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“You do? I mean, he does?” she asked hopefully.
Mrs Kempton nodded. “I should have suspected he was getting a yen for you. He did ask you to read to him frequently and was always insistent that you be the one to attend to him. You saw to his needs more than Rollo did.”
“I remember the day he arrived. He couldn’t take his eyes off you,” Aggy added, a dreamy expression on her face. “We should have known back then that the new master was going to be different. I like him. He is nice.”
“He is more than nice,” Petal whispered. “He is stupendously adorable.”
Mrs Kempton smiled absently as she stared blankly at the wall beside them. “I remember when I married my Arthur. I had exactly that same expression on my face as you do now. I remember the day as if it was yesterday. After thirty years of marriage, I still feel exactly the same about him to this day. He was a servant as well, you know. We had many happy years together below stairs, I don’t mind saying. If your man makes you feel as happy as I was then you know you chose well.”
“I didn’t choose him,” Petal protested. “Well, not really. It just sort of happened.”
“Well, whether you chose him or not, it is too late to go back now,” Mrs Kempton sighed. Before Petal could reply, she left to join the tiny congregation.
“Here, here,” Aggy enthused as she handed Petal the small bouquet off the table before she too left.
In the inner recess of the church, organ music began to play. It was Petal’s cue that her presence was required. Her stomach suddenly began to churn nervously at the thought of what lay ahead.
For the first time since she had left the bed, she felt a little doubtful. What she was about to do would change her for the rest of her life. It was something she couldn’t really undo. While there were a lot of matters that had yet to be resolved she knew, deep inside, that she really had no choice but to marry him. Not if she intended to have any kind of happiness in her future.
Marrying Aidan was an inevitable part of her future now, as her falling in love with him had been.
“Ready?” her father asked from the doorway.
Petal looked at him and nodded.
On feet that seemed to float, she crossed the room and took his arm – to stop herself shaking more than for guidance. She knew exactly where she was going; and why and, if she was honest, couldn’t wait for what was about to happen. Not now that she had made her mind up that it was the key to securing her happiness.
As she walked down the aisle, the church faded. Her gaze locked on Aidan’s and remained there with each step she took until she came to a stop in front of the vicar. She handed Aggy the bouquet clenched tightly in her fingers and turned to look at her future husband.
He smiled at her, and looked as stunned as she felt.
“Ready?” he whispered, his smile growing wider.
Petal nodded. Placing her hand in his, she turned her attention to the vicar.
Several long and precious moments later, Aidan and Petal walked back down the aisle toward the door of the church. Having signed the documents, and entered the marriage in the register, they were now officially man and wife. As they went, they accepted the congratulations of the assembled well-wishers and stepped out into the afternoon sunshine.
Was it an omen of the good times ahead that the sun had broken through the storm clouds and now bathed them in a golden glow of happiness?
Petal rather suspected so and felt blessed when; right there in front of all and sundry, Aidan stopped and pressed a tender kiss to her lips.
“Let’s go home,” he murmured.
Petal smiled happily, her eyes full of the love in her heart.
“You look a little tired. Are your legs alright?”
“They ache a bit, but that is nothing I cannot live with,” he assured her. “I just want to get you home where you belong.”
Petal sighed dreamily, and savoured the determination in his voice. Apart from the slight issue this morning, today was, by far, the very best day of her entire life. Her future was now all mapped out before her, and she couldn’t wait to try it and see what joys it brought them.
“What is it?” she murmured when she sensed his brief hesitation.
“There is something we need to do when we get home,” he replied with a cautious nod at Jerry.
Jerry came to join them. “We are all going to come back to the house with you. There is one matter we have to deal with before you can begin your married life together.”
Petal studied him for a moment, and then the penny dropped.
