Chapter Fourteen Newly Avowed
~ Alex ~
Even though he had said it in jest, the idea stuck in his head. What if they could do their wedding all over again, sans mishaps this time?
For weeks he had been mulling things over. Evidently, it wasn’t practical to repeat the wedding. As Casey had said, their credit cards were still a long, long way from recovering from the onslaught of the yacht and the honeymoon, even with an early windfall from their record deal. And, for another, it would involve explaining to all their friends what they were up to. Renewing of vows wasn’t uncommon as such — but hardly after six months.
It was November. Their wedding had been in May. It might as well have been a different lifetime for all that had happened.
Although, that wasn’t strictly speaking true. They had stayed together, quite literally, ‘for better and for worse’. They had recorded a new album with the band, done a few promotional gigs, and kept up their music teaching business. In amongst all that, they had lived through the near destruction of their house and the chaos of several sets of builders fixing the roof, ceilings, and bathroom, followed by painters and decorators working their magic. They had also kept up appearances for most people, and they had had some fun along the way while they were trying to overcome their . . . their thing.
It hadn’t all been bad, but it certainly hadn’t been easy. He felt they deserved a break.
A break!
Alex resisted the temptation to sit bolt upright in bed. He didn’t want to wake Casey up. It was early on a Sunday morning, and they had had a late gig the night before. Casey deserved some more sleep. He, on the other hand, was consumed by this new plan that was taking shape in his head.
A break. Maybe a mini-break somewhere in Cornwall. They both loved the sea, and Cornwall wasn’t too far away. Perhaps he could find a luxurious little bolt-hole? It wouldn’t be a yacht, of course, but maybe he could organise them a cottage on the coast?
And perhaps . . . perhaps he could figure out a way of repeating their wedding on the sly, in secret, informally, and without too much of a to-do? Not that he didn’t want a to-do, but it simply wasn’t practical. Maybe just the two of them? And a vicar, of course. A vicar would be rather essential.
Alex thought hard. He was onto something here, he could feel it in his little toe.
* * *
~ Casey ~
‘Ooh, that looks nice. Are you thinking of finally running away?’ Casey joked as she picked up the brochure on the kitchen counter. She cast an inquisitive look at Alex, but he had his head bent over a pot of pasta on the stove and was stirring it vigorously.
‘Absolutely,’ he quipped, still stirring. ‘I thought we could run away together. If you want to, that is.’
‘What, to this place?’ Casey waved the brochure in his face. ‘Sure. Anytime. When are we leaving?’
Alex faced her properly and grinned. ‘You like the look of it, then?’
‘Oh yes! A whitewashed cottage right by the sea with a luxury kitchen and bathroom, white floorboards, fat sofas, a real fireplace, and a four-poster bed on the mezzanine floor with views right over the bay? Hell, yeah!’
Alex smiled. ‘Fab! You’d better get packing. The weather forecast isn’t great, so you’ll want jumpers and the like. A raincoat maybe, and wellies.’
Casey frowned. ‘The weather forecast isn’t great for when?’
‘This weekend. Tomorrow, in fact. I thought we’d take Friday off and head down there. I told Myles and Liza already that we’d be going away.’
‘You did? You cheeky so-and-so. No wonder Myles was giving me the old nudge-nudge-wink-wink when we left. I need a sit down.’
She sank heavily onto a kitchen chair and looked at the brochure again. ‘Alex, this is stunning. When did you arrange this? And how much does it cost?’
Alex smiled at her, his lovely little-boy smile that melted her heart every time without fail. ‘Oh, you know. It’s not too bad. I booked it last week.’
‘Last week? Why?’
He shook his head. ‘Dunno. I thought you might fancy a break.’
‘I do, I do,’ Casey hastened to confirm. ‘Only it’s a little unexpected. I . . . I’d been thinking along the same lines, but I hadn’t found the perfect place yet. You got there before me.’
She rose and threw her arms around Alex’s neck. ‘Come here, you. I love you!’
‘I love you too. Let’s do some more squeezing of moments, what do you say?’ Alex winked at her.
‘Sure.’ Despite her outwardly enthusiastic response, Casey’s heart sank. She wasn’t in the mood for sex, not any more. It was getting too tiresome to try. Or rather, Casey corrected herself, it was getting too tiresome to pretend afterwards that it didn’t matter that it hadn’t worked. ‘Squeezing’ the moment wasn’t high on her agenda.
Alex abandoned his cooking efforts for a moment. He tipped back her head and gave her a quick kiss. ‘I didn’t mean trying for sex,’ he said quite bluntly, having evidently read her mind — or seen her concern on her face. ‘I meant having fun, like we said we would.’
‘So . . . so no expectations? No strings? No tries?’
‘Not unless an overwhelming urge overcomes us. I see us walking and cooking and drinking cham — drinking wine, that kind of thing.’
Casey nodded. ‘That sounds lovely. And this cottage is really ours?’
‘For three whole days.’
‘Yay!’ She finally let out a high-pitched squeal and allowed herself a little dance around the kitchen. She loved the seaside, and it would be great to get out of The Big Smoke and clear their heads, even though it was early November and the weather was bound to be rough. ‘Let’s have dinner. And wine. And pack!’
* * *
~ Alex ~
Despite the pessimistic forecast, the bay was bathed in the last golden sunrays of the day when Alex nosed the car into the car park. Casey was almost beside herself with glee.
‘Alex, it’s so beautiful,’ she shouted. ‘Look, the sea’s on fire. It’s perfect!’
She unclipped her seatbelt and bounded out of the car before Alex had even engaged the handbrake. He smiled to himself. This had been a great idea, and she didn’t know the half of it yet. It had been a challenge keeping the secret, but he thought he had pulled it off rather well. Casey really didn’t know. This would be the turning point, he was sure of it.
For now, however, he had to manoeuvre their gear from the car park to the cottage along a three-hundred-metre, rough footpath through the bracken. It hadn’t sounded so bad in the brochure, but now that he was confronted with the reality of it, he was starting to worry. How on earth had they managed to do the cottage up with all the mod cons without a decent track to it? Where had the kitchen and bathroom installers parked? Had he gone to the wrong place? Worse still, had it been a con and the cottage would be ramshackle and horrible?
Casey gave up bounding around like a filly full of the joys of spring and offered to help him carry their belongings.
‘Where is this magical cottage, by the way?’ she asked excitedly.
Alex pointed out the path. ‘We follow that track around the hill . . . and I think you can glimpse the roof of the cottage behind that bend. See?’
Casey strained her eyes. ‘I do! Shall I go ahead and open the door for you?’
Alex nodded. The subtext was, ‘Can I go and check out whether it’s really as beautiful as the brochure said?’, but he didn’t mind. He relished Casey’s enthusiasm, and he simply prayed she wouldn’t be disappointed.
‘Sure.’ He dug in his pocket for the keys that had been couriered to them by their helpful agent. ‘Here’s the key. Go explore. I’ll be Sherpa-ing our stuff across in no time at all.’
Casey blew him a kiss. ‘I’ll come and help you as soon as I’ve opened up the house. Oh, go on, I’ll take that bag.’ She lifted her overnight carry-on case and bounced it merrily along the uneven path. ‘See, no problem at all.’
When Alex finally reached the cottage with their luggage, cries of delight greeted him. He allowed himself to breathe again. It sounded like the place was living up to expectations.
‘Oh my gosh, Alex, it’s spectacular! I’ll never want to leave!’ Casey emerged from the front door and flung her arms around his neck. ‘How on earth did you find this place?’ She kissed his cheek and chattered on. ‘Never mind, come and see!’
He allowed himself to be led inside, and the cottage was indeed everything that they had been promised and more. The ground floor comprised of one very large room that served as lounge, kitchen, and diner, plus a bathroom off to one side. The floorboards were as white and fashionably distressed as the brochure had shown, and the kitchen was as modern and fancy. Despite the fading daylight, the room was bright and airy. An open flight of stairs gave access to the mezzanine floor where, he suspected, they would find their four-poster bed. It was truly a sanctuary.
Alex set the bags down and allowed himself a moment’s rest on one of the sofas. ‘This is fab,’ he agreed at length.
‘I can’t wait to get cooking,’ Casey enthused. ‘Are we cooking? What are we cooking? Do we have any food?’
‘I’ve ordered a—’
‘Food delivery!’
A man’s voice interrupted Alex just before the owner of said voice appeared in the front doorway, which Alex had conveniently neglected to shut. ‘Are you Mr and MrsMorgan?’
‘We are.’ Alex jumped to his feet. ‘You found us.’
The delivery man scratched his chin. ‘I come here all the time with food for the weekenders,’ he said. ‘We should be setting up a little convenience store for you folks down in the car park.’
‘Oh no,’ Casey contradicted. ‘That would be a terrible pity.’ She nudged Alex in the side. ‘Shall we get unpacking? This is like Christmas come early. I don’t even know what you’ve ordered.’
‘Anything and everything you could possibly fancy in the next three days,’ Alex chortled. ‘And we’ll have to eat it all up, because I’m not taking anything back to London.’
* * *
~ Casey ~
‘It’s almost like being back on the yacht,’ Casey observed while they were eating their dinner a couple of hours later. Using the ingredients that Alex had so thoughtfully ordered ahead of time, they had prepared a seafood platter of lobster, prawns, crab, and mussels, with sides of potato gratin and salad. It had taken more time than perhaps, strictly speaking, necessary as they had opened a bottle of wine, put on some music, and danced while they were cooking, and it had been lovely.
Now they were sitting on the balcony overlooking the bay. Yes, they were eating outside even though it was November. The view was simply too inviting, and while it was cold, it was a clear, dry night. They had wrapped up in multiple jumpers and coats, lit plenty of candles, and Alex even got the little wood-burning stove going. So they didn’t feel the cold. At least not yet.
‘I know what you mean,’ Alex agreed. ‘The sound of the surf and the little lights on the hills . . . If the balcony were swaying, we could imagine ourselves back in St Tropez.’
Casey snorted. ‘I’m rather glad the balcony isn’t swaying. That would be a bit worrisome. But seriously . . . thank you. This is fab. I don’t know what brought this on, but I’m loving it.’ She tipped her wine glass to his and clinked, taking care to look Alex in the eye. Ever since she had learned about the curse, she had been ultra-careful to make eye contact with people when they clinked glasses with her. Just in case.
‘Cheers.’
‘Cheers,’ Alex replied and smiled.
Casey half expected there to be a little rumble, an indication that perhaps her ruse was working and the curse would be lifted. Not that she suddenly believed in the bloody curse, but you never knew. Alas . . . no rumble. She let the thought go.
‘Do you think we’ll ever have kids?’ she blurted out.
Alex raised his eyebrows. ‘I sincerely hope so.’ He sipped at his wine and flashed her a wicked grin. ‘How about three or four? I think four would be great. Although didn’t Psychic Sam say we’d have only three?’
Casey shook her head, simultaneously pleased with his response and terrified by it. ‘One would be a good start. How are we ever going to manage?’
‘Oh, Casey.’ Alex sighed and took her hands in his, rubbing them gently. ‘We will. We’re bound to.’
‘But how, Alex? How? Nothing’s working.’
‘I know, sweetie. But this can’t last forever. Whatever it is . . . whatever’s afflicted us, we will make it go away. It’ll be like a migraine. One day the pain is so intense that you think it’ll never go away, and then quite suddenly, it lifts.’
Casey swallowed. ‘I wish I had your confidence. But assuming for a moment that . . . that we remain stuck. Then what?’
Alex tsk’d softly. ‘What? You mean if we never have proper sex ever again?’
‘Yeah. Then what?’
‘I don’t know.’ Alex frowned. ‘I suppose . . . I suppose we’d have to learn to live with it and work around it. We could adopt children if you wanted.’
Casey drew in a breath. ‘You’ve been thinking about this too.’
‘Of course I have. But I don’t think we’re quite at that stage yet.’
Casey took a long drink of her wine, refilled her glass, and downed that too. She nearly swallowed the wrong way in her great haste to drown her sorrow, and she ended up coughing and spluttering ungracefully.
‘Sorry,’ she gasped when she had recovered.
‘No worries,’ Alex replied mildly. ‘Although it’s always safer to drink wine than to inhale it.’
‘I suppose we could travel the world,’ Casey offered out of the blue, ignoring Alex’s gentle reproof. ‘When we’re not touring with the band, I mean. I’ve always wanted to go to Alaska.’
‘To Alaska?’ Alex’s surprise was genuine. ‘Why Alaska? It’s cold and empty there, or so I’m told.’
‘Precisely. And wild and untouched, with big skies and bears and log cabins. I’d like to go one day.’
‘All right. We’ll go to Alaska, I promise. Me? I’d like to cross the Sahara on a camel.’
Casey snorted. ‘Really? I can’t think of anything worse. The heat and the stench and the lack of water . . .’
‘Hey!’ Alex sulked. ‘That’s not fair. I didn’t dismiss your dream, now let me have mine. I think it’d be fantastic — the shimmering heat on the horizon, the endless sky with a blazing sun, the tireless energy of the camels. The cold starry nights . . .’
‘That does sound quite romantic,’ Casey conceded. ‘While we’re at it, can we white-water raft down the Grand Canyon?’
‘Absolutely!’ Alex replied enthusiastically. ‘That would be awesome. And I want to dive on the Great Barrier Reef.’
‘Wow.’ Casey sighed, almost comforted. ‘There’s a lot for us to do if we can’t . . . if we can’t.’
‘There certainly is. But let’s not worry about that just yet, shall we? Whatever happened to “squeezing” the moment?’ He grinned wickedly. ‘There’s dessert to demolish yet . . .’
Casey laughed. ‘You naughty, naughty man!’
‘I aim to please,’ Alex replied easily.
* * *
~ Alex ~
Oh gosh, I hope everything goes to plan today!
Alex woke up when a sunbeam tickled his nose, and he instantly recalled where he was and why he was there. He lay quietly for a moment, pondering over the previous night. After their fabulous dinner, they had played games — dice and Monopoly — and put on some music to dance to. At eleven o’clock they had retreated to the enormous and quite spectacular four-poster bed. They had cuddled and talked and allowed themselves to fall asleep without any attempt at romance. It had been very relaxing, a little disturbingly so. Perhaps they were getting used to their quasi-celibate ways?
Casey was asleep next to him, and he smiled. How appropriate that he should be awake first today — exactly like the morning when he had conceived the whole crazy plan.
Very carefully, he got out of bed, pulled on his dressing gown, and padded downstairs to the kitchen to start making breakfast. It was about nine o’clock, and the sun was low in the sky. But at least it was out, and the bay sparkled silver and gold in the early morning light. It would be a glorious day, and he was pleased the weather forecast had been so very wrong.
He whistled softly to himself while he cooked bacon and eggs, warmed through croissants in the oven, perked some coffee, and topped the strawberries. Briefly, he stuck his head outside to see if they might eat on the balcony again, but a fierce breeze pulled at his hair and face, and he decided they would be better off inside.
His pulse quickened with anticipation. It was exciting to have a secret plan. Exciting and slightly stressful. The whole thing was so carefully timed that any slight deviation could derail it. Still, there was nothing for it. It would simply have to work.
‘Morning, sleepyhead,’ he greeted Casey when she finally arrived downstairs, woken, no doubt, by the smell of a fry-up and fresh coffee.
‘Morning, chef,’ Casey replied after a long yawn. ‘Wow, you’re on form. Look at all this!’ She snaffled a strawberry and sat down. ‘Thank you. So what’s the plan for today?’
Alex’s heart nearly stopped beating. Had she guessed? Was she teasing him? He swallowed hard to contain his momentary panic. The innocent look on his wife’s face reassured him that she had no idea of his plans. Her question was genuine.
‘Um.’ Alex cleared his throat. ‘How about we go for a walk along the headland?’
‘Lovely,’ Casey agreed amiably. ‘Looks like a great day for it. And maybe a pub lunch somewhere? Ooh, I know!’ She sat up straighter and punched the air for emphasis. ‘How about we make a pact not to get in the car at all today? Let’s walk and see where it takes us. What do you think?’
Alex nodded slowly. He wanted to nod fast and enthusiastically because that was exactly what he had in mind, but he didn’t want to reveal that he had thought the whole thing through.
‘Sounds great! I’m told there’s a little village a couple of hours that way . . .’ He gestured loosely in the direction of the other side of the bay. ‘Let’s see where the wind blows us.’
‘Great.’ Casey waggled her head emphatically. ‘Great! No set agenda, no plan, simply going with the flow. Perfect.’ She grinned. Alex grinned back.
An hour later, they set off on their walk. Alex took the lead, following the path up onto the headland and along the cliffs. He breathed deeply and tried to relax. Not long to go now!
Casey threw her hands in the air and beamed a hundred-watt smile at him. ‘This feels so good! Look at the sky and the sea and all the greenery of the landscape! You’d hardly know it was winter. Look, there’s even a few little flowers, bless them. Goodness knows what they might be.’
‘Late daisies, I think.’ Alex bent to pick a few. ‘Very late. Tiny, but very pretty.’ He gathered the stems in his hand and added a few long grasses to it.
‘What are you doing?’ Casey laughed.
Alex blew her a kiss. ‘Wait and see.’ He picked a few more of the little daisies and added them to his bouquet.
‘Flower arranging?’ Casey teased him. ‘I didn’t know that was one of your talents.’
‘Ah, you see, I’m full of surprises!’ Alex grinned and joined yet more of the delicate white and pink blossoms to his bunch. When he was satisfied that he had enough, he selected a particularly sturdy blade of grass and wrapped it around the bottom of all the stems to hold the bouquet together. He bowed and presented the result to Casey with a flourish.
Casey whooped with laughter and threw a clump of grass at him. ‘Silly man.’
Alex pretended to sulk. ‘Don’t you like them?’
‘I do. It’s just . . . it looks like . . . you know. A bouquet.’
‘A bouquet?’ Alex played dumb.
Casey shook her head. ‘Ignore me.’ She took the flowers from him at last and sniffed them. ‘They’re lovely. They even have a vague flowery scent. Thank you!’
‘You’re welcome.’ Alex took Casey’s free hand and they continued walking, keeping the headland on their left and the sea on their right.
Suddenly, a squat little church appeared in front of them.
‘Wow!’ Casey stopped and stared. ‘Well, that’s the last thing I’d have expected up here. It’s the middle of nowhere!’
‘It is, isn’t it?’ Alex did his best to appear surprised. ‘I wonder who comes and worships up here?’
‘Maybe there’s a secret hill path to the nearest village.’ Casey’s eyes gleamed with intrigue. ‘This is probably where they used to come to keep an eye out for loved ones at sea.’
‘Or smugglers,’ Alex suggested.
‘You read too many Famous Five books as a child,’ Casey suggested. ‘Although you have a point. They may well have used the church as a kind of lighthouse in the olden days. That would explain why it’s right here at this really exposed bit of land.’
‘Exposed’ was the right word,Alex thought. As they were nearing the church, the wind buffeted them a lot more strongly, coming at them from this side and that, and tearing at their hair and clothes. Casey didn’t seem too bothered, so Alex said nothing.
They stood and looked at the church for a little while. Alex’s heart beat ever faster. He thought Casey must surely be able to hear it. This was it. This was the moment.
‘Do you . . . do you want to see if it’s open?’ he asked softly after a little while. ‘Would be a shame to miss out if it were. Open, I mean.’
* * *
~ Casey ~
‘Sure.’ Casey quite liked the idea of checking out this quaint little church. She was intrigued by the structure and by the possible romance of it. Sea-goers of yore, led to safety by lights in the windows and the tower; wives and children praying for husbands’ and fathers’ safety — there was a vibe in this place that was at once happy and tragic, full of promise and drama. Yes, she would quite like to look inside the church.
She took a tentative first step, clutching Alex’s improvised bunch of flowers in one hand and pulling Alex behind her with the other. It was a little odd, Alex suggesting to investigate. He wasn’t a churchy kind of person, and, as far as she knew, he wasn’t all that interested in old buildings either. But perhaps the magic of stumbling onto a church in this most isolated of places had got to him too. Or maybe he simply fancied a rest.
Together, they walked up to the sturdy door.
‘Do you suppose one knocks?’ Casey whispered, suddenly feeling unsure.
‘Why are you whispering?’ Alex whispered back.
‘I don’t know.’ Casey giggled. ‘It feels like a whispering kind of place. Here goes.’
She tentatively turned the big brass ring that served as door handle and gave a start when the door swung open easily and silently.
‘Crikey! I kind of expected it to squeal and refuse to budge. This is too smooth, like it’s being used all the time.’
‘I suppose it must be,’ Alex concurred. He shifted from one foot to the other as though he was uncomfortable entering.
‘Look, it’s all right, we don’t have to go in,’ Casey said, trying to ease his discomfort. To her great astonishment, he nodded his head and motioned for her to go inside.
‘We’re here now. Let’s have a look-see.’
Casey stepped over the threshold and took a few hesitant steps while she waited for her eyes to adjust to the slight gloom inside.
Unexpectedly, an organ began to play, and Casey nearly fainted with shock at the sudden volume. It took her several seconds to process what the organ was playing, and she stopped dead in her tracks.
‘Alex,’ she hissed. ‘There must be a wedding here today. I think we’d better leave.’
‘Oh no,’ Alex contradicted her. ‘On the contrary. I think you need to keep going up that aisle.’
‘You what?’ Casey did a double take. Alex appeared to be smiling, and his face had relaxed. He didn’t seem in the slightest surprised that the unseen organist was pounding out the bridal march.
‘Come, come,’ a brittle but cheerful voice called from the nave. ‘You must be Casey and Alex. I’ve been waiting for you.’
* * *
~ Alex ~
Casey’s face was a picture, and for the slightest moment, Alex wasn’t sure whether she was happy or mighty annoyed with him. Her lips twitched and her eyes narrowed. And then, gradually, her mouth curved into a smile.
‘You planned this?’
Alex nodded, unable to speak right at that moment. His mouth had dried up and words wouldn’t come.
‘You want us to retake our vows?’ Casey asked. ‘Here? Today? All by ourselves?’
Alex swallowed frantically, trying to summon his voice. ‘Yes,’ he croaked. ‘I do. Hence the . . . you know . . . flowers.’
Casey shot him an indignant look. ‘But I’m in jeans!’
‘So am I. Who cares? It’s not about what we wear. It’s about what we say.’
‘Is this legal?’
‘Of course. I think. Unusual, maybe, but not unlawful. The vicar agreed to it, after all.’
‘You know the vicar?’
‘I don’t. I spoke to him on the phone. I explained what I wanted to do and why, and, after a while, he relented.’
‘So now he’s waiting for us at the front there?’
‘Uh-huh. I think we’d better go. Go to the front, I mean. It would be rude to abandon him now.’
Alex nudged Casey in the back. He realised that the unseen organist had played the entire bridal march through once and was beginning all over again, only slightly faster.
‘Okay,’ Casey agreed at last. ‘But you’re walking by my side. If we’re doing this the unconventional way, we’re doing it unconventional the whole way.’
She grasped Alex’s hand, and they walked down the aisle with slow, measured steps. The vicar smiled at them benignly and greeted them warmly.
‘Casey, Alex,’ he began. ‘Welcome to the little church of St Mary’s by the Sea. We are gathered here today to . . . um . . . join you again, in a manner of speaking, in matrimony because the . . . um . . . last ceremony didn’t quite . . . um . . . work out right.’
Alex bit his lip. That was a lot of ‘ums’ in one sentence, but he guessed the old vicar was slightly perplexed by their unusual circumstances. A few ‘ums’ could be forgiven.
‘Yes,’ he said clearly just as the organ came to the end of the bridal march for the second time, and his voice reverberated loudly in the church.
‘Yes,’ he repeated more softly.
‘Would you kneel for a moment?’ the vicar invited, sounding more comfortable now. Alex and Casey obediently kneeled, Casey clutching her bouquet of wild flowers and grass. The vicar placed a hand on each of their heads and gave a brief blessing.
‘Now then, let’s proceed,’ he said when he was ready. ‘Do you have any rings?’
‘Rings?’ Alex gave a start. ‘Of course we do. Hang on. We . . . um . . . have to take them off.’ He pulled at his wedding ring which, surprisingly, didn’t want to yield. Eventually he managed to slip it off, and Casey did the same with hers. They handed their rings to the vicar, who placed them on a cushion.
‘Great,’ he smiled. ‘Now we begin.’ He adopted a deeper, more theatrical voice. ‘Matrimony is a gift through which . . .’
Alex listened intently while the vicar delivered a slightly altered version of the traditional order of service. He didn’t remember most of it from their first, ‘proper’ wedding ceremony. Perhaps nerves had stopped him from taking the words in that time, but he was making up for it now.
‘. . . and joins you in the joy and affection of sexual togetherness . . .’
Alex blinked. He was positive that this hadn’t been mentioned by the minister who performed their wedding in France. He sneaked a glance at Casey, who was looking straight ahead. Had she heard? Had the significance of these words hit home with her too? And would this change anything? Oh, how he hoped it would. Maybe this was a sign.
It was time to say their vows.
‘I, Alex Morgan, take you, Casey Megan Naight, to be my wife . . .’ He could hear his voice tremble with emotion, and his hands shook. The giving of rings would be next, and he wondered how he would manage to put her ring on her finger with his own fingers having taken on the strength and consistency of uncooked sausages.
There it was, the crucial moment. The vicar proffered the cushion with their wedding rings, and Alex grasped Casey’s clumsily.
‘Casey, I give you this ring,’ he repeated after the vicar and placed the ring gently and very deliberately on Casey’s hand, looking her in the eyes as he did so. Life and good luck was all about looking people in the eye, he had decided.
Casey did the same when it was her turn, and her eyes shone with that unusual emerald light that he so loved. It was a truly special moment. The sun chose that instant to illuminate the circular stained glass window above the altar, casting a magical multi-coloured glow over them, and Casey and Alex gasped as one.
The organ burst into sound once more, and the effect was thoroughly overwhelming. Casey and Alex stood in awed amazement until after the organ finished.
Suddenly, the organist appeared through a door in the chancel. ‘Congratulations,’ he shouted cheerfully towards Casey and Alex. Then he addressed the vicar. ‘John, I’ve got to dash. I’ll see you later.’ Without waiting for a reply, he bustled down the aisle with an energetic wave. Casey and Alex didn’t even get a chance to say ‘thank you’.
‘That was quite extraordinary,’ Casey finally remarked. Inwardly, she whooped. The light! Psychic Sam had told her about the light. This had to be a sign.
The vicar smiled widely. ‘You came at the right time of day for this spectacle to happen and Mark — the organist — likes to enhance the drama if he can. Many couples come and get married here in hopes of capturing this moment, but it doesn’t always work out. It lasts only for a few minutes, and it’s considered extremely good luck to have been blessed by the lights of St Mary’s by the Sea.’
‘We need all the luck we can get,’ Casey whispered. ‘This . . . Thank you. This means a lot.’
The vicar inclined his head. ‘So I understand. I hope it does help. You do realise that I didn’t perform a legal ceremony here today? There’s no signing of the registers as you’re already married. But Alex explained to me the importance of . . . of re-enacting your vows, and I couldn’t decline his wish.’
‘Thank you,’ Alex chimed in. ‘We appreciate it. This was everything I’d hoped for and more. I . . . I feel moved. There was something here today that . . . that perhaps was missing on our wedding day.’
‘I agree,’ Casey offered immediately. ‘Maybe it’s being in a church, or perhaps it’s because these vows were private, just between us? I don’t know, I can’t explain it, but I’m so very glad that you gave us this opportunity.’
‘You’re very welcome,’ the vicar assured her. ‘I hope it brings you everything you wish for.’
Alex coughed. ‘Do we . . . what do we owe you? There is normally a charge for the wedding, right?’
‘There is indeed.’ The vicar spoke softly. ‘But there was no service being performed here today. I had a private conversation with two people who needed my help. There is no charge.’ He winked. ‘I know He will approve.’
‘Thank you so much,’ Casey gushed. ‘I don’t know what else to say.’
‘You don’t need to say anything else,’ the vicar replied. ‘Simply go and live a happy life. Oh, and drop by sometime if you’re back in these parts.’
‘We certainly will,’ Alex promised.
And they said their goodbyes. The vicar withdrew to the vestry, and Alex led his re-avowed wife back down the aisle. Just before they reached the door, Casey stopped him.
‘Look.’ She pointed at an arrangement of prayer candles by the baptismal font. ‘Let’s light one and leave a donation.’
‘Great idea.’ Alex immediately understood. ‘Let’s light two and leave a double donation.’
He watched while Casey lit two candles and whispered some words that he couldn’t quite make out. When she was done, he retrieved a few notes from his wallet and placed them gently in the donations box. He wasn’t given to praying, but he found himself fervently hoping that their marriage would be given a fresh start.
* * *
~ Casey ~
‘I can’t believe you organised this.’ Casey smiled and clutched her bouquet as they emerged from the church into the bright sunlight. ‘This was truly something else. I’ll treasure this forever, no matter what happens.’
‘Me too,’ Alex replied. ‘But let’s not get our hopes up sky high. I simply wanted to . . . let’s say, “refresh” our vows, and you know what? They meant more this time round, even though it wasn’t the real thing.’
Casey giggled. ‘That thing about the sexual togetherness? Was that in the vows last time?’
‘You picked up on that too?’ Alex grinned. ‘I don’t remember it. Maybe we were conned. Maybe we weren’t properly married before. Maybe that’s where everything went wrong.’
Casey crinkled her brow. ‘That would be too easy. As you said, let’s not get our hopes up again. But it was a wonderful thing to do, just you and me. Thank you, again.’ She hugged Alex tightly and was pleased when he encircled her in his arms in return. This was properly getting married.
‘What’s next?’ she asked after a moment.
Alex pointed towards a cluster of houses just visible at the far point of the bay. ‘That’s Tregarren. I’m told it’s not too far from here, maybe another forty-five minute walk. There’s a pub waiting for us there. What do you think? Or we can go back to the cottage?’
‘It’s a beautiful day,’ Casey thought out loud. ‘And I just got married for the second time. Let’s walk and have a celebratory lunch. Lead on, husband, lead the way.’
They chatted as they walked, enjoying the late autumn sunshine and the play of the seagulls above them.
‘Do you know,’ Casey remarked after a while. ‘Lately I’ve thought seagulls gave mournful cries, but today they seem to be happy.’
‘They’re celebrating with us,’ Alex suggested. ‘But I know what you mean. It’s a perfect afternoon. Although I’m starving.’
‘We must be nearly there,’ Casey replied. ‘Do you know where to find the pub?’
‘No idea, but it’s supposed to be obvious. Tregarren is only a little place. I suggest we hit the main street and see where it takes us.’
Sure enough, a half hour later they were happily installed at a table at the Mermaid Inn with a Stargazy pie and a large glass of wine each.
Casey felt a bit dubious about the heads and tails of the pilchards sticking out of the crust, but it was a traditional Cornish dish, and the landlady had said it was phenomenal.
‘Do we eat these?’ Casey asked Alex, prodding one of the baked fish heads lightly with her fork.
‘I don’t know,’ Alex responded. ‘I suppose so. But leave them if you don’t like them. It’s the crust and the filling that are meant to be spectacular.’
‘At least they’re cooked,’ Casey chuckled.
‘Unlike oysters, you mean?’ Alex laughed too.
‘Do you think . . . are we going to . . .’ Casey couldn’t finish her question.
‘Try later?’ Alex knew what she was thinking. ‘I jolly well hope so.’
‘Do you think that’s wise?’ Casey speared a chunk of Stargazy pie and chewed thoughtfully. ‘This is really good, by the way.’
Alex tried some too. ‘It is,’ he agreed. ‘And I don’t know if it’s wise, but I’d love to . . . have a go. No pressure. You know? Only try.’
‘Like James told us?’ Casey mused. ‘Only hold each other and see where it takes us?’
‘Exactly. No strings.’
Casey swallowed. ‘Okay. But I’m a little worried.’
‘Me too.’ Alex nodded, and Casey noted that his eyes seemed darker somehow. ‘But we can’t let that get in the way.’
‘No, we can’t. But—’ Casey interrupted herself.
‘But what?’
‘But nothing.’ Casey couldn’t get herself to admit that a blanket of dark fear had wrapped itself around her, and that the day didn’t seem as bright and carefree as it had before. Now that they had agreed to try, she would be able to think of nothing else until they had done it — or not done it. And it would be difficult to go through the motions of a happy afternoon with that weight on her shoulders.
Alex, however, seemed unconcerned, and Casey couldn’t tell him the truth. It was bad enough if one of them fretted. If she got Alex worked up too, it would never work.
So she ate her pie, made conversation, and tried to laugh and joke at all the right moments. She would do her utmost, but she dreaded to think what would go wrong this time.