by Millie Vigor
‘Mina,’ said a shocked Catherine, ‘did I hear you say you want to dance?’
‘Ay, you did. The young ones have had their turn and I would like to dance at your wedding. You could ask them to play the Crofters Reel, Norrie.’
Mina, dancing: wonders would never cease. But she had gathered together a set who took their positions on the floor when Norrie spoke to the fiddlers. When the music started other sets were quickly made up. It was a sedate little dance, no frantic swinging of partners and no kicking up heels. It was for dancing in the confined area of a croft house when there was something to celebrate.
At last it was time for supper and trays of bannocks and cups of tea were handed round. The noise now was a hum of conversation, clink of china, hurrying feet as empty trays were carried to the kitchen to be replenished. The minister, who had danced non stop, mopped his brow and asked for coffee. Water, which had been brought in in buckets had run out and only a pot of tea was left. There were hurried whispers in the kitchen.
‘What shall we do?’
‘We can’t tell him there’s none.’
‘Only one thing to do, pour tea and put two spoonfuls of coffee in, he’ll be so thirsty he’ll have drunk it before he knows the difference.’
To gasps of, ‘do you dare?’ the tea/coffee was made and three pairs of eyes peeped round the door to watch as the minister emptied the cup. When the music started he grabbed a partner and was off again. The women in the kitchen laughed at their audacity and having got away with it.
Fiddlers and pianist seemed ready to play all night, but dancers were tiring. It was well into the early hours before the crowd thinned and one by one the guests made their excuses, put their coats on and went home. Little Robbie had long since been put to bed in the back of one of the parked vehicles and was sleeping soundly despite the noise. Norrie had arranged for someone to drive them home for it would be too much to expect the little boy to wake up and walk.
Deepdale slumbered under a sky sprinkled with stars. The moon hung low in the sky to the west. Under its light, grass, stiffened with frost, sparkled with cold points of light. At Jannie’s door Catherine thanked her and Daa for all they’d done, said goodnight to them and, with Norrie carrying Robbie, walked on with the aunts and Catherine’s parents. ‘Robbie can stay wi’ us tonight,’ said Mina.
‘Thank you,’ said Catherine, ‘but Mum and Dad are going to have my bed so Robbie can sleep in his own. Thanks all the same and thank you, Laura. All that baking of cakes and bannocks wasn’t for the church at all, was it?’
‘No, but I couldna tell you.’
When they finally stood by Norrie’s front door Robbie was handed over to his grandfather. Catherine kissed her mother and hugged her. ‘You gave me the best wedding present of them all just by being here,’ she said. ‘It was the biggest surprise of my life when you walked in. You were very brave to risk the journey.’
‘Don’t say a word,’ said Doris, ‘we’ve got to do it again in a few days’ time. Good night, my darling.’
‘Goodnight, Mum, goodnight, Dad.’
When they had gone Norrie said, ‘I’ve got you to myself at last.’ Catherine, looking up into his face, looked on up at the sky.
‘Look,’ she said as she raised her arm and pointed. ‘The Merry Dancers.’
A curtain of colour hung across the northern sky, rippling, undulating, orange, yellow, red, green, colours fading, then merging.
‘I had it laid on especially for you, said Norrie. ‘I couldna get any fireworks, you see, so I wondered if this might do.’
Catherine laughed. ‘There’s always some nonsense with you, Norrie. But please don’t ever stop.’
‘Never, while I’m with you. But it’s time for bed, we have a whole new life to start on tomorrow.’
He opened the door, swept her off her feet, carried her over the threshold then kicked the door shut behind him.
Copyright
© Millie Vigor 2012
First published in Great Britain 2012
This edition 2013
ISBN 978 0 7198 0894 4 (epub)
ISBN 978 0 7198 0895 1 (mobi)
ISBN 978 0 7198 0896 8 (pdf)
ISBN 978 0 7090 9639 9 (print)
Robert Hale Limited
Clerkenwell House
Clerkenwell Green
London EC1R 0HT
www.halebooks.com
The right of Millie Vigor to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988