They reminded her of a couple of dormice, not exciting, but cosy and content together.

Near the end of the reception Elly took Pippa aside and said, archly, "Such a very handsome young man! When will we hear wedding bells for you?"

"You won't," Pippa said. To her relief Luke was on the other side of the room swapping funny stories with the best man.

"But anyone can see you two are crazy about each other," Elly protested.

Pippa discovered that she didn't have her heart under such perfect control as she'd hoped, otherwise the suggestion that Luke was crazy about her wouldn't have made it leap like that. But she assumed a worldly-wise air.

"I'm eighteen. I've got a lot of road to travel before I'm ready to settle down."

"You mean he hasn't asked you?"

"I mean that every little fling doesn't have to end in marriage these days. Neither Luke or I care about doing the conventional thing. Elly, honestly, I'm really happy for you and Frank. I think you're perfect together. But things are different for my generation."

To which Elly simply replied, "Hmm!" with a look of disconcerting shrewdness in her baby-blue eyes.

Frank and Luke talked for a conscientious ten minutes, but both were relieved when it was over. Frank was kind and well-meaning, but he was also pompous and narrow-minded, and before she left he said firmly to Pippa, "That young man isn't at all suitable for you, my dear. I'm afraid I'd have to call him rackety."

"He's twenty-three," Pippa said incensed. "Weren't you rackety when you were his age?"

He was shocked. "Certainly not!"

"Well, you should have been! Everyone should be rackety at twenty-three. He's got years and years to be responsible."

"You sound as though you're quoting him," Frank said, scoring a bull's-eye and momentarily throwing her off balance. "Don't give him your heart, Pippa. He'll only break it."