Chapter 27
It was the day before the funeral. Fen had been waiting by Arrivals at Bristol airport for seven minutes when the opaque glass doors finally slid open and Molly came through. Arms stretched wide, she wrapped them around Fen. ‘I still can’t believe he’s gone. How are you?’
‘Doing OK.’ Fen was used to saying it now, meaningless though the response was, because she’d never been less OK in her life. ‘It’s so good to see you. Thank you for coming. You didn’t need to, but I’m glad you’re here.’
They’d been messaging back and forth non-stop since Venice, but it was so much better to see her again in person.
For several seconds they held each other tight and rocked in silence.
Then Fen said, ‘Come on, let’s get out of here, I’m parked in the drop-off zone.
’ She took charge of Molly’s wheelie cabin case and led the way out of the airport.
‘How’s Jamie?’
‘He’s OK too.’
Outside, in the world’s most expensive car park, she was in the process of opening the boot of the car when a male voice behind her said mildly, ‘Ow,’ and Fen turned to see that the cabin case she’d let go of had rolled away of its own accord, careering into the calves of a man in the process of opening the rear passenger door of his dark green Mercedes.
Before she had a chance to grab it, the case ricocheted off his legs and scooted towards the bodywork on the side of the car.
‘I’m so sorry!’ She launched herself at the case in the nick of time. ‘I didn’t know it was going to do that.’
‘Jeez, what’s the matter with you? Are you stupid?’ A heavy-set man spilled out of the rear passenger seat, glaring at her in disgust. ‘The case has wheels, lady, but you didn’t stop to think it might roll off down the slope?’
‘I was distracted.’
‘You mean you couldn’t be bothered to engage your brain? You British women don’t have a single clue, do you?’
Fen’s cheeks reddened. ‘It was an accident.’
‘It’s fine,’ said the man whose legs had borne the brunt of the case. Belatedly, she realised the gleaming Mercedes was a limo-for-hire and he was a professional chauffeur. ‘No damage done.’ He flashed a reassuring smile at her. ‘Don’t worry.’
The driver’s kindness, contrasted with his passenger’s rudeness, caused her to burst into tears.
‘Jeez, this is all I need,’ sneered the passenger. ‘If I wanted to see a woman crying, I’d stay at home with my wife.’
When he’d thundered off with his own case, Molly said, ‘What a charmer. Is he always that awful?’
‘He’s been that awful for the last three hundred miles.’ The chauffeur, who had to be close to retirement age, shook his head. ‘He’s been a nightmare. I’m so sorry he upset you.’
Fen said ruefully, ‘It wasn’t him being horrible. It was you being nice that made me cry.’
He smiled and closed the boot of the Mercedes. ‘Next time I won’t say anything. Have a good journey, ladies. You take care.’
The Cotswolds
The ancient church was situated on the top of a hill just outside the village of Hetherton. It was a golden afternoon, the sky clear blue and the sun bouncing off the windscreens of the dozens of parked vehicles lining the narrow lanes leading up to it.
Wanting to spend the night alone, Fen had been collected this morning by Disa and Molly and brought here in Disa’s car.
She took a deep breath as they reached the lychgate on foot and saw the hundreds of people milling around in the churchyard.
This was where she and Leon would have held their wedding if life had continued as they’d both expected it to.
And here came Jamie, who would have been Leon’s best man, making his way over to them through the throng.
He was wearing a dark suit and white shirt, and his shoulder-length hair gleamed.
Greeting each of them with a brief kiss on the cheek, he said to Molly, ‘It’s good of you to come all this way. ’
‘I had to. I mean, I know I didn’t know him well, but I was kind of the reason he met Fen. And look how many people are here. He was so popular.’
Jamie nodded in agreement. ‘Everyone loved him.’
‘He was lucky to have you as a friend.’ Molly’s eyes glistened.
‘I was the lucky one, to have him.’ He turned to Fen.
‘Hilary and Greville are in the front pew. You and I are right behind them. Steve and Kamal from the flying club are in charge of the audio equipment and everything’s ready back at the hall for the reception afterwards, so you don’t have to worry about a thing.
’ He paused and checked his watch. ‘His parents have gone inside, so shall we follow them?’
Fen nodded, her mouth dry. She knew that Leon had arranged every detail of the service himself, with the help of Jamie and a couple of other friends.
He’d planned it to come in at under sixty minutes, which meant in just over an hour it would be over.
The coffin would then be taken to the crematorium for the committal, but that was to be attended by Hilary and Greville only, while everyone else headed to Hetherton Hall for the reception.
If she really couldn’t handle the jollity and laughter of the occasion as friends greeted each other and celebrated Leon’s life, Fen knew she didn’t have to stay; she was free to leave at any time.
Just an hour here in the church. She could do this.
Nodding at Jamie, she took the arm he was holding out to her. ‘Let’s go.’
The service began and afternoon sunlight streamed in through the stained-glass windows, splashing bright colours onto the front of Fen’s plain charcoal-grey top.
Her throat was too tight to even attempt to sing the opening hymn, but the number of people crammed into the church made up for it.
Greville stood and read a passage from the Bible, then Hilary stumbled through an emotional poem that provoked several audible sobs.
Jamie reached for Fen’s hand and gave it a squeeze as another of Leon’s many friends paid tribute to him. Then, after more music, it was his turn to speak.
Taking his place at the head of the nave, he cleared his throat and began. ‘Leon was the wittiest, cleverest, handsomest best friend anyone could wish for.’ Pause. ‘He wrote these words, by the way, and told me I had to say them.’
Everyone laughed.
‘He also wanted me to tell you he was an excellent singer, a superlative helicopter pilot . . . and, it goes without saying, a world-class lover. Although anyone who’s heard his attempts at karaoke might find the rest of his claims hard to believe.
’ Another pause for laughter, then he grew serious and spoke movingly about their instantaneous and enduring friendship, Leon’s disastrous skills in the kitchen, his love of flying and his absolute lack of self-pity when faced with his devastating diagnosis.
You could have heard a pin drop in the church.
‘He was braver than I could ever be,’ Jamie concluded, and Fen saw the effort it was taking for him to keep his voice steady.
‘He was my best friend, and my absolute hero. He also dealt with cancer like a boss, and I know none of us here will ever forget him. I’m so glad he met Fen.
It was love at first sight for the two of them, and it was a privilege to be there to see it happen.
When Fen chose Leon, she couldn’t have chosen a better man.
And they would have been together for ever.
Sometimes life really isn’t fair. However, Leon’s might have been cut short, but he lived every minute of it to the full.
’ He paused and took another breath. ‘I’ve already mentioned that he planned every aspect of this service.
Including the finale, which we’ll leave you with now. ’
He nodded to someone at the back, then exhaled before stepping down and rejoining Fen in their pew.
For a few seconds there was absolute silence in the church. Then came the recorded sound of a helicopter engine being switched on, gradually growing louder and more intense as the power increased and the rotor blades spun faster and faster . . .
Then the pilot’s voice sounded over the airwaves, and all the little hairs on the back of Fen’s neck rose because it was Leon’s voice, crackling slightly but unmistakably his, uttering the words:
‘Hanbury Tower, this is GOLF-DELTA-KILO-ECHO-SIERRA requesting permission to lift and depart.’
The next moment, above the roar of the engine, a different voice responded. ‘KILO-ECHO-SIERRA, this is Hanbury Tower. What is your departure direction and destination?’
Fen closed her eyes as Leon replied calmly, ‘This is KILO-ECHO-SIERRA, my departure direction is vertical. My destination, sunlit uplands and beyond.’
The voice from the control tower spoke again. ‘Roger, KILO-ECHO-SIERRA, you are cleared to lift and depart. Thank you for your visit.’
Everyone listened to the now-thunderous sound of the helicopter taking off and rising into the sky, the noise gradually fading as it flew higher and higher, until silence reigned once more.
Then the applause started, filling the church and growing in intensity as everyone rose to their feet, clapping wildly and visibly overcome with the emotion of it all.
This time beyond tears, Fen kept her eyes closed and said her own private goodbyes to Leon. Next to her, Jamie tilted his head and murmured, ‘Couldn’t ask for a better exit than that. What a way to go.’
By the time Leon’s parents returned from the committal at the crematorium, the reception at Hetherton Hall was in full swing, the caterers serving drinks and bringing round endless plates of canapés.
Fen, standing back, watched the various groups of people shifting and re-forming, old friends greeting each other with delight and exchanging stories about Leon. How she wished he could have been here too, joining in and having the best time with them, some of whom he hadn’t seen for years.
Jamie brought her another drink. ‘He’d have loved this so much.’