To an onlooker it was just another wartime wedding with the groom and best man, both in uniform, waiting in the spring sunshine. To the young men concerned it was a return to where they had spent some of the happiest times of their childhood. Lieutenant John Walker RN, was marrying a girl he first met in back those carefree days. His brother Roger, now a Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers, was his best man.
Those holidays spent sailing on the lake and exploring the surrounding hills and fells seemed a lifetime ago now. Although this was a holiday of sorts it would be a short one. John had to rejoin his ship in a few days, and Roger returned to his regiment tomorrow. They watched as wedding guests and onlookers stood around waiting for the bride to arrive. In the background the sunlight danced off the ripples on the lake.
"Roger, have you got the ring?" asked John, not for the first time.
"What ring?" his brother cheekily replied. Then he whispered "Who's that in the extraordinary hat?" indicating an elderly lady wearing a black straw affair decorated with assorted flowers and what looked like a jay's feather.
"Don't you recognise her? It's Mrs Dixon from the farm where we used to go for milk when we were on Wild Cat Island . She must have come across specially." Despite the years John still thought of the little wooded island across the lake by the name they used in their childhood adventures.
Mrs Walker detached herself from a small group near the gate and hurried over to her sons. "Come on you two, you should get inside in case she's early. You know it's unlucky to see your bride on the wedding day before you meet at the altar."
"Leave him a while Mary" said her husband, who had followed, "Let the condemned man enjoy his last minutes of freedom."
"Ted! You don't really mean that do you?" protested his wife, slapping him playfully on the arm.
"No, but the poor chap looks nervous enough without being bullied by his mother. Besides ," he added with a grin, "from what I know of the Blackett girls they are more likely to be late than early, that is unless boats are involved." He winked at his eldest son. "Come on Mary, let's go in and get ourselves settled." Taking her arm he led his wife inside.
Titty, who had stood by during this exchange decide to lighten the atmosphere, "What does the navy think about you marrying a pirate?"
"I don't think the navy cares who I marry so long as I am back on the ship in time. By then the dockyard will have repaired the storm damage from the last trip and there will another convoy waiting for us."
"Can't you ask Daddy to arrange for you have more leave? Five days doesn't seem very much of a honeymoon."
"Father may be an Admiral now but he can't interfere with young officers and their leave. Everyone has to make sacrifices for the war effort, some poor couples don't even get five days together."
"I suppose it is rather selfish," said Titty, "Look at poor Susie. She can't even get time away from the hospital.
John nodded. He was luckier than many as most of his family were able to attend his wedding. Mother and Bridget had moved to Beckfoot to avoid the bombing, Roger's regiment was stationed near Carlisle and he had managed to get a 24 hour pass. Father had used his influence to rearrange an inspection visit to some naval signals units in the North-west so he could be here. As a junior reporter on a Manchester newspaper Titty was fairly close at hand. Of his family only Susan was missing. She had originally wanted to become a teacher but after the declaration of war suddenly changed her mind and decided to train as a nurse and was now in a big hospital in Southampton looking after blitz victims.
"We had better go in ourselves. Like Mother says, it is supposed to be unlucky to see the bride too early. Are you sure you've got the ring…?"
Roger produced a small red box from a pocket. "Of course I've got it you fool. If you ask again I'll make you look after it yourself."
The brothers took their seats in the church. John, normally so calm and composed, kept nervously looking around and fidgeting with his hymnbook.
"What on earth's the matter?" asked Roger.
"What if she's changed her mind or something?"
"Why would she do that? She's known you for so long that she knows all your faults and irritating habits."
"I haven't got any irritating habits, have I?"
"Only asking the same question about fifty times an hour and not believing the answer."
The organist, who had been playing quietly in the background, stopped and struck up the Bridal March. As the congregation rose to their feet John moved to the chancel steps and turned to see his bride starting her walk up the aisle on the arm of her Uncle Jim, or Captain Flint as they used to call him. Following close behind were two bridesmaids, her sister and John's youngest sister, Bridget.
Arriving alongside the waiting groom she drew her veil back and smiled at John. From that moment all his doubts left. He was marrying the woman he loved, someone he had known since he was a boy of twelve on holiday beside this same lake. Afterwards he could not properly recall any of the ceremony, just odd snippets, as the vicar led them through the well-known words.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today…"
"… if any man can show any just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak…"
"…Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?" here Uncle Jim stepped forward and passed his niece's hand over.
Suddenly it was the moment. "Repeat after me: 'I, John Edward, take thee Margaret Maria to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward…'"
"…I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride" John bent forward and tenderly kissed his wife, Peggy Walker.