Sophie Weston - The Bridesmaid's Secret

Bella put down the phone and blew her nose hard.

If only Annis had not looked after her from the moment Tony Carew had married Lynda. If only she had not taught Bella how to sail. If only she had not played with her and read to her and let her borrow her make-up. And then, later, if only she had not believed in her when everyone else thought Bella was a pretty airhead.

If only she had not fallen in love with the same man.

But she had. And Kosta Vitale, for all his smooth sophistication, had taken one look at Annis and had fallen right back. Clever, heartbreaking Kosta was undoubtedly right. Annis was a woman men fell in love with. Bella was the girl they took to parties.

But that didn’t mean the party girl couldn’t fall in love. She just shouldn’t expect anyone to take her seriously when she did. And she should get over it as fast as she could.

Well, she was trying. She wasn’t doing too badly, either. Sometimes she didn’t think of Kosta for a whole hour at a time. Eventually she would get him out of her system altogether. But not if she had to go back to London and watch him walk down the aisle with Annis. Bella knew herself and she knew she was not up to that yet.

She had never told anyone else that she was in love. She had kept her secret well. She had wished them both all the luck in the world and had danced at their engagement party. But Kosta knew she was in love with him. And every time their eyes had met she’d known he knew, even though he’d said nothing. And her heart hurt all over again.

‘Love,’ said Bella aloud, furiously. ‘Who needs it?’

But she would get over it. Of course she would. As long as Annis and Kosta stayed in London and Bella stayed in New York and forgetfulness had time to work its magic.

‘Annis, I need you to come with me to New York,’ Gilbert de la Court said, without preamble.

Annis was sitting in his office, frowning over a flow chart. She looked up, startled.

‘What?’

He gave one of his rare smiles. ‘I need camouflage.’

At once she was wary. They had worked together for months and she knew his company inside out but she knew next to nothing about his private life.

But he was thirty-three and single. Good-looking, too, when you got past his complete disengagement from the everyday world. Besides, some women found that air of aloof preoccupation the ultimate sexual challenge. Who knew how many women he was juggling in the few hours he spent away from his computer? Now she came to think of it, just last week he had taken three days off. She was not going to get involved in any domestic battles he might have.

So she said firmly, ‘I do management consultancy. You want set-dressing, you go somewhere else.’

He considered that for a moment in silence. Then he said, ‘Someone’s trying to take over the company.’

His voice was so unemotional, for a moment Annis did not think she had heard him correctly.

He went on levelly, ‘That’s private. I don’t need to tell you that.’

‘No,’ she said, stunned. ‘Do you—I mean—who?’

‘An interesting question.’ Still no emotion.

Annis thought of the legal structure of the company. She had gone through it with a fine-tooth comb only three months ago.

‘They must have someone inside. One of the partners,’ she said, thinking aloud.

‘Quite.’

Her eyes flew to his face, remorseful. He had three partners, every one of them an old and trusted friend. If this thing was true, then it would be a betrayal of more than business ethics.

‘Oh, Gil, I’m so sorry,’ said Annis, distressed.

He gave a barely perceptible shrug.

‘I can deal with it. I just need to get to New York without arousing the insider’s suspicions. I thought—if I said it was part of your analysis of my job but you needed to get it done before your wedding, I would have a sound reason for bringing forward my usual April trip to now.’

‘Camouflage,’ Annis said, enlightened.

‘Yes. Will you do it?’

She hesitated. She had planned to stay in England until the wedding. There was so much to do.

But Bella was in New York. Annis was pretty sure that if she talked to Bella face to face she could get her to change her mind. Maybe even get her to be a bridesmaid. She had not told Lynda yet that Bella had turned her down. Maybe this trip was a golden opportunity.

‘Yes,’ she said with sudden decisiveness. ‘When?’

‘This evening.’

Annis gulped.

‘I’ve had Ellen book you a ticket,’ he said misunderstanding her reaction. ‘All you need is a passport and a toothbrush.’

‘And a briefcase if I’m to be any good as camouflage,’ said Annis tartly. She was recovering. ‘All right. But I’d better get moving.’

She went out to his secretary.

‘Ellen, have you really got an air ticket for me?’

His PA grinned. ‘And a car booked to take you back to London now and then on to Gatwick airport. And some dollar notes. And your hotel reservation in case you miss the flight. Thinks ahead, does Gil.’

She fished out a package from under her desk.

‘High-handed,’ said Annis, ruffled.

‘I know,’ said Ellen, sighing. ‘Wasted on a computer, isn’t he? Tall, dark and handsome and all he thinks about is Watifdotcom. Never even made it to the Christmas party.’

‘Shame,’ said Annis absently. She looked at her watch. ‘Get that car round and I’ll be going. I’ve got people to talk to if I’m going to be on the plane to New York tonight.’

But she was.

And the next morning, in spite of jet lag and Gil’s impassive disapproval, her first call was at the uptown offices of Elegance Magazine.

‘Annie?’ said Bella incredulously on the house phone when the receptionist called up to the office. ‘Annie? It’s truly you? You’re here?’

‘In person. But I’ve got a meeting in a couple of hours. Could we have lunch?’

‘Sure. I’ll just grab my coat. Be down in five minutes.’

It was nearer ten. In that time Bella had the chance to recover from her first surprised delight. She kissed Annis warmly enough but her manner was wary.

Still, she took her by the arm and sped her along the slushy pavements to her favourite Italian restaurant.

‘Why didn’t you say you were coming when we spoke?’ said Bella when they were seated.

‘Didn’t know. I’m working for one of these do-it-now types. He sprang it on me.’

‘Doesn’t sound like you to let a man spring something on you.’

‘You don’t know Gil. He takes single-mindedness to a new plane.’

‘Hope it’s just single-mindedness about work,’ said Bella, trying to tease and, to her own ears, not quite managing it.

Annis didn’t hear anything wrong though. She smiled. ‘Like I said, you don’t know Gil. If he has any feelings, which I doubt, he archived them a long time ago.’

‘Sounds a pain.’

‘No,’ said Annis. ‘No, he’s not a pain. He’s demanding and stimulating and huge fun to work for. He’s just single-minded, like I said.’

‘Single-minded about what?’

‘His work. Computers,’ said Annis, conscious of client confidentiality.

‘Oh.’ Computers bored Bella to tears. ‘What we call a dweeb, over here.’

Annis gave a private smile, remembering Ellen. ‘His staff don’t think so.’

But Bella was not interested in Annis’s client. After they’d ordered, she passed her sister under a quick, critical inspection and was pleased.

‘You’re looking good, Brain Box.’

‘Kosta’s influence,’ said Annis ruefully. ‘He’s cleared out my wardrobe.’

‘And he’s obviously taking care of you,’ said Bella approvingly.

The pain almost went away when she remembered how happy Kosta Vitale made this dear, difficult sister of hers.