"...So you're the little French waitress, are you? Enchanté de vous rencontrer enfin, chérie..."

Uma shot round at the strident address from the husky voiced woman she had been trying to avoid all afternoon. But there was no mistaking the identity of the speaker. The Honourable Christabel Willis, aka the former Mrs Maximilian Skinner.

"It's okay, sweetie. My English is almost as good as yours. I'm not French, by the way, although I'll have to admit to waiting on the occasional table - but very grudgingly as befits someone English and thus deaf and blind to the concept of good service. Uma...pleased to meet you..er,..?"

Something about the woman's steady-eyed stare with the faint shadow of a mocking smile edging the corners of her full mouth helped overcome the timidity Uma had been feeling so far that day. Christabel had to have known it was all long over between Max and Fanny Chenal. Charlie must have kept her informed of all her ex-husband got up to. So the haughty Honourable Christabel was trying to make her feel foolish, was she? Have her on the run trying to explain herself, thus immediately taking the higher ground? There was no way Uma was going to allow herself to stutter and stumble through a humiliating explanation- and play into this woman's hands.

Pulling herself up to her full height, Uma returned the gaze, unblinking. "Oh, I know! You must be the ex-wife. And you also know full well who I am, so give it a rest, love. Today is Charlie's day. Don't spoil things..."

Christabel pouted but seemed to shed much of her defences all the same, shrugging. "I wasn't planning on making a scene, or anything. But you can't expect me to like it! For God's sake, how do you expect me to feel? It's my brother's wedding day and not only do I have to cope with HIM as the best man, but I also have to smile sweetly and make nice to his new girlfriend? Tell me, how would you like it?"

Without knowing much about the history between this woman and Max (apart from his obviously partial version), Uma nonetheless had to concede that the woman had a point. For starters, Christabel was absolutely nothing like the image Max had painted of her ('female Hitler with slightly more facial hair'). But then, it stood to reason she wouldn't be. Would Max Skinner have realistically hooked up with a dog? Even if he was after her father's money, the guy had his pride.

Just then Uma was taken surprise by a singular notion, one in all fairness she should have considered before. Perhaps Max had initially married for love. The subsequent failure of his marriage had most probably been due to his personal misdemeanours more than anything on his wife's part.  The realisation took her aback somewhat, leaving her unsure how to react. It had been all too easy to hate the ex-wife, unseen. Not so easy now face-to-face. Especially as Uma rather liked the look of Christabel, for all her starchy sarcasm. Frankly, given a wholly different situation, they would - in all probability- have been friends. So who was the real enemy here? Another woman who had obviously been treated badly by her husband, or the bastard himself? It made Uma wonder -not for the first time -at the odd stupidity of gender and the lines we draw. She had the sudden desire to call Ann and share her moment of enlightenment. It seemed not only peculiarly poignant at that point in both their lives, but also one that would perhaps allow them to revisit some of their old conversations.

"...Gorgeous frock. You look fabulous, darling. I must say, Max knows a beauty when he sees one. But then, he's had enough practice..." Christabel broke into Uma's thoughts. " I don't want to be the spectre at the feast, darling. You're welcome to him. Just watch your step. He's a complete shit, adorable as he may be when he's being a good boy...Enjoy the day. Thanks for coming..."

Something about the wistful tone in her voice made Uma call her back. "You know what they say about a nice frock, Christabel..? It's major purpose is to annoy other women...men haven't a clue, have they? They think we dress for them..."

Christabel turned, a mischievous grin cracking her face. She suddenly didn't look anywhere near so frosty. Uma could imagine a younger Max had fallen over his tongue at the sight of this poised beauty with a sense of humour. "You are so right! I hope he paid oodles for it. Serves him right..."

Uma grinned. He certainly had. "Look, Christabel, I don't know what went wrong between you, but Max is a lot different now than he used to be. And I haven't many illusions left about men, to be honest. I've been there before, you know?"

The other woman nodded her understanding. An immediate solidarity seemed to bond them. She indicated that they should sit down at one of the tables on the verandah of the family's beautiful country house, the grand wedding marquee before them, guests milling about carrying glasses of champagne as they mingled.

"He blames me for the divorce and tells everyone I was a complete witch. Which I can be when crossed, I won't deny. It's true, I did have an affair when we were married. Mostly to pay him back for the dozens of women he had slept with. He thought I didn't know. One lie after another and he thinks he can con me? You always know when they're up to something, don't you?"

Uma nodded sadly. She had enough experience of that from her years with Cullen to feel an instant sense of kinship towards Christabel. "...Even if you pretend you don't, you always do..."

Christabel gave her a sympathetic look. "He hasn't been up to his old tricks again, has he? It's a wonder his dick hasn't fallen off by now..."

Uma laughed, despite herself. "I was thinking of my ex-husband, not Max. Cullen was a total shit too. He was like a rat up a drainpipe whenever he sniffed fresh meat. I tolerated it for five years and I had an affair too towards the end. Then he tried to accuse me of adultery in court..."

"With Max? You had an affair with Max?" Christabel broke in.

Uma shook her head. "No. With someone else. It's a long story. Not one for today. You know though, it's funny. In my head I had you down as the enemy. It never occurred to me what it must have been like in your shoes. How stupid of me after what I had been through! You would think after my experiences with complete bastards, I'd wise up, eh?"

Christabel shrugged. "Why should you? I haven't. It's been one shit after another since I kicked Max out - and you know what? Compared to some, Max was an absolute babe. At least he was bloody good fun anyway, and great in bed...! I miss him, you know? Even though every time we see each other, we snarl and circle each other like enraged lions, I still miss him..."

Uma knew somehow that when Christabel said 'miss' she was really using it as a euphemism for 'love'. She wondered if she herself still felt anything for Cullen? In all truth, Uma knew she did, deep down somewhere. You cannot completely lose the love you once felt for your lover - if it indeed had been love. Cullen and she might have been a disaster but they had loved each other once - and some of that emotion lingered, just as Christabel still retained a longing for Max. Which probably meant that beneath the sarcasm, Max probably felt something for Christabel too. After all, there's a thin line between love and hate, so they say. If he didn't care for her any more, he'd be indifferent to her now. He certainly wasn't. This weekend had been all about proving to her how happy he now was with someone else. What was that if not proof that Christabel still mattered somewhere in his heart?

"Good luck with him, anyway. You know, maybe all it needed was for Max and I to grow up a little bit? Older and wiser, eh? I must go and help Mummy with the other guests..."

Uma suddenly recalled her father's words the night before. She wasn't quite sure whether there was a significance. This would require some thought later. Where was Ann when you needed her?

"...Well, hello there Bel of the Ball...! You look positively wonderful...as always...!"  Both women spun round at the sound of Max's voice. He looked his usual smug self. Uma knew him well enough, however, to recognise that when he had that face on, he was always hiding something. Probably fear, in this case. Or perhaps emotion? One thing intrigued her. He had referred to Christabel as 'Bel', a name he had never used when they had spoken of his marriage before, yet from Christabel's amused look, it sounded like an old pet name. Uma suspected a little of their former affection had inadvertently slipped through his wall. "...How perfectly lovely that you are both getting to know each other..." He lent down and kissed Christabel the French way - both cheeks. It seemed very natural. She rested her hands on his chest and straightened his tie.

"Maxie...you look bloody studly! Uma must be doing something right for you... Your lovely girlfriend and I were just catching up. I must say, I approve of your taste in women, even if not ours in men..." Her eyes twinkled fondly. Max positively preened, a cheesy grin all over his face. So this was the battle axe? He was such a fraud!

"I have to go, Max, Uma...talk later, okay? Ciao for now, baby..." She blew him a kiss. He caught it and held it to his heart in dramatic fashion. Uma gaped. Max followed Christabel with his eyes as she made her way through the crowds of people, deftly greeting and moving on with the seasoned charm of the socialite. He sighed and shook his head before turning back to Uma.

"I thought she was only a step away from being the bride of Dracula? I thought you two couldn't be in the same room without World War Three breaking out? In fact, you were almost making out..."

Max chuckled. "Don't be ridiculous. I was just being polite. But there's a lot between us and on a day like this, well, you remember another wedding day in the very same place...bound to really. It was a glorious day. So much hope...Before she became the bride of Dracula, that is. And I became the Devil incarnate. She was a bloody banshee though! When she was married to me. Bel's all right really when you don't have to listen to her over the breakfast table every morning. Bloody great legs and first class tits..."

"Max!!!" Uma gasped

He hunched his shoulders helplessly. "What can I say? She has! I'm only telling the truth. God knows where she got them. Seen her mother?" He snagged two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter. "Christ, am I glad to get out of that penguin suit! Come on, let's drink a toast and go find your parents. Caz was telling me this amazing story about a Balinese temple dancer and what she could do with an orchid. He never finished it..."

At that moment a photographer passed. Max caught his arm. "Take one of us, there's a good chap..."

"Max, Christabel told me what a shit you'd been when you two were married..."

"Smile for the camera, darling...Well, she would say that, wouldn't she?" he reasoned with his usual warped logic, seemingly more concerned with striking a dashing pose than defending against her accusation.

"...Say cheese, love..." said the photographer.

"Cheese...! Well, I believe her anyway... I can guess what you were like..."

"Once more, mate... just in case she's pulling one of her ugly faces... " Max called to the cameraman, who duly obliged. "You believe her over me, do you? Wise move, actually...I was such a shit in those days. Made your Cullen look like a choirboy. But to be fair, she was a harridan...I wasn't the only one to blame...I can tell you like her, don't you?"

Max looked at her with amusement. Uma realised he didn't seem to mind either. It was almost a validation of his choices in some odd way.

The photographer gave them a number. "It'll be up on the board in half an hour..." They thanked him and he moved off.

"S'matter of fact I do. I think we could be real mates in the right circumstances."

"S'matter of fact, I agree. She's a great girl. You two would be seriously dangerous together. Christabel knows how to let her hair down, big time. Which is another reason for keeping both of you apart in future...Come on, let's mingle..."

As they crossed the room, Uma still could not let the matter go. "You seem to like difficult women..."

He laughed at that notion but launched into what Uma recognised as a quote... "...There's something you should know about me. I'm very, very choosy... I'm also very, very suspicious; very, very irrational..."

She broke in and completed the line for him. "and I have a very, very short temper. I'm also extremely jealous and slow to forgive. Just so you know. Remember, I saw your film..."

"So you did. Well, then you know it's true. Spunky girls get my juices flowing every time..."

She tutted at his apparent inability to feel any shame. Then another thought struck her.

"You don't mind about the films, do you? Does nothing ever knock you off your stride? Most of the guys -even Wade- were really shocked by the notion and yet it never really seemed to faze you at all that you were a movie character..."

He snorted. "Because I'm not. I'm a real guy. Look around you, for God's sake. Everyone here validates that I'm as real as you are. Clarity knew all the people I knew in France. For Christ's sake, I knew Sophie..! Even your mother knew my Uncle Henry.  Why should I be bothered? This is real life. My real life...The only thing that's not real are the films. And that actor Crowe who seems to link us all together. They don't exist anywhere outside of the Phoenix. Now, that's the real mystery..."

Uma considered his words as she sipped on her champagne. "That's not true for everyone. Biebe doesn't have a family...lots of them can't get back to their time...what about Maximus? Jack? Lachlan? Bud?"

Max shook his head, pointing a finger at her as he made his point. "Not so. There's a whole lot of things going on. Of course we're not all in the same place. Those guys from the past can't go back because they can't time travel. The modern guys mostly can. Terry, for example. His world is the same..."

"No, it isn't. He has lost his son."

"Has he? How come? Dino and his company is still around. Why not Terry's ex-wife and the boy? Okay, I haven't worked it all out, and I'm not pretending that I have all the answers. But whatever the explanation is, it's clear it isn't the same for all of us. And maybe if we could work the answer to why that is, then we might be nearer the truth. Or perhaps there are some links we don't yet see. For example, I know Sophie. So does Clarity. But something tells me so does Maximus...explain that, huh? On the other hand, what if the situation we find ourselves in had any other function? Maybe there's a reason for that we don't yet comprehend, something maybe to do with what we are meant to become now that we have been all assembled together...? Maybe it's a load of old bollocks, but..."

"...Bloody hell, you've been thinking, haven't you? I never thought of half of this..."

"That's because you're a woman. And also because you have no business acumen. In my field, you have to be able to see things from every angle and not let conventional wisdom obscure you from seeing a totally different spin..."

"...Dahhhlings!!! Been looking for you two everywhere! Come and join us! Charlie and your father are going to do a little double act..."

Max rolled his eyes. "Christ, is that dickhead drunk again today? A couple of glasses of bolly and he always hits the karaoke..."

"You talking about my father?" Uma demanded.

Max rolled his eyes. "No, actually I was talking about Charlie, but if the cap fits, love..." They looked across at Charlie and Caz who had struck up an immediate liking for each other - and a shared taste for champagne. "Come on...let's run some interference before it's too late...Bloody hell, those two look like Abbott and Costello...What was Charlie thinking changing into that jacket? The man has the style of a hobo...

"I'm more worried about my Mum...she's lost one of her false eyelashes already - and if she leans over any further, her tits will be on display...Quick, you grab them and I'll drag her off to the ladies...."