Page 68 of An Italian Wedding Adventure

She’d been out of her comfort zone with Andreas; she was even further out, contemplating leading the bridal couple up the via ferrata. Although three of the parents had opted for the steep hike from the other side instead of the climb, there were still far too many variables. An entire massif of release forms wouldn’t make this any less stressful.

Flicking briefly through a few booking websites to find a hotel, by the time she’d filtered out places like the Imperial and the Elite Resort, which had lofty prices to match their names, and also the run-down caravans at the other end of the scale, she never quite got around to selecting and booking a room before she was interrupted.

When they arrived back from the city walk, it was almost time for the winery tour in the hills, which hopefully would be a few degrees cooler. Lily and Roman were absent when the appointed time came and Sophie worked very hard not to indulge her anxiety. It wasn’t uncommon for engaged couples to want to steal a little extra private time.

But she was surprised when Lily phoned her, asking if the minibus could collect them in town on the way through. Although pink-cheeked from the hours of windsurfing, Lily looked off when she ducked into the minibus and Sophie’s stomach dipped. The bride was definitely avoiding her gaze.

The drive took them up high, the road winding through villages perched on the steep, green hills overlooking the lake, to a charming, stone cantina surrounded by bushy olive trees, hanging with green fruit. Grapevines snaked along the hill in terraces, creating orderly stripes of lush leaves.

Lily’s steps faltered as she climbed out of the minibus and stared at the sign for the boutique winery so Sophie was relieved when Lily came straight to her after greeting Signor Cozzaglio, the owner. Looking furtively for a quiet spot, Sophie led her to the corner of the terrace that was set up for the wine tasting while the others headed into the olive grove, Roman urging them on when they looked back for Lily.

Sophie tensed, awaiting her next challenge.

With her arms tight around herself, Lily blurted out in a whisper, ‘I’m pregnant!’

For a moment, Sophie couldn’t respond. It wasn’t the first time this had happened during a wedding she’d planned. She’d experienced that tightness in her throat before as memories assailed her and she shoved them right back down again. But this time, her stomach swooped with worry – worry upon worry that had been building since yesterday, since June – since those brief weeks six years ago where she’d also carried the beginnings of a small life inside her.

‘Are you okay?’ she managed to ask. ‘Shall we find a doctor?’

‘No – I mean yes, I’m okay and nothing seems to be wrong I’m just—’ Lily couldn’t seem to find the words. Sophie knew how she felt, unable to stop her own memories – shock, fear, excitement. There had been joy in there, but it certainly hadn’t been the only emotion.

Joy was far from what she was feeling now, as much as she wished she could be happy for her client.

‘You only just found out?’ she guessed.

Lily nodded vigorously. ‘It sounds terrible, but I wanted to drink and enjoy my wedding – and the climbing! And now I don’t know?—’

Oh shit, the climbing. Sophie didn’t even know what was appropriate for a pregnant woman. She needed Andreas, as much as those words made her uneasy.

‘I don’t want anyone in my family to know yet,’ Lily said through her teeth. ‘I can’t even get my head around it myself. We kind of vaguely wanted kids, but not this soon. I had a suspected chest infection a month ago and the doctors don’t take chances with me any more. The medication must have interfered with the pill.’

The practical challenges were at least something Sophie could cope with. ‘Don’t worry about that. I’ll help you cover your tracks – you can spit during the wine tasting and I’ll make sure we have some discreet non-alcoholic options for you otherwise and if there’s anything else you need, come straight to me – anything.’

Her tone must have given something away, because Lily studied her curiously. ‘I appreciate it. And I’m sorry for upsetting all our plans.’

Tears pricked behind Sophie’s eyes. Damn it, she wished she hadn’t been right about weddings always making people cry. ‘Don’t apologise. You and Roman have been a dream couple to work with and even if you weren’t, this is my job.’

Lily shook her head. ‘You’ve gone above and beyond, Sophie. It’s like your calling.’

Lily had to stop talking before the urge to cry grew unbearable. A few tasteful tears during the ceremony were professional; bawling when the bride told her she was pregnant was not.

‘But do you think I can still do the via ferrata? I really want to!’

Sophie’s head spun. ‘Honestly, I have no idea, but I’ll find out for you as soon as I can.’

* * *

Andreas wasn’t answering his phone.

Sophie paced the beautiful terrace with ancient grapevines creating a thick canopy of shade. The wide waters of the lake shimmered far below while a falcon played on the breeze in her eyeline. The contented murmur of the guests enjoying sips of wine and morsels of homemade bread with olive oil reached her ears from behind her and in front of her, the Monte Baldo massif with its gullies and ravines and the enormous row of peaks filled her vision.

But Sophie could only appreciate it abstractly as her phone calls rang out in her ear, over and over. Kira’s phone appeared to be switched off. Andreas might be driving back to Marniga and unable to use Bluetooth – she would have been more surprised if hehadmanaged to connect his phone to the old Panda with his technological prowess, or lack thereof. Or he could be back already and simply not answering his phone. He might be busy.

Her stomach twisted as her fevered brain pictured all kinds of ways he could be ‘busy’ right now, no matter how unlikely those scenarios were.

Hoping her smile held up, she made her apologies to the wedding party and rushed to where the minibus was parked on the gravel drive. ‘Could you take me back to Limone?’

Pulling her rented Fiat 500 into the car park in Marniga an hour later, a few drops of rain plopped onto the windscreen, as though the weather was reflecting Sophie’s dread. Billowing storm clouds churned over the lake. She should have hurried to the apartment before the rain started in earnest, but a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror revealed just how many tears she’d swiped off her cheeks on the drive here, so she took a moment with her make-up remover wipes and concealer.

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