NIKOLAI DIDN’T ANSWER her question.
Yet that Sev had thought him dead had shaken him to the core.
In a brief exchange with his long-ago friend he had found out that Sev and Daniil had thought that he had killed himself and that Sev had thought it had been his fault.
Nikolai had just glimpsed the burden he had unwittingly placed on his friend and was in no mood to respond to Miss Curiosity’s question.
‘I’m Rachel,’ she offered.
‘I think we’re supposed to be paying attention to the service.’ Nikolai’s response was terse.
His voice made her want to say pardon, just for the chance to hear him repeat himself. It was deep and low and his accent so rich it made her toes curl. Rachel turned to Libby and they both frowned and pulled confused faces at each other.
There were so many questions but no time to answer them as they were now standing for the first hymn.
‘You can share mine,’ Rachel said generously when she saw that he didn’t have an order of service.
She was like a wasp hovering, Nikolai thought.
He had wanted to just see the service and leave.
And he would still do so, Nikolai decided.
He could not face the questions.
Or, worse, answering them.
‘Are you okay?’ he heard her say, and then realised that the question had not been aimed at him.
‘I’d better be!’ Libby responded with grim determination. ‘Stick close to me, Rachel.’
And then he felt, or rather heard, the woman beside him—Rachel—laugh.
It was an odd and unexpected reaction to an escalating situation and for some reason he almost smiled.
The fragrance she was wearing was possibly the scent of lying in a flower-drenched meadow in summer, not that he ever had, but Nikolai then decided that she was more like a bee.
Except her too-close proximity didn’t have the threat of a sting.
He looked at the pale hands that held the paper in front of him and it was the most pointless sharing ever because neither of them was singing.
‘Is she having pains?’ Nikolai asked.
‘Yes,’ Rachel said as the hymn ended and they took their seats. ‘But they’re ages apart.’
Her dress rode up as she took a seat and he was treated to a glimpse of freckly white thighs, and then he watched her fidget as she pulled her dress down.
And then there was another fidget as she went into her bag and took out some toffees and offered Libby one, but she shook her head.
He watched as the gold-foil-wrapped sweet was offered to him.
‘We’re not at the movies,’ he pointed out. Yet, again, even in uncomfortable circumstances he had the temptation to smile. She was slightly inappropriate, yet had made herself a companion when so many had simply stared.
Nikolai had been to few weddings. His lifestyle ensured he did not get particularly close to others but seeing his friend clearly in love, he was glad he had come.
Even if he had been outed.
They stood for another hymn.
‘Oh, I know this one,’ Rachel said, and proceeded to sing tunelessly and loudly beside him.
She was a terrible midwife because Libby had another contraction during the second verse and, Nikolai observed, Rachel didn’t appear to even notice.
He had timed them.
Rachel was right, though—they were ages apart and Libby had a while to go.
Still...
‘Your friend is in pain,’ Nikolai said.
‘I know!’ Rachel hissed, and as they took their seats while the couple went off to the vestry to sign the register she elaborated. ‘Why do you think I was singing so loudly? I was trying to keep the spotlight from her.’
Rachel did not need to sing, even badly, for the spotlight to be on her, Nikolai thought. Even if he had been seated at the back of the church, his eyes would have been drawn to her. He had noticed her getting out of the car, he had seen those long pale legs as they’d climbed the church steps and that gorgeous tumble of red hair.
A harp was being played, very badly, and Rachel got back to the order of service and found that it was Naomi’s cousin who was putting the congregation through hell.
‘Ouch,’ she said as a note was missed, and her fidgeting resumed.
‘Do you have any more sweets?’ he asked.
‘Always.’ She smiled and went into her bag and handed him not one but two.
He unwrapped the sweet and popped it into his mouth. It was brittle, with a soft centre, and was absolutely delicious.
‘Do you know why I like them?’ Rachel whispered. ‘They get stuck to your teeth and you can find a bit later.’
He turned then and for the first time met her eyes fully.
His were a very dark brown, almost black, Rachel thought, and his gaze was penetrating, so much so that as it shifted down to her mouth she could feel the blush of her skin.
‘I’m thinking of getting braces,’ she said, perhaps because they were on the subject of teeth, or perhaps just for something to say.
‘Don’t.’
‘The invisible ones,’ she amended.
‘Why,’ Nikolai asked, ‘would you ruin such an amazing mouth?’
Oh, she was a terrible midwife because had the bride and groom not appeared then, Rachel would have been rather tempted to take his hand and simply run.
He was stunning.
She ached to see him smile, but he did not return hers and she ached for a witty retort but she had none.
The bells rang loudly and the newlyweds walked back down the aisle and Nikolai turned his attention to them.
Daniil gave his wife a concerned look as he walked past.
‘I’m fine,’ Libby mouthed.
‘She’s lying,’ Rachel muttered.
Soon they were all out on the steps and the wedding party was being arranged for photos. Nikolai knew that now was the time to leave quietly.
Yes, Sev had questions and deserved answers, but today wasn’t the time for that and so, as the photographer called for everyone to gather on the steps, Nikolai walked away, hoping to disappear into the crowd.
‘Hey!’
He could hear the clip of footsteps running behind him and knew who he would see when he turned around.
The bee was buzzing.
‘You can’t just leave!’ Rachel said. She wasn’t even thinking about Sev and the rest of them—more, how dare he flirt like that and simply walk off?
But Nikolai had other ideas.
‘I can do exactly that,’ he responded.
‘You have to stay,’ Rachel said. ‘I’ve been given instructions and I take my duties as friend of the wife of the best man very seriously.’
Nikolai cared nothing about her duties and started to move away.
‘It’s not fair on