A/N: Yes, anonymous guest, champagne at six am. First: So what?! They have something to celebrate. Second: It was his way of telling his mother that they have something to celebrate. Did you ever drink champagne in the early hours of the morning because something really important had happened? Or just because? No?

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EPILOGUE

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"...and with those words I end my boring monologue and wish you all a nice afternoon. Enjoy the fair. Thank you."

Nodding his appreciation to the applauding people Tommy stepped down from the little podium with a broad smile. They all were there: Barbara, his mother, his siblings, the mayor of Nanrunnel with his complete senate, the vicar and the priest, the three eldest of the Nanrunnel Friendly Society and the three delegates of The Good Women, of course the curator of the little Nanrunnel Museum and almost every resident of this little village. Nanrunnel always had been a lively society and parish and almost nobody had wanted to miss the opening festivity.

This year was the 9th centenary of the first written mention of the village and it was celebrated with a fair on the village green, everywhere in the streets and of course with the grand opening of the special exhibition. It had had to be postponed after heavy rainfall had flooded the basements. Fortunately not too many objects and texts were destroyed so now and with a brand new refurbishing the museum awaited the public again. The big day finally was there. Tommy had just finished his speech that had indicated the start of the big weekend festival on the village green. The sun was shining, it was warm and a light breeze let the pennants and garlands softly flap. A the moment the village green looked like they were shooting a Midsomer Murder episode. The re-opening of the museum would follow later that day.

Shaking a few hands on his way Tommy, the 8th Earl of Asherton, approached the small group of people that was his family. Most of the time and that included this day his left arm still was on a sling after he got hit by a bullet about seven months ago and the healing process of his bones came up with some minor but not to be ignored self-imposed complications. His right arm instead was very healthy and able to boldly snake around his wife's waist.

They had been a couple since shortly after that shot. Barbara already had moved in with him after only one single month and they secretly had married three more months later. From the beginning Barbara had insisted on a small ceremony. They had been married in London by the registrar, accompanied only by their closest family and friends. Due to a nasty murder they had had to cancel their honeymoon because by then their marriage, although made known where necessary, had not yet been officially announced at the Met and their Chief Super still had been unaware of it. Their Chief Superintendent had not been too happy about their relationship at all but as long as the Commissioner agreed on it and on them continuing to work together there was no way to separate them.

Later his mother and the vicar had talked them into a second wedding at St Oswald Church in Nanrunnel but also there and for their reception in Howenstow they had not invited too many guests. Still and only slowly Barbara was adjusting to her new role as Lady Asherton. Today was one of those days where she had to get into her Lady's gear with overly expensive clothes and a few shiny stones. On occasions like this she found the most wonderful part that she was able to wear her engagement ring Tommy had given her three weeks after his proposal. The emerald and the diamond were extremely beautiful but also extremely unwearable at her daily job as a police officer. But today was one of those opportunities where she did not hide that treasure. Although she actually preferred the simple golden ring on her left hand's ring finger which she never took off.

"I still don't know why you didn't want to hold that speech." he smiled and gave her a kiss.

"Because you are the one with the gongs." She playfully pulled at two medals on his chest. "And by the way it's your job, your Lordship."

"It's a heavy burden." Tommy joked.

"Where is that roaming husband of mine?" Judith returned from the bar. She carried a tray with six flutes. "Ah, well, never mind. Brings me two glasses... Champagne, anyone?"

"Oh, bloody hell, yes!" Peter answered.

"Peter!" That was his mother.

"Ah, you're an angel, that speech really has drained my throat." Tommy groans when he took one of the flutes.

"Barb?" Judith held out the tray to Barbara.

"No, thank you." She slightly blushed.

"What? No champagne? I can't drink three of them." Again Judith held out the tray inviting her sister-in-law for a glass of bubbly.

"Still no, thank you." Barbara smiled and averted her eyes.

"But usually you..." Judith halted, visibly thinking about something. Then the penny dropped. "Noo!?" she cried out in happy disbelief and gaped at Barbara who, still smiling, nodded.

"What?!" Daze looked up from the leaflet where the master piece of this War and Peace special exhibition was described. She looked from her daughter to Barbara, then back, then to her stupidly grinning son and to the wife at his arm again. "What?!" she repeated with a slightly higher voice but she already had understood. Barbara blushed a bit more and even Tommy's ears were burning. He squeezed his wife's shoulders and pulled her gently into his side.

"What the...?" Peter asked and looked at his older brother. He obviously had no clue. "Is that a woman's thing or what?"

"Well, not really." Tommy answered. "Not only. But in fact you are too young to understand." He laughed winking at Peter.

"Oh, shut up, Tommy, I'm already-"

"Peter!" That was his mother again, chiding him before a tear of happiness streamed down her face.

"What now?" The poor young man, the youngest in the group, although in fact old enough to be involved, still did not understand why everybody was grinning and crying until his sister whispered it into his ear. "What?! Oh, wow! Congratulations!" His brotherly hug squeezed the couple both at the same time. "That's so great, you cheeky-"

"Sh!" Tommy stopped him. "We don't want to involve the village yet."

"We're no bloody celebrities." Barbara added.

"Oh, you are..." Daze mumbled. She was the one living in Howenstow. She was the who heard all the gossip. "How long...?"

"We know it for two months now." Tommy looked completely proud and totally smitten down into Barbara's beaming face.

"I'm in the third month." she added.

"First shot, first hit, eh?" Peter slapped his brother's back.

"Peter! When will you ever behave?" His mother did not at all agree with his manners today.

"Not at all!" Tommy answered his brother and while his eyes locked with Barbara's he knew she was thinking about their wedding night too. It had turned into a wedding weekend and they had spent it almost exclusively in their bedroom. And it had definitely not been their first night together.

"And...?" Judith poked ignoring the lovebirds' silent communication.

"And!" Barbara turned to Tommy's sister. She rolled her eyes without stopping to grin. "It's going to be a little human."

"I'm so happy for you!" Daze hugged her daughter-in-law and told her that she had suspected it all those two weeks they had spent at Howenstow before this opening day. "Your face was beaming all the time. You've radiated with such a solid happiness I already thought it could only be this one thing."

"Ah, Lady Asherton, here you are!" Joseph Mallard, The curator of the museum had approached them. The poor short man with his big belly was a bit out of breath.

Daze turned. "Joseph, hello." Then she hid her faux pas with waving her hand at her good friend Lady Annabel she had seen somewhere behind the curator's shoulder and excused herself in that direction. Barbara instead had to be turned by a gentle nudge of her husband's arm so she could receive the oversized scissors Mallard held out to her. It was her task today to cut the ribbon at the door to the museum.

On their way across the grass Tommy did not disguise his amusement. "Well, Lady Asherton, how many years do you think it will take until you get used to it, hm?"

"As long as I amuse you I'll never get used to it, Sir. Cheeky sod." With force but playfully she squeezed his hand.

"Behave!" Tommy whispered into her ear and secretly gave her bottom a soft clap when she had to go the last yards without him. On this occasion it was him who would stay in the background and she would be the one to cut off the ribbon. It had been a long intensive argument before she had agreed on it. Tommy was very proud of her although she only had agreed because he had promised her that she would not have to give a speech. She still hated that. One per year was enough and she already had given three in the last seven months.

The special exhibition was in the left wing of the museum that once had been a hotel back in better days for sea resorts.

"Was it that bad?" Tommy eventually asked her when they slowly walked through the building, his arm around her shoulder again. He loved walking like that when his wife melded into his side with her arm looped around his waist. And Barbara visibly loved it too.

"I'm not going to answer that." Barbara hissed but then they entered the former dining room. There were shining armours and swords and military uniforms and weapons from all ages as well as showcases with flowery decorated peace contracts on parchment and austere computer-printed call-up orders. Photos were shown and a few oddities.

In the middle of the room was a glass covered table with a well-known wooden box, an old revolver and seven bullets. Four still were in that box, each one in its own mould in the red lace. The weapon and three bullets were shown next to it. They had their own explanation signs. Two projectiles, looking like those in the box, were deformed and laid in a Petri dish. The sign said those two had stopped the bank-robber. A single one, different from the others but similarly deformed, had its separate Petri dish. This had been the one that had caused Tommy's injury. More text about what had happened was found in the leaflet.

Involuntarily Barbara searched his hand. She had not seen the three bullets for quite a while now. "It still shakes me." she quietly confessed.

"Yah, I know." As chance would have it - or the museum's volunteer knowingly had arranged it - they found themselves alone for a few moments so they were able to exchange a tender kiss before other visitors entered the room.

The buzzing sound of a mobile phone was clearly heard over the hushed voices and sounds of quiet visitors. Heads and disapproving eyes turned to Lord and Lady Asherton. Tommy already pulled his out of the pocket of his suit when another phone beeped its ridiculous ringtone. Barbara picked hers out of her tiny handbag.

"Yes, Lynley." After checking the caller ID and exchanging an annoyed look at each other both already hurried through the museum when they answered anyway.

"Havers. What is it, Winston?"

Rampaging juveniles had found another body at the banks of the River Thames and DI Lynley, his wife Sergeant Lynley, still Havers at work, and the rest of their medal winning team were needed there. Reality hit the picturesque village of Nanrunnel. London summoned them both back to work.

This here in Cornwall only was the fairy tale part of their lives.

Their profession was to solve ugly major crimes.

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A/N: Thanks for all your reviews.

Tess