The Spanish Consultant (Westerling)

Katy stared doubtfully at her feet. ‘I don’t know why I let you talk me into them. I feel as though I’m on stilts. I’m going to trip, going down the aisle.’

‘You’ll be holding Dad’s arm,’ Libby pointed out, sitting back on her heels and pulling a face. ‘Who would have thought it? Dad suddenly having an entire personality change. It’s as if that heart attack made him rethink his whole life.’

‘And Mum seems so happy,’ Katy agreed.

‘Who knows? One day we might be a normal family,’ Libby quipped, straightening the hem of Katy’s dress. ‘OK, you’re done. Go wow them.’

Katy looked down at herself. ‘Do the shoes make me too tall?’

‘You look stunning,’ Libby said dryly. ‘Fortunately, you’re marrying a man who dwarfs you, so you don’t need to spend the rest of your life wearing flats.’

Katy felt her stomach tumble at the thought of Jago waiting for her inside the church, with Alex as best man. ‘I love him so much.’

‘I know.’ Libby scrambled to her feet and grinned. ‘You always did.’

‘I almost married Freddie.’

Libby shook her head. ‘I hate to break this to you, but that was never going to happen. Alex and I would have kidnapped you rather than let you make a mistake like that.’

‘I’m going to miss living with you so much.’ Katy leaned forward and hugged her tightly. ‘Alex is lucky to be moving in with you. I know you’ll get on well.’

She said it very firmly, as if she was trying to convince herself, and Libby laughed.

‘You know we’ll probably kill each other,’ she said dryly, and Katy sighed.

‘Well, hopefully it won’t be for long,’ she said wistfully. ‘I want you to meet someone and settle down.’

‘Me?’ Libby looked startled. ‘You’ve got to be kidding. I’m a born-again cynic. Now, get down that aisle and stop fantasising.’

At that moment their father appeared, looking remarkably good considering his recent illness.

‘The minute we’ve walked down that aisle you have to sit down,’ Katy reminded him firmly, and he looked at her with eyes that were unusually bright.

‘I’ve told everyone that my daughter is a doctor,’ he said gruffly, taking her hand in his and tucking it into his arm. ‘I know I’ve never said that I’m proud of you, but I am. Very proud. And I’m proud of you, too, Elizabeth.’

Aware that Libby’s mouth had fallen so wide open that she was in danger of swallowing a large insect, Katy couldn’t hide her smile.

‘Thanks, Dad.’ Apparently almost meeting his maker and a confrontation with his wife had been sufficient to make Charles seriously reconsider his ways.

As she heard the music start she moved to the top of the aisle and caught her first glimpse of Jago, standing tall and broad-shouldered next to her brother.

At that moment he turned and saw her and there was no missing the love and pride in his dark eyes. And as Katy took her first steps towards him on her father’s arm, she knew that everything about her life was perfect.