Protecting Love (LarssonSiblingSeries #3)

CHAPTER FOUR

Betty

"Give me another glass of champagne and get my mother out of this dressing room before I kill her and her snooty ways!"

I rush over with the almost empty bottle of alcohol and pour the remaining dry fizz in Bailey's flute, seeing Delilah use her hands to steady Bailey's head from moving when she attempts to curl the last stray hairs hanging from the bride to be's bun. Everything was going to plan until Bailey's mother decided the wedding dress needed a little jazzing up and insisted she let her sew on a few crystals on the hem. There is nothing wrong with the dress. It's made from a delicate ivory silk that hugs to her every curve, the bodice swooping to give a slight glimpse of her bust and then the rest of the material carries down the length of her body to rest a fraction behind her feet.

"I'm only trying to help," Sandra replies, putting her sewing kit back in her bag.

Mama comes over and rests her hand on Sandra's back. "You will need to head out soon. Your wedding car is due to leave.

Sandra dabs at her eyes. "Oh, it's here already? Goodness, this morning has just flown by."

"Yes, Levi will show you to the car you need."

"Where's dad?" Bailey chirps, pulling the hem of her dress up to trot over the room. "He is here, right?"

Sandra grabs Bailey's hand and pulls it up to her mouth. "Yes, he's waiting for you outside."

"I worried he'd not turn up," she laughs, draining her glass.

Bailey's parents are in the middle of a messy divorce which has caused Johnathon, her father, to move back to Northhampshire where most of his family reside while they sort through their problems.

"You know he wouldn't miss this moment for the world. I'm proud of you, darling."

Bailey's eyes mist over. "I don't want to kill you."

Sandra tips her head back and laughs. "I would hope not. I'll see you at the church my stunning girl. You are so beautiful."

They hug for forever and share a few sniffles, and then Sandra leaves the room, and Bailey collects three bunches of flowers giving one to Ellie, Laine and me as her bridesmaids, getting her own after so we can pose for a few photographs. Mama pulls out her camera and clicks away as the paid photographer bends on his knee to capture the perfect moment. Laine shuffles to my right with George in her arms dressed in his little pageboy suit, putting her bent arm near my side so George can be between us. I relax my face and smile as big as I can manage in the tense circumstances. Laine and I haven't uttered a word other than 'Hey' all morning. It's not ideal.

"Are you two twins?" the photographer says behind the lens.

"Yes, we're not identical, though," Laine beams slipping closer.

A flash blinds me. "I thought you were identical. I bet you were mistaken as youngsters."

Mama rushes over and puts herself between us, cuddling George in her arms while Ellie helps Bailey apply her red lipstick. "They were inseparable as babies. Their father used to insist I put different coloured headbands in their hair so he could tell who was who."

Laine laughs. "Do you remember when we used to wind him up when we got home from school by answering to each other's names, Betty?"

I give a small smile. "Yeah."

"I think it was the only time he got mad at us, shouting in Dutch that we would get a slapped behind if we didn't behave," she giggles and looks at Mama, "we had the best childhood. You and daddy are my world. I love you, mama."