When they’d all gone, Reid came and took her hands in his, smiling down at her. ‘This is a very proud day for me, to be giving away my pretend daughter to such a fine man. And it’s a day for happiness – not sadness, isn’t it?’
She squeezed his hands and leant forward to kiss his cheek, knowing that he was talking about her father not being here. ‘No sadness, I promise.’
‘Good.’ He handed her the bouquet of white roses. ‘That sounds like the car.’
The church was packed, and, as she stood in the doorway waiting for the organ to play the wedding march, Pete gave her a thumbs-up sign. Gerhard was there, so were Mike, Robert, Andrew Stevenson and Joel Perkins from the World Explorer, also Mrs Green, the helpers and children from Wilkins House. Eddie was down the front, firmly under her mother’s control.
Kate paused for a moment in the doorway to remember those who wouldn’t be with them. Her dear father, Grandpa George, Grandma Marj and Grandpa Wally. Each one very dear, and she knew that all the family would remember them this day.
The organ burst into life and Reid urged her forward, smiling affectionately at her. How glad she was to have his strong support and love. After a few steps she fixed her gaze on Jon and everything else faded into the background. For a brief moment it looked as if he were going to dash up to meet her, but Terry held him back.
Jon didn’t take his eyes off her the whole way through the ceremony, and as soon as they’d signed the register he gave an audible sigh of relief. As they began to walk up the aisle, she smiled at him. ‘Was the service an ordeal?’
‘Oh, no. I was just terrified you were going to change your mind at the last minute. I didn’t feel it had really happened until we’d signed the register.’
‘What on earth made you think I wouldn’t marry you?’
‘Well, I couldn’t come up with one reason why you would want to be my wife.’
She stopped, reached up and kissed him. ‘There’s a very good reason why I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you.’
They stepped out into the sunshine, both smiling, and patiently obeyed as Pete and Terry ordered everyone around so they could get the pictures they wanted.
The reception was being held in a local hotel where they had taken over the large dining room. After speeches and the cutting of the cake, Kate and Jon took Eddie out into the garden.
She sat on a bench and pulled the child towards her. ‘Do you remember the promise I made you when we first met?’
Eddie nodded, his eyes flitting from one to the other, saying nothing. Kate suspected that he was expecting a rejection.
Jon took some papers out of his inside pocket and held them out for Eddie to see. ‘It says here that from today you are our son.’
The boy still didn’t speak, waiting for a moment to let this momentous news sink in, then he threw himself at them, trying to hug them both together. There were great sobs of joy coming from his little body, making him shake in their arms.
They left him to get it out of his system, and when he hiccuped and gave them a watery smile, she wiped his face. ‘Does this mean you’re happy about it?’
He nodded and the tears vanished, his eyes now clear with happiness. ‘I knew you wouldn’t forget. Tom said you would and I mustn’t say anything to you. You’re my two most favourite people in the whole world. Where are we going to live? I must pack my things.’
‘Mrs Green’s already done that for you.’ Jon knelt down in front of him. ‘Your Mum and I are going away for two days on what’s called a honeymoon, but while we’re away you’re going to stay with your Grandma Rose. When we get back we’ll be together for always. We’ll be living in the flat until we can buy a house.’
Eddie was wide-eyed. ‘Can I call you Mum and Dad?’
‘Of course,’ Kate said. ‘That’s what we are now.’
‘Is it all right to call your mum Grandma?’ He didn’t seem at all sure about that.
‘She would love you to.’ Kate was so happy it was difficult to keep her own tears at bay. ‘And you don’t mind staying with her for two days?’
‘No, I like her.’ He jiggled about a bit, far too excited to be able to stand still. ‘Two days isn’t long, but you won’t be more than that, will you?’
‘We promise.’ Jon ruffled his hair. ‘Why don’t you go and tell Grandma Rose how happy you are to be her grandson?’
They both got trampled on as he kissed and hugged them. Then he tore off to find his new grandma.
40
After two blissful days on their own, Jon and Kate returned. They were not starting out like most newly-weds, for they had an instant family, but they were both so happy about it. As far as Jon was concerned, never having had a family of his own, it was a wonderful way to start married life. They had decided to have a child as soon as they could and give Eddie a brother or sister.
A house was a necessity, so they’d gone straight round to have a look at the one next door to Will and Dora’s. It was perfect, very similar to the two Freeman houses, with three bedrooms and a good-sized garden at the back for Eddie to play football in. Kate had used part of the money her Grandpa George had put in trust for her, but Jon insisted on paying for all the furniture. His generous wife would pay for everything if he let her, but he wasn’t going to have that. He would provide for his own family.
Within two months they were settled in their new house, Eddie was attending a local school and making friends, and Kate was pregnant. Pete and Terry were quite capable of running the business, and he helped whenever he had some spare time, giving Kate more freedom.
More good news was that Tom was now being fostered by Reid and Annie, and he visited them often. The difficult boy was making a big effort to reform and obviously adored his foster parents.
The Freemans had welcomed both himself and Eddie into the fold, and they now felt a part of this wonderful loving family. Jon had never believed he could be so happy.
As the year passed, their excitement grew. Eddie was so happy and proud of his mum and dad and Jon made sure he never stopped showing Kate how much he loved her. The baby was due at the end of February, and the birth was eagerly awaited by all of them.
‘It’s a girl!’
At that delighted cry from her husband, the pain of the last few hours vanished, and Kate tried to sit up. ‘Show me. Is she all right?’
Jon’s grin spread as he gazed at their just-born daughter, his shoulders shaking in silent laughter. ‘I’ll say she is. Her hair’s jet-black, and from the racket she’s making I’d say she’s furious about being thrust into the world.’
The nurse held up the baby for her to see. ‘Oh she’s beautiful!’
‘Just like her mother.’ Jon kissed Kate gently. ‘Well done, my darling.’
‘You must leave now, Mr Devlin, so we can make your wife comfortable,’ the nurse ordered. ‘You may return in half an hour.’
Kate watched her husband leave the hospital room and her heart soared with love. He now had the one thing he’d lacked all his life – a family of his own.
She was hardly aware of what was being done to her, but she welcomed the cool flannels being wiped over her hot and tired body. Then she was given a cup of tea and, after drinking it, laid her head back against the clean pillow and closed her eyes. She was so tired.
‘I believe some of your family are waiting to see you, Mrs Devlin.’ The nurse picked up the empty cup. ‘Shall I ask them to come back when you’re more rested?’
‘Oh, no.’ Kate couldn’t do that to them. ‘I’ll sleep once they’ve all seen the baby.’
‘I’ll see they only come in two at a time.’ The nurse hurried out of the room.
Almost immediately the door opened again and in came her mother, Jon and Eddie. She held her arms out to Eddie as he rushed over to the bed.
‘Dad says I’ve got a sister,’ he said in hushed tones.
‘That’s right.’ She kissed him. ‘She’s in the cot on the other side of the bed. Go
and have a look.’
He scampered round and peered at the baby. ‘Cor, ain’t she little.’
Jon stood behind Ed and held his shoulders as they both examined the small bundle in the cot. ‘Don’t wake her, she’s got a powerful pair of lungs on her.’
Eddie giggled. ‘Is she going to keep us awake, then, Dad?’
‘I would think that’s a certainty.’ He didn’t sound at all perturbed by the thought.
Kate reached out to kiss her mother. ‘She weighed in at nearly eight pounds and has loads of black hair, Mum.’
‘Has she now?’ Rose went over to the cot. ‘I better have a look at her, then.’ She reached in and picked up the sleeping baby, who muttered a protest at being moved.
‘Don’t wake her up, Grandma,’ Eddie whispered.
Rose settled her new granddaughter in her arms and sat on the edge of the bed. The baby wriggled about until she had one hand free from the shawl, opened her eyes and shook her fist at Rose. ‘I see, it’s going to be like that, is it?’
With determination the other hand came free, the fist clenched.
Jon and Kate laughed and said together, ‘Rose, we’ll call her Rose.’
Kate’s mother nodded in agreement and looked down at the baby. ‘Well, Rose Devlin, I shall watch you grow up with interest. I have a feeling I might have met my match. If I’m not mistaken, this little one has inherited the Gresham fire. We shall, no doubt, have some great fights as she grows.’
She placed the baby in Kate’s arms, kissed them both and left, her chuckle echoing around the room as she strode out.
Kate watched as the door closed behind her mother, and tears welled in her eyes. She would never get over the loss of Bill, but now she had someone else to live for. Rose Devlin.
Eddie sat on the bed and snuggled up to her. As she saw the happiness on his face, and on her husband’s, she knew the baby was a blessing. Jon and Eddie had the family they’d always longed for, and her mother now had a granddaughter who, if early indications were correct, was going to be a replica of herself. And with the past behind her, Kate was blissfully happy, with a wonderful husband and a growing family of her own. Their time of peace had arrived.
She laid her head back with a smile of contentment and closed her eyes.
‘Come on, son,’ she heard Jon say, ‘let’s leave your mother to have a rest.’
When they’d left the room, Kate opened her eyes again and gazed at the baby in the cot bedside the bed. Rose Devlin was a new generation for the family, and an addition to the Webster Women. Rose, Annie, Kate and now another Rose. They had come full circle. The end of one era and the start of another.
THE BEGINNING
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ISBN: 978-0-141-90912-7
A Time of Peace Page 36