Never Too Late (44 page)

The colour drained from Adam’s face. “Oh god, I think I’m going to be sick!” and he dived into the Gents.

James followed to ensure no cleaning up was necessary, taking Adam’s water with him to wash his mouth out.

“I’m sorry, mate,” Adam apologised a short while later.

“What goes around comes around. I seem to recall you had a similar problem with me,” James reminded him.

Adam smiled weakly. “Yeah, the only day I’ve seen Mr Cool Calm and Collected lose it. Have you ever regretted marrying Keela?”

James held his shoulders. “No, Adam, never. She’s the other half of my soul. Just as Schez is yours. So come on, let’s get to the church and tell the world, and more importantly Schez, that truth shall we?”

Adam took a deep breath and once more singing, but this time under his breath and with a smile, he walked out with James to prepare for Schez’s arrival.

Not wanting to be alone, Schez had succumbed to their urgings and she and her father had spent the night with Maggie and Iain. She was now almost ready for the biggest day of her life. Maggie was very pleased with how perfectly the dress fitted Schez and stood back watching while Chloe put the finishing touches to her hair. With a careful check from all angles she was finally satisfied and attached the veil, complete with its myriad tiny crystals. Schez stood and gave a slow circle.

“How do I look?” she asked timidly.

“Absolutely stunning.” Maggie stepped forward and gave her a hug, careful not to disarrange anything. “Well done, Chloe. I wasn’t at all sure about the bodice when I saw your design but it couldn’t be more perfect for Schez.”

The dress had a strapless bodice the colour of rose leaves and was tight into the waist. From there layer upon layer of gauzy white petal shapes floated down to her white silk shoes. There were crystals scattered on the edges of the outer petal shapes too so Schez glistened with every movement.

“You’re positive it’s not terrible bad luck to get married in green?” Schez asked again.

“One hundred percent positive,” Chloe declared. “Anyway, if it’s luck you’re wanting haven’t you got your something old, something new blah blah. Personally I think it’s all bunkum. We make our own luck in this world. But if you want your lucky charms you have them.”

“The cars are here!” Zoe yelled up the stairs.

“Time for us to go,” Maggie said and kissed Schez’s cheek. “I’ll send your father in. See you at the church.”

Maggie walked down the stairs watching the girls in their bridesmaid dresses of palest green silk. Trust her daughter to choose dresses that looked so well on her, but fair play, it did suit Zoe too, and complemented, not overshadowed, the bride’s dress perfectly. It was good to see the girls reforming the bonds of friendship that had frayed to breaking point when Chloe first got interested in boys then went to university. At the time a three year age gap had been significant but that wasn’t the case now. Chloe had also learned to listen as well as talk and occasionally now even put other people’s needs first. In fact, Maggie thought, she was starting to like her daughter again, as well as love her.

“Come on, Mum, get a move on!” Chloe called crossly from the car.

Well, most of the time.

Mike tapped on the bedroom door and went in. He stood in the doorway in awe.

“Well?” Schez prompted. “Say something, please Dad.”

“You fair took my breath away,” he told her. “You look so like your grandmother when she was your age. But you look so much like you, if you know what I mean. I’m not good with words, lass, you know that, but I feel really proud to call you my daughter, because you’re not just radiant outside, you’re pure gold inside.”

Schez felt tears welling up. “Don’t, you’ll make me spoil my makeup,” she half laughed, wiping delicately under her eye. Then she ran to him and hugged him close. “Thank you Dad. You were always there for me, no matter what. I love you.”

“I love you too, Schez, always have and always will. And if that young man causes you a moment of worry or doubt he’ll have me to answer to.”

They held hands and gazed at each other, thinking back over the years when it had been just the two of them. Schez smiled and sniffed and welled up again.

“Come on, love,” Mike said, tucking one of her hands under his arm. “Time for us to go.”

In the church every pew was filled. Seemingly the whole village had turned out and people were standing wherever there was a space. James had caught Keela’s eye when she took her place. She answered his unspoken query with a nod and a huge smile, echoed immediately on James’ face. The church was filled with flowers giving off a wonderful perfume and a butterfly flitted between the blooms.

As Schez entered the church on her father’s arm the organ struck up Schez’s choice of music, Amazing Grace. The congregation stood and turned to watch her progress down the aisle.

 “My goodness,” Angela whispered to Oliver. “If you put wings on her she’d be one of those flower fairies. She looks like she’d float away on the breeze like gossamer.”

“The girls don’t look so badly either,” he whispered back. “Will it be Chloe or Zoe to wed next?”

Adam was mesmerised and hardly blinked as his bride approached. At the altar Schez gave her bouquet of white roses to Zoe. James had a momentary panic and fumbled in his pocket to reassure himself the rings were there. The bride and groom turned to face Carl and the time honoured words commenced the service.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God and in the face of this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony…”

The ceremony passed in a blur for both Adam and Schez. Before they knew it they were signing the register and walking back down the aisle, being congratulated by everyone as they passed.

“Did I say my vows correctly?” he whispered to Schez.

“I’ve no idea. Did I?”

“Haven’t a clue – suppose we must have done as they let us sign our names.”

“Mrs Scheherezade Chilcot. I like it!”

“Me too, my darling wife.”

“My husband – I’ll need to say that often to get used to the idea.”

When they got to the door Adam pulled up abruptly. “Gavin! You made it!” He pumped his brother’s hand enthusiastically before Gavin embraced him.

“I managed to wangle a business meeting in Germany on Monday so I flew out early via Heathrow. Made it here just in time. I haven’t slept in two days but I wouldn’t have missed that for the world.”

“I’d like to introduce you to my wife,” Adam beamed. “Mrs Scheherezade Chilcot, I’d like you to meet my brother Gavin.”

“Schez, please,” she told him, shaking his hand. “Everyone calls me Schez.”

“And everyone gets to kiss the bride,” Gavin insisted, planting a big smacker on her lips.

“Hey, treat my wife with some respect will you!”

They thumped each other’s arms and Adam left the church with an even bigger grin than he’d had before.

Outside the church Deefor sat where he’d been told, waiting for Maggie to re-emerge.

“Deefor!” Schez exclaimed. “How smart you look with your bow tie.” She crouched down to give him a big hug and he licked her face. He hadn’t forgotten her care for him in the shelter and their bond had remained strong. “Thank you, Deefor,” she whispered in his ear. “Without you I’d probably never have met Adam, and now look at me.” She gave him a rub behind the ears, then prepared herself for the facet of weddings and other events she hated most – the photographs.

The photographer was efficient and didn’t waste any time in taking the official album shots. At the time of booking Schez had made it very plain she didn’t like having her photo taken, but would submit to it for a maximum of quarter of an hour of posing. After that he’d have to trust to good luck and experience to catch her. Gavin used every opportunity to continue taking video footage and most guests also had their cameras handy.

True to her word, Schez was prompt in pulling Adam away from the throng around the doorway and heading for the car. They were showered with flower petals that Maggie had been drying all summer and distributed to everyone who wanted to join in. In the car, Adam leaned across to kiss his bride and the audible clicks of cameras reminded Schez she was still under close observation. It brought a very becoming blush to her cheeks.

The guests took a while longer to leave, groups forming and reforming as people greeted each other, discussed the wedding and passed on the latest gossip. Maggie caught Chloe before she left.

“You looked marvellous, darling,” she said, kissing her cheek. “A lovely ceremony and I’m really looking forward to seeing the album and video. It all went much too quickly.” She turned to the young man at Chloe’s side. “And you must be Chloe’s guest. I’m sorry, I can’t recall your name – anno domini problems again I suppose. I’m Chloe’s mother, Maggie.” She held out her hand and they shook.

“Very pleased to meet you, Maggie. I’m Joel Sherringham.”

“Oh, the young man who’s having the barn conversion done in Berkshire.”

“The very same.”

Iain joined them and shook his hand too. “Good to meet you at last, Joel. I’m Iain, the architect you have to blame if you don’t like the end result.”

“No question of that,” Joel told him. “I’m very impressed with your work. That layout will work perfectly for me.”

“That’s really good to know. I usually insist on getting to know my clients first but as you were out of the country I had to have faith that your mother knew you well enough to give me guidance on what you’d like.”

“I sometimes think she knows me better than I know myself,” Joel commented wryly.

“I thought you weren’t returning for several months yet. Has the political situation there brought your contract to an early end?”

“No, not at all, Iain. Chloe’s been out for a couple of long weekends to finalise the interior design aspects of the conversion and she invited me over for the wedding.”

Chloe was blushing furiously as her parents looked at her, surprised at this turn of events.

“Your parents are still up in Derbyshire at the moment aren’t they?” Maggie asked. “I hope Chloe’s not invited you over and left you languishing in a hotel. There’s plenty of room in our house and you’d be very welcome.”

Chloe blushed even more as she admitted Joel was staying with her. Everyone knew her flat had but the one bedroom.

“Oh! That’s OK then,” Maggie said, a little embarrassed herself now. “Well, we’d better get to the reception. See you both there.”

Back at the house Adam and Schez stood outside the marquee, ready to welcome their guests.

“I still can’t believe it,” Adam told her.

“What? That you’re married?”

“Oh, I guess I always knew I’d get married one day. I just never guessed it would be to someone as wonderful as you.” He leaned forward to kiss her and she melted into his arms.

“Hey never mind all that,” James called as he came round the back. “You’ve got a lifetime for all that shenanigans – well until the romance wears off anyway.”

“No chance of it wearing off,” Adam declared. “My wife has enough romantic notions for the both of us.”

“And who was it wrote me all those beautiful poems?” Schez demanded to know. “You’re just as much of a romantic as I am.”

“Well, congratulations to the New Romantics,” he hugged Adam and kissed Schez, “and now where’s the beer?”

Schez had partially lost one battle. She found most wedding speeches embarrassing in the extreme and hadn’t wanted to put anyone through either having to write and deliver a speech, or sit and listen to one. She had been outvoted, though, so had compromised and agreed to an open mike for just twenty minutes. Anyone who felt a desperate need to say a few words could do so, but they had to stick to a maximum two minutes each. The time started once everyone had arrived from the church and had a drink. That way, she thought, any speeches would be made sober, and they’d be over and done with early enough for everyone to then relax and just party.

Her father was the first to stand up on the small stage in front of the band’s instruments. Adam’s friends, who formed the group Swing Low, had made a wedding gift to him of their services for the day. This part of the gift, and the group’s recordings, Schez appreciated, but she wasn’t so sure about the electric guitar ‘just in case he got tired of quiet evenings at home with the wife and decided to do a few gigs’.

The guests quietened politely to hear what Mike had to say. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he started. “I’m not one for making speeches generally, and I promise you, Schez, I won’t go over my time slot or embarrass you at all.”

A ripple of laughter went around the marquee.

“I just wanted to say thank you to Angela and Oliver for all their help with this wedding and for raising such a fine son. It really has made me very happy to be able to call you my son too now, and I’m sure you’ll give my daughter, the most incredible woman in the whole wide world, my very special little girl, a wonderful life.” He raised his glass. “To the bride and groom.”

His sentiment was echoed around the room and followed by a loud cheer and clapping. As he stood down Schez went up to him and, with tears in her eyes, gave him a huge hug. “Thank you Daddy,” she whispered.

Adam, attentive at her side, pumped Mike’s hand, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. “Welcome to the family, Dad!”

Oliver took Mike’s place on the stage, his arm out towards them and with a huge smile. “Just look at my new daughter. Have you ever seen a more beautiful bride? And such a handsome groom – obviously he has the Chilcot genes to thank for that!”

That raised a laugh as Adam’s blond hair and pale skin were so obviously from his mother.

“Well, maybe just the intelligence from the Chilcots.”

Angela called out, “Wait until I get you alone, Oliver Chilcot, I’ll make you pay for that!”

“It seems I’m on a promise…” When the laughter died down he continued, “Thank you all for coming to celebrate this great occasion with us, and a special thanks to my elder son, Gavin, for making it back from New Zealand to join us. I know that means a lot to Adam, and it’s the icing on the cake for your mother and I too.”