‘Gentlemen, I could show you other locations in London. But here’s my take. You both love London. You both moved here, you met here, fell in love here and you made a home here. But maybe you don’t want to marry here? Listening to you talk today my professional instincts are telling me to find somewhere outside the city, not a manor or an estate, nothing grand but a location close to nature.’
Danny glanced out of the windows, watching the slow-moving shadows from the clouds pass over the city. One moment a street was bright, the next it was dark. When he looked back at Luis, he imagined the same darkness and light passing over his expression.
Chapter TwentyThis Is the Place
The following weekend Danny and Luis caught an early train from King’s Cross Station, travelling north of London to the town of Hatfield in Hertfordshire, famous for its country manors and scenic countryside. This time Jasper couldn’t accompany them since he was busy with an autumn wedding taking place in Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire. After facilitating the bride’s request to feed the penguins he managed to find the time to phone Danny explaining that it was better that he and Luis experienced this next venue by themselves, advising them to cast aside the fact sheets and focus on a simple emotional question – did it feel true to them? After the call finished, Luis picked at the fluff on his trousers.
‘Will being married change anything?’
Danny asked, ‘Do you mean for us?’
Luis clarified, ‘For you.’
‘It must do, right?’
‘Why?’
‘Otherwise, why would anyone marry?’
Luis pressed, ‘What are you hoping it will change?’
Trying to lighten the tone, Danny smiled. ‘Luis, there’s not a list.’
However, Luis remained serious.
‘But you expect there to be a change?’
Danny nodded.
‘Yes.’
‘And you don’t know what the change is?’
‘No.’
‘But you know that you want it?’
Understanding that more was expected of him, Danny admitted, ‘When we first got together, I told everyone who’d listen that I’d met someone special. And I could see even my closest friends thinking – let’s see how long this lasts. Because I’d never held down a relationship longer than a few months. And I would say – no, seriously, this guy is the one. No one believed me. In their heads our break-up was inevitable. It was just a matter of time.’
Luis pointed out, ‘We proved them wrong a long time ago.’
Danny agreed.
‘But the feeling is still inside of me. That our foundations are not as strong. Or as deep. That our love is less.’
Luis turned the word over.
‘This wedding will make us more?’
‘It might.’
‘Give us weight?’
‘Something like that.’
‘In the minds of other people?’
‘Yes.’
