Page 22

TWENTY-TWO

As they approached the village bridal shop, Alicia paused. "Are you sure you don't want anyone else to come shopping with you? Your mother, or a friend, perhaps?"

Lily suspected her mother would turn in her grave at the thought of Lily marrying for any reason other than love, and her friends...well, the agreement she'd signed said she couldn't tell anyone this was a fake marriage, so even if she could, she didn't want any of the girls she'd gone to school with to witness how far she'd fallen. Let them see the pictures on the news and think it was a love match. Because if she saw any of them – even Anna or Elsa – she'd blurt out the truth in a moment, and the deal would be off.

"I'm doing this for the company, to make sure the project goes ahead," she told herself, as she pushed open the door.

And walked into a world made of a million meringues.

Lily blinked. Wall to wall racks were filled with white wedding dresses, with a few extra poufy numbers displayed on mannequins, like giant warnings of what not to wear on your wedding day, lest the guests mistake you for the cake. Then again, if you were going to knock over the cake, like that gay prince in that movie, no one would notice...

In the place of honour was a white and gold dress that ended in an actual train that stretched several metres behind the mannequin, in a widening puddle that did Lily's head in. How could you even walk in something like that? Let alone dance...

"I know what you're thinking. Unless you're a princess with a dozen bridesmaids behind you at all times, how could anyone wear that? But that's the secret, you see. I designed it for an engineering competition. It didn't win – I was beaten by a sort of folding chair with a built in drink cooler, as if anyone needed such a thing – but it did get second place. I think it's about your size, too. Would you like to try it on, so I can show you the magic those men simply didn't appreciate?"

Lily considered saying no, but then she glanced at Alicia. "Is it too much?" she asked.

Alicia laughed. "My dear, you're marrying Leo King. None of Fleur's dresses will ever be too much for that. The question you should be asking is whether you'll be happy wearing it on the front cover of all the papers." She clasped her hands to her chest. "My new daughter in law will be the most beautiful bride my son's ever seen, so he can fall in love with you all over again as you walk down the aisle."

Well, at least she had a clear project brief. Be beautiful, eye-catching and newsworthy, so even a gay man would take notice. She could work with that.

"Let's do this," Lily said.