Chapter Forty-Nine
‘So, tomorrow is the big day?’ Alex said one evening in early February. ‘Would you like me to give you a lift to the hospital to get your check-up?’
‘That’s very kind of you but I can get a cab if John is unavailable,’ Annie told him.
He frowned. ‘But why would you do that when I’m offering to take you? Isn’t my car good enough?’
‘Of course it is, but . . . Oh, very well, if you’re sure it isn’t any bother, yes please.’
‘I thought we might go for a meal afterwards to celebrate you being able to get out and about again,’ he went on.
She flushed. ‘Er . . .’ She didn’t quite know what to say. She’d been cooped up inside for so long now that the offer was quite tempting. ‘I’d have to check with Marie that she didn’t mind looking after Adam.’
‘I already have and she thinks it would do you the power of good,’ he said with a grin.
And so bright and early the next morning, Alex arrived and helped her out to the car. Two hours later they walked out of the hospital, Annie leaning heavily on his arm. The bandages were gone but her leg would have to build its strength back up after being strapped up for so long.
‘There’s a rather nice little restaurant not far from here,’ Alex told her as he helped her into the car. ‘I took the liberty of booking us a table. I hope you don’t mind?’
‘Not at all,’ Annie answered primly. She still wasn’t sure if this had been such a good idea, but it was too late to back out now.
The restaurant was beautiful and their table was tucked discreetly away in a corner.
This was the first time she’d been out in public since the night of the attack and she was very self-conscious of the scar on her face, so she kept her head down as they took their seats.
The ma?tre d’ approached and bowed respectfully. ‘Good afternoon, my lord, miss. I trust this table is to your satisfaction?’
Annie gawped open-mouthed as Alex nodded. ‘Yes, excellent, thank you. May we have the menu?’
The ma?tre d’ clicked his fingers and a waiter appeared as if by magic and handed them the menu.
‘Oh, and we’ll have a bottle of your finest champagne, if we may,’ Alex told him.
When the two men turned and left Annie stared at him. ‘My lord? . . . Champagne? What’s going on here?’
Alex chuckled. ‘I’m afraid there are a few things about me that I haven’t told you. My mother and father are Lord and Lady Gordon of Highview Manor in Sussex.’
‘So . . . you are a lord?’ Annie could hardly believe what she was hearing.
He grinned. ‘I’m afraid I am, although I don’t usually bandy it about.’
‘And what’s the champagne for? Are you celebrating something?’
‘That will all depend on you.’ His face was serious as he reached across the table and took her small hand in his large one.
‘You see, I’ve been in love with a certain young lady since the day I set eyes on her.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t in a position to do anything about it when we first met, and when I finally was, she had married someone else.
’ He shook his head. ‘So, I may as well just say it now. I love you, Annie, with all my heart. Not just because you are the mother of my son, but for the wonderful person you are. And so . . .’ He released her hand and there in the restaurant he got down on one knee and produced a small velvet box from his coat pocket.
He sprang the lid, and Annie gasped as she stared down at a beautiful ring.
It was a sapphire surrounded by diamonds.
‘This was my grandmother’s engagement ring and my mother gave it to me many years ago for my wife.
Even then, I wasn’t sure she was the one for me, so I bought her another ring.
But now I have found someone who is worthy of it, so I’m asking you, Annie, will you do me the very great honour of becoming my wife? ’
Annie’s head was swimming and her heart was beating so fast that she feared it would leap out of her chest.
‘I-is this some sort of joke?’ she choked. ‘Look at me. I’m not the same young girl who fell in love with you. I’m a grown woman and I’m scarred.’
‘You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met,’ he said with such feeling that tears sprang to her eyes.
And it was only then that she allowed herself to face the truth she had been hiding from herself for so long. She had always been fiercely independent, unwilling to rely on anyone. But that had been before she knew her roots and who she really was.
‘B-but how would Lucy feel about this?’
He smiled as the ring twinkled in the light from the candle on the table. ‘I’ve already asked her and she’s thrilled at the idea. She was never close to her mother and she would love to have a mummy who would cherish her as I do. And Lucy and Adam are close already. So, what do you say?’
Annie took a deep breath as tears began to trickle down her cheeks. ‘In that case, I would be honoured to be your wife, Alex.’ And as he slipped the ring onto her finger she felt as if she was caught up in a dream.
‘Thank goodness for that,’ he chuckled as he rose to give her a tender kiss. ‘Because I’ve already booked the wedding for a week on Wednesday back in Nuneaton.’
Annie blinked with shock.
‘Well, you’ve been talking about the winter weddings you organised for Peggy and Levi, and Nancy and Jamie, so I figured you might quite like to be a winter bride yourself.
The thing is, though, we’ll be into the spring soon so I couldn’t hang about.
I thought we might just have a quiet wedding seeing as we’ve both done it before, but of course if you’d like a bigger do, I can organise it.
I booked the registry office back in Nuneaton because I thought you’d want all the people you loved to be there. ’
It seemed he had thought of everything and when the waiter returned with the champagne he popped the cork, poured them each a drink and congratulated them.
‘I don’t know what Marie is going to say when we tell her,’ Annie told him, her eyes shining.
He laughed. ‘Don’t worry about that. She’s helped me plan it all and she’s as pleased as Punch.’
Annie shook her head; everything was happening so fast that she couldn’t quite take it all in.
‘But what about your job?’ she queried.
‘All in hand, I can relocate.’
‘I suppose you’ll be telling me next that Peggy and Levi know too,’ she said.
He nodded. ‘They do as a matter of fact. I phoned Levi to ask for his permission and they’re almost as excited as I am. And I asked Peggy to speak to your parents for me as well.’
They chose their meal but it was hard to keep her mind on anything and Annie could hardly eat a thing.
Marie was hovering in the front window looking out for them when they arrived back and she hurried out onto the marble steps.
‘Well?’ she asked expectantly and when Annie held out her hand to show her the ring, Marie clapped her hands with delight before hugging them both.
‘And about time too. I was beginning to think I was going to ’ave to bang your ’eads together.
But now we ’ave much to do. The wedding is less than two weeks away.
We must choose you an outfit ma chèrie, and then there are the flowers to organise and—’
‘Stop right there, you’re making me dizzy,’ Annie giggled as Adam flew out of the door and Alex picked him up and threw him into the air. She still felt as if she was dreaming and just prayed that she wouldn’t wake up.
Less than two weeks later, Annie woke in Peggy and Levi’s cottage to a white world. The snow that had been threatening for so long had finally fallen during the night and everywhere looked brand new.
Alex and Lucy had stayed at the Bull Hotel the night before along with his parents, and once the wedding was over the new family would move into the house Annie had rented until they decided where they wanted to live permanently.
Peggy helped Annie get ready. She had chosen an ankle-length ivory satin dress and a small hat with a veil, and she wore a snow-white fur stole about her shoulders. When she was ready, she looked truly beautiful.
Everyone she loved would be at the wedding and Annie felt as if she was floating as Peggy handed her a posy of snowdrops. Her father and Levi would be giving her away and when she came downstairs to see them waiting for her a huge lump formed in her throat.
She felt blessed to have found her real father and already loved him, but Levi had been her father figure for so long that she hadn’t been able to bear not having him give her away too.
‘You look beautiful, pet,’ Levi said huskily.
Luca nodded in agreement, blinking back tears.
Then there was a mad dash as everyone left to pile into the waiting cabs.
The service at the registry office was short and unbelievably sweet as the couple only had eyes for each other.
When it was over and the register had been signed, they emerged into the snow to be showered with rice.
Annie felt as if she was caught up in a fairy tale as she stared up at her new husband, her heart overflowing with love.
Soon after, the guests left for the reception, but before she joined them Annie had asked if Alex would come with her to Chilvers Coton churchyard.
At the lychgate he squeezed her hand gently and tactfully left her, saying, ‘Go on, darling. I’ll wait here for you.’
She picked her way through the leaning headstones until she came to Monty’s grave, where she leant down to wipe the snow from his headstone.
‘Well, Monty,’ she whispered. ‘I’ve come to say goodbye, and I hope you can forgive me. I just want you to know that I did love you. I hope you knew that.’ She bent down and reverently placed her posy in front of the headstone, tears sparkling in her eyes.
And then as she turned to go, she suddenly saw him. Monty was standing beneath a yew tree smiling at her, and her heart lifted.
‘Be happy,’ he mouthed.
As she turned to walk away, a feeling of peace wrapped itself around her. At the lychgate, Alex put his arm around her, and she turned back just once more. Monty was still there waving, but then very slowly his form began to fade until he was gone.
‘All done?’ Alex asked.
Her heart full, she looked up at him and smiled, and hand in hand they left to join their friends and families at the reception before beginning their new life together.
All of Annie’s dreams had finally come true.