Epilogue
THE JOYOUS CHIMING of bells rang through Hambleton as the last few guests scurried into the church, dressed in their finest wedding attire.
Light streamed through the stained-glass windows; huge displays of colourful flowers emitted a heady scent as the majestic sound of the church organ filled the air.
The whole village was gathered within the stone walls of the oldest building in Hambleton, the very bones of which seemed to sigh contentedly at the scene unfolding below.
There was a collective hush as the vicar made her announcements.
Nathalie, sitting next to Helena, shushed Meg and Maisy who were tussling over the order of service.
Helena noticed a beaming Jennie nestled in the pews on the other side of the aisle, hand in hand with a very smartly suited Mr Knowles, now officially her boyfriend.
A tingle of anticipation thrummed the air as the organist played the first echoing notes of the ‘Wedding March’.
As one, the congregation turned to face the door, eager to catch a glimpse of the bride.
Everything else blurred into the background as Helena locked her gaze with Johnny’s.
As their eyes met her stomach lurched at the sight of him, so handsome in his suit.
Instinctively, the thumb of her left hand moved to trace the band of her engagement ring, checking it was still there.
She felt like crying as she thought of all that it represented, the future they would share together, of all that was yet to come.
Unable to wipe the grin from her face, she knew without saying a word exactly what Johnny was thinking, the same thought that was at the forefront of her mind: this will be us soon.
Helena lowered her gaze to Raffy, the page boy, walking slowly down the aisle.
Her heart burst with pride: he looked so smart in his white shirt and green trousers with the little bow tie at his neck.
He had been living with Helena ever since Noah had left, first at Hazel Cottage with Margery and then, eventually, with Helena and Johnny at the Old Rectory.
Noah had admitted to a serious problem with alcohol, that had spiralled dangerously in the weeks following Helena’s refusal of his proposal.
Eventually, he had checked himself into rehab, he had only come back to Hambleton a few times since, with Helena supervising all their visits.
Margery, escorted by Johnny, followed behind Raffy.
The look of contentment on Margery’s face was second to none.
She looked younger than Helena had ever seen her, her trademark bun was fixed to the top of her head with a beautiful diamante hair piece.
She wore a pale green skirt and jacket with a lace cream blouse, and she carried a bouquet of sweet peas, her favourite flowers.
Under Nathalie’s micromanagement, Johnny and Helena had transformed the church and the café, where the reception would shortly be held, into a magical Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Margery caught Helena’s eye and beamed even more widely.
Helena couldn’t stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks, thinking back to how Margery had been when she had first knocked on her door all those years ago, seeing just how far she had come.
As Helena turned towards the front of the church, the tender look of love on Derek’s face almost finished her off completely.
He stood next to his son, over from Australia, his best man; his face the picture of joy as he watched Margery walk towards him.
As she reached the front, he took Margery’s hand and kissed it, before reaching across to kiss her cheek, using his walking stick to keep himself steady.
Johnny and Raffy squeezed in on either side of Helena on the pew as they listened to the vicar’s words of welcome.
Johnny caught her hand in his and gave it a squeeze.
After the service, the congregation processed back through the village to the Community Café.
They had put on a vast spread of coronation chicken, poached salmon, salads and freshly baked bread, with a huge selection of cheese and Helena’s famous cakes to choose from for dessert.
Prosecco flowed freely as the guests mingled, spilling outside where the members of a string quartet were playing their hearts out under the forget-me-not blue sky.
It was one of the happiest days Helena could remember.
All the people she loved most in the world gathered together in one place.
After lunch three speeches were given: one from Johnny, one from Derek’s son and, finally, one from Derek, which brought everyone to tears.
‘I never thought I would feel this way again, after losing my dear Mary,’ he said, his eyes glistening.
‘You see, I had resigned myself to living out my days alone. Waiting for death to come and release me from the prison of loneliness I found myself in. I felt as though I had nothing to live for. I had no friends, no family around. I certainly never dreamed I could feel this way again. Then one day,’ he said, turning to face Margery, ‘I met you…’ Derek’s voice broke with emotion.
He cleared his throat. ‘And my life changed forever. How can I ever thank you for the happiness you have brought me? Because of you, I am alive again. I am hungry for life; I want to enjoy every last second of the precious time we have left. I want to sing from the rooftops and dance the tango down the street!’ Derek leant towards his bride and kissed her, eliciting a chorus of whoops from those gathered around.
Then he raised his glass and proposed a toast. ‘To Margery!’ he said.
‘To Margery!’ the crowd replied.
Helena looked out at all the beaming faces grinning at the happy couple, glasses lifted in the air.
Johnny, who was standing behind her, his curly hair sticking up despite his best efforts to tame it, pulled her closely towards him, kissing the top of her head as she settled back into his arms. Finally, she had reached the place she was always meant to be.