thank you for putting up with my grumpy moods for the last couple of months. And looking after the little ones in church and stopping them from tripping up Toby and me with that basket.’ Her voice wavered. ‘I’ve been horrible to you over the years, Edie. Bossing you around just because I was a year older. We’ve had so many fights …’
‘Haven’t we?’ Edyth said cheerfully. But her voice cracked when she confessed, ‘But I’ve always loved you, Belle -’
‘I hope that isn’t crying I’m hearing, because if it is, I’ll be joining you.’ Sali walked in. She opened her arms and Bella went to her.
‘Be happy, darling. You’ve a good husband who loves you very much.’ Sali embraced Bella carefully so as not to crease her coffee and cream wild-silk outfit.
‘Mam …’ Bella reached for her handkerchief, ‘you and Dad … I – we – Toby and me – we can never thank you enough … I love – we both love you … ’
‘Your father and I know, darling.’ Sali released her. ‘But there’s no time for speeches. You two have been gossiping up here for far too long as it is. Everyone’s waiting to wave you off, and be warned, Auntie Megan and Auntie Rhian have been handing out bags of confetti so you and Toby can expect to get covered.’
‘Did I hear someone take my name in vain?’ Toby left Harry’s room and looked in through the open door. He’d changed from his morning suit into a lounge suit and was carrying his coat, hat and a travelling rug.
Harry ran up the stairs. ‘I’ve put your and Belle’s cases in my car, Toby. I thought you two were honeymooning for six weeks.’
‘We are.’ Toby offered Bella his arm. ‘Mrs Ross?’
‘From the amount of luggage Belle’s taking, I assumed you were emigrating.’
‘I’m expecting several climate changes,’ Bella replied defensively.
‘Toby never said anything to me about taking you to the Arctic Circle. Come on,’ Harry chivvied, as Toby gazed lovingly into Bella’s eyes, ‘if you don’t get a move on you’ll miss your train.’
‘It’s good of you and Mary to drive us to Cardiff, Harry, so we won’t have to change trains,’ Toby said gratefully. ‘We appreciate it.’
‘You won’t be so appreciative if you end up spending your wedding night in the waiting room on Cardiff station.’
Toby and Bella walked along the landing, and Harry shouted loudly down the stairs, ‘They’re coming!’
Confetti showered down when Toby and Bella stepped on the top stair. They looked up to see Glyn and their younger cousins shaking bags over them from between the banisters on the attic staircase. Laughing, they ran down to the hall, with multi-coloured flecks of paper falling on them from all directions.
‘You look like rainbow snowmen.’ Joey kissed Bella’s cheek and offered Toby his hand. ‘That’s my niece you’ve got there, look after her. If you don’t, you’ll have me to answer to.’
‘Not to mention all the other men in the family. But don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her. Can I call you Uncle Joey now?’ Toby joked when he shook Joey’s hand firmly.
‘Plain Joey will do.’
‘Your name may be Ross, but you’re one of us, and an Evans now.’ Victor looked to the door. ‘Lloyd’s waiting at the car.’
Bella hugged and kissed Mari and Judy, who was at the old woman’s side, and everyone else she could reach.
‘Your bouquet, Belle.’ Maggie picked it up from the hall stand where Bella had left it when she went upstairs to change. She thrust it at her. ‘You have to throw it, so we’ll know who is going to be next.’
Bella looked at her sisters and cousins lining the stairs. ‘Catch!’ She turned her back and flung her bouquet over her shoulder.
Maggie and Beth reached forward at the same time but Maggie knocked it wide and it fell neatly into Edyth’s hand. When she looked up, Peter Slater was clapping and cheering along with everyone else. He leaned close to her ear so
‘Haven’t we?’ Edyth said cheerfully. But her voice cracked when she confessed, ‘But I’ve always loved you, Belle -’
‘I hope that isn’t crying I’m hearing, because if it is, I’ll be joining you.’ Sali walked in. She opened her arms and Bella went to her.
‘Be happy, darling. You’ve a good husband who loves you very much.’ Sali embraced Bella carefully so as not to crease her coffee and cream wild-silk outfit.
‘Mam …’ Bella reached for her handkerchief, ‘you and Dad … I – we – Toby and me – we can never thank you enough … I love – we both love you … ’
‘Your father and I know, darling.’ Sali released her. ‘But there’s no time for speeches. You two have been gossiping up here for far too long as it is. Everyone’s waiting to wave you off, and be warned, Auntie Megan and Auntie Rhian have been handing out bags of confetti so you and Toby can expect to get covered.’
‘Did I hear someone take my name in vain?’ Toby left Harry’s room and looked in through the open door. He’d changed from his morning suit into a lounge suit and was carrying his coat, hat and a travelling rug.
Harry ran up the stairs. ‘I’ve put your and Belle’s cases in my car, Toby. I thought you two were honeymooning for six weeks.’
‘We are.’ Toby offered Bella his arm. ‘Mrs Ross?’
‘From the amount of luggage Belle’s taking, I assumed you were emigrating.’
‘I’m expecting several climate changes,’ Bella replied defensively.
‘Toby never said anything to me about taking you to the Arctic Circle. Come on,’ Harry chivvied, as Toby gazed lovingly into Bella’s eyes, ‘if you don’t get a move on you’ll miss your train.’
‘It’s good of you and Mary to drive us to Cardiff, Harry, so we won’t have to change trains,’ Toby said gratefully. ‘We appreciate it.’
‘You won’t be so appreciative if you end up spending your wedding night in the waiting room on Cardiff station.’
Toby and Bella walked along the landing, and Harry shouted loudly down the stairs, ‘They’re coming!’
Confetti showered down when Toby and Bella stepped on the top stair. They looked up to see Glyn and their younger cousins shaking bags over them from between the banisters on the attic staircase. Laughing, they ran down to the hall, with multi-coloured flecks of paper falling on them from all directions.
‘You look like rainbow snowmen.’ Joey kissed Bella’s cheek and offered Toby his hand. ‘That’s my niece you’ve got there, look after her. If you don’t, you’ll have me to answer to.’
‘Not to mention all the other men in the family. But don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her. Can I call you Uncle Joey now?’ Toby joked when he shook Joey’s hand firmly.
‘Plain Joey will do.’
‘Your name may be Ross, but you’re one of us, and an Evans now.’ Victor looked to the door. ‘Lloyd’s waiting at the car.’
Bella hugged and kissed Mari and Judy, who was at the old woman’s side, and everyone else she could reach.
‘Your bouquet, Belle.’ Maggie picked it up from the hall stand where Bella had left it when she went upstairs to change. She thrust it at her. ‘You have to throw it, so we’ll know who is going to be next.’
Bella looked at her sisters and cousins lining the stairs. ‘Catch!’ She turned her back and flung her bouquet over her shoulder.
Maggie and Beth reached forward at the same time but Maggie knocked it wide and it fell neatly into Edyth’s hand. When she looked up, Peter Slater was clapping and cheering along with everyone else. He leaned close to her ear so
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