[A/N. Again I have to apoligise for taking so long to update but I am right
in the middle of exam period, and I've got a winter intensive class after
that, so it's going to be a few weeks before I update more regularly again.
And on top of that I've still got psyio. *sigh* Anyway, enjoy the story.]
Yorkshire, England, April 1958.
Margaret turned sideways to examine her reflection in the mirror. "Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure all this is true. That I'm really getting married to Richard."
Eliza smiled. "Hold still please, I want to fix that stray hair." She said firmly, and Margaret obliged. When Eliza had finished she stepped back and looked at her daughter. The wedding dress was gorgeous and very traditional, and Margaret looked as though she were literally glowing with happiness.
"Do I pass muster?" Margaret asked and Eliza laughed at the terminology.
"You sure do. Richard's going to be bowled over when he sees you." She replied.
Margaret laughed brightly. "As he should be Mama." She said, and then she hugged Eliza impulsively. "I wish you and Papa weren't going home in a few days. Have you had fun here the last few weeks?"
"Of course I have darling." Eliza said. "We've had a few nice trips to places I never saw even when we were living here. And I've enjoyed meeting the Monksfields and their friends. And of course your friends from Liverpool who are going to be in the wedding procession."
Margaret smiled. "Isn't Penny a hoot?" She asked.
"A hoot?" Eliza replied. "I suppose that's one way of putting it."
"Oh she's a complete ditz of course, but she's so much fun to be around. I'll never forget how much fun we had in France back in '55." Margaret said. "There was this one time when she and I..well actually, I better not tell you about that."
Eliza nodded. "Discretion is the better part of valor." She agreed.
"Mama, I just wanted to tell you that I have to thank you and Papa for how much you've done for me over the years. I know I was a complete brat sometimes- especially when I was bugging you about coming over here. I might have sounded like I was taking things for granted sometimes, but I never was, really." Margaret said.
Eliza felt tears prickling at her eyes but she blinked them back. "I know that darling." She assured her.
There was a knock at the door and then Lady Monksfield came in. "Oh Margaret, you look wonderful. I knew you would when I saw that dress.but still.." She said.
"Thank you." Margaret said, smiling at the woman who was about to become her mother-in-law. Eliza, for her part, was smiling too. Apart from that brief interlude where Lady Monksfield was getting a little too close for comfort to the truth of Eliza's background they had gotten along very well. The fact that Eliza admired the woman's horses helped a great deal.
"We're about ready to start for the church. The boys have gone ahead, except your father of course who is riding with you. And Eliza and I will leave now with the bridal party following." Lady Monksfield explained.
"Right, shall we go downstairs then Mama?" Margaret asked and Eliza nodded. The three of them made their way downstairs, and as Margaret swept down the stairs in her gown Edward looked up and smiled. When she reached his side he took her arm proudly. "You look absolutely gorgeous darling- who would ever have thought?"
Margaret laughed and hit him on the arm. "Thanks Papa. I have to say you don't scrub up too badly in that tux either."
"Eliza?" Lady Monksfield said.
"We'll see you at the church." Eliza said kissing her husband and daughter, and then she and Lady Monksfield went and got into the car that was to take them to the church. As they drove along the country lanes Eliza looked out of the window. If she could have stayed here she would have, but she had to get back to America.
"I've been meaning to ask you," Lady Monksfield said. "Whether you have enjoyed our hospitality and this place?"
"Immensely." Eliza assured her. "It's been wonderful."
"There's also something Margaret mentioned once which has been on my mind a bit. She said something about you growing up poor?" Lady Monksfield asked, looking at Eliza intently.
"Poor?" Eliza repeated, and she felt her heart skip a beat. Why was it that even after all these years she still cared what people, what society, thought of her? "Well I suppose compared to the Gracie's money anyone would be considered poor wouldn't they?"
Lady Monksfield smiled with relief. "That's all right, I suppose Margaret was exaggerating as she is sometimes prone to do. I was just a little concerned what with my son marrying your daughter and all. I was imagining you'd been brought up in a tiny house in a village and traveled to America amongst the steerage filth."
Eliza bit her tongue. Steerage filth! Was that attitude still prevalent now, in the late 1950s? And to think she'd thought Lady Monksfield was a normal, nice woman. The church came into view. It was a small country one, and somewhat quaint but Margaret had fallen in love with it, despite protestations from the Monksfield's that they could get York Cathedral. The car pulled up out the front and Eliza and Lady Monksfield got out. Guests were filing in and they all looked over curiously. Most of them would have known who Lady Monksfield was, and perhaps have gathered that Eliza was Margaret's mother.
"Let's go in and get seated." Lady Monksfield said, and Eliza followed her, still somewhat numb from the conversation in the car. By the time Eliza and the rest of the bridal party arrived they had been sitting there for almost fifteen minutes. Richard was fidgeting nervously near them, with one of his friends from Uni who was a groomsmen teasing him that "Margaret had seen the light." But then the bells of the church rang out and they all hurried to get in their positions. A few moments later the bridesmaids began their walk up the aisle, and then Margaret and Edward made their way up the aisle. Seeing how beautiful her daughter looked and how radiantly happy as well made Eliza cry, but they were tears of happiness rather than anything else. Edward handed over Margaret and then came to sit next to his wife, who took his hand and squeezed it.
The wedding ceremony itself was traditional, as Margaret had explained to Eliza it would be because that was "just a Monksfield thing", and when the two young people spoke their vows their voices rang out firm and clear in the church. When the priest pronounced them man and wife and they kissed Eliza could contain herself no longer, and the tears poured down her cheeks. But she made no move to wipe them away; she wasn't ashamed, she was happy. Everything she had ever wanted for her daughter was happening right then. Edward also had tears in his eyes as he smiled proudly at his daughter. Lady Monksfield leant over. "They're going to make such a perfect couple." She said.
"I hope so." Eliza agreed.
"Margaret was really the perfect choice for a Monksfield. When Richard first introduced us to her I admit I was prepared to be skeptical, with her being American and not British but there was nothing to be skeptic about- she was lovely. And it saved my husband and I the arduous task of having to select a wife for our son and heir." Lady Monksfield added.
*****
"Mama, promise me you'll come back soon." Margaret demanded later that night at the reception. She and Richard were about to leave on their honeymoon.
"We'll come back, but I don't know when." Eliza assured her. "And of course you can always come over to America?"
"We will." Margaret said firmly. "Did you enjoy the ceremony and the reception Mama?"
"I did, it was wonderful." Eliza promised her. "And your father felt the same."
"I felt the same about what?" Edward asked, coming over and hugging his daughter to him. "You look wonderful sweetheart, and during the bridal waltz even I had tears in my eyes."
"He had tears in his eyes during the ceremony too." Eliza added with a smile.
"Give Ben my love, and you two make sure we see each other more." Margaret said, and she glanced over her shoulder. "We have to go now, but it's not goodbye is it? Only so long, or see you later?"
"Right." Edward agreed and he hugged her again before Eliza did the same. And then she took Richard's hand and they ran down the steps to where the car was waiting. Along with the rest of the guests Eliza and Edward clapped and waved as the car drove off.
"Our little girl. I hope she's happy." Eliza said as they turned around and went back inside.
"She will be. Richard's a decent man, and they're in love." Edward assured his wife.
Yorkshire, England, April 1958.
Margaret turned sideways to examine her reflection in the mirror. "Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure all this is true. That I'm really getting married to Richard."
Eliza smiled. "Hold still please, I want to fix that stray hair." She said firmly, and Margaret obliged. When Eliza had finished she stepped back and looked at her daughter. The wedding dress was gorgeous and very traditional, and Margaret looked as though she were literally glowing with happiness.
"Do I pass muster?" Margaret asked and Eliza laughed at the terminology.
"You sure do. Richard's going to be bowled over when he sees you." She replied.
Margaret laughed brightly. "As he should be Mama." She said, and then she hugged Eliza impulsively. "I wish you and Papa weren't going home in a few days. Have you had fun here the last few weeks?"
"Of course I have darling." Eliza said. "We've had a few nice trips to places I never saw even when we were living here. And I've enjoyed meeting the Monksfields and their friends. And of course your friends from Liverpool who are going to be in the wedding procession."
Margaret smiled. "Isn't Penny a hoot?" She asked.
"A hoot?" Eliza replied. "I suppose that's one way of putting it."
"Oh she's a complete ditz of course, but she's so much fun to be around. I'll never forget how much fun we had in France back in '55." Margaret said. "There was this one time when she and I..well actually, I better not tell you about that."
Eliza nodded. "Discretion is the better part of valor." She agreed.
"Mama, I just wanted to tell you that I have to thank you and Papa for how much you've done for me over the years. I know I was a complete brat sometimes- especially when I was bugging you about coming over here. I might have sounded like I was taking things for granted sometimes, but I never was, really." Margaret said.
Eliza felt tears prickling at her eyes but she blinked them back. "I know that darling." She assured her.
There was a knock at the door and then Lady Monksfield came in. "Oh Margaret, you look wonderful. I knew you would when I saw that dress.but still.." She said.
"Thank you." Margaret said, smiling at the woman who was about to become her mother-in-law. Eliza, for her part, was smiling too. Apart from that brief interlude where Lady Monksfield was getting a little too close for comfort to the truth of Eliza's background they had gotten along very well. The fact that Eliza admired the woman's horses helped a great deal.
"We're about ready to start for the church. The boys have gone ahead, except your father of course who is riding with you. And Eliza and I will leave now with the bridal party following." Lady Monksfield explained.
"Right, shall we go downstairs then Mama?" Margaret asked and Eliza nodded. The three of them made their way downstairs, and as Margaret swept down the stairs in her gown Edward looked up and smiled. When she reached his side he took her arm proudly. "You look absolutely gorgeous darling- who would ever have thought?"
Margaret laughed and hit him on the arm. "Thanks Papa. I have to say you don't scrub up too badly in that tux either."
"Eliza?" Lady Monksfield said.
"We'll see you at the church." Eliza said kissing her husband and daughter, and then she and Lady Monksfield went and got into the car that was to take them to the church. As they drove along the country lanes Eliza looked out of the window. If she could have stayed here she would have, but she had to get back to America.
"I've been meaning to ask you," Lady Monksfield said. "Whether you have enjoyed our hospitality and this place?"
"Immensely." Eliza assured her. "It's been wonderful."
"There's also something Margaret mentioned once which has been on my mind a bit. She said something about you growing up poor?" Lady Monksfield asked, looking at Eliza intently.
"Poor?" Eliza repeated, and she felt her heart skip a beat. Why was it that even after all these years she still cared what people, what society, thought of her? "Well I suppose compared to the Gracie's money anyone would be considered poor wouldn't they?"
Lady Monksfield smiled with relief. "That's all right, I suppose Margaret was exaggerating as she is sometimes prone to do. I was just a little concerned what with my son marrying your daughter and all. I was imagining you'd been brought up in a tiny house in a village and traveled to America amongst the steerage filth."
Eliza bit her tongue. Steerage filth! Was that attitude still prevalent now, in the late 1950s? And to think she'd thought Lady Monksfield was a normal, nice woman. The church came into view. It was a small country one, and somewhat quaint but Margaret had fallen in love with it, despite protestations from the Monksfield's that they could get York Cathedral. The car pulled up out the front and Eliza and Lady Monksfield got out. Guests were filing in and they all looked over curiously. Most of them would have known who Lady Monksfield was, and perhaps have gathered that Eliza was Margaret's mother.
"Let's go in and get seated." Lady Monksfield said, and Eliza followed her, still somewhat numb from the conversation in the car. By the time Eliza and the rest of the bridal party arrived they had been sitting there for almost fifteen minutes. Richard was fidgeting nervously near them, with one of his friends from Uni who was a groomsmen teasing him that "Margaret had seen the light." But then the bells of the church rang out and they all hurried to get in their positions. A few moments later the bridesmaids began their walk up the aisle, and then Margaret and Edward made their way up the aisle. Seeing how beautiful her daughter looked and how radiantly happy as well made Eliza cry, but they were tears of happiness rather than anything else. Edward handed over Margaret and then came to sit next to his wife, who took his hand and squeezed it.
The wedding ceremony itself was traditional, as Margaret had explained to Eliza it would be because that was "just a Monksfield thing", and when the two young people spoke their vows their voices rang out firm and clear in the church. When the priest pronounced them man and wife and they kissed Eliza could contain herself no longer, and the tears poured down her cheeks. But she made no move to wipe them away; she wasn't ashamed, she was happy. Everything she had ever wanted for her daughter was happening right then. Edward also had tears in his eyes as he smiled proudly at his daughter. Lady Monksfield leant over. "They're going to make such a perfect couple." She said.
"I hope so." Eliza agreed.
"Margaret was really the perfect choice for a Monksfield. When Richard first introduced us to her I admit I was prepared to be skeptical, with her being American and not British but there was nothing to be skeptic about- she was lovely. And it saved my husband and I the arduous task of having to select a wife for our son and heir." Lady Monksfield added.
*****
"Mama, promise me you'll come back soon." Margaret demanded later that night at the reception. She and Richard were about to leave on their honeymoon.
"We'll come back, but I don't know when." Eliza assured her. "And of course you can always come over to America?"
"We will." Margaret said firmly. "Did you enjoy the ceremony and the reception Mama?"
"I did, it was wonderful." Eliza promised her. "And your father felt the same."
"I felt the same about what?" Edward asked, coming over and hugging his daughter to him. "You look wonderful sweetheart, and during the bridal waltz even I had tears in my eyes."
"He had tears in his eyes during the ceremony too." Eliza added with a smile.
"Give Ben my love, and you two make sure we see each other more." Margaret said, and she glanced over her shoulder. "We have to go now, but it's not goodbye is it? Only so long, or see you later?"
"Right." Edward agreed and he hugged her again before Eliza did the same. And then she took Richard's hand and they ran down the steps to where the car was waiting. Along with the rest of the guests Eliza and Edward clapped and waved as the car drove off.
"Our little girl. I hope she's happy." Eliza said as they turned around and went back inside.
"She will be. Richard's a decent man, and they're in love." Edward assured his wife.