Page 130 of Valour

Hester stood before her. “Boss. Come on, now. Just a few steps through that door. You have done much harder things than this.”

Drat Hester for knowing she was nervous. She didn’t want to be nervous. She hadn’t been stuck in Antarctica for two years to get home and be nervous about a few people looking at her. No. She had not eaten seals and penguins and lived under a boat for months to quake in her boots outside a church. She could do this.

Charlotte ran up to the doors and flung them open, dragging her poor father along.

“Wait! I’m supposed to go first!” Hester said, running up behind.

“Change of plan,” Charlotte said with a smile. Her smile widened when her eyes locked onto the back of Arnold at the altar. It was funny. She didn’t even notice the people in the pews either side of her as she marched down the aisle towards him. And then he turned, and his face broke into a smile to match hers, crinkles at the corners of his hazel eyes, brown hair brushed to one side and face freshly shaved. The tightness in her chest faded.

He was her light in the darkness.

Charlotte stood before him, and her father kissed her on the cheek.

“Take good care of her,” he said to Arnold.

“I will, although she takes care of herself rather well,” Arnold said with a proud smile, taking her hands in his. Marjorie sat by her feet, her ever faithful companion.

There was a bustling and scurrying from behind, and then Charlotte’s mother was embracing her. “My little girl! I’m so proud of you, Charlotte.”

Charlotte smiled, her eyes filling with tears as she squeezed her mother back. “Thank you, mother.”

The vicar cleared his throat, and Charlotte’s mother planted a kiss on Charlotte’s and then Arnold’s cheeks and sat down.

Much of what happened next passed in a blur.

The vicar was speaking, “Arnold James Miller. Will you take Charlotte Florence Bailey to be your wedded wife, and love her, comfort her, honour and protect her, as long as you both live?”

Arnold squeezed her hands and said, “I will.”

“Charlotte Florence Bailey. Do you take Arnold James Miller to be your wedded husband, and love him, comfort him, honour and protect him, as long as you both live?”

“I will,” Charlotte said breathlessly. She could think of nothing better.

“And will you all support them in their marriage?”

The congregation replied, “We will.”

Marjorie threw her head back and howled, to much laughter.

“Lay your hands here,” the vicar said, indicating the Bible before him. “Repeat after me, Arnold. I, Arnold, take thee Charlotte, to be my wife. For richer or poorer, for better or worse, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.”

Arnold repeated the words, and Charlotte spoke them after him.

Arnold slipped a wedding band onto her finger, and she did the same for him, saying, “With this ring, I wed thee.”

The vicar raised his eyes from the Bible. “In the presence of God, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Cheers went up, and Charlotte stifled a squeak as Arnold kissed her, his lips soft against hers.

The sun had set, and the other guests had left Amery House long ago. Only the crews of the Valour and Intrepid remained in the drawing room, Mei’s accordion loud in Hester’s ears, Rufus twanging the banjo, the dogs howling along. She was pressed against Septimus, dancing, sweat on her brow, wine on her dress, a warm glow in her heart. His hands roved over her ass, and she closed her eyes. God, his touch set her alight in torturous ways.

A loud noise had her eyes snapping open. Fliss had just fallen from the coffee table and lay in a heap with Emlyn, giggling. But her eyes lacked the fog of alcohol, and was that a hand running over her belly? Hester had her suspicions. She smiled. Perhaps she would be an auntie soon. Oh, she could teach Fliss’s child all sorts of bad tricks. What fun.

Charlotte was dancing with wild abandon, and well she might, as Hester had plied her with wine all evening. She was surprised Arnold had not yet whisked her away and told them all to leave. She chuckled at the look in his eyes. Hungry, and like he couldn’t quite believe his luck.

Odette danced with Mei, the two thick as thieves. She supposed Odette would take her away for a month after this for their bargain. The siren had been winking at her all afternoon.

Hester jumped onto the coffee table, wine glass in hand. “To friends and failure!”