Just a fraught morning, then, thought Josh, telling himself that explained the unusual brittleness of her smile. 'How is Kate?'

'A bit jittery, but she'll be fine. She should be here any minute.'

On his other side, Aisling leant forward to talk across him. 'I'm surprised you're not Kate's bridesmaid, Bella,' she said. 'You are her best friend, after all.'

'So is Phoebe.' Bella's tone was cool. 'And Kate's not very tall. She'd look ridiculous with both of us towering over her.'

'Yes, but Phoebe's married.'

'So?'

'So as the only unmarried friend left, it would have been quite natural if Kate had chosen you as her bridesmaid,' Aisling tried to explain.

'Oh, I think I'm a bit old for that, don't you?' said Bella pleasantly enough, but sitting between the two women Josh could feel a distinct undercurrent of tension.

'I wouldn't have thought so,' said Aisling. 'You can't be much more than thirty-five, surely?'

Josh cleared his throat and shifted in the pew. Aisling was treading on dangerous ground. Bella was very sensitive about her age for some unfathomable reason.

Glancing sideways, he saw Bella's blue eyes narrow beneath the brim of her hat. 'Not quite,' she said thinly. 'As it happens, I'm only thirty-two.'

And she shot a glance at Josh which said more clearly than words ever could that he wasn't even to think about adding 'nearly thirty-three'.

'Really?' Aisling was tactlessly surprised. 'I always thought you'd be more Josh's age since you were students together.'

'No, Josh was a bit older than the rest of us when he started,' said Bella grittily, and Josh decided it was time to change the subject.

'Is Kate not having any bridesmaids then?' he asked hurriedly.