Village Matters by Rebecca Shaw

then said, ‘Mr and Mrs Biggs, these flowers are for you from all of us, to say how pleased we are that you have got married, and we all hope you will be very happy.’ She whispered confidentially, ‘And there’s lots of presents in the small hall, you wouldn’t believe how many!’ She curtsied again and gave Sylvia the flowers. They all laughed and clapped and Sylvia bent down and gave her a hug and a kiss.
    Jimbo climbed back up on the chair. ‘Right, ladies and gentlemen, quiet please. Quiet please. Now’s the time to let the bridal couple lead the way to the buffet. A right royal buffet we’ve laid on for a right royal pair. Forward march!’
    They all held back while the bride and groom reached the front of the crowd and then followed them into the small hall. From end to end of the far wall was a table laden with food and in the centre of the table was a beautiful two-tier wedding cake, with a small silver vase of flowers decorating the top. The flowers were deep pink and around the edges of the cake were icing sugar-flowers in varying shades of pink complementing the real flowers on the top. Swirls of silvery white and pink ribbons decorated the table around the cake. On another table presents were piled high, awaiting presentation. Sylvia burst into tears of joy. Willie lent her his handkerchief, and then put his arm around her shoulders, his face alight with pleasure.
    ‘Speech, speech,’ the guests demanded.
    ‘My Sylvia and I would like to thank you for this lovely party, it must be the best kept secret in Turnham Malpas for centuries, we’d absolutely no idea.’ Someone at the back shouted. ‘We’ll go some to keep a secret better than you, Willie Biggs! Marrying without any of us knowing.’ Everyone laughed. Willie acknowledged the quip and continued his speech. ‘And as for you, Jimmy, you conniving old so-and-so, I’ll see you later. Thank you again and again, we shan’t forget all your kindness in planning this. We’re both very happy, we hope you all will be too. Here’s to a wonderful evening!’
After everyone had finished eating, and Willie and his Sylvia had cut the cake, Venetia Mayer, who had disappeared moments before, struggled in through the doorway with a gigantic box, wrapped in wedding gift paper. Everyone crowded round. What on earth could it possibly be? Trust Venetia to come up with something dramatic! Jeremy refused to tell. ‘Wait and see,’ he said, ‘wait and see.’
    Sylvia began tearing off the paper. She opened the lid and out floated three huge heart-shaped silver hydrogen-filled balloons. They all craned their necks to see what was written on them. One said ‘Congratulations’, the second one said ‘Willie loves Sylvia’ and the third ‘Sylvia loves Willie’. Willie tied them by their ribbons to a chair and they all cried ‘Give the bride a kiss’. So he did. Then Jimbo put on a tape and they began dancing. Willie and Sylvia started off the first dance all by themselves. Willie wasn’t up to dancing, he hadn’t done it since he used to go to the Palais in Culworth as a young man, but he made a brave show for his Sylvia’s sake.
    Caroline let herself into the rectory at eleven o’clock that night. She called upstairs, ‘Peter, I’m making myself a cup of tea, would you like one?’
    ‘Yes, please, darling. Had a good time?’
    ‘Excellent, I’m exhausted! Won’t be long. Twins OK?’
    ‘Both fine, not a peep out of them all evening.’
    Caroline took the tea upstairs and put it on Peter’s side table. She looked in on the twins and tucked the blankets more closely around Beth, who had a habit of kicking off all her bedclothes and waking chilled to the bone in the middle of the night. Alex lay on his back, a hand either side of his head, sleeping deeply, his likeness to Peter increased as the weeks went by. There was no hiding the fact he was his. None at all.
Caroline got ready for bed and climbed in beside Peter, who was sitting up reading.