Chapter 39 - Rehearsal

"And… Al, I want you to stand right here," I took the groom by the arm and nudged him a couple of inches to his left. "Morwenna, you are… perfect, just as you are." The girl was beaming, glowing really, and her mum and dad were smiling as well. "Mum and Dad, we'll do it just as you did. Mum will come down the aisle with your hubby and take her seat. Dad, you'll walk your daughter down the aisle then hand her off to the groom."

Mr. Newcross nodded his head like a trick horse. "Yes… I'll do my best, Curate Edwards." Despite his words, he swiped at his cheek where a tear was trickling down.

"Oh, Dad, now don't you start," Morwenna told him, and then she started to leak tears.

I handed her and her father a tissue. "Right, and tissues will be at hand in the pews but an extra one in a pocket or folded into your hand may not be a bad idea, either."

Louisa Ellingham stood to the bride's left, holding a stand-in bouquet made of package bows. I faced her. "And Mrs. Ellingham that's good just as you are."

She smiled. "Good." The doctor's wife had clearly been a steady support to Morwenna and I could see this wedding and the prep had moved them into real friendship. Well, I sighed inside, we all need friends. Mrs. Tishell was sitting at the organ and was giving me a brilliant smile. I was a stranger and you cared for me… Mrs. Tishell and I had come to a certain standing between us; and understanding that we each were broken vessels. She was quirky, to be fair, but so was I. Perhaps friendship was the glue which might mend our cracks.

On Al's side Joe Penhale bodily stood at attention, but the way his eyes were twitching he must be having a hard time. I went to him and whispered, "PC Penhale, will you be alright?"

"Oh, yeah," he sighed. "Doing my duty. But I can't help but think that… that was me… I mean I was the groom… but…"

I touched his shoulder. "You'll do fine."

I saw him swallow hard, but he nodded. "Duty. Told Al I'd be his Best Man and here I am."

"Good then."

I moved back to the center of the room and surveyed the scene. Bert Large was in the second pew on the left, smiling. "And Mr. Large, the elder?"

"Great Miss Edwards, just great!"

A few tentative notes came from the organ, as Mrs. T limbered up. "And the organ is working."

"Oh yes!" Mrs. Tishell exclaimed. "Just blowing the dust outta the pipes."

I addressed the assembly. "Now I want you all here by one forty-five PM. The service starts at three sharp, and I expect some people may come as early as two fifteen, so when you get here, Al, you and Joe will be sequestered in my office. Can't have the groom seeing the bride! Ha, ha. Morwenna, you will be in the choir room, until the time is right."

Al and Morwenna gave each other a look.

"Problem?" I asked.

Al scratched his neck in that nervous way of his. "Just… hard to think that…"

"You got here?"

"Exactly," Morwenna answered.

"No worries. Now Mrs. Tishell will play the intro music. Mrs. Newcross your husband will escort you up the aisle and seat you. Mr. Large, Bert, you will then come up and take your seat. Al and Joe? When you hear the end of the second intro piece, you will come from my office and walk slowly to just where you are standing. You'll turn towards the back. Mrs. Ellingham? You will come up the aisle, and take your spot." I looked over at Mrs. T who started to play the Wedding March, but stopped after a few bars. "That's the signal for the bride to slowly walk up the aisle, escorted by her dad. Got that?"

I looked at Mr. Newcross. "You will bring Morwenna to her spot, kiss her if you wish, and then give her right hand to Al. Al, you will take her hand, and then you and Joe will turn to the front. Mrs. Ellingham Morwenna will hand you her flower bouquet. Right. Sorry for the stage management people, but we don't want any slip ups; no one wandering off."

Joe looked at me and mouthed the words, 'don't worry.' If only I thought, considering what might happen.

All the same I told them all. "Don't panic. Now," I lifted the Book and opened it. "I will start the service, just follow along. When I get to the message bit…" Ah, yes the Message - the part the ministers sweated the most over. I had been laboring over this one, but with Al and Morwenna it should be fairly easy. Together the two of them were just so… so right with each other.

That of course made me reflect on my failure to get to the altar with Gerald. Oh I was ready and willing, but looking back there was a dark current of worry that ran underneath our relationship. But in the end, it was not to be. Fortunately, I had work when I came back to England; work which kept me busy, at least physically. And then when I moved down here to Cornwall, well that certainly kept me occupied, at least during the day; but the nights were both tedious and lonely. But no, Gerald and I were not well suited, not really when it mattered.

Stopping my reverie, I ran over the rest of the service with the people. At the end, I asked, "Questions?" and there were none. I clapped my hands. "This is going to be a lovely wedding - I know it."

Al put his arms around Morwenna so she hugged him back. I saw her baby bump outlined as he did so. That little girl or boy would be born into a great family, I was sure of it. Their marriage was not just because they were going to have a baby, but because they loved one another and more than that they were well suited. Sometimes things work out so well.