Chapter 23
Spiller had feared that a human wedding would be cold and sterile compared to the normal borrower ceremony where family members came together and spoke from the heart but it really wasn't. Everything went very well. It was a bit dicey when Arrietty had to crawl through the space next to the church drainpipe in her finery but she managed. Larkspur was the one that got her lace caught but Peregrine so gently and solicitously helped free it that Spiller's opinion of him went up even more than it already had. They had gone over an hour before the humans were due so that they could get into place.
He and Arrietty were both nervous so Peregrine gave them a tour of the church to calm them. He said to humans it was a small church. To the borrowers it was huge. The girls had never seen candles that tall. Spiller had seen the inside of it before, but didn't know the history of it and Peregrine did, so he occupied them with that while they searched for a place to stand during the ceremony. "Tourists come from all over the world to see this church, especially the rood screen. It's famous!"
"What's a tourist?" Spiller asked, looking up at the screen. Even he had to admit it was a marvel of the woodworker's art.
""Your type of human," Peregrine said with a grin. "They travel the world to see things, learn things and have adventures."
"You calling me human?" Spiller asked, grinning back.
"Hush," Arrietty said. "You're both reminding me of Aunt Lupy."
"She is the the one that lives in the groundskeeper's cottage is she not? I would like to meet her sometime," Peregrine said. "She sounds, shall we say, interesting."
"I've heard her called other things," Spiller muttered.
They finally decided to set themselves up below a low bench just in front of the alcove at the end of the church. If they went all the way under as the humans passed Spiller and Peregrine were quite sure no one would see them. Peregrine assured them that the way the sound carried in the church they would be able to hear.
Arrietty edged along the side of the bench. "I want to see Miss Menzies and Mr. Pott, though," she said. "I saw the fabric flowers she made to put on her suit. They looked almost real."
"You'll know when they're coming," Spiller assured her. "With that wooden leg of his you'll hear him right away."
"Like I said, she was making a suit to wear," Arrietty said. "It sounded lovely when she described it to me. "
"If she did half the job with that as she did with our dresses," Lark said, also peering out, "I'm sure it will be lovely."
"You both look lovely," Peregrine assured the girls, "and you look very distinguished, Spiller. Seeing you in a suit will be one of the highlights of my summer."
"Well, enjoy it while you can. After dinner we're going back to Little Fordham," Spiller retorted. The choir boys were starting to file in, so he assumed things would get going soon. Several women came in dressed in flowered dresses and gabbling like a flock of geese.
"So soon?" Peregrine seemed down about this. "I've very much enjoyed this visit. I haven't had this much companionship for years."
"Why don't you come back with us?" Lark said quickly. "It's been a treat for me, too. Arrietty and Spiller will be staying at the Little Crown and I'll be at Vine Cottage. You could keep me company while they get used to marriage. You could stay at the Dovecote! It's a nice house with a desk and paper and pencils for your writing and a whole shelf of books. I'm not sure if there are any you haven't read but I could certainly use your company."
"Yes, Peregrine," Arrietty said. "Why don't you? There is lots of room at Little Fordham and lots to see. It would be fun."
He looked at her, looked at Spiller, who was trying very hard to keep his face expressionless, and then looked at Larkspur who certainly seemed to mean what she said. "I hadn't thought about it. Perhaps…perhaps I could. I'll certainly give it some thought." He craned his head as the human ladies sat in pews. "I think those are women who clean the church with your miss. I recognize some of them. There's Kitty Whitlace, in the blue dress and Mrs. Crabtree in the beige."
Spiller's head spun around then and he put his finger to his lips. Mr. Pott was in the doorway dressed like they'd never seen him dressed before. He was wearing a very proper gray morning coat with pinstriped trousers, waistcoat, ascot tie and a top hat.
"Will you look at that?" Spiller whispered. "Didn't think he had it in him."
"Look who's talking," Peregrine whispered back. Lark giggled but Arrietty hushed her. Pott walked to the front of the church with a younger man they didn't recognize.
"I think that's dear Aubrey's son-in-law," Arrietty said. "He's the one that took the job at the signal box and moved into Miss Menzie's house."
A woman appeared wearing a lavender dress with belled sleeves and a bustled skirt. Her hair was piled high, held with ivory hair combs. She had on white kid gloves and brocade shoes with slight heels. A little girl was with her wearing a satin dress that had a lot of bows on it. She had a basket with her and the scent of rose petals wafted around as she swung it back and forth.
"Do be careful, Louisa," her mother said. "Don't spill them. You are supposed to scatter them down the aisle, not dump them on the floor." She glanced back. "I do wish your grandfather could have come to see Auntie Meg married. She was his favorite cousin, you know."
Then Miss Menzies was there in two layered bustle skirt on in pale gray. The jacket had a wide collar edged in lace that extended down along the front placket. Ruffles finished off the cuffs and the peplum style hem. The front of the jacket had lace accents and little fabric flowers that did look real. Her plain face glowed into beauty when the little girl headed down the aisle with her basket as the choir began to sing, followed by her mother. When the other woman had gotten about ten paces down, Miss Menzies took a deep breath, gripped her bouquet, which had roses, stephanotis, and orange blossoms in it, and headed down the aisle. When she took Mr. Pott's hand, Spiller took Arrietty's. The vicar was solemn as he spoke about marriage. Spiller and Arrietty were caught up in his solemnity. Spiller was very impressed by the promises that humans who were marrying made.
He thought that when the vicar said, "Wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?" that it was quite perfect, exactly how he felt about Arrietty.
Kitty Whitlace burst into tears and buried her face in her handkerchief when Mr. Pott looked right into Miss Menzies eyes and said "I will."
Larkspur did the same as Spiller answered, "I will" a second behind Mr. Pott. Peregrine put a comforting hand on her arm and she reached up with her other hand to hold his.
The vicar then asked, "Wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?"
Arrietty's "I will" was a bit firmer than Spiller's had been. That was exactly how she had felt for a long, long time.
The borrowers all peered around the edge of the bench. When the vicar had Mr. Pott repeat after him, "I, Abel, take thee, Margaret, to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth" Spiller picked up on that immediately and said it, too, except he stumbled a bit on his own name. He decided to use his real one along with the name he used most often. That drew another sniffle from Lark.
Now knowing what to expect, Arrietty has no problem repeating right along with Miss Menzies, "I, Arrietty Clock, take thee Ash Spiller Lodge. to my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth."
When the humans let their hands go, Spiller saw the man standing with Mr. Pott hand him something, and reached in his pocket, realizing it must be time for the rings. He hadn't remembered to give it to Peregrine, but he assumed it would be all right anyway. He repeated with Mr. Pott, "with this ring I thee wed and with all my worldly goods I thee endow."
"That's not saying a lot, Spiller," Peregrine muttered, and the other three borrowers whipped around openmouthed to stare at him, so they missed some of the human praying but they were all grinning so widely that none of them thought it was much missed.
"I thought you were a Shakespearian scholar. Have you forgotten this quote?" Lark whispered, "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind, and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind." She winked at her brother.
They straightened up when the vicar said, "Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder. For as much as Abel and Margaret have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a ring, and by joining of hands; I pronounce that they be man and wife together, In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
When the humans kissed, Spiller and Arrietty did, too. Lark was so excited that when they finally turned around she kissed both of them and then hurled her arms around Peregrine's neck and kissed him on the cheek almost at the corner of his mouth, shocking him but pleasing him at the same time. With his arm still around her he shook Spiller's hand.
"Might I suggest we leave before the humans do?" Peregrine asked.
"Yes," Arrietty said. "I don't want the stew to burn."
"Hang the stew," Spiller said. "I'm just glad this wedding is done."
When they got back to the rectory, Arrietty took off the diamond ring and veil, but remained in the wedding dress, because, as she said, "Miss Menzies put too much work into it to wear it just for a couple of hours."
"Mrs. Pott now," Spiller said, "but you've got a point there. You're so pretty in it, Ari. When you and Lark came out this morning all fancied up, I almost fell over."
"I've never seen two lovelier ladies," Peregrine said, "but you must allow me to help now. How about if I take the wagon out for some more water and then I can put on the tea?"
"I'll help you with that," Larkspur said. "At least I can keep you company on the walk. If the humans are still over at the church visiting it should be safe."
"They were supposed to have cake and sherry in the alcove after the ceremony," Spiller said. "That's the one thing, I regret, Ari. I couldn't get you a proper wedding cake."
"It's a perfect wedding all the same," Arrietty said. "I liked it. I just wish Mother and Papa could have been here."
"I think they know," Larkspur said. "Can't you feel them watching over you? Now, Arrietty, don't cry. Take my handkerchief. You really are too beautiful for tears today." She looked at Peregrine. "Thank you so much for keeping me calm. I was nervous but you gave me courage."
"I was delighted to be of service," he said, as they went out together with the wagon.
Spiller looked at Arrietty, who was stirring the stew and shook his head. "That toff intends to marry my sister. Don't tell me he doesn't."
"Well, they need to get to know each other better but I wouldn't mind. Wouldn't that be a good thing?" Arrietty asked. "He's not really so bad, not like you made him out to be, and she's lonely. It's better than Grego chasing her until he wears her down and giving us even more reason to spend time with Lupy and Hendreary."
"Well, it is that," Spiller admitted, giving her another kiss when she turned away from the pot, "but she's only seventeen! She won't be eighteen until August."
"Spiller if she decides he's right for her it's her decision to make. I was sixteen when I told Mother I wanted to marry you," Arrietty pointed out.
"Fair point," Spiller admitted, "and I was afraid Grego would take a page from his brother's book, run off and try to find the lodge someday. Can't you imagine the look on his face when we tell him Lark's got another beau? Do you really think we should take Peagreen to Little Fordham with us, though? Isn't that being pushy?"
"If he didn't really want to go he wouldn't," Arrietty said decisively. "Now take that very large lid on that shelf behind you and hold it steady while I put the stew into it. You can carry that to the table and I'll get the plates."
Peregrine made the tea, but he also brought out a bottle of his gooseberry wine. "If anyone would like some, you do have the choice."
"Not for me," Spiller said. "Need my wits about me when we go downriver. You still want to take a ride with us, Peagreen?"
"I think I am up for an adventure," Peregrine said, "if you all would not mind. It sounds splendid. I have heard the humans talking about Little Fordham for years and as close as I am I never thought to go."
They ate and drank and talked about the weddings. The all agreed that the human ceremony had been very moving and that they were all glad it had gone so well. Larkspur and Arrietty told Peregrine a bit more about Little Fordham and he was quite intrigued by their descriptions.
"You say the miniature church looks exactly like the real one?"
"From the churchyard to the steeple," Spiller said, helping himself to more stew. "Ari, you've outdone yourself this time. Good one, this is."
"I told him he was terrible for making you cook your own wedding luncheon," Larkspur said, "but he was determined to surprise you."
"It is excellent," Peregrine said, pouring Larkspur another cup of wine. "I do so admire people who can cook. I've never had the knack for it."
"Neither have I," Lark admitted again.
"Don't feel bad. Many borrowers don't," Peregrine told her. "They just, well, borrow. The Overmantles never cooked. They just took the leftovers from afternoon tea. It was very good in the old days. There were crumpets, cakes, muffins, and wonderful jellies and jams. After they left and I went to stay with the Wainscots I learned about the larder. I do have to admit there's more variety there, but it still wasn't necessary to cook, although Mrs. Wainscot did a bit. She liked to steam vegetables from the garden. The first time I had hot peas with butter I thought they were sublime."
After dinner the girls cleared up the dishes while Peregrine went to pack a bag. When everything was put away, the girls changed out of their fancy dresses and put on traveling clothes. Spiller did not bother. He just carted the luggage and anything that would not keep until their return down to the boat. The suit was roomy and comfortable and his soft boots reminded him of Pod. Sentimental fool, he told himself, and smiled as he lowered Peregrine's bag down through the mass of tangled reeds where he had moored the boat at the edge of the pond.
It was a fancy bag made from a large old leather change purse. Someone had added a strap to turn it into a very serviceable suitcase. It looked exactly like Spiller would have expected an Overmantle's suitcase to look.
Peregrine had never seen Spiller's boat before and thought it was a marvel of ingenuity. "I'm surprised the humans don't notice it," he said, and Spiller replied that was why he usually traveled at night, but that during short day trips, it was usually past before any humans could notice it or wonder what it was.
"Just going down the stream a short ways. Not far at all," Spiller said, reaching for his crochet hook to push off with when they were all safely aboard and he'd undone the ropes and coiled them carefully. "Not past any houses or big pathways today." They got past a mass of water lilies and were soon on their way.
Arrietty helped him switch the crochet hook out for the butter knife and sat by Spiller in the prow while Lark and Peregrine sat back in front of the canopy. They braced themselves as the boat shot forwards. The sun, which had slid slightly down in the west, was still warm as it shone down. As they passed an oak tree a starling stared at them speculatively. They listened to the sound of the rushing water, the buzz of the occasional fly, the hum of other insects and the whisper of the wind through the rushes.
"I can see why your brother likes traveling by water, "Peregrine told Larkspur. "He can cover quite a lot of distance quickly and the scenery is breathtaking."
"Our father had a boat. He was already taking him out by the time I was born. He must have been about three the first time he rode in a boat and fell in love with the sea. Father taught him to fish and use a bow when he was small. Our humans went away for weeks at a time, and while we liked the lodge, we had to eat. There wasn't a lot of staff year round, just enough to keep the place up. It's better now because the children have grown up and now have children of their own. They all take turns using the lodge."
"Sounds like a very proper home," Peregrine said.
"It is and I love it, but I like visiting all the other borrowers my brother knows, too. I was so lonely for so long. You must have been lonely, too, after your family left and then those Wainscots. I mean, it was nice of them to keep you until your leg got well, but why didn't they take you with them?"
"I still couldn't walk very fast, and would have been a burden," Peregrine said, "and there had been a lot of bad feelings between the high borrowers and the ground floor borrowers for awhile. Silly now that I think of it."
They locked gazes. "It is," she said firmly. "That's one of the reasons I admire my brother. Trading up and down the river he's a link to all sorts of borrowers." A lock of black hair was caught by the wind and brushed past her cheek. Larkspur tried to tuck it in but Peregrine caught her hand.
"Let it go," he said. His clipped tone was especially gentle. "Nothing has a right to be that perfect. She blushed as a spark ran up her arm from the touch of his fingers but she wound her own fingers around his.
When they got to the shipping dock, Peregrine was astounded. "Humans did all of this?" When assured that humans had he shook his head in wonder. As they carried their bags through the village he was a bit nervous but Arrietty assured him that no humans would have gotten past Mr. Pott's sign and into his house and garden today. They told Lark to show him around while they took their things to the miniature Crown and Anchor.
Peregrine wanted to see everything. The station was a perfect copy of the one at Fordham. As he peered into the windows he marveled at the benches, the high wooden desk, and the pigeon holes for tickets. Larkspur helped him over the tracks and showed him the copy of the Norman church and he stood staring at it for a long time.
"Mrs. Pott told Arrietty that Mr. Pott collected stone for a year before he started to build it," Larkspur ventured.
"I wonder how long this took," Peregrine mused when they moved down the road and stopped at the village shop. "It must have been a long time. Did Arrietty's Miss make all of these things in the window or did he?"
"She did the miniature merchandise for him I think," Lark said. She pointed down the street a bit. "That is Vine Cottage. Arrietty's family used to stay there but now she and Spiller live at the Little Crown so I'm going to use it. Do you want to see it?"
"Surpassingly comfortable," he said, examining the small fireplace and the small sink that really worked. "Imagine having all the water you could ever want whenever you wanted it!"
"Arrietty and Spiller have that, as well," Lark said showing him the way upstairs, "and you will, too." She took her bags into the larger bedroom and laid them down as he went down the hall and looked into the smaller bedroom
He came back to examine hers, then thinking perhaps it was not proper, backed out. "Where is my house to be?"
'We're on different corners of this street," she said, taking him by the hand and drawing him outside. "Yours is that little brown one, with the urn full of flowering cedums in the yard. Miss Menzies, that is, Mrs. Pott wanted to have a fountain, but it wasn't practical."
"I can imagine," Peregrine said as they crossed the street. The house had a nice parlor, with a plush sofa, wing chair and ottoman, a nice rug done in the style of a Persian carpet in front of the fireplace, and on one of the side walls a stand of the miniature books that Victorians had been so fond of. Peregrine's face lit up as he walked over and ran one hand across their spines. "What a wonderful collection!"
"Do you want to see the rest of the house or have I lost you here?" Larkspur asked mischievously
"You have not lost me, nor shall you," he said, causing her to blush. The fact that he had a sink of his own, real canisters of coffee tea, flour and sugar, a percolator, kettle, teapot, and china left him dumfounded.
"The stove is small but you don't need a large one. Come and see the bedrooms!" Lark pulled him by the hand again. As in Vine Cottage there was one large bedroom and one smaller one. He laid his suitcase down on the bed and ran one hand over the washstand, fingered a towel, opened and closed the armoire, and looked at his reflection in the mirror. Then he rolled the top up on the desk and gasped when he saw the neat stack of borrower sized letter paper and pencils. The desk sat in front of the window behind a lace curtain that would give privacy, but still let in light.
"This is indeed, better than I'd heard, better than I could have imagined. I can see why Arrietty loves this village," Peregrine said, turning away from the desk and drawing aside a panel of curtain to look out at the train track that ran parallel to the street.
"Why don't you leave your unpacking until later and let's go see what they're up to," Larkspur said. She bounded down the stairs to the parlor and waited for him by the door. He came down slower, his hand on the polished railing, looking around one more time. The two of them crossed the street, walked to the Crown and went in through the front door after Peregrine, who couldn't resist, set the rocker on the porch moving.
Inside, the bar dazzled him. "There are more tables in the real Crown and Anchor, or so my brother says, but I think this is quite enough," Larkspur said. "There are four bedrooms upstairs. Pod and Homily used one for a workroom. He was a shoemaker and that's where she did all her sewing and knitting." Peregrine's eyes had just traveled up the stairs, when Arrietty came running out from the kitchen.
"Oh, come and see what she's given us!" Arrietty exclaimed. It turned out to be a large, round cake with white frosting and sparkling sugar crystals on top, sitting on the kitchen table along with a glass vial like looked suspiciously like more wine. "Have you ever seen the like?"
"Actually, yes," Peregrine said. "I have seen those before. The humans call small cakes like that fairy cakes."
"Small!" Spiller looked at him as if he were mad.
"Small for a human. It's a single serving to one of them." Peregrine held out a chair for Larkspur, who sat down feeling like a queen.
"I wonder if it tastes as good as it looks?" Larkspur said as Peregrine sat beside her. "Arrietty, you must cut it with Spiller's hand over yours just like humans do with wedding cakes! Please?"
"Oh, if it will make you happy," Arrietty said, and getting the largest knife out of the drawer, she and Spiller carefully cut into the cake together as Lark beamed. They all sat down with a piece and a glass. Peregrine held his glass up to the light.
"I swear I've seen this before. Perhaps back in the drawing room when I was young. It's very good."
"I thought you two would never get here," Arrietty said. "Did you take him around the whole village to see everything everywhere?"
"Not everywhere," Larkspur said, twisting frosting onto her fork. "But we left his things at Dovecote and mine at Vine Cottage. I can't wait for a ride on the train."
"We'll get to it," Spiller said, and they had a nice party. Peregrine finally yawned, and begged their pardon.
"I am not used to so much fresh air. I spend much more time out than in. I think I'll go back to the house Miss Larkspur told me I could use and get some rest."
"Come back in the morning for breakfast," Arrietty told him. "Before we left Mrs. Pott gave us lots of food."
"I'd better go, too," Larkspur said. "For me it's fresh air and wine. I'm not as used to it as you are, Peregrine. What do you always say, Arrietty? A bottle at night and you're out like a light?"
"That was what it said in my proverb book," she answered. After Arrietty saw them out, she looked over at Spiller a bit shyly. "You can go get ready for bed. "I already put water in the pitcher on the washstand. I'll just clean up the dishes and put the cake away."
"Don't take too long," he said simply.
He went upstairs, took off his boots, and washed his face and hands in the bowl. As he dried his hands on the towel he thought to himself, well, it's done. I did what I promised I'd do. Ari and I are married and I'll be able to spend the rest of my life with her. It's all done, witnessed good and proper. Then he turned at the sound of Arrietty's tread on the stairs, and his face was suffused with joy.
The next couple of weeks were happy ones. Arrietty and Spiller were happy to be married and Larkspur and Peregrine were happy to be spending time together with them at Little Fordham. They all had breakfast and supper together each day. When they were together, in pairs or in a group, they all found they had no end of things to talk about.
Several times Mr. Pott let them jump onto a train and they rode around looking at the town from various angles. Peregrine was absolutely terrified the first time Margaret Menzies Pott came and sat by the elm tree and Spiller, Arrietty and Lark went out to talk to her. Lark finally convinced him there was no danger, and Margaret, for she asked them to now call her Margaret, was so gentle and kind and sympathetic toward this small lame person that she soon put him at ease.
"You must call us Abel and Margaret now because we feel as if you are family," she said, folding her long thin hands into her lap and looking at them with soft, violet eyes. "I know you can't stay but part of you will always be with us. I hope you'll come back as often as you can and your friends are always welcome. You know that."
She gave Arrietty some food and other things that she thought would be useful and they talked about the wedding. Lark told the story of Spillers mad rush to get her down the river and how exciting it had been. Margaret then told them about how she and Spiller had hatched the wedding plot and about how she had rushed to complete the wedding gown. Finally feeling more comfortable, Peregrine told her a bit about his own past life.
"I never rush anywhere since I fell off the mantelpiece at my old house and broke my leg. I was just five or six, you see, and it never healed properly."
Margaret listened with tears in her eyes as he talked, asking the occasional question, and it struck Spiller, Arriertty and Lark all at once how alike their voices were, all gentleness and gentility at the same time. "You get around very well, considering," she assured him. "My parents had a friend that was injured in a riding accident and was either bedridden or walked with a stick for the rest of her life. Arrietty, you remember Sophie at Firbank, don't you?"
"Yes, she was a good friend of my father's. When he went out borrowing of an evening he always used to stop in her room. She used to drink a whole decanter of pale old Madeira every evening after supper, and thought he came out of the bottle!"
"Poor thing," Margaret said. "She had so few pleasures. It probably amused her but I'm quite sure no one would have believed her." I don't want to take any chances while you're here, though. When the village is open and people are about you must stay either stay inside. If you want to ride the trains get on and stay on. I don't want to risk anyone else seeing you."
That worked for a time. Sometimes they each stayed in their own homes doing as they wished but Peregrine would often invite them all over to the Dovecote after supper and he would read to them novels and poetry in his cultured voice as they sat around his comfortable parlor. The way he read "King Lear" made Larkspur understand why Arrietty preferred Shakespeare's histories.
When she mentioned during one of their talks that she was going to be eighteen in August, Peregrine was shocked. "As young as that? You seemed much older, or should I say wiser?
"Why, how old are you?" Lark asked.
"Twenty four, too old for you, alas," Peregrine replied. You were probably born the year I fell off the mantelpiece."
"Twenty four is not old," Lark assured him.
"Some days I feel much older than on other days," he replied, standing up and going to put the book back on the shelf.
Spiller and Arrietty were not finding marriage much of an adjustment. They'd known each other too long. He was making an attempt to figure out how Pod had made shoes. Peregrine offered to be his first experiment. Spiller's first effort took days but when he got them done everyone decreed them not bad for a first attempt.
He wanted to take a run downriver to start Halberd on the borrowing route and asked Arrietty to come but she shook her head. "You'll be busy with him and I'm sure Hemiola and I would eventually run out of things to say to each other. You go ahead. I'll stay here."
"What about you, Peagreen? Want me to drop you at home? What about you, Lark?"
Peregrine watched Larkspur carefully and when she said she'd rather stay behind and keep Arrietty company, he said he would stay behind, too. Spiller had shown him and Lark how he did his trip around the village every evening after the visitor's had been through and Peregrine had been amazed at the amount of borrowings they left.
"I can collect everything while you are gone and give it to the ladies to sort and store."
"Glad to hear you say that," Spiller admitted. "Didn't really want to leave them alone."
Spiller was gone most of July. Arrietty worried about him but not too much. The weather was good and she was sure he and Halberd had lots to do. When she got too blue she would go and visit Margaret. Lark and Peregrine would never venture over to the Pott's house, preferring to have as little to do with humans as possible, but Arrietty liked to bask in the reflection of their happiness. It really had made so much sense for Margaret and Abel Pott to share their lives. They had already been sharing their talents for so long. The problem was Louisa.
As Spiller had predicted the little girl adored her new Auntie Meg, wanted to be with her all the time and was very difficult to fob off. Margaret did her best to have Louisa come and visit her when the village was open so the borrowers would be out of sight but the little girl was lonely. There was no school for her to go to in the summer, her father was working long hours in the signal box, and her mother was trying to make friends in the village. Peregrine, Arrietty and Lark sat around the Crown one night discussing the situation as Arrietty was cutting up half of a ham sandwich left behind by a visitor for them all to share for supper.
"When Spiller gets back we'll have to decide what we want to do. We can either stay until fall or we can take another grand tour on the way back to the Lodge to return Lark. Would you be interested, Peregrine?" Arrietty asked.
He looked at Lark. "Possibly, if you think your friends and family would be willing to become acquainted with me. I have no family and no friends except for all of you so it doesn't matter where I go."
"I'm sure they would like you as much as we do," Larkspur said, and when he ducked his head the girls could have sworn he was blushing.
He and Lark liked walking around the village at night collecting borrowings. Gloves, handkerchiefs and the like they stored in empty buildings. Food they brought to Arrietty, who sorted it. Peregrine enjoyed his time with Larkspur very much. As they walked they discussed music, books and art. They also rode the trains together, sitting stiff and still as Spiller and Arrietty used to do, pretending that they were just figures placed by Margaret to make the trains look realistic. Human faces stared down at them full of delight and wonder. They often speculated on the way home what those people would think if they realized that two of the figures were actually alive.
"They'll never know," Larkspur assured Peregrine.
"I hope not," he answered, but they started a game making up stories about the humans. They speculated about what they were like, where they were from, and what sort of lives they led. He'd write a story and let her read it and she would write one and let him read it.
They got along famously. They had a great deal in common although they were both capable of having their own opinions. Any disagreements between them were resolved quickly and any misunderstandings they had were never taken to heart. They each seemed to know instinctively when they should carve out time to be together and when they each had a need for privacy.
One night as they borrowers were all sitting on the porch at the Crown after supper, Margaret came by and set a lumpy package down at the end of the lawn. "I saw this and I just had to buy it. It was too cunning. If none of you can use it just leave it in one of the parlors."
It turned out to be a miniature chess set. "Oh, how clever," Arrietty exclaimed, holding up one of the tiny knights. "My parents used to have a large one of these under the floor at Firbank. Mother said statuary always added elegance to a room."
"They used to play chess at the rectory. One of the last vicars to live in the house was mad for it. He was always having someone in for a game, or going to someone else's house to play. I used to watch him for hours from behind the vase on the end table," said Peregrine.
"Could you actually play?" Lark asked. "Could you teach me? I mean, I know a bit. Alice's father used to play with his brothers right outside the mousehole leading to my flat. I know how some of the pieces move but not all of them."
"We could try," Peregrine said. "Shall we set up the board here?"
"No," Arrietty said. "Take it to one of your houses. It just doesn't suit the Crown."
Peregrine and Larkspur took it to Dovecote and set it up on a small table in the parlor. The first time they tried to play they laughed a lot. He remembered more than she did about the game.
"I told you I wasn't very good," she reminded him as she poured lemonade.
"That's all right. I have a plethora of time to teach you," he said.
Spiller came back at the end of July. He and Halberd had not only traveled up and down the drains until Halberd knew them almost as well as Spiller did, Spiller had given him his small soapbox boat so that he could do some of Spiller's work on the river. Spiller thought he had learned to pilot it very well.
Then they had taken Hemiola to see Sateen and Daubery, and the Hendrearies. Then on the way back, on impulse, Halberd and Hemiola had decided to come and visit Arietty at Little Fordham. Halberd had told her so much about it that Hemiola wanted to see it. She was not keen on having much to do with Arrietty's tame humans but she wanted to see the village all the same.
Lark was in the kitchen with Arrietty when they arrived with her back to the door. Spiller came in silently as usual and laid a hand on her shoulder. She shrieked loudly enough to shake the rafters. When she realized it was her brother teasing her she threw her arms around his neck which started a series of hugs and kisses.
"Oh, there's my husband," Arrietty said when he let go of Lark. "I was beginning to wonder if I still had one of those."
"Just came from Arista and Burgonet's place," Spiller said after he'd given Arrietty the longest kiss of all as a reply. "Benison is growing like a weed. They were awfully happy when they heard we'd pulled off the wedding just as they did."
Just then Peregrine appeared at the back door, holding a big stick. He stood outside looking in, totally embarrassed when he saw the other borrowers until Larkspur saw him. "Oh, Peregrine! Do come in! Arrietty's cousin Halberd is here with his wife. You must meet them!"
He flushed, set the stick down outside the door and limped in. "I heard you scream all the way across the street," he said to Lark. "I didn't know what was going on." He looked at Spiller. "I'm rather afraid I was the wrong person to leave on guard. With my leg the way it is I'm not much use in an emergency."
"Oh," Lark cried. "You rushed across the street on account of me? I'm sorry, Peregrine, dear." She took his hand and introduced him to Hemiola and Halberd, who seemed much amused.
"Spiller's told us a lot about you," Halberd said, shaking Peregrine's hand.
"I hope not all of it was bad," Peregrine answered.
"Not all, Peagreen, not all," Spiller said with a grin. "But we've got some of Arista's maple jelly and almost half a loaf of bread. How about supper?"
They all washed up, Arrietty made tea and they went into the front of the pub to eat and hear stories of Halberd and Spiller's adventures. Halberd went into great detail about everyone's reactions to the news of Spiller and Arrietty's wedding. He and Spiller played off each other like a pair of music hall comedians.
"Eggletina was thrilled," Spiller said, "and told me she knew we'd be happy."
"She was glad to hear that you had proper witnesses and a nice wedding feast. Grego asked after you, Larkspur, when Spiller told them you had come down for the ceremony. Mother was upset she didn't get to give the wedding, though," Halberd said. "She felt sorry for you, Arrietty. She didn't think a human wedding would be much of anything."
"It was perfect, though," Arrietty said. "It really was. How long did you stay with Aunt Lupy and Uncle Hendreary, Spiller? I did miss you very much."
"Longer than I would have liked. She's smoking a lot of meat and fish for me, though, and that's important. Knew you'd worry, but we were on such a roll we thought we'd travel the whole length of the river. Halberd's becoming an expert with the smaller boat. Besides the meat and fish, we collected plenty of things for Halberd and Hemiola to use in the stove this winter." Spiller slathered jelly on another piece of bread and wolfed it down.
"I don't even want to think about winter. We're having such a lovely summer here," Lark said. "Did you get to show Hemiola much of the village?"
"A bit," she said, "but I'd like to see it all. It's as wonderful as everyone says it is. Spiller and Halberd said we might be able to take a train ride?"
"You'll love it," Lark said. "It goes out of the station, around the village, over the bridge and back again. Peregrine and I spend the whole day sometimes. We take a lunch and sit in the passenger cars until we get back behind the bridge where it turns around and then we go into a freight car and have a sort of picnic."
"Arrietty and I used to do that, too. What else have you been doing this summer?" Spiller said.
Peregrine put his arm around Lark's shoulders. "Miss Margaret brought me a chess board. Your sister is becoming quite a chess master."
"Better her than me," Spiller said.
They talked until they were all talked out and then Lark asked Halberd and Hemiola to come share Vine Cottage with her. "I'm sure Spiller and Arrietty would like some privacy for their reunion," she said with a smirk. "He probably has all sorts of things to show her that the rest of us don't need to see."
"I think," Hemiola said, "that's an offer we'll take you up on."
As Spiller glowered and Arrietty blushed, everyone else laughed as Halberd and Hemiola gathered up their luggage. When they got outside, Peregrine made a slight bow. "It has been a pleasure meeting you. I'll see you all in the morning then."
They didn't go into Vine Cottage until he was safe inside Dovecote. When he was out of sight Hemiola grabbed Larkspur's arm. "Oh, what a dear man! Spiller said you'd found a nice beau and nice he is! Too bad about his poor leg but he seems very intelligent and kind."
"Well, he is nice, but I wish Spiller would stay out of it. I thought he didn't even like Peregrine at first!" Lark exclaimed as she led them into her parlor.
"My brother Grego almost choked on a mouthful of food when Spiller told my family at the supper table that you had a new fellow," Halberd said. "He was sweet on you, too, you know."
"Was he?" Lark spun around as they got to bottom of the stairs. "I was happy to meet him and he was nice to talk to but I never thought of him that way. I was just happy to be out and about."
"Do you think of Peregrine that way or not? Spiller's very seldom wrong," Halberd said slyly.
"He's special to me but he hasn't said a thing along those lines," Lark said primly. "Now come. Your room will be the second one down the hall. I'll get a pitcher of water for your washstand and you can get ready for bed. I'm sure you're tired. Being on the river with Spiller can be exhausting." But when she was finally in her own bed, it took her a long time to go to sleep. She kept thinking about Peregrine, wondering whether or not he really was a nice beau, as Spiller had put it. Was he sweet on her, too? Or just a lonely man enjoying the company of a new friend?
Margaret wondered about Peregrine and Larkspur, too. She was so happy that she wanted everyone she knew to be happy, especially her little people. She began working on a new book about a tree fairy that fell and broke his leg and was taken in by meadow fairies. The tree fairy in the story had Peregrine's tow colored hair. As she was working on it one afternoon trying to capture his image on paper Louisa came in and asked her Auntie Meg what she was doing. Margaret willingly showed her the writing and sketches she had done so far.
"Auntie Meg, why don't you tell people the truth about the fairies?" Louisa asked in her childish treble. "Then lots more of them would come to Little Fordham."
"Why Louisa, whatever do you mean? They're just stories, you know," Margaret said cautiously.
"No, they're not, Auntie Meg," Louis said, pointing to the sketch, "I've seen these two. Did he really hurt his leg falling out of a tree?"
Margaret sucked in her breath, and her heart froze.