Thicker Than Water Read Online Free PDF

surmising. Start at the beginning, and tell us exactly how it happened.’
    So Abigail related her meeting with James, their immediate attraction, and his almost immediate proposal. She skated over the fact that he was engaged – because it was no longer relevant – and made light of her meeting with his mother.
    ‘The thing is, though,’ she finished, ‘he lives in a small town in the Cotswolds.’
    ‘You’re never going to bury yourself in the country?’ Eleanor demanded incredulously. ‘Not you, Abigail?’
    ‘I can work there just as easily as in Pimlico,’ she said.
    ‘But work’s only part of it!’ Millie put in. ‘What about restaurants and theatres and concerts and shopping? Not to mention us! What about us?’ she repeated on a rising note.
    ‘I’ll miss you all, of course, but we can email and text, and I’ll have to come to London every so often anyway. It’s not the other side of the world.’
    ‘Does Theo know?’ Sarah asked suddenly.
    Theo Hardy had been – probably thought he still was – Abigail’s latest partner, presently away on a business trip to China.
    ‘I’ve not had the chance to tell him. It didn’t seem fair to email.’
    ‘So where is this James now?’ asked Millie. ‘When are we going to meet him?’
    ‘After a week away from the office, he can’t take time off at the moment. I’m driving up again at the weekend.’
    ‘So when will this Wedding of the Year take place?’
    ‘It won’t be that, Sarah,’ Abigail said seriously. ‘In fact, it’ll be a very quiet affair in a register office, but of course you’re all invited. As to when, probably one day next month.’
    Again, they all stared at her in astonishment. Abigail, who had been the most resolutely anti-marriage of them all; who swore she’d never been, and would never allow herself to be, in love; who weighed all possibilities before reaching a decision – this same Abigail, marrying a man she’d have known less than four weeks – and for love, at that!
    Who said the age of miracles was past?
    The family’s meeting with Abigail couldn’t, of course, be postponed indefinitely, and his parents’ first move was to invite James to supper, when a long and searching discussion took place. No punches were pulled, and he was left in no doubt that they considered he’d behaved shabbily. But once they’d seen he was adamant, they’d no option but to make the best of it and extend some sort of welcome, however restrained, to their proposed daughter-in-law. It was either that, or risk estrangement from their son.
    So an invitation was extended, via James, that she join them and the rest of the family for lunch the following Saturday. The change of day was significant; Sunday lunch was a family institution. Saturday would be less formal, and as it happened, suited himself and Abigail better, since the prospect would not be hanging over them all weekend. Also, she wouldn’t have to set off for London again immediately afterwards.
    James delivered the invitation when he phoned on the Wednesday evening.
    ‘Tina, Ben and the kids will be there, too. Can you face it?’
    ‘Better to jump in the deep end,’ Abigail answered philosophically. ‘As you said last week, there’s a lot to be said for getting everything over at once.’
    ‘Don’t worry about it, sweetheart; I’m the one they’re annoyed with, not you. I’m sure it will all be very civilized.’ He paused. ‘We’ve not really discussed this, but it might help if we can give them a definite date. Have you thought about it?’
    ‘Sometime next month?’
    ‘Perfect. I’ll just about last that long! A Saturday?’
    ‘It would be easier for my friends; they’re all working girls.’
    James waited, and when she didn’t enlarge on that, prompted, ‘And your family?’
    Her tone of voice changed. ‘I told you, there’s no one I want to be there. We’re completely out of touch.’
    He was aware of disappointment and a vague feeling of