Page 113 of Love Is: Two Bodies One Soul

ChapterForty-Three

‘Here, give me that!’Looking as grey as his smart morning suit, Xander grabbed Lexie’s camera from her.

‘What are you doing?’

‘Going to take a few shots.’ He focused the camera on an enormous floral display with overwhelming perfume.

‘You trying to swap roles?’ George appeared from the other side of the flowers. ‘I’m not taking you back, you know.’

‘Wouldn’t want to come back to WIV, even if it is on the up with your new money-man.’

‘Good.’ George speared Xander with an unfriendly glare and then marched off to join his wife and children.

‘Whatever happened to the season of goodwill?’ Xander muttered.

‘You’ve only got yourself to blame.’ Lexie seized back her camera. ‘You almost broke his favourite PA’s heart.’

Xander pulled a face. ‘I know. And I know you were right – all those things you said when you were driving me to the station. I deserved it all – every word.’

Lexie smiled at her twin and quickly took a candid shot of him, blond hair floppily untidy, the late-night shadows under his eyes and the colour co-ordinated greyness of someone trying to hide a hangover. Kate’s brothers obviously showed Xander a good time on the stag night. Lexie was only relieved they’d not tied him to a freezing lamp post to stop the marriage, as George had apparently suggested.

‘You’d better go through,’ Lexie said, nodding to the Regency Room where she had taken countless wedding ceremony photographs. ‘Everyone’s going in now, and Kate will arrive shortly.’

‘Are you coming in?’ Xander suddenly looked terrified.

‘Not yet. I’m going to be taking some photos of Kate before she comes to you.’

‘Oh, yes.’ Xander shuffled.

‘Off you go!’ Lexie shooed him away.

‘Right.’

‘You’re not having second thoughts, are you?’

‘Absolutely not!’

‘Then go! She’s arriving.’

Xander turned to look through the glass revolving doors to the street. One of Roger Phelan’s limousines had pulled up. George rushed out of the hotel. The shiny Rolls Royce door opened, and out stepped Kate. A heart-stopping vision of loveliness in ivory lace.

* * *

After the service,Xander looked a lot better. Very photogenic, Lexie thought as she went through her usual routine. Bride and groom together. Repeat but add in the family. Bride with bridesmaids, everyone together and then one or two more of bride and groom while the guests made their way into the Princess Room for the wedding breakfast.

‘It doesn’t take long, does it?’ Owen said, sidling up to Lexie.

‘That’s because it is only the beginning.’ She looked at Owen, happily holding his daughter to his chest. Emi was so cute in her ivory chiffon with a pale pink sash. Each of the four bridesmaids wore matching ivory dresses with contrasting satin waistbands. Emi had chosen the pink herself, and Kate’s three little sisters had fought over the remaining blue, mint, and lemon.

‘How many siblings has Kate got?’

‘Six, she’s the middle one. All her brothers are older.’

‘Do they know yet?’

‘About Kate expecting?’ Lexie whispered, just in case. ‘I don’t think so. The plan is to tell everyone after the honeymoon.’

Owen nodded, as if he thought that was a good plan.

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