A Winter's Wedding by Sharon Owens

do you mean?’ Emily said carefully. ‘Do you think he’s got another place to live? Like he’s renting a city-centre apartment or something?’
    ‘Yes, that’s exactly it! I’m starting to think he’s been planning to leave me for some time. It was the way he looked at me the last time we were arguing; his eyes were just so cold,’ Arabella said forlornly. ‘I got a feeling that day that he really hated me – you know, when I poured the pasta sauce into his briefcase?’
    ‘You shouldn’t have done that, I dare say.’
    ‘Big deal – his briefcase was empty, anyway.’
    ‘Arabella, look, please don’t take this the wrong way,’ Emily said carefully. ‘But don’t you think that maybe, just maybe, things had come to a natural end with you and David?’
    ‘No. Not at all; we were madly in love.’
    ‘But you just said he hated you.’
    ‘I said I had a feeling he hated me that day . That was just my perception at the time, though. And it was only that particular day. Remember that; it wasn’t all the time.’
    ‘Why is it okay if he only hates you sometimes?’ Emily said slowly.
    ‘Look, he was mad at me because I told him he was rubbish in bed, okay?’ Arabella said with a flash of guilt that turned her neck tomato red. ‘Actually, I told him he was the worst lover I’d ever had … and his feet were a bit yellow … and he had bad breath.’
    ‘Well, you know what men are like about that sort of thing. They have very fragile egos – no wonder he stormed off in a giant huff,’ Emily said, shaking her head sadly.
    ‘I didn’t mean it, Emily. Well, he does have yellowish feet. But he doesn’t have bad breath, and he wasn’t my worst lover. But I was just so upset because I wasn’t pregnant,’ Arabella cried.
    ‘Okay, okay, so he’s a good lover, then? Maybe you should tell him that. He might come back again.’
    ‘He’s not always good in bed. Well, he’s okay, I suppose,’ Arabella said. She inhaled deeply, coughed loudly and threw her salad back into the carrier bag in disgust.
    ‘To sum up,’ Emily said, taking a deep breath, ‘David has yellow feet, isn’t exactly the best in bed, sometimes hates you, and has ignored you completely for over a month?’
    ‘Yes. That’s about the height of it.’
    ‘So why on earth do you want him back, if you don’t mind me asking?’
    ‘I want him back because I love him to bits. Obviously .’
    Emily closed her eyes. She knew that she mustn’t tell Arabella she was one deluded wife. Ideally Arabella would work it out for herself – and come to the conclusion that she would be better off without David.
    ‘Why do you love him again?’ she said.
    ‘He’s my husband, Emily. I took my wedding vows seriously.’
    ‘And that’s the only reason you love him? You took wedding vows?’
    ‘No,’ Arabella shook her head. ‘I love him because he’s my husband.’
    ‘So you’d automatically love any husband? Even have an arranged marriage?’
    ‘No, of course not, Emily, don’t be silly. Though I do understand that most arranged marriages are designed to bring together two people who are well suited. They are not designed to fail, my darling.’
    ‘Well, fair enough. Let’s not get bogged down in a discussion about arranged marriage.’
    ‘You started it.’
    ‘Yes, I did … Give me another reason why you love him, then. Why did you fall in love with him in the first place?’
    ‘He was rich and successful.’
    ‘Apart from that,’ Emily said.
    ‘He can change a tyre really quickly.’
    ‘So marry a mechanic next time,’ Emily said, packing away her lunch box.
    ‘Emily, don’t be flippant. I meant that David is a resourceful man. That he doesn’t just give up if he doesn’t get what he wants right away. He’s clever, you know? And I loved him for it. I’m totally devastated here.’
    ‘I’m sorry. I know you didn’t only love him because he could change a tyre. I know you didn’t mean it that way.’
    ‘It’s