.sing, isn't it?' He paused to glance around, looking for support, and gave a little laugh. 'You going out with a man so much younger than yourself. I mean, how on earth can you have anything in common?'

Jennifer inhaled deeply and counted to five. 'I've more in common with him than I ever had with you. And I bitterly resent your attempt at interference in my life, David. You have no right, none whatsoever.'

'She's right, David,' said Brian's quiet but firm voice. 'You've no more right to poke your nose into Jennifer's business, than she has to poke her nose in yours.'

'Time for coffee!' said Maggie's tinny, sing-song voice from the doorway, bringing a welcome shift in the dynamic of the room. She shuffled across the old varnished floorboards with a big silver tray in her arms.

'Here, let me help you with that,' said Matt, and he got up and relieved Maggie of the heavy tray. Jennifer, with hands shaking uncontrollably, collected the plates and cutlery. A little later, she stood in the kitchen stacking dirty dishes in the dishwasher, while she composed herself. The girls were nowhere to be seen. The faint sound of a blaring TV came from some distant corner of the house, while unintelligible whispers and mumblings drifted in from the drawing room. They would all be talking about her in her absence of course; Matt and Brian defending her, Maggie saying nothing and the rest criticising.

It was utterly humiliating that an independent woman of her age should be subjected to such insults, especially from Oren who was nothing to her and, if she could have her way, never would be. But, though her heart pulsed with anger, it was also full of self-doubt and her face still burned with shame. Was she making a fool of herself in dating Ben? Did people sn.i.g.g.e.r behind her back when they were out together? She feared that their relationship was ultimately doomed. Would he still love her, think her beautiful, when she was sixty-four and he only forty-eight? She stood by the window and put her hand on her belly, as a desperate sadness enveloped her, and her stomach twisted with worry. When she came back into the room, Maggie pressed a cup of coffee into her hand and she took her place on the sofa again, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

'I do so love a wedding,' said Maggie cheerfully, perching on the sofa opposite. Jennifer gave her a grateful smile for the change of subject, even if it was, to her anyway, a painful one. 'So, Oren and Lucy, when's the big day?'

'We were thinking of a Spring wedding,' said Lucy.

'Plenty of time to plan then,' said Maggie, brightly.

'She didn't mean next year,' said Oren flatly.

'What? This Spring?' said Jennifer incredulously, spilling a little coffee into her saucer.

'Yes. We thought May,' said Oren.

'But Lucy has exams in May,' said Jennifer.

'After Lucy's finished her exams, then,' said Oren coldly.

Jennifer looked sharply at Lucy taking in her pale complexion, her nervousness, her lack of eye contact. Good G.o.d, was she pregnant? She stared at Lucy's flat belly and felt as if she might throw up. 'But why the rush to get married?' she blurted out. She feared Lucy would live to regret marriage at such a young age just as she had done.

'There's no rush,' said Oren evenly, fixing her with a steely gaze and, finding Lucy's hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. 'But when two people are as certain as we are,' he said, pausing to smile at Lucy, 'what's the point in waiting?'

'Oh, that's so romantic,' said Maggie dreamily.

'But,' said Jennifer, reddening, 'the timing of the wedding aside, Lucy has another year of uni to complete and you've no means of support. You're a student too, Oren.'

'Your mother does have a point, Lucy,' said David, his common sense kicking in at last. 'It might be wise to wait until you both graduate.'

Oren leaned in towards Lucy and squeezed her hand so tight her knuckles went white. 'We're not going to be students for much longer, are we, Lucy?' She shook her head obediently.