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But now? A new situation, yes? Yes. It’s a wedding. This word really gets to them – “wedding”, or, even worse, “marriage”. Wedding is just a day, but marriage is for keeps in quite a number of cases. Yes, she collected a nice heap through the divorce, but suddenly she sees some other woman will get her mitts on everything left here, and legally get her mitts on it, being a totally documented wife – on the business, the art, seven-bed home with Edwardian-style octagonal conservatory, cars, built-in wardrobes, hardwood strip floors, wine cellar – everything . That’s why I say “a new situation”. That’s why I say “bitter” and “jealous”. You sure you haven’t picked up no rumours?’
    â€˜What rumours?’
    â€˜These rumours are definitely around, Ralph.’
    â€˜Unpleasant rumours?’
    â€˜That she’ll come back and vandalize the wedding.’
    â€˜Sybil? But how, Manse?’
    â€˜She’ll work out how. She’s bitter but she’s also brazen. Such as carrying on – screaming and shouting in the aisle and that, while the service is actually going its holy way, the vicar in full togs. Abuse at full screech. Flinging language. The fuck word. The cunt word. Tearing at posies. Disregarding in toto the holy setting. Most probably roaring to the congregation how I bought Naomi’s rings – engagement and wedding – with charlie profits. She’ve got the strength and the bitterness. This is a big woman, Ralph. Plenty of lung. You can’t put bouncers on the doors of a church. Don’t the Bible say, “compel them to come in”, not “compel Syb to stay fucking out ”?’
    â€˜Oh, Manse, I wouldn’t really think she –’
    â€˜Them rings was paid for with clean cash, I swear, Ralph – from a Premium Bonds win, which are proper, straight, government things, right? Oh, some might say, but which money did I use to buy the bond what won? Was that from, say, cocaine deals? But can I remember when them deals was years ago, and the money just piled up with other money, not money kept special for rings, but left in the bank for whatever kind of requirement arrived, such as school fees, or holidays or anything else, and an engagement and wedding would come in the anything else brackets, not at all expected at the time?’
    â€˜You could hardly be asked to keep labels on very various moneys, Mansel, showing their origin.’
    â€˜Labels – exactly, Ralph. Crazy. You’re quick. You get the point fast. Always did.’
    â€˜Moneys flow in as a tributary might into a major river, and it would be absurd to try to distinguish one bit of water from the rest once this has occurred.’
    â€˜My feeling, too, Ralph.’
    â€˜It would be the view of anyone reasonable who examined this situation fairly, Mansel.’
    â€˜One of the ARLs knew I was getting engaged and he come up with a nice ring, genuine stones. A very nice ring, and deeply, all-round genuine. He’d took it from someone after negotiations to cover half a debt. I’m not saying he ripped it off her finger, the fucking debt-dodger, but he claimed it, as correctly per the tradition and entirely no blood or flesh entailed in this recovery, he swore. Possibly he even gave a receipt. He said it would do me just right. He was trying to be helpful, Ralph, but I had to tell him I couldn’t do that – not use a ring coming from that sort of quarter on Naomi. It would be unkempt. I told him to raise cash on it and make sure this cash went into the firm’s account.’
    â€˜You were always a one for protocol and the ordinary, fundamental, decencies, Manse.’
    â€˜Someone got to be or where are we, Ralph? There’s proper behaviour and there’s behaviour.’
    â€˜True.’
    â€˜I know the one I’d pick.’
    â€˜And most people would guess which