Atticus walked briskly out of the bank and towards st James park, his shoes clicked hard on the stone pavement and his face wore a grave expression. Meanwhile Rose sat alone in a taxi, looking out of the window into the bright sunlight and fiddling absently with the catch on her purse. Rose wanted to stay calm until she knew the truth, she breathed in deeply in an effort to sooth her panic but her breath shook and she couldn't help a tear rolling down her face. The situation overwhelmed her, Rose didn't know what to think, she felt how young and inexperienced she was and she suddenly gave way to a fit of silent sobbing. Had anyone been sitting beside Rose at that moment it is unlikely that they would have been able to comfort her, the only person who at that time had any power to console her was Atticus. All that Rose knew was that she loved him and that she needed to talk to him, she needed to know the truth and she hoped that was what he would give her.

Atticus reached the sunlit park, his eyes darted from person to person, picnickers and dog walkers, looking for Rose. He checked his watch, it was only two o clock he had walked very quickly, Rose must be on her way, he thought and he sat down out of breath on a bench. Atticus tried to gather his thoughts, he wanted to think about what he was going to say to Rose, but a wave of anger came over him and he couldn't seem to think straight. He stood up again and kicked at a twig that lay on the ground, he glanced up and his eyes fixed on Rose who was climbing from a taxi with a handkerchief in her hand. Rose spotted him almost at once, when she saw him she wanted to run to him and cry in his arms, but she held back and walked towards him as calmly as she could.

" Rose!" Cried Atticus hurrying to meet her and taking her hands in his, " Darling, you've been crying," he added stroking her damp cheek affectionately. " You don't believe the photographs do you?" He asked concerned,

" I don't know Atticus! I don't know what to believe," Rose answered shrilly, she was dangerously close to crying, seeing Atticus again only seemed to make her more confused.

" Sit down." Said Atticus leading her to the bench and sitting down beside her." It's all some awful prank," Atticus said looking into her face and clutching her hand, " some sort of stupid joke."

" What do you mean, a joke? What sort of joke? This doesn't seem at all like a joke to me!"

" Someone has obviously set me up, perhaps one of my school fellows at the stag party, it's the kind of thing some people do when their friends are about to get married, they feel an odd sort of jealousy or they just want to have a last laugh. They don't realise the implications. You do trust me don't you? Why should this make a difference if you trust me?"

" Oh, Atticus!" exclaimed Rose flinging herself up off the bench, " it doesn't make any sense!"

" Rose!" said Atticus catching her by the wrist, " calm down" he added gently, stroking down her arms.

" No one would play a trick like that!" Cried Rose, " why would they?"

" Well, what do you think it was then? You think I invited that woman into my room, what do you take me for Rose? Look, I said goodnight, went up to my room and she followed me there, I told her to leave and she did. A few minutes later she came back pretending to be room service, I told her to get out again and she said 'wait a moment' and then left. That's all that happened."

" But why did she follow you up at all?"

" I think I might have smiled at her or caught her eye or something , I was a little drunk, I didn't mean anything by it. Anyway, someone obviously told her who I was and what to do, it was all planned, she followed me so that we could be seen together in the photographs. Surely, you see that it wasn't my fault."

Rose collapsed onto the bench, and gazed down at the ground in contemplation,

" Who would have done this?" She whispered, looking up at Atticus.

" I don't know sweetheart."

Rose took Atticus's hand " I believe you," she said firmly, " But I don't agree with you, it wasn't a joke, I think it was someone trying to stop the wedding."

" Nobody would want to do that darling. Here, let me see the photos."

Rose opened her bag and took out a brown envelope, " There they are," she said, handing it to Atticus, he pulled out the photographs and flicked through them, " you see here," he said showing one to Rose, " I was holding her hands because I was stopping her, not because I was encouraging her. I thought the whole thing was a bit strange at the time, I should have realised what she was doing, it seems terribly obvious when one looks back at it. But none of it matters, as long as you believe me."

"Oh, darling, of course I do!" cried Rose putting her arms around Atticus's neck and kissing him. " I'm just so glad that it was nothing to do with you." Rose sobbed, " I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying really."

" Don't be, I just wish I could have spared you this. You know how much I love you don't you Rose?"

" Yes, I do. I wish I'd never doubted you, I feel so angry with myself. Can you forgive me?"

" There's nothing to forgive."