‘Ah, Angie, my dear.’ The Rector came in all smiles, and without the usual pile of papers he thrust at her a couple of times a week. ‘Congratulations! Dieter came to see me early this morning. Wonderful news. Wonderful.’
‘It’s very short notice. Can it be arranged in time?’
‘We’ll do it.’ He leant forward and whispered in her ear, laughter in his voice. ‘I understand no one knows yet. We will start reading the banns this Sunday, and I’ve pencilled in your wedding date already. It will have to be at one o’clock, as that is the only space free.’
‘Thank you, Geoff, that will be fine. We don’t want Danny to hear about it until everything is arranged.’
‘Understood, my dear. You must get a special licence.’
‘Dieter’s going to start dealing with the paperwork in his lunch hour today.’
‘Good, good.’ He beamed again, highly delighted.
‘Splendid young man, and perfect that you will be a family.’
Angie gave him a questioning look. ‘No typing today?’
‘No, no, give you a rest today, but I shall have some at the end of the week. The Parish Newsletter, you know.’ He wandered off, rubbing his hands together and still beaming.
‘He looks pleased with himself.’ Sally stood beside Angie and gave her a curious look. ‘What’s he planning?’
Making sure Danny was fully occupied, Angie whispered, ‘My wedding.’ Then she clamped her hand over her friend’s mouth to stop her yelling out the good news.
Sally dragged her into the kitchen and shut the door. ‘Tell me! Oh, Lord, I hope you’re marrying Dieter. He’s crazy about you.’
‘I am.’
That was all she had a chance to say before she was caught and danced around the kitchen. ‘When?’
‘On Danny’s birthday.’
‘What?’ Sally’s mouth dropped open. ‘But that’s less than four weeks away.’
‘I know, it’s going to be a rush, but what better way could we make the day special for him – and us?’
‘It’s perfect. There won’t be time for sad memories.’
‘You can tell Joe, but no one else at the moment. And whatever you do, don’t let Emma hear or she’ll tell Danny. And I’m going to need your help.’
‘A white dress.’ Sally was now pacing the room. ‘We must buy the material and I’ll make you something beautiful.’
Angie looked at her aghast. ‘But there isn’t time. And I didn’t know you could sew. I’ll have to buy it ready-made because I can’t put you to all that trouble.’
‘It will be a joy, and I’m an experienced dressmaker. It’s what I used to do before I was married and had Emma. Trust me, I’ll have it ready in time.’
‘That would be wonderful, Sally. Do you think I could have Emma as bridesmaid and Danny a pageboy?’
‘If you want to live dangerously!’ Sally roared and did a little jig, bursting with excitement. ‘That’s a wonderful idea, and very brave of you. I can’t wait to tell Joe; he really likes Dieter. Oh, I’m so happy for you both. I was afraid there for a while that you were going to allow Bob to persuade you into an unwise marriage. He’s a lovely man, but not for you, Angie.’
‘I know it wouldn’t have worked. I was drawn to him because he seemed like a safe, secure person to have in our lives, and he could have done a lot for Danny, but it wasn’t love. I can see that now. He’s a powerful, attractive man, but I couldn’t take Danny away from his real father.’ Angie’s clear skin tinged with pink. ‘And when I realized I was in love with Dieter, he was the only man I wanted to be with.’
‘Thank heavens it’s worked out right in the end. We guessed Dieter was in love with you by the way he used to watch you when you weren’t looking. He has very expressive eyes, and I’m surprised you didn’t see it as well.’
‘No, I missed it completely. I spent my time fighting with shadows and not seeing what was in front of me.’
‘Danny will be over the moon to have his daddy living with him.’
Angie grinned. ‘I won’t complain either.’
The door burst open and Emma tumbled in. ‘Mummy, little Sammy’s been sick!’
Both women shot back to the hall to deal with the crisis.
That evening it wasn’t possible to talk until Danny was in bed. They didn’t want to disappoint him if the wedding couldn’t be arranged in time.
‘How did you get on today?’ she asked, sitting on the settee and resting in his arms.
‘I’ve set everything in motion. There shouldn’t be any problems getting the licence.’
‘Oh, good. In that case what are we going to do about Joe? He’s been practising his magic tricks for the party.’
‘It will still be Danny’s birthday, so go ahead with the party for the children. I don’t think we should ignore the fact. We must give him presents and make a fuss of him, just as if it were a special day for him. He will have many more birthdays and we need to give him something happy to associate with the day.’ Dieter pulled her close. ‘There will be room in the church hall for everyone, and I’m sure a lot of the guests will enjoy the magic show as well.’
Angie couldn’t help laughing. ‘It will be an unusual wedding reception.’
Just then there was a knock on the front door and Angie went to see who it was.
‘Joe, come in.’
‘Congratulations you two,’ he said, giving Angie a kiss on the cheek and then pumping Dieter’s hand. ‘This is wonderful news.’
‘Thank you.’ Dieter inclined his head. ‘We have just been discussing your magic show.’
‘You won’t need that now.’
‘But we will. Sit down, Joe.’ Angie then explained their idea.
Joe chuckled. ‘I’m game if you are.’
‘There is one more thing, Joe. Would you be my best man?’
‘I’d like that very much.’ Joe turned to Angie. ‘And who are you going to ask to give you away?’
‘I’m hoping John will do it.’
Dieter nodded approval. ‘I’m sure he would; he considers you their daughter. I haven’t said anything to them yet, but I’ll tell them tonight.’
‘They don’t know yet?’ Joe said, surprised.
‘No.’ Angie smiled at Dieter. ‘The only people who know at the moment are you, Sally and the Rector. Once the banns are read on Sunday the whole village will know, so we’ll have to tell Danny before then.’
Joe stood up. ‘I’ll be off, then, to practise pulling a rabbit out of a hat.’
‘Don’t forget you will have a speech to prepare as well.’ Dieter saw his friend to the door, and when he’d gone he pulled Angie into his arms. ‘I must buy you an engagement ring. We shall go to the shops as soon as we can.’
She kissed him. ‘That isn’t necessary. We can leave it for a while, but we will need a wedding ring.’
‘Two.’
‘Are you going to wear one as well?’ Angie was surprised, because not many men she knew wore a wedding ring.
‘Of course. I shall be proud to wear a ring to show I am married to you.’
They sat down again and she snuggled up to him. She couldn’t believe this was happening; she was so happy. ‘This wedding is going to cost a lot, Dieter. The entire village will want to come.’
‘I have a good job now and I want us to have a big, lively wedding. You must walk down the aisle in a white dress.’ He leant back and gazed into her eyes. ‘You are wearing a flowing dress with a long veil, aren’t you?’
‘You’ll have to wait and see.’ The teasing left her face and her expression sobered. ‘There is something we must discuss. There are two houses in London: one belonged to Jane, which she left to Danny, and the other is mine. They are both rented out at the moment. Jane left instructions that I was to look after Danny’s inheritance, and I think we should keep his house and let him decide, when he is older, what he wants to do with it.’
Dieter nodded agreement. ‘A sensible idea.’
‘Bu
t I think I’ll sell mine and put the money aside for Danny’s education.’ She glanced hesitantly at Dieter to see his reaction. When he didn’t say anything, she continued. ‘I love this little cottage and would like to stay here. It’s handy for your job and the farm and, anyway, I wouldn’t want to go back to London again.’
‘My darling, you must do whatever makes you happy. I am now in a position to support you and make a good life for us here.’
She laid her head on his chest and sighed contentedly. ‘We must buy a new bed; mine is only a single.’
‘We shall see to that as a priority.’ He turned her to face him and kissed her.
The embrace went on and on as he began to explore her soft curves, moulding her closely to him, until she could feel the thud of his heart. She was completely lost in the sensations he was creating in her. Suddenly he stopped and leant back away from her, his breathing erratic, and she felt a sense of loss, wanting him to continue loving her.
‘No, no, my darling. If I do not leave now, we will go too far. It is only a short time before we are married and I want us to wait until then.’
With one final kiss, he left.
The next few days raced by in a flurry of activity. Hetty and John were thrilled to bits, and Hetty was already planning the food for the reception, and the cake. Everyone was pitching in to get it all ready in time. Angie had bought the material for her dress – a lovely satin that shimmered in the light – and Sally was hard at work. Angie was borrowing her friend’s pearl tiara and billowing veil. Sally’s generosity had saved her money and enabled her to buy a good-quality satin.
Dieter had also been busy dealing with all the legal aspects of getting married, and was absolutely determined to have everything settled so they could marry on the day they had chosen: Danny’s birthday, Saturday, 27 May.
And now it was time to tell Danny before the banns were read tomorrow in church.
‘Daddy’s here.’ Danny ran to open the door before Dieter could let himself in.
He swung his son up high, laughing. ‘My, but you are getting too big for me to do this now.’ With Danny still in his arms he kissed Angie, his lips lingering on hers. Then he sat Danny on a chair.
She watched the rapport between father and son with joy. It had been a rocky path reaching this stage, but once she was married to Dieter their family would be secure.
Dieter crouched in front of Danny. ‘Before we go to the farm, your auntie and I have something to tell you.’
‘You’re not going away.’ He looked alarmed.
‘No, it is nothing like that. This is wonderful news and we hope it will make you very happy.’
Danny smiled then and his dimples flashed in anticipation.
‘In three weeks’ time I am going to marry your Auntie Angel, and after that we shall all be living here together.’
‘You won’t have to go away no more?’ Danny was looking from one to the other, questioning. This seemed to be a very real fear to him.
Seeing that he was having difficulty understanding, Angie sat on the arm of the chair. ‘You know how Emma’s mummy and daddy live with her all the time?’
Danny nodded, eyes wide.
‘Well, after we are married, your daddy will be living with us. He won’t have to go back to the farm every evening. Will you like that?’
He nodded again, kicking his legs in excitement. ‘Will you be my Mummy Angel then?’
‘Yes, darling.’ Angie’s eyes misted with emotion. He was never going to forget that Jane had been the mother he had adored, and it was right he shouldn’t, but this was more than she could have hoped for. Mummy Angel sounded wonderful to her.
‘Right, let us go and see Grandma and Grandpa, shall we?’ Dieter lifted Danny off the chair and set him on his feet. ‘They are very excited about the wedding.’
‘And so are we,’ Angie murmured softly as they closed the front door and set off towards the farm.
With Danny trotting along between them, they smiled at each other, feeling as excited as he looked.
It would be nice when Daddy didn’t have to go away all the time. He’d like that. Em said hers was there all the time, ’cept when he was working. Danny skipped along. He’d ask her what a wedding was. She knew a lot, for a girl.
Grandma and Grandpa were waiting in the yard for them, so he ran to see them. ‘Daddy’s gonna live with us!’
‘We know,’ Grandma laughed. ‘Isn’t that wonderful?’
‘Yeah.’ He watched them all talking and laughing. That made him all pleased inside.
‘We’ve got something for you to see.’ Grandpa held out his hand. ‘She’s in the next field.’
Danny reached up and caught hold of his hand. Everyone came to see what was in the field.
When they reached the gate, Danny climbed on the bars so he could see better. He was quite safe because Daddy was holding him.
‘Ow, she’s pretty!’ A small brown and cream pony stared at them, and then came closer. ‘Can I touch her, Grandpa?’
‘Not just yet, she’s only just arrived and hasn’t settled in, but when she has you’ll be able to ride her.’
What a lovely day this was! Now he’d go to see his pigs.
Angie walked back to the farmhouse with Hetty while the men took Danny to see his favourite animals.
‘The little lad is happy with the news, then?’
‘Yes, but I don’t think he understands what it means.’ Angie filled the kettle and put it on the stove, then laid out the cups. ‘But he’s pleased Dieter will be with us all the time.’
‘Are you going to tell him you’re marrying on his birthday?’
‘Yes, we’ve decided he should have a proper birthday and hope this one gives him happier memories.’ Angie gave a worried sigh. ‘It was such a terrible day.’
‘I know, my dear, but this one will be very different. It will be a day filled with happiness. He lost a mother on his last birthday, but he’s gaining a father on this one. And with you as his mother now, he will have a complete family for the first time.’
‘Yes, of course. It’s been a difficult year, but things have turned out better than I could ever have hoped. I’m so glad we came here.’
‘So are we, Angie. You have made our lives complete as well.’ Hetty placed a pad and pen on the table and sat down. ‘Now, while the men are out of the way, let’s make a list of guests, so I know how much food to prepare.’
It was Sunday morning and they had all been to church to hear the banns read. When they eventually arrived back at the cottage, Angie checked the roast she had left cooking slowly in the oven and lit the gas under the vegetables.
John and Hetty stayed for lunch and it was a real squeeze to get everyone round the table. The children thought this was great fun, and it was a lively meal.
Work at the farm never stopped for anything, so John and Hetty left immediately after lunch. Joe and Dieter disappeared into the garden with the children, leaving Sally and Angie on their own for a bit of peace and quiet.
‘Um …’ Angie hesitated. ‘Can I ask you something?’
‘Of course.’
‘Er … I was wondering how you manage to … make love with a young child in the next room?’
Sally chuckled. ‘Very quietly, or else Emma would come into our room wanting to know what we were doing.’
‘I bet she would.’ Angie couldn’t help grinning as she imagined the little girl demanding an explanation. Then she shook her head. ‘We’re not going to start out like most newly married couples, but Danny is such a blessing. A demanding one, but a blessing none the less, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Neither would Dieter.’
‘Of course you wouldn’t.’ Sally cupped her chin in her hands, elbows on the table, giving Angie a speculative look. ‘I take it you haven’t made love properly yet.’
‘No, Dieter always stops. He says we have all of our lives together and he wants to wait until we’re married.’
‘Joe was the same.’ S
ally snorted in amusement.
‘Damned frustrating for both of us, but I’m glad we waited. Made our first night all the more exciting and special.’
‘Yes, you’re right. I know that since the war some couples don’t wait, but it is the right way to start a marriage.’
‘Phew, what a day!’ Later that evening Dieter sat on the settee beside Angie and drew her into his arms for a long, much needed kiss. ‘That’s better. I have wanted to do that all day.’ He ran his long fingers through her hair, admiring the colour as the light caught it, making it shine with red, gold, brown. ‘Chestnut is the right name for this shade. I hope we have a girl with your colouring.’
‘Would you like more children?’ They hadn’t discussed this before.
‘Oh, yes, if you do also.’
‘I’d love one or two.’
‘Perfect.’ Dieter held her away so he could look into her eyes. ‘We must have a honeymoon. I would only be able to take two days off, but we could go to the seaside. Yes?’
‘How can we do that, Dieter? We can’t leave Danny. It would upset him even if Sally agreed to look after him.’
‘I did not mean we should go on our own. Our son must come with us, of course.’
Angie kissed him lovingly for saying ‘our son’ and being so understanding.
‘Does that mean you agree?’
She nodded, laughing softly. ‘It will be a strange honeymoon with a four-year-old in our room.’
‘We shall have to be very, very quiet.’ Dieter put a finger to his lips.
‘That’s just what Sally said.’ Angie was pleased they had talked in this way. It was right to discuss things that would touch their lives together. And it was also comforting to know that she was no longer alone. It would be wonderful to have someone to share the ups and downs of life with.
‘I shall write to Gerda and ask if she will come for the wedding. I would very much like her to be there.’
‘Oh, she must come.’ She knew how much this would mean to him. ‘Why don’t we invite the Mansteins as well? I’m sure your sister will come if they do.’
Fighting with Shadows Page 36