'So you will say no, won't you?' she begged when she had dragged Phoebe away from Gib and poured the whole story into her ears.

'If you want,' said Phoebe, 'but I don't know what I'm going to say to Josh. I can't think of any reason to object to Aisling. She seems very nice.'

'I don't like her,' said Bella.

'Why not?'

'I just don't,' she said a little sulkily. 'There's a little too much of that bubbly Irish charm if you ask me. And I don't think she's right for Josh.'

Phoebe looked at her narrowly. 'Are you sure you're not just jealous?'

'Jealous? Jealous?'spluttered Bella, spilling most of the champagne in her outrage. 'Don't be ridiculous! I have never been jealous of Josh, you know that. I've always got on really well with all his girlfriends.'

'Mmnn, but then none of them were at all like you.'

'Nor is Aisling!'

'Yes, she is. I'm sure that's why you don't like her. You've only got to look at her!'

Bella turned to stare across the marquee to where Aisling was snuggling up to Josh. She obviously couldn't keep her hands off him. Josh would hate that, Bella thought disapprovingly. He was definitely a behind-closed-doors sort of man.

On the other hand, he wasn't exactly fighting Aisling off, was he?

She looked away. 'I'm nothing like Aisling,' she told Phoebe. 'She's got red hair, for a start!'

'OK, but change the colour of her hair and eyes, and what have you got? She's ridiculously pretty, has legs up to her armpits, and that glamorous look that is just so different from Josh's previous girlfriends. Admit it, Bella, she's practically a clone!'

Bella wasn't prepared to admit anything of the kind. 'What, apart from looking completely different and having completely different personalities? I'd say all Aisling and I had in common was our gender! Josh is always telling me how practical she is and how she likes doing hearty things like climbing and camping.'