Chapter Five.
The wedding.
The sun was shining brightly when George went downstairs. She could smell the bacon and eggs, but her stomach had told her that there was no way she could eat anything. 'Why on earth would I be nervous about this?' She wondered. Up until now she hadn't been nervous at all, and now, all of a sudden, she had a million butterflies floating around in her stomach.
"Good morning George darling, how did you sleep?" Her mother asked.
She sighed, and dropped into a chair. "I didn't!"
"I heard you up and down in the night." Her father said, looking over the top of his newspaper. "I would have thought Larry would have been the nervous one!"
George grinned. "I hope he was too." She said. "Mother, do you know what time anyone's arriving?"
"Julian, Anita, James, Dick and Jess were hoping to be here by tenish-they stayed overnight somewhere on the way. And Anne was thinking she would be here an hour or two before the wedding. She's sorry she couldn't get here earlier of course being the bridesmaid, but I would imagine her uni course would take a lot out of her!" Her mother replied. "And of course all the other guests will be at the church, but I have a feeling you don't mean them?"
George laughed. "You know me too well mother."
****
"That's Ju's car!" George exclaimed after racing to the window. "They're here!"
And she flew downstairs and out the front door. "JU! DICK!"
A few minutes passed in a whirl of hugs and comments about how well they were looking, and even a "Where's the unlucky groom? Has he run to Spain?" from Dick, which earnt him a slap on the arm.
"Oh gosh, we're being terribly rude-see what you boys do to me, I forget my manners completely-you better come in and see mother!" George said suddenly.
Inside the scene was repeated, and there was the sound of a door slamming, and a moment later George's father appeared in the room. "How can I work with all this noise? What on earth is going on here? Anyone would think it's the end of the world!" He said angrily.
"No just a wedding dear.aren't you going to say hello to the boys? And of course the girls?" His wife asked.
"Of course, of course."
After the chaos had settled down a bit George's mother and the cook, a nice old woman named Clara, served a huge lunch. Again George couldn't eat much, she was too nervous.
"Never mind George old girl, I know how much you love pickled onions, so I'll just eat for you as well!" Dick offered.
"Aren't you noble?" His brother said, and they all laughed.
"Are you nervous?" Jessica asked George.
"Petrified, and I never thought I would be..I wish four o'clock would hurry up so I can get on with it!" She admitted.
"Who would ever have thought we would have seen the day when George was scared?" Dick asked.
George glared at him. "I bet you were nervous when you got married." She said.
Dick glanced at Jessica, and then shrugged. "Maybe..."
"Everyone always is nervous when they get married, and any of you boys want to say differently we'll know your lying!" Anita replied, grinning at George, who grinned back. They'd gotten along well from the very start, even though they were nothing alike.
"Tell us, did you bully Larry into marrying you?" Dick asked.
"She just glared at him with that fierce glare of hers and he proposed on the spot!" Julian said.
"Tease all you want, I don't care!" George said loftily, and the boys laughed.
"You've sure mellowed old George!" Julian said.
"That's what you think!" George replied. "I can be as fierce as ever-when I want to be!"
"Do you remember how we all used to tease Anne about being a mouse, and then that time when we were staying up at that cottage and she showed her claws to Wilfred?" Dick asked.
Jessica and Anita exchanged glances. "I think now is about the time we convince young James to have a nap!" Anita said, and they left with him.
"Yes, she was so proud of herself wasn't she?" George grinned. "But if you ask me, I liked Anne just the way she was. The little homemaker!"
"Yes, which makes me think George; have you learnt to cook yet?" Dick asked.
"I can cook fine!" George said indignantly. "You're the one who used to always burn things, and you're-"
"Children, children." Julian said laughing.
"I told you I still could be fierce." George muttered at Dick, who grinned and helped himself to another pickled onion.
"You know," He said looking at it thoughtfully. "Onions always taste better pickled. I vote we pickle more things; pickled tomatoes, pickled radishes, pickled cucumbers-"
"I think your brain has been pickled, don't you George?" Julian interupted with a grin.
"I think it was pickled a long time ago..how on earth are you a lawyer Dick?" George replied, thinking how nice this was. Sometimes she wished she could turn the clock back and go back to the when they were kids. Not just for the adventures, but for the fun times also.
"Lawyers have long lunches." Dick replied.
The other two laughed, and then Julian stopped. "Is that a car? Isn't it about time Anne was here?"
The three raced outside, only to find Anne racing inside.
Julian and Dick hugged their sister, and George hung back for a moment, until Anne turned to her and said "George, get over here and let me hug the bride!" And laughing George hurried over to hug her.
"George, don't you think it's time you and Anne started getting ready?" George's mother asked from the doorway.
"Aunt Fanny!" Anne cried, and she raced to hug her. "Where's Uncle Quentin?"
"Would you believe in his study?" Her Aunt shook her head. "He'll never change!"
***
"George," her father said. "You look beautiful."
George blinked back her tears. "Thanks Father."
"You know how proud I am of the way you turned out, don't you?" He asked.
"Thanks Father." She said again. It was rare for her father to show his emotions where she was concerned but she still knew he loved her very much.
"Now, lets get this show on the road?" He offered her his arm, and she took it, and in time to the music the two entered the church, behind Anne.
As she walked up the aisle George glanced at the friends and family gathered in the pews. There was Tinker-no monkey she noted gratefully, and there was Toby-grinning madly as usual. And there were her Aunt and Uncle looking proud. And Julian and Dick grinning at her, and then her mother, crying. She smiled at them all, and then turned her gaze up the aisle to Larry. He smiled at her, and as she reached him he whispered "You look so beautiful!"
"You don't look too bad yourself." She whispered back.
***
"That was a pretty good ceremony, and the meal here was not too shabby either." Dick said later that night.
"Always thinking with his stomach." Jessica said, fondly.
"He always did and always will." Anne said, smiling at her brother.
"It seems such a shame to have to leave here and go to our honeymoon." George said with a wry grin. She was enjoying the time catching up with her friends and family.
"Here George," Toby said, leaning over and handing her a white rose. "This is for you."
George eyed it suspiciously. She remembered the time Toby had gotten her with a trick flower before.
"It's okay, it doesn't bite." Toby assured her, and she took it off him, and took a deep sniff of it, and then started to sneeze.
"Pepper." Toby explained to the astonished group, who after a moment's pause all started laughing.
"Ass!" Dick said. "And you're meant to be a captain in the airforce too!"
"I am, and I'm a damn good flier!" Toby said. "But I can't help it if I like jokes can I?"
George had finally stopped sneezing. "Toby, remind me to come to your wedding!" She said.
"Wedding? Who needs a wife when they have a plane?" Toby asked.
"You'll change your mind about that one day!" Anne assured him, and Sam took her hand under the table.
"Maybe, maybe not-I say George! Look at your father!"
They all turned to look. Tinker had George's father by the waist and was waltzing him around the room. He looked anything but happy about it, but unable to get away.
"Good old father!" George said with a grin.
Her mother who had been watching the dancing, now came over to whisper in her daughter's ear "It's probably about time to get changed into your going away outfit George."
"Okay mother, what would I do without you here to organise me, and the wedding of course?" George replied with a grin.
As she started to get up she turned to her cousins. "This has been great, it's like a five reunion, minus one of course, we should make a pact. We should make a pact to all meet once a year, wives and husbands, children and all."
"We should!" Dick agreed.
"Yes, we should." Anne said. "I'll be finished Uni next year!"
"And we'll have another baby, but we could still sort something out!" Julian replied.
The wedding.
The sun was shining brightly when George went downstairs. She could smell the bacon and eggs, but her stomach had told her that there was no way she could eat anything. 'Why on earth would I be nervous about this?' She wondered. Up until now she hadn't been nervous at all, and now, all of a sudden, she had a million butterflies floating around in her stomach.
"Good morning George darling, how did you sleep?" Her mother asked.
She sighed, and dropped into a chair. "I didn't!"
"I heard you up and down in the night." Her father said, looking over the top of his newspaper. "I would have thought Larry would have been the nervous one!"
George grinned. "I hope he was too." She said. "Mother, do you know what time anyone's arriving?"
"Julian, Anita, James, Dick and Jess were hoping to be here by tenish-they stayed overnight somewhere on the way. And Anne was thinking she would be here an hour or two before the wedding. She's sorry she couldn't get here earlier of course being the bridesmaid, but I would imagine her uni course would take a lot out of her!" Her mother replied. "And of course all the other guests will be at the church, but I have a feeling you don't mean them?"
George laughed. "You know me too well mother."
****
"That's Ju's car!" George exclaimed after racing to the window. "They're here!"
And she flew downstairs and out the front door. "JU! DICK!"
A few minutes passed in a whirl of hugs and comments about how well they were looking, and even a "Where's the unlucky groom? Has he run to Spain?" from Dick, which earnt him a slap on the arm.
"Oh gosh, we're being terribly rude-see what you boys do to me, I forget my manners completely-you better come in and see mother!" George said suddenly.
Inside the scene was repeated, and there was the sound of a door slamming, and a moment later George's father appeared in the room. "How can I work with all this noise? What on earth is going on here? Anyone would think it's the end of the world!" He said angrily.
"No just a wedding dear.aren't you going to say hello to the boys? And of course the girls?" His wife asked.
"Of course, of course."
After the chaos had settled down a bit George's mother and the cook, a nice old woman named Clara, served a huge lunch. Again George couldn't eat much, she was too nervous.
"Never mind George old girl, I know how much you love pickled onions, so I'll just eat for you as well!" Dick offered.
"Aren't you noble?" His brother said, and they all laughed.
"Are you nervous?" Jessica asked George.
"Petrified, and I never thought I would be..I wish four o'clock would hurry up so I can get on with it!" She admitted.
"Who would ever have thought we would have seen the day when George was scared?" Dick asked.
George glared at him. "I bet you were nervous when you got married." She said.
Dick glanced at Jessica, and then shrugged. "Maybe..."
"Everyone always is nervous when they get married, and any of you boys want to say differently we'll know your lying!" Anita replied, grinning at George, who grinned back. They'd gotten along well from the very start, even though they were nothing alike.
"Tell us, did you bully Larry into marrying you?" Dick asked.
"She just glared at him with that fierce glare of hers and he proposed on the spot!" Julian said.
"Tease all you want, I don't care!" George said loftily, and the boys laughed.
"You've sure mellowed old George!" Julian said.
"That's what you think!" George replied. "I can be as fierce as ever-when I want to be!"
"Do you remember how we all used to tease Anne about being a mouse, and then that time when we were staying up at that cottage and she showed her claws to Wilfred?" Dick asked.
Jessica and Anita exchanged glances. "I think now is about the time we convince young James to have a nap!" Anita said, and they left with him.
"Yes, she was so proud of herself wasn't she?" George grinned. "But if you ask me, I liked Anne just the way she was. The little homemaker!"
"Yes, which makes me think George; have you learnt to cook yet?" Dick asked.
"I can cook fine!" George said indignantly. "You're the one who used to always burn things, and you're-"
"Children, children." Julian said laughing.
"I told you I still could be fierce." George muttered at Dick, who grinned and helped himself to another pickled onion.
"You know," He said looking at it thoughtfully. "Onions always taste better pickled. I vote we pickle more things; pickled tomatoes, pickled radishes, pickled cucumbers-"
"I think your brain has been pickled, don't you George?" Julian interupted with a grin.
"I think it was pickled a long time ago..how on earth are you a lawyer Dick?" George replied, thinking how nice this was. Sometimes she wished she could turn the clock back and go back to the when they were kids. Not just for the adventures, but for the fun times also.
"Lawyers have long lunches." Dick replied.
The other two laughed, and then Julian stopped. "Is that a car? Isn't it about time Anne was here?"
The three raced outside, only to find Anne racing inside.
Julian and Dick hugged their sister, and George hung back for a moment, until Anne turned to her and said "George, get over here and let me hug the bride!" And laughing George hurried over to hug her.
"George, don't you think it's time you and Anne started getting ready?" George's mother asked from the doorway.
"Aunt Fanny!" Anne cried, and she raced to hug her. "Where's Uncle Quentin?"
"Would you believe in his study?" Her Aunt shook her head. "He'll never change!"
***
"George," her father said. "You look beautiful."
George blinked back her tears. "Thanks Father."
"You know how proud I am of the way you turned out, don't you?" He asked.
"Thanks Father." She said again. It was rare for her father to show his emotions where she was concerned but she still knew he loved her very much.
"Now, lets get this show on the road?" He offered her his arm, and she took it, and in time to the music the two entered the church, behind Anne.
As she walked up the aisle George glanced at the friends and family gathered in the pews. There was Tinker-no monkey she noted gratefully, and there was Toby-grinning madly as usual. And there were her Aunt and Uncle looking proud. And Julian and Dick grinning at her, and then her mother, crying. She smiled at them all, and then turned her gaze up the aisle to Larry. He smiled at her, and as she reached him he whispered "You look so beautiful!"
"You don't look too bad yourself." She whispered back.
***
"That was a pretty good ceremony, and the meal here was not too shabby either." Dick said later that night.
"Always thinking with his stomach." Jessica said, fondly.
"He always did and always will." Anne said, smiling at her brother.
"It seems such a shame to have to leave here and go to our honeymoon." George said with a wry grin. She was enjoying the time catching up with her friends and family.
"Here George," Toby said, leaning over and handing her a white rose. "This is for you."
George eyed it suspiciously. She remembered the time Toby had gotten her with a trick flower before.
"It's okay, it doesn't bite." Toby assured her, and she took it off him, and took a deep sniff of it, and then started to sneeze.
"Pepper." Toby explained to the astonished group, who after a moment's pause all started laughing.
"Ass!" Dick said. "And you're meant to be a captain in the airforce too!"
"I am, and I'm a damn good flier!" Toby said. "But I can't help it if I like jokes can I?"
George had finally stopped sneezing. "Toby, remind me to come to your wedding!" She said.
"Wedding? Who needs a wife when they have a plane?" Toby asked.
"You'll change your mind about that one day!" Anne assured him, and Sam took her hand under the table.
"Maybe, maybe not-I say George! Look at your father!"
They all turned to look. Tinker had George's father by the waist and was waltzing him around the room. He looked anything but happy about it, but unable to get away.
"Good old father!" George said with a grin.
Her mother who had been watching the dancing, now came over to whisper in her daughter's ear "It's probably about time to get changed into your going away outfit George."
"Okay mother, what would I do without you here to organise me, and the wedding of course?" George replied with a grin.
As she started to get up she turned to her cousins. "This has been great, it's like a five reunion, minus one of course, we should make a pact. We should make a pact to all meet once a year, wives and husbands, children and all."
"We should!" Dick agreed.
"Yes, we should." Anne said. "I'll be finished Uni next year!"
"And we'll have another baby, but we could still sort something out!" Julian replied.