Page 60 of Wild Swimming at Croftwood Lake
‘Things are perfect as they are,’ he agreed, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. ‘Oh, look, the groom’s here.’
Seb and an older man, presumably his father, were striding down the road together. They were both wearing sunglasses. Seb had a big grin on his face and looked anything but nervous.
‘Arch! You remember my father, Charles.’
‘Good to see you again, Archie,’ said Charles, shaking hands with Archie.
‘You too, sir. This is Nora Hartford.’
‘Lovely to meet you, Nora.’
‘You two look very dashing,’ she said. ‘I love the sunglasses. It makes you look like the Blues Brothers.’
Seb guffawed and took his sunglasses off, putting them in his inside pocket. ‘We had a couple of whiskies last night. The sun’s not our friend this morning.’
‘Come on, son. We ought to get inside before your bride arrives.’
The four of them went inside where everyone else was waiting, already seated. Seb and Archie walked to the front where they had a word with the woman officiating before they took their seats in the front row. Nora sat behind them with Charles.
It wasn’t long before the music started and Jess walked down the aisle with her mum and dad on either side of her. Her dress was simple yet beautifully elegant. It was made of the most delicate cream tulle that was embroidered with tiny flowers. The bodice was a fitted princess line with a neckline that skimmed Jess’s collarbones, and a skirt that flared from the waist to a ballerina length. Her hair was gathered into a chignon and a simple rose that matched the ones the men wore was nestled in it. She took Nora’s breath away.
Jess was beyond thrilled to see everyone, the surprise clear on her face, her eyes watering as she walked down the centre of the room, seeing all of their friends there to share their happiest day.
The ceremony was short and sweet and very traditional. When Seb was making his vows, Archie looked for Nora and winked at her. Her stomach flipped and she wondered whether there was something in the idea of getting married after all. Saying these vows to each other in front of everyone, well perhaps that was the ultimate way to show that you loved someone? Perhaps when you were so in love with someone, you simply had to let it out, and this was the best way?
They gathered in the foyer of the Town Hall afterwards, everyone chatting and laughing.
‘Come on, you lot,’ Jess’s dad, Joe, called out. ‘The carriages await outside!’
‘What? I thought we were getting a taxi back to your house?’ Jess said.
They all went outside and found two vintage VW campers waiting for them. One was orange and the other was blue and they were decked out with bunting in the windows. Everyone piled in, finding plastic champagne flutes and ice buckets of bubbly waiting inside.
‘Charge your glasses for the journey!’ Joe instructed. ‘See you on the other side!’
The VW campers took them back to Corfe Bay, the village where Jess had grown up and where her parents still lived. Having thought that the reception was a bite to eat at her parents’ house with Archie, Nora and Charles, it was a wonderful surprise to find that her new husband had organised a proper party in the function room in the village pub.
Nora was feeling tipsy and in the mood to be romantic with Archie but the perils of being the partner of the best man, even at a relatively informal wedding, were that he had a lot of things to do. And Archie, well-practiced in etiquette and with his excellent manners, was being the consummate host on behalf of the happy couple. The numbers swelled as friends of Jess’s and her parents from the village arrived for the evening do.
‘Speech!’ People began to heckle Joe. ‘Come on! Father of the Bride, let’s hear it!’
Joe raised his pint and grinned while Jess’s mum, Clare, smiled and rolled her eyes. His speech was lovely and brought a tear to everyone’s eye when he mentioned Jess’s first love, Jon, and how proud they were that Jess had got through her grief and found Seb.
‘Clare and I, we love Seb like he’s our own kid. He looks after Jess, lets her flourish, loves and supports her. And as we know,’ he said, hugging his wife to his side, ‘That’s the most important thing. To Seb and Jess, Mr and Mrs Thorne!’
‘Mr and Mrs Thorne!’
‘Right, I’m up,’ said Archie, taking his speech from his breast pocket and making his way over to Joe and Clare.
‘Sebastian and I haven’t been friends for very long, so I’m unable to regale you with tales of his teenage misdemeanours.’
‘Thank god!’ Shouted Charles, making everyone laugh.
‘But what I can do is vouch for him as an excellent friend.’ Archie went on to tell everyone about the summer before when they’d worked on the Croftwood Festival together and how much fun it had been, but how hard Seb had worked to use it as a way to turn his life around. ‘He gives his all to everything he does, and I’m sure his marriage will be no exception. Seb and I met at about the same time he met Jess and it’s been wonderful to see their relationship grow and strengthen. They deserve every happiness. Please raise your glass with me to toast their enduring love.’
As everyone chorused the toast, Nora found her eyes watering. Her heart was filled with so much love, it was almost overwhelming. Because of the wedding — the love in the room was incredible; because Archie was being an amazing best man but perhaps just because she was letting herself be open to the idea that love was wonderful and to let it pass her by would be the worst mistake she could ever make.
After Julian, she’d never thought she’d find love again but now, the way she felt about Archie made her realise that it had barely been love with Julian at all. She’d never had this feeling of being overwhelmed by the way she felt about someone. She’d thought it was a bit like the Emperor’s New Clothes when people banged on about how in love they were as if it were some kind of magical state that was different and special compared to what she thought love was. But this was different and very special and okay, she might not be about to suggest that they needed to get married, but she was certain now that her future lay with Archie.
