Little Fingers! (27 page)

Charlie pulls
up on the other side of the beck from the church in the back of a
Rolls Royce. She stumbles out, and the bridesmaids are assembled
behind her to hold her train. She starts to process across the
little humpbacked bridge over the beck, watched by several
villagers and visitors who have not been invited to the wedding.
One small boy, who is peering too intently at Charlie, over-extends
himself and tumbles into the beck. He is frantically fished out by
his mother. Jimmy Cuthbert drowned in that mill pond end of the
beck.

They pass the
gravestone of the seventy-year old man who had nine wives, a
favourite tourist attraction. Someone has added RIP to the
gravestone in chalk. Many of the gravestones have been flattened to
make for easier mowing of the churchyard.

When Charlie
and her father reach the porch, Simon does a thumbs-up to re-assure
Tom that everything is OK.

“
Are you
ready, Charlie?”

“
Yes,
Dad.”

“
Good luck,
Charlie, and all the best.”

“
Thank you,
Dad. You have been the best Dad ever.”

Harry squeezes
her hand. “Off we go, then.”

Left forward,
feet together. Right forward, feet together. The bridesmaids are
concentrating passionately in their attempts to hold their correct
positions. Left forward, feet together. Right forward, feet
together, all along the tiled squares of the aisle. People are
turning to watch her, but Charlie keeps her mind on her progress
down the aisle. They reach the altar, where Tom is waiting. She
gives a huge, happy, nervous smile to Tom, who goes red. Simon
Stanley ushers them together.

As the
congregation wobbles into its first hymn, “Love divine, all love
excelling,” none of us conceive that things are about to go
horribly wrong. The couple are standing there innocently aware of
each other's proximity, anxiousness and fondness. Tessa Brown is
close to tears. Harry has joined her, having delivered his daughter
to the altar.

After the
hymn, Simon plunges into his oration.

“
It is so
nice to see the church so packed today. I do hope that we will see
you again tomorrow for Matins.”

(Willing
laughter from the congregation).

“
It is always
a joy to preside over a wedding, especially of such a popular young
couple as Tom and Charlene here. With the recent terrible events in
the village, we need a joyous occasion to celebrate. Even in life
we are among death and, surrounded by death, life is renewed. Tom
and Charlie are here today to celebrate their wedding, and to give
us hope that a new generation will be born to revitalise the
village. Where there is despair, let there be hope. Where there is
strife, let there be harmony. When I came to Hanburgh eighteen
years ago, one of the first things I remember was Charlene being
born. She was a very beautiful baby, or so her mother, Tessa Brown,
said.”

(Dutiful
laughter).

“
And she has
turned into a very beautiful young lady. Tom, you are a lucky
man.”

(Tom nods, and
smiles at Charlie).

“
Equally,
Charlene, you are a very lucky young lady too, to have Tom so
dearly in your life. As someone observed the other day, you two are
just like brother and sister. Well, let's hope not
exactly.”

(Laughter).

“
However, a
marriage that is based first and foremost on friendship is a strong
marriage. Marriage has its ups and downs. It moves between ecstasy
and despair, between togetherness and dispute, between laughter and
tears, between the highs and the lows. That is the natural rhythm
of life, and it is magnified in marriage. Do not expect a marriage
to be happy ever after. That is for the fairy tales. Marriage is
tough and, if you weather the storms, ultimately the most rewarding
investment of your lives, especially if you have
children.”

(The whole
village knows that Charlie is pregnant. Tom and Charlie nod
respectfully).

“
Your
marriage can mark the start of a new phase in the village, a
healing phase. It is a great burden to place on your shoulders, but
I am confident that you two are capable of bearing it. However,
first the law and the liturgy demands that I ask a preliminary
question. Does anyone in this congregation know of any reason why
these two young people should not be joined together in holy
matrimony today? Speak now, or forever remain silent.”

(Silence).

“
Good. I
always like a silence at that moment. We can proceed.”

(Dutiful
laughter).

“
I know a
reason,” says a voice.

Everyone in
the church freezes. The voice, of indeterminate sex, comes from the
loudspeakers that have been recently installed in the
church.

“
Excuse me,”
Simon orders. “Who said that?”

“
They are
brother and sister, well half-brother and half-sister.”

“
Please show
yourself, whoever you are.”

“
They are
both children of Tom Willows,” continues the voice, then there is
no more.

The
congregation searches for the source of the voice. Simon hunts
around for help. What does he do now? Does the objector have to
show him or herself for the challenge to stand? He has never been
in this situation before. He has never heard of this situation
before. It seems impossible to stop proceedings now, yet he cannot
legally marry a couple who are indeed brother and
sister.

He turns to
the parents. “What do we do from here?”

“
I thought
you would know that,” Harry barks. “It is a ridiculous allegation,
isn't it Tessa?”

Tessa is
silent.

“
Pat?”

Pat is silent
too.

“
Why do you
two not say anything?”

“
This is a
very delicate topic,” suggests Arnold. “We cannot discuss it in
front of one hundred and fifty people.”

Simon turns
back to the congregation. “The parents and I will retire to the
vestry for a few minutes. We will be back shortly. I hope that Mr.
Johnson will entertain you with some of his excellent organ
playing.” Mr. Johnson nods his assent.

In the vestry
there is a minute of settling, then Harry asks Tessa
“Well?”

Tessa would
prefer to avoid saying what she has to say, although she knows she
has to say it. She pleads into Harry's eyes. “I had a brief affair
with Tom Willows when I was fifteen, and became pregnant with
Charlie.”

“
Oh my God,”
exclaims Pat spontaneously. “I had a fling with him too.” Arnold is
still holding her shoulder in consolation for the turning of
events, and in solidarity against it. He looks bemused. Harry
froths.

Simon
summarises gingerly. “So Tom and Charlene could be brother and
sister?”

Tessa nods. “I
have always known, of course, that Charlie was Tom's child. It just
never occurred to me that Tom was too. His name should have put me
on my guard, at least to take the necessary precautions before it
got to this. I am really, really sorry. I am overwhelmed, lost. It
is a disaster. What do we do?”

“
Yes, Tom is
named after Tom. I had no idea that you were involved with Tom too,
Tessa. It must have been about the same time. It's awful. How do we
ever look them in the eye again? I want to crawl away and
die”

“
What a
mess,” growls Harry. “If Tom Willows were alive today, I would see
that man in jail. I would see him strung up from the nearest
lamppost.” His face is alcoholic red, and he has tendencies in that
direction. “I can't believe it.”

“
Those poor
children,” says Arnold. “And with a child on the way.”

“
What a
disaster.”

“
What do we
do now?” Pat asks.

“
I am afraid
that I cannot marry them, or even bless them,” Simon
confirms.

“
What about
the reception? Do we go on with it? Everything is ready and paid
for.”

“
It is a
complete and utter disaster.” Harry paces the room.

“
Well, there
is no point in throwing all that food away,” decides Pat. “We will
just have to turn it into a party. The day that Tom and Charlie
discovered that they are brother and sister. It is not what any of
us expected, and it will take some adjusting to for everyone, and
especially for Tom and Charlie. It is just the way things
are.”

“
I can't for
the life of me see it turning into a celebration,” Tessa observes,
“but we might as well carry on, and brace ourselves. It will be our
act of penitence. We are going to be crucified, and we deserve to
be.”

“
Are you
agreed?” Simon searches each face for assent or dissent. He gets
two yeses and two abstentions. “We had better call Tom and Charlie
in,” he decides.

“
Yes.”

Tom and
Charlie enter the vestry apprehensively. Tom stoops as he crosses
the threshold. They hold hands as they face Simon and their
parents.

Simon clears
his throat. “Tom,” he takes Tom's spare hand. “Charlene,” he takes
Charlie's other hand. They make an intimate circle. “Something most
unfortunate has happened. It appears that you are half-brother and
half-sister to each other.” He remembers the remark he made only a
few minutes ago in the church about their behaving like brother and
sister. He has never said that before at a wedding. He will never
say it again.

Charlie bursts
into tears. “What does that mean?”

“
Well, it's
obvious what it means,” snaps Harry impatiently.

“
Yes, Dad,
but what does it mean?”

“
I am sorry,
Charlie,” Harry apologises. “I shouldn't have said that. I am
simply furious that this great day of yours has been ruined,
perhaps your whole life, because of a couple of silly,
irresponsible girls.”

“
So we are
both Tom Willows' children?”

“
Yes, I am
afraid so.”

“
So you are
not my dad?”

“
No. I have
always had my suspicions, mind...............”

“
I haven't!”
Charlie shouts.

“
I should
have told you, I know,” Tessa breaks in. “I never saw the
need.”

“
You do
now!”

“
Yes, we do
now.”

“
And I am
pregnant. Tom and I are having a child together. What will it turn
out like? It might be hideously deformed. Tom and I have been
together for ages. We did not know that we were related. How could
we have known?” Charlie is despairing. Tom holds her hand tight.
Charlie pulls it away momentarily from her lover, and immediately
returns it to her brother.

Tessa breaks
down into tears. “I am really, really sorry, my darling. It is a
terrible thing we have done. I cannot imagine how to make it up to
you.”

“
It's a
disaster!” Harry proclaims again.

“
What do we
do? Can we live together? Will we go to prison?”

“
No, no,
there is no chance of that,” Simon reassures them quickly. “It is
absolutely not your fault.”

“
Will the
baby be taken away from us? They are not having the baby, whatever
state it turns out to be in. We are keeping the baby.”

“
These are
things we can discuss later,” Simon interjects, hoping to defer the
discussion, fully aware that there is a large congregation outside
in the church awaiting news.

“
Yes, but
they are questions that must be answered now,” Arnold states
firmly. “They are decisions we have to make to clear up our own
mess, and to minimise the consequences as far as possible for these
two unfortunate children of ours, so to speak, who happen to be our
children, at least emotionally.”

Tom raises his
head. “I want to carry on living with Charlie. We want to keep the
child, whatever. We want you to ensure that we are left in
peace.”

“
You must not
break the law though,” Simon warns.

Tom smiles at
him provocatively, angrily. “You will never know whether we have or
haven't, unless there is another child. And that will never
happen.”

Charlie
squeezes his hand. She is 100% beside him. They will have to live
with the gossip, which in Hanburgh is mostly generated by her
anyway. People will understand.

“
You could
have an abortion, if you two are worried about the baby,” suggests
Pat.

“
We will not
have an abortion,” says Tom flatly, determinedly. “What is done is
done. We are not going to add murder to the list.”

“
No we are
not,” Charlie adds. “The baby is ours. It will be our last one, but
it will be ours. And you lot had better make it right for
us.”

“
We will
try,” Harry promises, “however we can only do what we can do. And
those responsible for this had better get started in earnest now,
if you want my opinion.”

Simon comes
back into the church, followed by Tom, Charlie and their parents.
They do not go back to their pews. They stand loosely behind Simon
Stanley as he speaks.