The flash back this time is to June 1988
A nervous glance darted between the two observers; "I'll go and check" and once again James Dempsey was left alone with his thoughts. The past surged forward with great ease; it wasn't as if it was the first time these images had swum around his mind this past week. He had known this would happen, it was one of the reasons he had avoided the last few days. He'd never truly come to grips with weddings since then and as much as this was a magical day that he was truly looking forward to the ghosts sent occasional shivers down his spine. The last wedding he had truly been relaxed at had been Chas Jarvis' and Alice; he scrunched a smile remembering that he could deliver a good speech and crinkles filled the corners of his eyes
It wasn't even a Saturday; Harry had been quite insistent – she had done the big wedding do and this time she just wanted small and simple. The moment they had tried to select a small guest list the trouble had started – there was no possibility of just a few guests. More than a few people worked at SI10, more than a few people had been at Winfield Hall all of Harriet's life, more than a few people wanted to fly from New York to see the unbelievable actually happen. Dempsey just wanted to be a husband and a dad – two roles he had never imagined would be his.
The Rev'd Buckeridge had suggested a blessing in St Peters afterwards. Her father had suggested using Winfield Hall and Dempsey clung to his own earlier suggestion of high jacking the annual dinner dance and the fete as it marked the year since he'd actually asked Freddy for her hand.
The negotiations had rivalled the United Nations and concluded in the registry office with Harry's father, Dempsey's mother, Angela (as nominated by Harry) and Gordon Spikings (James' choice)
Dempsey had never felt so grateful to Angela as now. She had taken his clucking mother and preened her both physically and verbally allowing Dempsey and Spikings to sit comfortably in their own silence in the front of the car. They spoke very little, unlike the two women in the back but all four were supremely happy.
The white rolls made its way along Walworth Road, Harry checked with her father for a third time and craned her neck to look at the road works. The stop/go sign seemed to release barely two or three cars at a time
Her father put a calming hand across "We've got plenty of time"
Harry sat back and grazed the high street: the mums with trailing children, the hobbling OAP, the disgruntled YTS and Super Sid and Fingers Fred. Super Sid so named because of his large size frequently inflated by hardware stored out of sight. Fingers Fred best known for safe breaking - she sat upright, alert, watching the two suspects pass Barclays Bank; she scanned up the road – there was no other bank. She screwed up her forehead trying to remember where the next bank was and a reason why these two scoundrels would be in the area. The car jolted and moved on and Harry's attention was drawn back to the street ahead. As the chauffeur inched forward the lollipop swung back to stop and drew a heavy sigh from the occupants
Harry watched as Sid and Fred tip their caps and double checked the street before dipping themselves and a navy holdall into Pridmore Bookmakers. With no pause for thought she opened the passenger door
"Harriet?" Her father startled
She turned back directing her comments to the chauffeur "I won't be a moment"
"Leave it" her Father commanded assuming she was about to give the poor workmen a roasting
"Those two" she nodded towards Fingers "are up to something"
"You don't need to do this" Freddy admonished rather taken aback
"It's my job, it's who I am" her legs swiveled onto the pavement
"You're about to become a wife and a mother"
"That doesn't stop me being a cop" gritty determination flooded the beauty of her face momentarily, her father sighed "there is such a thing as priorities" he was forced to lecture
"Yes and mine is to protect the people of London" She was now standing, leaning back into the car briefly "Those two can be up to no good and we're not exactly getting anywhere fast" She watched to see if anyone else had gone into the premises "And as you said yourself we have plenty of time"
"Harry….."
"…..Don't lecture me. Don't think I'm about to turn into my mother, dutiful and at home. That's not who I am" She noticed the hurt cut across her fathers face and stopped "I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that I guess I'm scared of people having the wrong expectations about me"
This was not the conversation to be having between a passenger and bystander Freddy shuffled across the seat to speak more easily "I know you're still not certain about marrying James"
"You can't say that!" her protest swung her back towards her father
"Well why did you stop the car at the first opportunity of a diversion and why are we still here?" Freddy suddenly felt weary; he wasn't sure he could handle this but he carried on "You don't have to get married"
Harry stood leaning across the car door; she spoke out loud, not directly into the car "James would be so hurt. He wants the happy family - you know I considered an abortion"
Her father directed his words up and out "Quite rightly"
Harry looked shocked; she listened, staring forward, as her father continued "Of course you should have considered it and having done so you chose to keep the baby. It's too late to change your mind on that one now but you can still call the wedding off"
Self defense kicked in "We were on the way to Chas Jarvis' wedding - Dempsey was best man - and on the radio it announced a bank robbery. Dempsey dumped the rings into Chas' hands and we chased to the bank…." She left the rest of the tale untold and walked off
Dempsey laughed as the bride clad in wellies and still wrapped in a fluffy bathrobe edged out of the door below into the grounds. With all the skills of a rugger player in possession of the ball she darted between cousins, aunts and Lady Symington-Bown
The time allocated was 11.15 and by 10.40 the foursome had duly arrived outside the Camden Registry Office. The sun was shining; the sky blue with small cotton wall clouds scuttling across and outside a happy couple were just emerging for photographs on the green where tall leylandii formed the backdrop. Dempsey adjusted his tie, unbuttoned and re-buttoned his waistcoat for something to do and after a couple of minutes Angela suggested they made their way inside.
The registrar greeted them with a big smile and expressed her gratitude that they were there in plenty of time.
"Well the bride ain't actually here yet" Dempsey quipped "but I'm used to waiting for her"
The smile dropped off Mary Broadbents face but with nearly half an hour to go she bit her tongue. Late brides were the bain of her life, she could do twice as many weddings if they didn't have to schedule for the delays.
Harry's march was observed by shoppers pausing mid stride to see a stunning beauty in a classic shift dress, elegant embroidered sculptured jacket and high heels enter the peeling green painted door of Pridmore Bookmakers.
The cars behind tooted; the large saloon was now holding up the traffic
Inside the two shady men had pulled out a gun demanding access to the safe; the staff were now fumbling to unlock the side door and acquiesce; the three punters already inside were pushing themselves back against the wall and edging towards the door
"Police" Harry announced regretting not taking her gun to her own wedding as she put herself between the trouble and the door. As the three clients escaped Harry was forced to instruct them to dial 999.
Super Sid laughed manically and with his gun now pointing at Harry he walked towards her
"On your own?" he sneered "Not got a gun? Where's your yank?" Harry felt the metal nuzzle under her chin "Hey look Fingers we've got the fuzz all dressed up and no where to go"
The side door now opened and Fred was past the ashen white staff and into the back office and the safe
Sid pushed Harry through as well, herding the two staff and her into the far corner.
Fingers took out a package, placing it carefully on what was supposed to be the office desk; He smirked with pride at his own handiwork, delighted to see the fear in the eyes of his captives as they recognized the explosive device. He looked towards Harry with disdain as he activated the timer "you should have kept out of it" he sneered "When we've done the safe we'll tell you how to disarm it. You stop us and we'll leave it to go off"
Dempsey turned and smiled, he'd been hoping for someone different to open the door but this was a welcome guest.
"Mr Jim" the broad warm smile reflected the upbeat greeting "I've been sent to check you're alright and get anything you need." The happy, handsome gent, somewhere near 30 years old was dressed in full morning suit. He looked and felt comfortable, happy and totally relaxed.
"Scotch on the rocks" Dempsey requested "only I guess what they really meant is for you to check that I'm top and tailed and ready"
Matthew stepped inside, closing the door behind him and noting that Dempsey hadn't started the dressing process "There's still well over an hour and a half to go" he excused
"What's it like down there?" Dempsey asked
Matthew laughed "It's better up here"
Dempsey unscrewed the top of his hip flask, took a mouthful and offered it over "Here's to weddings"
"To weddings" Matthew confirmed
At just past eleven, sitting at her desk, the nervous registrar explained to Angela that if the other guests had arrived it would be best for them all to be seated. Angela said they were only waiting on the bride and her father and Mrs Broadbent pointedly looked at her watch.
"I'll be looking for her arrival" Angela reassured as she slipped back outside.
At 11.10 she still wasn't there and Dempsey joked "there's one thing worse than waiting for one woman- it's waiting for a bride."
"Don't you know the safe code?" Harry hissed at the two jelly like staff
"None of us have the code or keys" one stuttered
"Its part of the security" the other defended
"You payout wins" Harry pointed out
"The boss comes later – the big money don't start til 2"
Harry looked at her watch and tried to bury her regrets – they were beginning to cloud her judgment
Outside Freddy was pacing, the rolls had moved onto the pavement to allow traffic past and had now attracted the attention of a traffic warden.
Freddy pushed through the door "Harriet"