Page 120 of Broken Beyond Repair

“Sorry.” He turned away and fanned himself. “I just love weddings.”

“If you and Will ever decide to get wed, the drawing room is fully licensed for weddings. It took some doing at short notice, too, I can tell you.”

“I’ll think about it,” James replied with a sly grin and a twinkle in his eye.

“He wouldn’t be able to make it through his own ceremony,” Sam put in as he appeared at Sydney’s side and pulled her into a hug. “Congrats, Sydy. That was a lovely surprise.”

“No official photographer?” Greg asked. “You could make a fortune selling the photos.”

“Alex is doing a superb job with a mobile phone. Privacy is what we value, not money.”

Greg scoffed. “Privacy. We all saw Beatrice on that stage six months ago declaring her love to the world.”

“Since then we’ve become a rather hot topic, and not just because of our relationship.”

James’s gaze swept around the room as he leaned towards Sydney and whispered, “What is the latest on Peter?”

“He’s due to be sentenced next week.”

“What does assaulting ten women get you these days?” Greg asked, with less subtlety than James.

“Elected as prime minister?” Sam suggested to everyone’s amusement.

Two hours later Sydney flopped onto a stair, breathless from dancing. Resting her elbows on the step above her, she smiled at Beatrice and Alex dancing to the music piped through the house’s sound system. Highwood made for a great party house, and with its pulse beating, it was a stark contrast to the first time she’d walked through the front door.

Beatrice joined her, leaving Freddie to take over with Alex.

“What are you thinking?” she asked as she eased onto the stair.

“What a different house this is to the one I walked into a year ago.”

“I can’t imagine where I’d be now if you hadn’t come into my life that day.”

“America probably.”

“I don’t mean geographically, Sydney,” Beatrice said, knocking shoulders with her wife.

“I know you don’t,” Sydney replied with a cheeky grin.

“You’ve changed me, and every bit for the better. You helped Alex, and our relationship.” Beatrice nodded towards Sam as he danced with Rhona. “You’ve even fixed your own with Sam.”

“Don’t forget Gertie.”

Beatrice rolled her eyes. “How could I?”

Sydney leaned against Beatrice and dropped her head onto her shoulder. “Would it be rude to throw everyone out now? As much as I love to see Highwood alive, I want you all to myself again.”

“I’m sure we can arrange that.”

With books handed out, hugs exchanged, and tears mopped, they said farewell to their guests.

“We’ll see you in a few days with Gertie, Sam,” Sydney said as the old friends parted.

Rosie frowned. “I thought you were off to the States?”

“We are, next week, but I’ve persuaded Beatrice to slum it in Gertie for a few days as a sort of honeymoon. We’re going to roll around the countryside, see where it takes us. Find some cute villages, visit the odd ruined abbey or castle, and then end at the harbour.”

“I’ll look after her for you, don’t you worry,” Sam said as he opened his car door.