CHAPTER 77
After some more dancing, the DJ called a pause in the proceedings while Andy and Bev took their leave. Bev took his mike first.

CHAPTER 75
Back to the grind it was for a week, and then we were off to the Registry Office for the first wedding.

CHAPTER 73
The day finally came for our little excursion and we loaded up the car with bikes, tents and all the usual impedimenta.

CHAPTER 72
That was our trial. I had been wetting myself all through it, it was over, and I hoped never to have to go through that again.

CHAPTER 70
Margaret had sorted authority for compassionate paid leave for us, but I knew the shop had to be sorted in the end, so I made the trek back to Canterbury the day after my talk with Arwel.

CHAPTER 68
I was tired, in that state where your eyes seem displaced to the back of your skull, looking out through long tunnels that feel soaked in vinegar.

CHAPTER 65
Monday morning was another delivery day, so it was all hands to the pumps, apart from Andy. Despite his sudden advances into being human, he still had a blind spot about the quantity of work the new stock entailed.

CHAPTER 63
It was still a huge thing to me, though. Tony could rationalise all he wanted, but after everything was done, would he really be able to handle having two children, or more, so far away and effectively out of reach for their early years?

CHAPTER 62
He wasn’t putting it on as I would with Tony (mmmmm), or as he would with me, but casually, carefully, as a friendly thing. I was proud of my uncle at that point, proud of my entire family.

CHAPTER 61
Geoff looked hard at Hywel, obviously weighing him up. I got the impression that he had more than a little protectiveness in his nature, at least where his wife was concerned, and wondered what might have happened to bring that about.

CHAPTER 59
Catching up. That is always the thing that can delight or appal you, as you work through the mail and the gossip that has piled up on the doorstep.

CHAPTER 58
Breakfast was not wonderful, but then we didn’t really expect something amazing in France. Nonetheless, there was a rose on our table for me.

CHAPTER 56
Cheeky Alice had even managed to squeeze Margaret onto the reception guest list without me noticing, so she was sitting smiling fondly with the old tart as more speeches came and went.

CHAPTER 54
There was a week to go, and Siá¢n, Elaine and our parents were over for the final preparations. The two girls looked edgy, for some reason I couldn’t fathom, but Mam and Dad slotted straight in, especially with Pie duties. Dad walked him so much I swear the dog’s legs got shorter.

CHAPTER 52
That was a relief. Neither of the two men was exactly backward in using his fists, and the last thing I wanted was a set to. It would be my day, my guests, my music, my hangover. I might let Tony have a look-in, though.

CHAPTER 50
The beer flowed, and folk relaxed. About eight thirty, we were joined by Aunty Gwen’s two, Karen and Elspeth. Ellie was straight to the point.

CHAPTER 48
Invitations, guest lists, it’s so much easier for a young girl to get married, she isn’t running a bloody household and someone else does the planning. My parents, for a start, needed reminding. I rang them

CHAPTER 47
That left us caught between two stools: whether to celebrate the arrival of Enid, or to explore Alice’s problems further. She steered us neatly away from that one with a seemingly flippant comment about water under the bridge, and we got on to planning the disposal of a sizeable proportion of her worldly goods.

CHAPTER 45
Alice was pensive as she drove us home. Bev had agreed to call at the office the next day to have the deed poll sworn, and we would make the round of the banks as necessary. Margaret already had things in hand with head office, so it was now a matter of making a list for Alice to work through, starting with her driving licence.

CHAPTER 43
“What the hell is this?”

I decided to push her delirium a bit more. Just keep it as normal as possible, and leave her isolated. “It’s coffee, Anne. You drink it. You know how I take mine, Alice, that would be lovely”

CHAPTER 41
I looked at the two culprits. “Does Alice know?”

CHAPTER 39
Alice had sat quietly through the discussion up to then. She drew in a long breath.

“That settles it, then. If she is off on that little journey, there is nothing we can do that will change her mind. In which case, I will start thinking about a day to come out.