Chapter 36

Thursday 14th February 2008

"WES!" shouts Ruth from the bottom of the stairs. "Hurry up!"

"Coming!" he calls back, in a slightly exasperated tone. He's starting to become a teenager three years early!

Today is Catherine's wedding day and Ruth is singlehandedly trying to get both boys ready and to make it to the venue on time. Harry has already left; needing to be with Catherine to escort her and walk her down the aisle.

They've have opted for a small wedding, less than two months after becoming engaged. The speed at which everything was planned and arranged had, at one point, led Harry to suspect that Catherine was pregnant, but she had assured him she wasn't and that they both knew from experience how precious life was and therefore wanted to make the most of it. They're getting married at a hotel, an hour out of the city. Harry went to view it with them and Jane, but Ruth had cried off; claiming that it wasn't really fair to drag the boys around looking at wedding venues. In truth though, she hadn't wanted to see Jane, having managed to avoid her since the airport nearly 9 months ago. She did feel slightly guilty though when Harry came home and told her that Jane's husband, Robin had been there and he'd felt like he was trying to undermine and out-do him. She vowed to herself that next time she wouldn't be so selfish and would be there for him. There hadn't needed to be any further meetings with Jane though; Catherine had acted as an intermediary between the two, so today is the first time since the airport incident that she will see Jane. She isn't relishing it, but she will grin and bear it for Harry's sake.

Wes runs down the stairs like a herd of elephants and skids to a halt in the hallway, his tie askew. "Ready!" he declares.

Ruth appraises him with a critical eye and adjusts his tie. "Better," she tells him. "Now, just keep an eye on James while I get my shoes and my bag."

Wes rolls his eyes. Adults! They nagged and nagged for you to get ready and then when you were, they weren't!

Harry waits in the sitting room of Catherine's suite at the hotel. Jane and Catherine's best friend Charlotte are helping her get dressed in the bedroom. He hasn't actually seen his daughter yet. Jane had answered the door when he arrived, shown him through to the sitting room and told him to wait.

While he waits his thoughts drift to Catherine's childhood and the times he spent with her. His relationship with her hadn't started out on the best foot; he'd missed her birth because of work commitments and hadn't seen her until she was a day old. Jane was hardly impressed but when he held Catherine for the first time, that didn't seem to matter to him. He remembered thinking how beautiful she was and how, even at a day old, she had a strong-willed expression. He wasn't around much that first year, she barely knew who he was and was over a year old before she even called him 'Daddy'. When Graham was born, she'd been worried that he and Jane wouldn't love her anymore, but he had reassured her that this wasn't the case and we would always love her. After the divorce his time with both the children had been limited. He'd always try and be free on his custody weekends but inevitably in his job, there were times when he couldn't make them. There were some good memories though, he recalls taking her to Berlin on New Year's Eve 1989, less than two months after the wall had started to come down. He'd wanted her to be able to say she'd been there even if she didn't understand its significance at the time. As a pop singer stood on the wall and sang 'Looking for Freedom' he thought about all the sacrifices he'd made, all the good men and women lost to the cause and he'd shuddered, wept and held Catherine close. That was the last time until she'd turned up in the middle of an MI-5 operation four years ago that he'd felt any sort of connection with her. Events throughout the nineties had distanced them and for a while he had thought they would never reconcile.

A door opens, pulling Harry from his reminiscing and he looks up to see Jane and Charlotte emerge from the bedroom. Harry nods his greeting to Charlotte, who smiles in return before he turns to Jane.

"We're going to go down now," she tells him. "Charlotte will wait outside the ceremonial room once she's had her photos taken. Catherine will be out in a few moments, so you can start making your way down shortly after ten past. The ceremony is at…"

"Half past," interrupts Harry, "but we need to see the photographer beforehand. I know all this Jane." He knows he's a bit short with her, but she's treating him like he's a child and he doesn't appreciate it.

"I just want everything to be perfect for her."

"And it will be. I'm not going to let her down."

Jane looks like she is going to retort but thinks better of it, although Harry knows what she's thinking. Something along the lines of, 'well that'll make a change'. Instead, she silently makes her way to the door and follows Charlotte out of the room.

Harry turns back to the bedroom door and waits for his daughter to emerge. When she does a few minutes later, she is a vision on beauty in a floor length ivory gown. Her hair, which she has let grow over the past year, is pinned up, with a few loose tendrils framing her face.

"You look like an angel," Harry exclaims, his voice cracking with emotion. Catherine blushes and looks down at the floor. Harry approaches her. "I mean it," he insists. "I'm a so proud of you and I love you so much."

"Stop Dad or I'll ruin my make up," Catherine admonishes, close to tears.

"Sorry. So, are you ready?" Catherine nods. "Right. We are starting off on the left foot aren't we?" he checks.

Catherine rolls her eyes. "Yes Dad. On the left. Just like we rehearsed."

"Sorry. I just want to get this right," he confesses, offering Catherine his arm. She interlinks her arm with his and pecks him on the cheek to reassure him, before they leave the room and make their way down the stairs.

Ruth watches a little misty eyed as Harry walks Catherine down the aisle; he looks every inch the proud father. She knows there was a time not too long ago when he thought he'd never get the chance.

After giving Catherine away, Harry joins Ruth, Wes and James. James crawls over to Harry's knee settles down, babbling quietly to himself as he explores the books that Ruth had brought to keep him entertained. When Harry has to get up at the end of the ceremony to sign the register, James is not happy. Harry passes him to Ruth and he begins to cry; he wants his Daddy. Ruth begins to flush with embarrassment as she feels the eyes of several wedding guests train on her; silently admonishing her for allowing her child to cry at such an important event.

Graham turns around from his seat in front and tries to placate James but it doesn't work. Ruth glances at Harry, indicating that she thinks she should take James out, but he gives a small shake of the head , almost imperceptible to anyone but her, he wants them, needs them, there. So remembering her promise to herself to stand with Harry, she stays and comforts their son the best she can. She knows nothing except Harry's return will make James happy; he has moments like this, when he specifically wants one of his parents and nothing and nobody else will do. He's even started doing it recently with Wes. Most of the time it isn't really a problem; except on the odd occasion it happens when Harry has to go to work. He quietens slightly as Wes finds his favourite soft toy and hands it to him, but he remains upset until Harry comes back and joins them.

"Dada!" James exclaims as he practically throws himself out of Ruth's arms towards Harry.

Once Harry has him he calms instantly. Out of the corner of her eye, Ruth sees a tall woman with platinum blonde hair glare at Harry as he interacts with James. Harry has seen it too. "Jane's sister," he tells her. Wanting to avoid a confrontation, she, Harry and the children follow Catherine and Fabien out of the ceremony, for the traditional photo call.