Felburgh

by Ivan B

  Jennifer waved her arms about.

  “Absolutely no idea. But there’s more – I think.”

  “More?” said Peter wondering how much more complicated could this get.

  Jennifer pointed to the stones.

  “They don’t give the dates in the normal manner. Normally it says something like 1854 – 1935, but these stones both give the exact date of death, they both say died Easter day 1934. What’s more the stones were cut by the same stonemason, they have identical marks.”

  “Any ideas?”

  “Millions,” she said, “that’s what makes this hobby so exciting. I’ve now got two, possibly three, more pieces of a jigsaw puzzle to follow up.”

  Peter smiled.

  “Finished here then?”

  “For the time being, unless my further research brings me back.”

  Peter wished her well and went home; as he walked he pondered, perhaps, he thought, tangled lives are not just the prerogative of modern society.

  Friday evening, his last as an unmarried man, was spent packing for the honeymoon and laying out his clothes. He’d just finished when the doorbell rang. Jo was on the doorstep. Once inside she ventured no further than the pew in the hall. One look at her told Peter the problem.

  “Last minute collywobbles?”

  Jo nodded.

  “What if we are making a terrible mistake?”

  Peter sat next to her and held her hand.

  “I don’t feel that I am making a mistake. Marrying you is one of the best decisions I ever made.”

  “You’ve made better?”

  Peter nodded.

  “Becoming a Christian. But if we take God out of the equation, you are the best decision I ever made.”

  Jo stayed silent.

  “What are you worried about?” Peter asked gently.

  Jo shook her head and sighed.

  “I don’t know. It’s just that it’s a big step. Two becoming one and all that.”

  She paused.

  “I had this silly notion.”

  She looked at Peter.

  “I thought that you’d wake up to reality and see me as I really am and just disappear like the Revd Graye. Then tomorrow I would arrive at the church and…” She squeezed his hand. “I know it’s silly, but I just had to come and check that you were still here.”

  Peter put his arm round her shoulders.

  “I have seen you as you are, that’s why I am marrying you.” Then he squeezed her hand. “I’ve had the collywobbles too you know. I very nearly ruined Jane’s life and I don’t want to ruin yours, so I thought should I just let you stay happy and single.”

  “I don’t want to be happy and single, I want to be married and ecstatic.”

  They kissed for a little while before Jo got up to go. As she left she whispered.

  “See you tomorrow, I won’t be late.”

  Come the wedding day itself everything for Peter went like clockwork and by ten forty-five he was just putting his suit jacket on and thinking that in just over an hour’s time he would be married when he froze. He was just imagining himself at the altar with Jo beside him and Charmian in front of him when he had realized that Charmian was hundreds of miles away. In all the re-arranging he had forgotten to book someone else to replace Charmian at his wedding. Peter mentally ran through the options. Bishop; off on a pilgrimage in Belgium, Jasper; currently visiting Berwick, Jane? Peter stopped for a moment, Jane was probably contactable, as far as he knew she was coming to the wedding, but how do you ask your ex-wife to officiate at your marriage to her replacement? Peter was still panicking over this when Mark arrived. Mark took one look at Peter’s face and knew something was wrong.

  “What’s up?” he swiftly asked.

  Peter sat down; he had gone an ashen white.

  “I’ve forgotten to find a replacement for Charmian. We’re going to have a bride and a groom but no priest to officiate.”

  “Oh is that all,” said Mark casually.

  Peter almost lost it.

  “Is that all! It’s my marriage we’re talking about!”

  Mark smiled.

  “I’ve met Charmian and Angus strolling along the sea-front earlier this morning. Apparently the submarine is currently in dry-dock and the crew has a fortnight off. Charmian has brought Angus down to Felburgh so he can see where she is working. She also said that she could not miss the wedding of the year.”

  Peter relaxed for about a millisecond.

  “But she thinks she is coming as a spectator, not one of the main players.”

  Mark shrugged his shoulders.

  “But she’ll be there and I’ll waylay her and explain the situation; it will all work out, don’t worry.”

  Mark looked at his watch.

  “Come on we shouldn’t be here.”

  So they left for the church. On the way Mark asked Peter if he had Charmian’s mobile phone number and when they arrived Mark tried ringing her, but he could only leave a message in her mailbox. Once at the church Peter was put through the routine of photographs that he had seen many bridegrooms endure and then went to sit at the front of the church. Time ticked by and at eleven forty-five, with just fifteen minutes to go, Peter was beginning to panic again. Mark returned from somewhere and said in a quiet voice to Peter.

  “No sign of Charmian yet, but Jane’s here. Shall I ask her?”

  “Only as a last resort.” Peter replied and on seeing the perplexed look in Mark’s eyes added, “It’s complicated, but it would be difficult, maybe impossible, for her to officiate.”

  So they waited. And waited. Time began to suffer distortion; the clock raced by and yet time seemingly stood still. Finally at five to twelve Mark got up.

  “I will have to ask Jane.”

  Peter gave a miserable nod; then, miraculously, Charmian walked through the church door with a tall redhead in naval uniform on her arm. Mark practically ran down the church. Peter put his head in his hands. A few moments later Charmian was beside Peter both grinning and looking apprehensive. “Mark’s explained the situation and I’ll nip in the vestry to change. Mark already has the registers laid out for me. But I have never done this before and we haven’t had a rehearsal.”

  “Don’t worry,” said Peter, “if necessary I’ll talk you through it as we go along. You don’t know how glad I am to see you!”

  Charmian went to the vestry and Mark came and sat down by Peter.

  “Jo’s arrived just after Charmian and I’ve sent her round the block.”

  “What did she say?”

  “When I told her that you were here, but the priest was late she dissolved into a fit of giggles and said that it could only happen at your wedding.”

  Just then the organ started up with the opening strains of the entry of the Queen of Sheeba and everyone stood up. Peter took a few steps forward to stand at the chancel steps and turned round to look down the aisle. Jo looked magnificent. She was wearing a white silken wedding dress with a high collar that was topped by her ruby choker and was carrying a bouquet of summer flowers. She was also wearing virtually no jewelry except for her engagement rings, a ruby lip-ring and, of course, her nose ring. As she advanced towards him Peter knew that he was in the right place and was doing the right thing. He smiled to himself; he still had not completed a year at Felburgh, but with Jo by his side he knew he could stay here forever.

  Chapter 21

  Footknot

  On a pleasant sunny day in late September, a little group assembled at St George’s church in Lower Glumburgh. Lower Glumburgh, despite its former glory, is now only a tiny village with a few cottages. The only service held there on a regular basis is the eight o’ clock communion, although the whole benefice is supposed to attend evensong on the forth Sunday on the Month. As Mark and Lucy lived in the Glumburgh Benefice, Peter has Jane to read the banns for three Sundays at the main church service, as the law demands.

  The fact that this was the eight o’clock, which two deaf old ladies attended wi
th their dog, made no difference to the law, but it did provided for anonymity. The little group comprised of Lucy, Peter, Tom and Jane, and they waited patiently for Mark as the trees rustled around them. Mark had been told by Lucy that morning to put on his wedding suit and come to Lower Glumburgh to help Jane out with a service; she had not given him any time to ask questions.

  Mark duly arrived and was somewhat surprised to find the little group; he was even more surprised to find it was assembled for his wedding. As Lucy had requested, it was a quiet no-nonsense wedding attended only by those who needed to be there; Peter to officiate plus Tom and Jane as witnesses.

  Despite its simplicity it was a very moving affair as Mark and Lucy re-pledged the vows they had made before in another time and in another place, completing the circle of their lives together.

  It also seemed to Jane the most fitting place to wear, for the first time, Tom’s little ring on the second finger of her left hand.

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