Chapter Thirty-Two
The village carpark was already full, so Clem parked her car up on the verge and walked back along the lane towards the church. As she passed other parked cars, she could see she wasn’t alone in not finding space; the place was going to be heaving. The church was on the edge of the village with the graveyard to one side and beyond that the land began to rise quickly up towards the hills. In the field beyond the graves was a rocky outcrop, and standing on top of the rocks, in full ceremonial outfit, stood a piper. He was close enough for Clem to see his face and she recognised Rory, suddenly happy. Shouting his name, she waved at him and he turned and waved back at her with a smile before looking back over the road.
‘You are in a church!’ admonished one of the small crowd who had gathered outside waiting for the bride. The woman had a puckered face and looked as though there was little joy in her world. No doubt she had come along to tut at the bride’s dress. Just wait till she sees the bride’s tummy, thought Clem with a grin and moved to stand further away from her. If she heard her say something rude about Mari, Clem might do more inappropriate things, beyond shouting to pipers in graveyards. She was busy thinking of all the names she could call her when the wind began to sing across the hills and the crowd all turned to look at Rory.
Rory was playing a bright and lively tune that filled the glen and everyone was now craning their neck to watch for the bridal cars. A minute later they pulled up and Mari’s bridesmaids stepped out of their car, ready to help Mari with her dress and train. Clem wasn’t needed – the girls all had their instructions – she was here just in case. Besides which, she was far too busy watching Rory standing on the outcrop, looking incredible as he blew on the pipes and his fingers and arms manipulated the music as it soared across the hills and rooftops.
Clem felt a slight nudge and realised that Mari was ready to go in. She looked fabulous and her veil was now down around her face.
‘Stop staring at Rory like a moonstruck bampot and get in the church,’ joshed Louise.
Protesting that she wasn’t, Clem laughed and dashed in ahead of the bridal party and made herself comfortable on the back pew. As the bridesmaids walked in, everyone stood and then Mari and her father walked down the aisle to the sound of the pipes, softer now, and Clem realised that a different piper on a smaller set must have been ready to follow the bridal party into the church. Mari was the picture of grace and elegance, standing a few inches shorter than her father. Her long, oyster satin gown accentuated her figure and her very clear pregnancy. Despite the obvious state of her situation, the dress and veil suggested a sense of purity that caught Clem off-guard. She had been aiming for serene power, which she had achieved in a sense, she just hadn’t realised how calm and pure that sense of strength and purpose would be. An unapologetically pregnant bride, at the pinnacle of her glory, walking towards her beloved. It was a triumphant sight.
The veil was made from a heavy lace and Clem was delighted to see how prettily the small, embroidered motifs framed the edge of the lacework as it hung by Mari’s shoulders. As she softly walked past, Clem was again happy to see that the train sat well on the floor, and members of the congregation were nudging each other and pointing to bits of decorations and then giving Clem little grins and thumbs up.
As the bride reached the altar, the piper who had followed them in stopped playing and rested his pipes against the wall. Clem had watched him walk in, but as it was a lad she didn’t know, she turned back to watch as Ollie lifted Mari’s veil and laid it over the back of her hair. The two of them were laughing, and Ollie showed a section of the veil to Mari who promptly kissed him, causing the congregation to laugh and the minister to clear his throat and begin the ceremony.
‘Budge up.’
Clem looked up and beamed as Rory sat down alongside her.
‘You’ve almost as much lace on you as Mari,’ said Clem with a grin, pointing at his frilly cuffs and button braces.
‘I know. Now shush, no talking in the back.’
His smile took any admonishment out of his words, and Clem smiled back at him conspiratorially. She was delighted he was here and had completely forgotten that he would be. The past few weeks had been so manic that she had totally forgotten his invitation by the bridge, to be his plus one. Now she was wondering why she hadn’t said yes. Maybe she was trying to show him that she didn’t need to lean on another man to pave the way for her. Maybe she was an overly sensitive idiot. Or maybe she had just been carried away with dreams of what finding the train would mean for the survival of the castle.
She was getting to know lots of people, working on the veil had been a great way to settle in, but Rory seemed to get her sense of humour and she was grateful for that. As the minister droned on, the still air in the church and the warmth of the July weather began to take a toll on Clem. She had barely had two hours’ sleep last night finishing off the veil, and the week preceding had not been much better as she raced to finish off everyone’s work. On top of that she had continued to work on her collection for the London show in September.
She was barely aware of resting her head against Rory’s arm and then jerked herself upright, apologising, as he grinned at her in surprise. A few mumbled sentences later from the front, something about sacrifice and honour, she found herself leaning against Rory again, only this time he wrapped his arm around her, placing his hand gently on her hip, and gratefully she fell fast asleep.
With a start, she was awake again and realised that she must have fallen asleep. Everyone was getting to their feet as the organ began to play.
‘How long was I asleep?’ hissed Clem in a panicked voice.
‘It was fine. Although when Ollie said, “I do” you snored so loudly that the minister asked him to repeat himself.’
‘What!’ Clem looked up at Rory in horror only to see him laughing openly at her.
‘You absolute—’
‘Tut tut, we’re in a church remember. Now be quiet and let’s have a look at the train I’ve been hearing so much about. Mum’s been doing a bit on it as well.’
So she had already met Rory’s mother without knowing it. Wondering if she had made a good impression, she quickly chided herself. What did it matter? Instead, she decided to focus on the happy couple as they walked down the aisle.
Mari and Ollie were smiling brightly enough to dim the sun, nodding and saying hello to the tightly packed congregation as they stepped out into the fresh air and on to the reception.
‘Right, come on, Bo. The party awaits!’ Rory held his hand out to Clem and she gave him a resolute look. This was the perfect moment to take him to task for calling her Bo.
‘It’s Clem. Clemmie. God even Clementine. But my name is not, nor has it ever been Bo!’
‘Very well, my lady.’
Clem groaned. ‘No, not that either.’
‘Okay then,’ said Rory with a mock sigh, ‘but I rather liked Bo. It makes me smile.’ He looked at Clem with a raised eyebrow as he tilted his head enquiringly.
If she was honest, she rather liked the fact that she had a new nickname, and she loved the soft Scottish accent as he said it. She had just wanted to make a point, but now she didn’t know why.
‘Very well then,’ she said in a crisp voice. ‘You may call me Bo.’ And she pertly flicked his hand aside.
Walking out of the church, Rory followed in her wake, smiling as he did so.