by Deborah Carr
Jesse then introduced the tall, smart man who Florence gauged to be in his early to mid-forties. She glanced at her sister but saw no interest in her eyes. Never mind, she thought; there was still time.
The meal was delicious, and the conversation flowed.
After their dessert, Jesse stood. He had arranged for their glasses to be filled with a cool elderflower cordial.
‘Good evening, good friends and soon-to-be family,’ he said, holding Florence’s hand with his free one. ‘Thank you all for celebrating our upcoming wedding at this betrothal supper. My fiancée and I—’ he grinned at Florence and added ‘—I can never tire of saying that.’ Then addressing their guests once more, said, ‘We are grateful for your company this evening. As most of you know, it is also Florence’s birthday today and I have a gift that I wish to give to her. So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to first say a toast to thank you all for being here and for my dearest Florence for agreeing to be my wife and to wish her the happiest of birthdays. To Florence.’
They stood and raised their glasses and Florence couldn’t help feeling prouder than she ever had done before. ‘Thank you,’ she said, beaming at each one of them.
‘Please, sit.’
They did as Jesse requested and he turned to Florence and handed her a small box. ‘I hope you like them.’
He sat down and watched as she opened the ribbon holding the pretty silver paper in place, then, removing it, she held her breath as she lifted the lid to discover a pair of ruby and diamond earrings. ‘They’re utterly beautiful,’ she said quietly, before looking up at him and smiling. ‘You’re too generous, Jesse.’
‘For you nothing is too generous a gift,’ he said quietly, his voice low enough so that only she could hear.
‘Thank you.’ She kissed his cheek.
‘We only have another month to wait now.’
‘I know,’ she whispered, unable and unwilling to hide the excitement she felt.
‘You’re very lucky, Florence,’ Amy said, without any envy in her voice.
Florence could tell her sister was truly happy for her, despite being aware that her sister would miss her when she left their home and was no longer working at the shop.
‘And you deserve it all,’ her mother added. ‘You are my daughter and all that I do is in an attempt to ensure the best future for you.’
Florence smiled warily at her, wondering if maybe she had softened enough towards her marriage to Jesse to make her want to change her mind about attending their wedding.
She would have liked to hope so, but suspected that she knew her mother well enough to know that she was being a little too ambitious with her dreams.
Chapter 36
The next four weeks during the lead up to their wedding day were filled with fittings, and whispered conversations with Amy about whether they could find a way to persuade their mother to attend the wedding. Florence knew her mother was determined but had hoped she would have changed her mind by now.
‘She’s adamant,’ Amy said, two nights before the wedding, as she sat on the end of Florence’s bed. ‘I’ve tried every argument I can think of and even resorted to emotional blackmail, but she won’t have any of it.’
Florence chewed her lower lip. ‘She isn’t going to change her mind, is she?’
‘I don’t think so.’ Amy pursed her lips. ‘You mustn’t let her decision to tarnish your big day though. You and Jesse have waited far too long to let anyone have the power to make it anything less than the perfect day you’ve been planning.’
‘I won’t.’
‘Say that again, but this time with more gusto.’
Florence laughed, determined to hide the hurt at her mother’s rejection that she still felt. Amy had a way with words that usually managed to cheer her up. ‘I won’t,’ she announced, loud enough to disturb her parents, but hoping she hadn’t done so.
‘Show me that beautiful ring again,’ Amy said, reaching out to take Florence’s hand. ‘You are lucky. He has great taste and is generous too.’
‘I am incredibly grateful to Jesse for making me see that marriage can be a partnership, rather than a woman being nothing more than a chattel to be dictated to.’
Amy was silent for a moment. ‘Let’s hope that he doesn’t change when you have the next ring on your finger then.’
Florence gasped. ‘Don’t say that!’ She thought of Jesse and, try as she might, she couldn’t imagine him becoming one of those dictatorial husbands she had seen many times in the shop, bossing their wives around and telling them, rather than asking them, what they should buy.
‘I’m joking,’ Amy said, letting go of her hand. ‘I believe I know him well enough now to trust that he’ll never change. I’m sure he can be tough,’ she said. ‘He is a successful businessman, after all, and has had to work hard all his life, but he is fundamentally kind and certainly a good person.’
‘He is.’ How many men would have waited this long to be married, she wondered. Or take the news calmly that he was unable to marry in his chosen church, simply because his mother-in-law to be had insisted that their marriage not be conducted there. ‘I can’t imagine Jesse ever being anything other than the lovely man I know him to be.’
‘At least Father will still be there.’
The thought comforted Florence.
‘But Adelaide won’t be,’ Amy said, sad to think of her sister missing such an important day. ‘She’s staying here at the flat to be with Mother.’
‘No! Not Adelaide. She can’t miss my wedding too, surely?’ She felt as if Amy had just punched her in the stomach.
‘She doesn’t mean to hurt you, Florence,’ Amy insisted. ‘I suspect Adelaide is intending on being with Mother to try and persuade her to go to your wedding. She will then be there to help Mother get ready. She thinks she’s doing the right thing. She wants to be there for you but feels it’s her responsibility to stay with Mother.’
*
Her final day as a single woman saw her accompany Jesse to chapel for morning service. She persuaded him that, despite them not being able to be married there, she had no intention of not attending her church on her final Sunday living in Jersey.
They walked to chapel, taking their time and enjoying being together.
‘I can’t believe your mother has not changed her mind about attending our wedding,’ he said through gritted teeth. ‘I was certain she would relent and be there for you.’
Florence didn’t want to spoil their day by getting upset about something she knew she had little power over. ‘Tell me a little about our life in Nottingham,’ Florence asked as they strolled along the busy pavement.
‘After we’re married, we’ll take the ferry to Southampton, then travel over the next three days by train, stopping off to stay in pretty hotels along the way to break up our journey and give us some time together before arriving at our home. Do you like the sound of that?’
She nodded, excited to think of the adventure ahead of them.
‘Once we arrive at our home, I’ll introduce you to the staff. We only have a small staff, so there’s nothing to worry about, and you can decide how you would like things to be run in the household.’
She gave his arm a gentle squeeze to show her approval. ‘And how soon will you take me to the shops and factories?’
He laughed. ‘Ever the businesswoman, eh?’
‘Yes. It’s who I am.’ She smiled up at him. ‘Well, how soon?’
‘As soon as you like.’
She was about to tell him that she would want to travel with him to work as soon as possible, when she spotted the Buttons family at the bottom of the wide chapel steps. Florence was delighted to see them all there again, and this time Mr Buttons was with them, an unusual occurrence but one that, by the look on her beaming face, pleased Mrs Buttons very much.
‘I can’t believe I’m going to church two days running,’ Lily said quietly to Florence. ‘I’m that excited about going to your wedding tomorrow morning that I d
on’t quite know what to do with meself.’
‘You’re not the only one,’ Florence giggled, gripping Jesse’s hand.
‘It was good of your father to close the shop for the morning, don’t you think?’ Lily asked.
‘I don’t think he had much choice,’ Jesse said, amused. ‘Especially when one of his employees is getting married and the rest are either at the wedding or, well, sitting with others.’
Florence felt Jesse tense. She could tell by the muscle working in his cheek that he was angry and holding back from saying more. She knew he meant well and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. ‘Shall we all go in?’
After chapel, Florence and Jesse went off by themselves to spend the afternoon alone. ‘We have nothing else to do before tomorrow,’ she said, gazing lovingly at Jesse.
‘You don’t think your family would rather you spend the day with them?’ he asked, as they made their way along the promenade on their way to the Esplanade.
‘I think they’d be calmer to know there wasn’t any chance of me trying to persuade Mother, yet again, to come to our wedding,’ she said, refusing to let her mother’s determination to miss her wedding sour her day. There was nothing to be done to change her mind now; Florence was almost certain of that. ‘They can rest easy if they know that I’m out walking with you.’
They walked, arms linked, stopping every so often to look down at the families eating picnics on the beach, children splashing in the sea, watched by parents enjoying the warm summer day.
‘That will be us in a couple of years hopefully,’ Jesse remarked, putting his arm around her waist and pulling her gently to him. ‘If we’re lucky enough to have a family together.’
She watched the young family closest to them on the beach, the two youngest children screaming in laughter as the father chased them round in circles on the golden sand.
‘I do hope so.’
They watched in silence for a few minutes before walking on again.
‘I’ve arranged for us to stay in the honeymoon suite at the hotel for one night and then thought that the following day we could catch the mailboat and sail to England.’ Jesse stopped walking to watch her reaction. ‘If you’d rather we stay here longer then I’m happy to do that instead.’
‘No.’ She smiled, happy to think that she only had a couple of days until she could see her new home for the very first time. ‘I can’t wait to move to Nottingham and get settled in our new life there.’
‘That’s settled then. I still need to arrange a honeymoon for us, but wasn’t sure where you might want to go.’
‘I’m happy to wait,’ she said, suspecting that he must be wishing to get back to his shops and factory to see how everything was fairing in his absence.
‘You are too good to me, Florence. I don’t know that I deserve to be married to such a gem as you are.’
‘Nonsense,’ she said, kissing his cheek. ‘We are lucky to have found each other. We are a perfect match.’
‘Despite our age difference and my—’
‘I said we are a perfect match.’ She kissed him quickly on his mouth. ‘And I meant it.’
After an hour walking and chatting, they reached St Aubin. Jesse took her hands in his. ‘I think it’s time we made our way back, don’t you?’
‘I suppose so,’ Florence said, looking back at the way they’d come and then across the pale sands where the sun shone on the glistening waves.
‘Aren’t you going to miss your life here in Jersey?’ he asked. ‘It’s such a beautiful place.’
She thought for a moment. ‘Yes, of course,’ she said honestly. ‘I love it here, but I can always come back with you. I’ll miss not being ten minutes away from the sea, but then I will have so much to distract me in Nottingham. I’m excited to look forward, Jesse. I don’t want to think about the things I’ll miss, only the excitement of what lies ahead for us both.’
They strolled in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.
‘This time tomorrow you’ll be Mrs Boot,’ he said, kissing her cheek lightly. ‘It seems like a dream to me.’
‘A dream that by this time tomorrow will have become a reality.’
‘Nothing can go wrong now,’ he said, determination filling his voice. ‘I simply won’t let anything come between us and our wedding.’
Chapter 37
Florence sat in front of the mirror, the sun streaming through her open bedroom window. This was the last time she would leave this room as a spinster, and she couldn’t wait. Already a small crowd had accumulated outside the shop, and she could hear the excited chatter and the horse’s hoof slamming down on the cobble stones as he waited impatiently for her to set off in the carriage.
‘Thank you, Mother,’ she said, staring at her reflection and moving her head from one side to the other. ‘You’ve dressed my hair beautifully.’
She knew this was her mother’s way of creating a memory for them both on her wedding day. It was a shame, Florence thought, that it happened to be one that didn’t include her Mother being in the church with her.
‘I’m glad you like it,’ she said, resting her hands on Florence’s shoulders and smiling at her through the mirror. ‘Your day will go well, I know it.’
‘Are you nearly ready?’ Amy called from the hallway before entering the room. ‘Father is waiting for you by the carriage and says to tell you that you’re going to be late if you don’t leave immediately.’
‘I’m coming now,’ Florence reassured her.
She pinched her cheeks lightly and took a deep breath. ‘I wish you’d change your mind,’ she said quietly to her mother as soon as Amy had gone.
‘I can’t,’ she said simply. ‘I do wish you a wonderful future, though.’ She gave Florence a brief hug and then stepped back. ‘Right, you must go.’
Florence swallowed tears, determined not to give in to them on her happy day. She walked carefully down the stairs and outside to the carriage. She waved at the acquaintances and neighbours she spotted waiting to see her in her finery, smiling at the oohs and ahhs, as she took her father’s hand and stepped up into the carriage.
He helped Amy up and then climbed in after her, sitting next to Florence.
‘You look delightful, Florence,’ he said quietly, waving to his friends who stood in the crowd.
‘Thank you,’ she said, amazed not to feel any nerves at all.
They waited while her brother Willie stepped up into the carriage and sat opposite them next to Amy and the carriage moved on. ‘You’re certain you want to do this?’ her father asked, smiling. He knew as well as Florence did that she had no intention of changing her mind.
‘Absolutely,’ she said with conviction.
‘I am sorry I didn’t manage to persuade your mother to come today,’ he said quietly. ‘And that we wouldn’t let you marry at chapel. That was the wrong thing to do and I’m ashamed of my part in it.’
‘It’s fine, Father,’ she said, surprised to hear him admit such things. ‘Despite everything, I’m happy to be marrying the man I love. Nothing will ruin today for me.’
‘You look very beautiful,’ Amy said, wiping away a stray tear with her fingertips. ‘I’m so happy for you.’
Florence took her sister’s gloved hand in her own for a moment. ‘Thank you, Amy. You look wonderful, too. I’m going to miss you.’
‘You won’t miss me?’ Willie teased.
‘Not as much as me, she won’t.’ Amy giggled.
‘Behave yourselves, you two. People are watching.’
Ten minutes later, after a slow carriage ride through the streets, they stopped at the Town Church. Florence was helped down by her father and walked silently with him to the open church doors.
She could hear Amy whisper something to Willie and him giggle, and assumed it was because they were both happy to be able to attend the wedding when their mother had been so adamant not to.
As Florence walked with her father into the darkness of the church, the candlelig
ht flickered and coloured sunrays in reds, blues and yellows from where the sun poured through the stained-glass window brightened the aisle.
She spotted Lily first, grinning at her and looking very smart in the pretty dress she’d worn to her birthday meal, a small corsage pinned to the front of her dress.
Then she saw Jesse. He had his back to her, but hearing their footsteps, he glanced around and their eyes met. Finally, it was their time.
Seconds later she was standing next to him, exchanging glances. She wondered if her happiness shone through her eyes as Jesse’s did through his.
Her father nodded to Jesse and stepped away to sit next to Amy and Willie.
The Dean of Jersey, resplendent in his robes, welcomed the congregation and began the sermon.
It was all a bit of a blur for Florence. She remembered Jesse beaming at her, his hazel eyes twinkling as he said, ‘I do.’ Then it was her turn.
The next thing she knew they were walking back down the aisle, her arm linked through his and this time she had a gold wedding band on the third finger on her left hand.
They had overcome her mother’s trepidations about them marrying, her father’s enforced separation of them and now, after all that, they were joined in holy matrimony and no one could to anything to part them. They had made it.
Florence walked out of the church, squinting slightly in the bright sunlight. Amy and Willie stood either side of Adelaide. Her older sister had come to her wedding after all. Florence beamed at her and mouthed a thank you.
Her three siblings giggled as they showered Florence and Jesse with dried rice. As the tiny grains showered down over their heads, Florence didn’t think she could ever be happier than she was right at that moment.
She spotted Mrs Wolstenholm peering at her, a sour expression on her face, no doubt due to her lack of an invitation to the wedding.
‘There she is,’ someone cheered. ‘Florence Rowe is now Mrs Boot.’