I can be. Well, this time I’m being sensible: I’m going to marry Sean’.
‘Okay,’ Ruby said with a break in her voice. ‘I suppose if that’s what you really want then it’s time to get down those stairs and off to the church.’
They made their way down to the ground floor, where Gracie’s father was waiting with Babs and George Wheaton and a very excited young Maggie.
‘Can we go now? Pleeease, I want to do what a bridesmaid does …’ the child asked, jumping from foot to foot with excitement. At eight years old, she was tall for her age and confident beyond her years.
‘Yes, we’re going in two minutes. I’m just going to get the flowers and then it’s off to the church,’ Ruby said, looking wistfully at the little girl. ‘You look so beautiful, Maggie. Absolutely beautiful!’
When she came back she handed Gracie her bouquet, gave Maggie her posy and held her own in front of her.
‘Right, Miss Impatient, to the cars …’ she said.
Gracie watched her friend smile at the child, while at the same time blinking to hold back the tears that were building. She knew it wasn’t because of the wedding but because of Maggie, the daughter Ruby could not acknowledge.
The daughter who had been born at the same time as Gracie’s own baby, eight years ago.
With her emotions heightened anyway by the stress of her wedding day, it made Gracie tearful to think of her own baby, the beautiful little boy whom she knew nothing about. But she was determined not to let anything spoil the day so she looked at her father, who was standing slightly away from the group, and forced a smile. ‘Come on, Dad, let’s get to the church. I don’t want to be late.’
Her father smiled and patted her hand. ‘You look beautiful, my little Gracie, I hope you’ll both be as happy as me and your mother, and remember, it’s not all going to be easy, marriage is give and take …’
Gracie wanted to say ‘you give and she takes,’ but she just smiled at him.
The Wheatons and the bridesmaids went ahead to the hotel car which was parked outside, in front of the bridal car. Ruby and Maggie got into the back seat as George Wheaton skilfully moved himself from his wheelchair into the passenger side, leaving his wife to fold the chair and put it in the back, before getting into the driver’s seat.
Everyone waved excitedly as they drove off, leaving just Gracie and her father on the steps, waiting for the right moment. Then, with her arm in his, they walked down to the waiting car where Dr Wheaton’s new driver stood beside the open door, waiting to help them in. As Gracie gathered up her skirt to avoid it creasing or getting caught in the door so a ripple of applause rang out from the people lining the pavement, making her blush. She paused, glanced around and self-consciously waved back.
Then someone caught her eye.
Over the top of their heads she thought for a moment she had seen him standing behind the small group on the nearby corner looking in her direction, but when she looked again, whoever it was had moved.
For a few moments her chest palpitated so much she feared that the fitted bodice on her dress would burst open. Surely he wouldn’t do that? Surely he wouldn’t come here? She asked herself in panic as she looked around again scanning every face, but there was no sign. She wondered fleetingly if Edward Woodfield had come to persuade her to go with him, to jilt Sean at the altar and run away with him to Africa. So many different thoughts flashed through her mind at that moment that she had to shake her head to rid herself of them. She looked all around her once more, just in case, and then climbed into the car to go to the church to marry Sean Donnelly.
Just fifteen minutes later, with the guests all seated and the priest at the altar, Gracie was standing in the cool of the church porch, waiting for the organist to begin playing and give her the cue to start walking. She gripped her father’s arm tight and glanced round at Ruby, who winked reassuringly.
‘Here we go, time to start walking …’ her chief bridesmaid said, as the first notes of ‘Here Comes The Bride’ echoed throughout the church.
Ruby and Maggie followed as Gracie walked down the aisle on her father’s arm. She looked straight ahead and walked confidently but when she got closer and saw Sean standing at the altar with his back to her the enormity of what she was about to do hit her and she was suddenly terrified.
As she looked at the friends and family standing either side of the aisle waiting for her to reach the altar and for the ceremony to begin, it hit her that there really was no going back. This was the moment when her life would change forever. Her chest started pounding again and her feet felt like lead weights in her dainty wedding shoes.
She thought about the signet ring nestling in her jewellery box and felt sick. She had left it too late.
Doubts and uncertainties swelled inside her and she wanted to turn around and run straight out of the church but she didn’t, instead she took the last few steps until she reached Sean’s side. She turned and handed her bouquet to Ruby, who was one step behind her. As her father stepped back, Sean turned to look at her. He smiled widely and whispered, ‘Oh my lord, but you look so beautiful, Gracie …’
Gracie blinked hard and met his gaze. She was there to marry Sean in front of their friends and families and she was sure that was the right thing to do so she forced her doubts away and smiled back. Sean Donnelly knew her and loved her, and that was the most important thing in the world to her at that moment.
Edward Woodfield was a stranger and a nice fantasy man to daydream about in her dotage but Sean Donnelly was the reality, she knew.
After the bridal car had pulled away from the hotel and driven off in the direction of the church, Edward Woodfield stepped out from the shadows of the nearby doorway. With his head down, he walked briskly in the opposite direction to the spot around the corner where he had parked his own car.
He had wanted to see Gracie, to let her know he was there and to see her reaction but when she had glanced in his direction and almost spotted him, he had instinctively jumped out the way and moved out of sight.
Common sense and his innate good manners told him that what he was doing was disrespectful to both her and her fiancé and, despite his feelings, he had no right to disrupt her wedding day. She had told him three days before, after they had kissed behind the ice cream stand, that she was to be married. He had tried to dissuade her then and there but she had been adamant.
When they had said a very formal goodbye on the beach in front of the others Edward had surreptitiously slipped the gold signet ring from his little finger and pressed it into her hand, wrapped in a piece of paper, when the others weren’t looking.
‘My phone number in Saffron Walden. Think about it Gracie, please. Just think about it and ring me at this number.’
‘I already have thought about it. I’m sorry,’ she whispered as, with no choice but to take it, she slipped it in the side pocket of her skirt.
They all said formal goodbyes to each other and went their separate ways. He had watched Gracie as she walked away and seen her look back just once. She had glanced over her shoulder and smiled at him, then turned back and walked away with Ruby.
He had watched her go and then sat down with Harry and Louisa, and tried to act as if nothing had happened.
‘Nice girls …’ Louisa said. ‘Both of them. Can you imagine being responsible for a hotel at that age? They must work really hard.’
‘I wasn’t sure about them,’ Harry said. ‘The taller one was wearing an engagement ring, I noticed, nothing like as nice as Louisa’s so I doubt they’ve got much money.’
‘Heavens darling, you’re observant! I didn’t notice a ring but I did think she