Made in heaven

Zannah and Adrian are planning to marry in May, the loveliest time of the year. Zannah has always wanted a beautiful, traditional wedding and feels she missed out the first time round when she married Cal, father of her daughter Isis. Now that tense moment – one that happens before every wedding – has come: the two families are to meet. Will the gathering go smoothly? Will they like each other – the slightly bohemian Gratrixes from Cheshire and the wealthy Ashtons from the Home Counties? The meeting will take place on neutral territory, at a lunch party in the home of Zannah’s Great-aunt Charlotte in London. A mood of festivity and celebration prevails. Adrian’s stepfather, Gray Ashton, arrives a little late by which time everyone has assembled. When he enters the room, Joss Gratrix, Zannah’s mother, turns frighteningly pale and hurries away from the party, leaving Zannah and her sister to wonder why on earth this man should have such a devastating effect on their mother?