Married By Christmas Read Online Free Page A

was about. She was trying to get Tom interested, to get him to take part. But for the last week or so he’d been anything but, all his apparent joy in his forthcoming nuptials seemingly seeping away. And Anna being Anna didn’t know how to ask him what was wrong, so instead she went into crazy Anna overdrive.
    ‘Look,’ Liv said, leaning forwards and smiling pleasantly at Jean, ‘you can get the fat roses, can’t you? In that shade of red, and the candles, can’t you? That’s easy these days, right?’
    ‘Yes, I can. I was just offering an alternative,’ Jean said, clearly still a little wounded. ‘That’s what I’m here for, to offer ideas …’
    ‘I know.’ Liv smiled warmly. She leaned forwards and added with a conspiratorial air, ‘And your alternatives
are
lovely, just not what Anna has in mind. Anna has had her table arrangements in mind since nineteen ninety-one. And you, of all people, know what brides are like, right? Mental.’
    Jean said nothing, but her expression indicated that she’d seen more than one Bridezilla in her time.
    ‘Also about the specific type of ribbo—’ Anna began to interrupt, but Liv held her hand up to stop her, the only person in the entire world who could get away with doing that.
    ‘The thing that is so brilliant about you Jean, is that you do know more about this than anyone, so who better for Anna to trust her table-setting dreams to than you?’ Jean thought for a moment, and seemed unable to come up with any names. ‘So, we know we can leave you to do everything as per the email, down to the last letter, and everything will be just fine. It will be more than fine, it will be a dream come true. A dream that
you
made come true.’ Jean nodded and smiled, her hurt feelings instantly healed by a little of Liv’s diplomacy. ‘Great, now I need to have a look at your kitchens, and have a chat to your chef about your equipment, see if there’s anything I need to bring with us for the day. OK?’
    ‘Perfectly fine,’ Jean said pleasantly, smiling at Anna, whose eyes were fixed on the back of Tom’s shoulders. ‘I must warn you that Chef is not thrilled at being ousted from his own kitchen for the wedding.’
    ‘Well,’ Liv said as she got up, touching Anna briefly on the arm. ‘Chef can comfort himself with the knowledge that not catering this particular wedding will almost certainly extend his life by at least ten years.’
    Liv paused, leaning close to her friend.
    ‘Anna,’ she said, ‘just try to relax, darling. If you don’t, all these months and years of planning will have been for nothing. It will all go by in a flash and you won’t have noticed any of it, not even the reindeer-pulled sleigh that’s taking you to the church, which you somehow managed to get Whipsnade Zoo to lend you for the morning.’
    ‘It wasn’t that hard. They don’t open on Christmas Eve, I gave a considerable amount of money to the Save the Tiger fund and I’m paying the reindeer keeper an extra bonus. Everyone is happy, even the reindeer, who get more of their favourite feed. And I know, that’s what everyone says, about it all flying past, but it won’t for me. I’ve made a list of times when I have to pause and take stock: just before the ceremony, during the vows, speeches, photos, first dance etc. I’ll be making mental memories!’
    ‘Are there any other kind?’ Liv asked her fondly.
    Anna smiled at Jean. ‘Thank you. I don’t mean to be so demanding. It’s the nerves, you know. And I always expect the worst, it’s a bad habit of mine.’ Anna glanced anxiously at Tom.
    ‘Hey, Tom!’ Liv succeeded in getting him to turn back from the window. ‘Restrain your bride while I go and check out the kitchen, OK?’ she said. She met and held his gaze for several seconds, attempting to psych–ically add the message
And at least look like you’re having a good time
to the end of it, but Tom only stared at her blankly. It was clear that his mind had been