The wedding went off better than anyone could have hoped. Nobody sank in the mud, Maxine and Cassie didn’t look too comical, and Mam looked radiant in her classic satin sheath dress and floral headdress. She’d decided to walk herself up the aisle, on the grounds that at this stage in her life she was her own woman.
Philip was the best man; standing beside Eric, he looked perfectly at home in a silver morning coat, and Cassie realised there was something unmistakably old-fashioned about Phil.
For a moment, standing to one side with her sister, as Mam and Eric made their vows, Cassie felt Da’s absence like a hole in her heart. He was the one person whose down-to-earth sense could make any crisis manageable.
A brisk westerly wind picked up during the ceremony, causing the wedding arch to list perilously to one side, while Auntie Patricia was overheard commenting, ‘Isn’t it wonderful how much you can fit into these gardens in their original size?’
During the drinks reception, Ramona sidled past Philip, who was getting drinks for everyone at the bar. Observing this, Maxine hissed to Cassie, ‘Who’s the best man who keeps staring at you like you’re his winning lottery ticket?’
‘Shut up, he’s called Philip and he’s a lovely guy.’
‘I don’t know,’ Ramona drawled, as she joined them. ‘I think he’s a hottie. Like if Fred Astaire had a love child with Harry Potter. I would do him, definitely.’
Cassie wasn’t sure whether this was terrific news for Philip or if it meant he was in mortal danger.
Just then a gong rang somewhere, calling them to dinner. She’d been put sitting beside Philip at the top table, which was customary for a wedding party, and Mam kept looking over and winking at her.
Thankfully, the meal included poached salmon and asparagus on creamed potato, which Cassie found exactly the kind of plain, wholesome food that soothed her all-day morning sickness. She was starving but forced herself to at least preserve a bit of decorum and not make a show of herself by shovelling the food in too hungrily. This was the first time she’d been with Phil in a social situation and she was feeling unexpectedly self-conscious at such close quarters.
‘I love your dress, by the way,’ he said in a tone that made it clear he meant it.
‘So, Phil, how come you know Eric?’
He laughed. ‘If I told you, you wouldn’t believe it.’
She smiled warmly, feeling slightly less ill after some food.
‘Try me.’
‘We were aid workers in Rwanda in 1994, during the genocide. I mean, we were just young fellas, or at least I was.’
‘My God, sounds terrifying. For a moment I thought you were going to say you were priests.’
‘No, but I thought about it. Still do .?.?. sometimes.’
She was getting the distinct impression that now was not one of those times.
He paused for a moment and seemed to be searching for words. Oh dear, was he planning to declare himself? Just then there was a wave from Eric.
‘Oh, I’ve just got the nod,’ Phil muttered and stood up, tapping a glass with his fork and causing a wave of shushing.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, I’m here today to talk about my good friend Eric, and Iris, who I now count as a good friend also. I’m afraid I don’t know enough embarrassing stories about Eric’s youth to entertain you, and we didn’t have a stag do, so I don’t even have that to draw on. But I will say one thing about Eric: he taught me to be the man I am and for that I owe him everything. Eric has the quality of common decency in a world where it is anything but common. At a very difficult time in my life, Eric was there for me, although he’d never remind me of it. He doesn’t push himself forward, but anyone who knows him recognises that he can’t be pushed back either. He’s a man who knows his mind and stands his ground.’
Mam was glowing with pride at Eric, who was fiddling with the tablecloth sheepishly.
‘In a world where we’ve so many superheroes in the movies, but so few in real life, I’m proud to say that I have one true hero, and it’s my friend Eric Morton.’
Everyone was delighted with the speech, particularly as it was so short, and clapped warmly, beaming at each other.
‘Well done.’ Cassie smiled at Philip. ‘That was just perfect.’
As he sat back down, she was surprised to see tears in his eyes. ‘Thank you,’ he said, grasping her hand and raising it to his lips. ‘You’ve no idea what that means to me.’
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Mam elbowing Eric frantically. The whole event was taking on a surreal air. Cassie felt for him, but there was a knot in her stomach. Phil was polishing his glasses and seemed to be trying to compose himself. He placed them back on and turned the full gaze of his large, pale blue eyes on her.
‘Cassie .?.?. I don’t want to miss this opportunity to say just how much I’ve enjoyed our .?.?. connection over these past few months.’
‘Thank you, Phil, I’ve really enjoyed it too. There’s no way I’d have made it this far without you.’
