“To Charlie!” Oliver shouted and everyone concurred.
Charlie’s toast complete, Douglas carried on. “I must pay tribute to Patricia Fairfax, a good woman, a fine mother and a wonderful grandmother who has accepted me readily into her family, a position I hold with great honour. To Patricia,” he toasted and Julia gave up the pretence of attempting to control herself and, letting the tears flow freely, she wrapped her arm around Douglas’s waist and went up on tiptoe to put her mouth to his ear.
“I love you,” she whispered, as he shifted his own arm around her waist to hold her tightly.
His only response was to kiss her temple then he looked back to the crowd and continued. “And now, to Elizabeth, William and Ruby Fairfax, who have, these last months, showed great courage and strength. Could you three please join your aunt and me?” Without further coaxing, the children melted out of the crowd and self-consciously (except Ruby who barrelled up to the steps with great vigour) joined them on the stairs. “I ask you all to lift your glasses to the courage of my nieces and nephew.”
“Here, here!” Roddy Kilpatrick sang out.
“To Lizzie, Will and Ruby!” Nick shouted.
Mrs. Kilpatrick and Ronnie burst into loud tears.
Everyone toasted and took their sips and Douglas continued. “And lastly, I should toast my beautiful wife but I will salute her in an altogether different way later.” He turned to give her a sexy smile and Julia’s cheeks, already pink with emotion, flamed. He turned back to the crowd. “I will finish with a toast to two people who could not be here today. To Gavin and Tamsin Fairfax who bestowed on us the great honour of rearing their children in their absence and, in so doing, led me to Julia. I cannot find words to express my gratitude so I shall not try.” When everyone began to lift their glasses to drink, Douglas went on. “But especially to my sister, who always had faith in me, who was, in every way, a kind and loving soul, the light in an often dreary life. To Tamsin Fairfax!” His voice rang loud and Julia forced her face into his neck, too overcome to join in the shouts to Tammy.
“Thank you all,” Douglas, finally, (and thankfully, Julia could take no more) was finished. “Please continue to enjoy –”
“Hold on a blasted minute.”
Douglas quieted and Julia peaked out from her hiding place to see Patricia shouldering her way through the crowd. Luckily she’d divested herself of her hat or she might have caused injury.
“I have something to say,” she announced upon arrival at the step.
The children were shifting uncomfortably and Julia stiffened at whatever dramatic pronouncement might come out of her mother’s mouth. Douglas, however, was the soul of amiability and he smiled, actually smiled (and warmly too) at his new mother-in-law.
Patricia smiled back and turned to the crowd.
“I’ve been waiting fifteen years to do this, as long as it took him to figure out he was in love with my daughter. He may have a head for business and a reputation for quick decisions but I’m here to tell you, there are some ways he can be very slow.”
The crowd laughed but if Julia was stiff before, she was rock solid now. She would not allow her mother to badmouth her husband in front of hundreds of guests. She was about to interrupt when her mother continued.
“But, the longer we wait, the sweeter our victory, eh, Douglas?” Patty grinned, any sting in her earlier words taken out by the dancing light in her eyes.
Douglas merely inclined his head.
“I, for one,” she told the crowd, “feel damned lucky to call Douglas Ashton my son. He’s a good man, has taken care of my grandchildren during a very trying time and has, finally, after I fretted for years that it would ever happen, made my daughter unbelievably happy. I mean, look at the girl, she’s glowing!” There was more laughter and Douglas’s other arm wrapped around Julia.
“So please,” Patricia continued, “join me in raising your glasses to Douglas Ashton, my daughter’s husband, my grandchildren’s uncle, my new son and a very fine man. To Douglas!”
“Oh Mom!” Julia cried, reached across Douglas to embrace her mother and after she did so, Patricia gave Douglas a loud kiss on his cheek.
“You should know, my boy, I’ve put you in my will,” she informed him grandly.
He nodded gravely, as if he needed to be put in her will and didn’t have enough money to buy a small country. Patricia winked at Julia then hustled the children down the stairs.
Douglas kept hold of his wife, his arms loosely wrapped around her.
“That was well done of you,” Julia praised him.
“Let’s go,” he answered, completely ignoring her compliment.
Julia laughed, light-hearted and carefree, the music of her laughter sounding through Sommersgate.
When she sobered enough to speak, she realised he was serious and therefore protested, “We can’t leave our own wedding reception.”
“We can,” he insisted.
And Douglas was correct.
Because, without delay, they did.
Epilogue
Sommersgate House
Julia Ashton, Baroness Blackbourne, finally bested Douglas in the present giving stakes.
That evening they arrived at The Ritz (several hours earlier than expected) for their wedding night.
Their honeymoon flight to Fiji would leave early the next morning.
Sometime deep into the night, when the room was dark and they lay na**d and replete in each other’s arms, in a low voice, Douglas explained his arrival during her wedding preparations. He expected her to have cold feet and was going to warn her that if she left him, he’d find her and drag her home. Upon her announcement that he should buy them a small island where they could live in sin, he realised she wasn’t going to leave him.
Julia rewarded him for this admission by giving him his wedding present.
She shared her secret with him and informed him she was pregnant.
He was, for Douglas Ashton, beside himself with delight.
They named their daughter Margaret Tamsin Fairfax Ashton.
* * * * *
A great number of happy years later, Douglas insisted to Roddy Kilpatrick that they lay his wife to rest in the family plot on the grounds of Sommersgate House.
No one, really, could think of anywhere more appropriate for Mrs. K to spend eternity.
Roddy joined his wife there shortly after.
Flowers were delivered to their graves, as well as the graves of Tamsin and Gavin Fairfax, on a weekly basis for as long as Douglas was alive.
Unfortunately, Margaret and Roddy’s version of heaven meant that their ghosts, forever, benignly and often hilariously haunted Sommersgate and all of its inhabitants.