Chapter 31
She jumped every time someone changed lanes in her vicinity. Adrenaline was bringing back the accident and Rhys’s words had twisted her out of shape. She had to drive in her sheer tights, since the glittery heels were not good for driving, and she slipped on the pedals more than she liked.
Rhys gave her the odd tip for the route, somehow able to sense when she was uncertain. She was beginning to believe his ability to read her body language was criminal, when he was a closed book himself.
Finally, they reached the little copse near the church and she started to release the tension. Weddings were her area of expertise, even if this one was slightly different because she’d be standing at the front.
‘Nearly there,’ she called over her shoulder to Sophie.
‘Ginny, stop!’
She slammed on the brakes at Rhys’s urgent tone, clutching the wheel and seeing flashes of a lorry too close to the bonnet. But this road definitely wasn’t the autobahn and in front of her was, not an accident, but a line of ribbon, like the finish line of a marathon – or crime-scene tape.
She narrowly avoided breaking through it.
The car screeched to a halt just before the line and the warm press of Rhys’s hand on her shoulder helped her take a much-needed breath.
It wasn’t crime-scene tape, thank God. A small group of people in lederhosen and dirndls appeared, holding glasses, one even had a necklace of tiny liquor bottles.
‘What on earth?’ Sophie groaned.
Ginny recognised Andreas’s two friends, Lucas and Marco. ‘Oh, this is some other tradition,’ she explained to Sophie. ‘Is this the bride-stealing or the obstacles?’
‘Obstacles, I’m guessing,’ Rhys said.
‘Bride-stealing?’ Sophie repeated, her voice high.
Ginny lowered the window. ‘We’d better see what they want.’
‘Could Sophie-Leigh please step out of the car?’
‘We have some questions for her!’
‘She is marrying a Südtiroler! The questions must be answered correctly!’
Ginny met Sophie’s gaze warily. ‘I was always good at playing along with University Challenge,’ Sophie said grimly and pushed open the door. Ginny slipped her shoes back on and dashed out to help her, to a satisfying chorus of oohs and aahs about the dress.
‘First order of business,’ Lucas said, coming forward with a schnapps glass and a suspicious bottle with a handwritten label. He sloshed a bit into the glass and held it out to Sophie.
‘She can’t drink that!’ Ginny squealed.
‘Ah, that’s correct. You will do it for her?’
‘I’m driving, so I can only have one,’ she protested. She accepted the glass doubtfully, giving it a sniff. The powerful smell of alcohol was unmistakable, but it had a pleasant tang in the aroma.
‘Auf Andreas und Sophie! Prost!’
Ginny followed the example of the others and lifted her glass to her lips, hoping she’d get away with a sip rather than tossing the whole thing down. It was fresh and sweet with a strong scent of greenery, like the forest at the climbing rock on Thursday.
A woman came forward, looking at her phone. ‘The first question: what is Andreas’s middle name?’
Sophie was visibly relieved. ‘He doesn’t have one.’
‘What is his favourite colour?’
Rhys came up beside Ginny, camera in hand. ‘Do you think they’ve been watching too much Monty Python?’ he asked in her ear. ‘I hear it’s popular in German.’
‘What about Monty Python?’
He eyed her. ‘Never mind.’
‘He doesn’t have a favourite colour either,’ Sophie answered drily.
‘Wrong!’ Lucas declared. ‘He told us his favourite was the colour of your eyes.’
The others tut-tutted between knowing smiles.
‘What is Andreas’s favourite food?’
‘That’s easy,’ Sophie replied. ‘Speckknodel – made by his mother.’
‘And can you cook it?’ Lucas asked, but one of the women whacked him soundly on the arm. ‘Sorry, that’s not one of the questions. Andreas isn’t quite a whole person any more. Which parts are missing?’
Ginny looked to Sophie in confusion, but her friend’s expression was serene.
‘He’s missing two toes on his right foot. Are you trying to make me late for my own wedding?’
Lucas shrugged. ‘If Andreas sweats a little, that’s a nice bonus. Now come, we have prepared the heaven and hell game for you. Maybe your friend will help.’
Ginny groaned when she saw what they meant. In chalk on the road ahead was a game of hopscotch. They handed her another little glass of schnapps and she did not like where this was going at all.
Twenty minutes later, Ginny was ready to raise a sword and make a charge if it meant she could finally deliver Sophie to the church.
‘What is the animal on the coat of arms of Südtirol?’ someone called out.
‘What is the largest high-altitude alpine pasture in Europe?’
‘Where is the best place to get pizza in Bozen?’
‘What is the highest mountain in Südtirol?’
‘Oh, that one I know,’ Sophie called out. ‘The Ortler.’
‘Ach, Gott sei Dank.’ The last one was spoken on a groan, by a familiar voice. Andreas barrelled into the crowd, out of breath and scowling fiercely.
His outfit of snug embroidered leather shorts, knee-length woolly socks, a crisp long-sleeved shirt and a fine grey waistcoat would have looked comical on anyone else, especially with the silver hoop winking in one ear, but it was perfect for Andreas.
The shorts were more practical than Ginny had ever imagined, since she had never imagined a groom needing to run before the ceremony.
Gesticulating wildly, he took his friends to task in their dialect.
‘Ahem,’ Ginny interrupted, hands on hips. When Andreas glanced at her in annoyance, she tipped her head urgently in Sophie’s direction and it was clear the instant understanding dawned on him.
He paused, straightened his waistcoat and turned to Sophie. Ginny’s knees went weak to witness him crumble as his gaze finally soaked in the vision of his fiancée in her white dress. He swallowed loudly and raked a hand through his hair.
‘Sophie.’ The way he said her name was more like an endearment. ‘For a minute there…’
She shook her head, approaching him. ‘Andreas—’
‘No, wait. I know getting married in a hurry wasn’t what you imagined and you’re worried about the baby, about me as a father—’
Sophie opened her mouth to say something, but he raised his hand to stop her again.
Kira rushed to join them, pulling up short when she saw Andreas and Sophie in earnest conversation.
Mattia was right behind her. Ginny noticed the others slowly making their way along the road: Toni and Gabri, Reshma and Will, all of the parents.
Ginny stood next to Rhys, trying not to think how much she wished they were the next Great Heart love story rather than a Great Heart wedding fling.
‘I have something for you,’ Andreas said, oblivious to his growing audience. ‘I wasn’t sure if it would have to wait for after the ceremony, but it makes more sense before, so I can prove… everything to you.’
‘You don’t have to—’
Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a piece of folded paper, printed with a grid pattern and obviously ripped out of a simple notepad. If he’d asked Ginny’s help, she would have found him some pretty paper with dried roses in it, but she had to say it was at least entirely authentic this way.
Sophie took it gingerly, all eyes on her. Then she burst into tears.
Ginny leapt into action, producing a tissue, murmuring to Sophie about her make-up. She couldn’t resist a curious glance at the paper. It was a list of names:
Emma
Charlotte
Anna
Marie-Louise
Lieselotte
Aurelia
In a second column were boys’ names:
Tim
Linus
Michael
Kai
‘If you don’t like them—’
‘I love them!’ Sophie declared with a snort.
‘I tried to picture her – as a baby, as a little girl. It nearly stopped my heart.’
Ginny gave up trying to save Sophie’s make-up. Tears were streaming down her face. ‘I know. I know that feeling. We don’t even know who she is yet, but she’s breaking my heart.’
‘And remaking it – me too.’ Andreas swept her up and crushed her against him and now there would probably be smudges of eyeliner on his pristine waistcoat, but Rhys could surely get rid of them in post-production.
‘But why the list of boys’ names?’ Sophie asked. ‘We know she’s a girl.’
Ginny would never forget the flummoxed look on Andreas’s face. The poor man had never expected he’d be required to provide so much love, but he seemed to be bearing up well, all things considered.
‘Those are possible names for her brother – in case he ever comes along. I thought I should… prepare for that as well.’
When Sophie gave him a beaming smile through her tears, Ginny clutched Rhys and tapped him urgently until he raised his camera and started snapping, pausing to make his adjustments.
‘But Sophie,’ Andreas continued solemnly, ‘I sat down to think about those names so I could get to what really matters to me – which is us. I would be standing here – right here – even if the baby weren’t already on her way into the world. I asked you to marry me last year, before any of this.’
‘That’s what worried me!’ Sophie insisted. ‘I knew we needed time to discuss what was important to us in this marriage – to discuss having kids. I know you, and I didn’t want to force you into anything—’
‘You didn’t hear me,’ he interrupted her firmly.
‘I said I asked you to marry me last year. You haven’t forced me to be here.
I’m trying to get used to the idea of the baby, but what is entirely clear in my mind is that, when she’s grown up and we’re waving her off into the world as a young woman, we’ll still be together.
I’ll be a grisly old man, I guarantee it, but I will love you with every part of me. I have no doubt of that.’
His friends raised a cheer that rang out across the mountain meadow and he looked up, as though he’d forgotten they were all watching. But Sophie said nothing for long enough for an uncomfortable silence to descend.
‘Fini, Schatz? Did I screw up again? Is it bad that I’ve seen you in your wedding dress before the right moment?
I should have saved all of that for the speeches.
I should have just got you a necklace. I thought about that, but it didn’t feel like enough.
What I really want to do is go in that church, make my promises and let you put the ring on my finger.
I’ll wear it all the time. I’ve bought a chain to put it around my neck when I’m climbing, because I want to take that with me everywhere, the knowledge that my life belongs to you – to us. Are you going to say anything?’
Sophie lifted her hands to his face with a soft nod. ‘It’s just difficult to find the words, when you’ve done such a beautiful job of describing the life I want, the grisly man I already love – even though he’s not so old.’
Andreas’s reply was to press his forehead to hers. ‘And the wedding you want? Have we screwed it up?’
She shook her head, swiping a fresh tear.
‘What I wanted most at this wedding, of everything, was just for you to tell me what you need, how you’re feeling.
I know that’s not always easy for you. You didn’t even have to do it in front of your entire family, who I suspect are going to tease you for the rest of your life. ’
‘I knew she’d fit right into this family!’ Caro called out with a wolf whistle.
‘Allora,’ Andreas said wryly, ‘what I need is to marry you and what I feel is grateful and excited – and terrified and embarrassed, but I’ll get over those. What about you?’
‘Honestly? Right now I need to pee.’