A/N: They're married now, but the day isn't over yet. Not even all the ceremonies and traditions have come to an end...
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Emerald Bond
Traditions Afterwards
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While their guests were already leaving and going down with the lift, Tommy and Barbara still gathered some papers and their new family book which actually was just a thin folder for all the files. Later they would be added to the huge tome in a special locked cabinet in Howenstow. They also exchanged a few words with Registrar Burnet. Together with their witnesses and their partners - and baby Trevor on Yazza's arms - Tommy and Barbara were the last to exit and go down to the side entrance of Westminster Hall where there was a certain area suitable for a small appearance of the newly-weds.
All were waiting there already but the couple had to stop for a moment before stepping out into the crowd.
"I love you... wife." Tommy said with a gentle but cheeky smile. He pulled her into his arms.
"And I love you, hubby." Barbara chortled amused. She looped her arms around his neck.
When he bent down and they exchanged a gently lasting kiss they could be seen clearly through the glass front and Tommy was sure that it was Stuart Lafferty who cheered the loudest and whistled appreciatively.
"Come. Let's face them." Barbara said to Tommy with a fond but also adventurous smile.
They turned. Yazza and Simon opened the double glass door and hand in hand the married couple Barbara and Tommy Lynley stepped outside.
In an instant the crowd clapped their hands and cheered. Rice was raining down on the newly-weds while they walked under a strange arch of swords. It was built by their colleagues. Some held up Bobby hats and some raised wooden toy swords. Two of them even raised a broom and a cordless vacuum cleaner. Barbara saw Chief Inspector Thornton again and her friend and former colleague Annabel Lévi, both holding up a Bobby hat. Hillier, in dress uniform, obviously had bit the bullet and raised one of the toy sabres, as well as Winston on the opposite side of him. All officers gave them three loud hoorays.
When they had passed the silly arch of swords Tommy and Barbara were welcomed by Frederick and George who held up a thick rope which obviously already had seen years of rough work at sea. George silenced the audience with a gesture.
"You've tied the knot" Frederick said to the couple when it was quieter. "and now we'll tie your hands together. Cross your arms and hold your hands."
Barbara gave her bridal bouquet to Daze who happened to stand right there. Nobody saw the secret glance Tommy's mother exchanged with Martin Thackerton, the vet from Nanrunnel. Not even Tommy saw her rosy cheeks.
The proud husband took his wife's hands in his and George explained what was happening now.
"This is the ancient Celtic practice of hand-fasting." Slowly the two elderly men tied the newly-weds' hands together with that rope. "You hold your hands now, and the eight your arms form represents eternity. Eternally should your bond last. Your lives are tied together now as well as your hands are. This symbolises that you are a union from today on, and your ancestors will look upon you with favour. May your union be filled with love and laughter forever."
"Hear ye, hear ye!" Stuart exclaimed and the people around them started cheering again.
Tommy earned a manly clap onto his back from the old men but Barbara was, a bit clumsily because her hands were tied to Tommy, pulled into a hug. She also received a couple of pecks on her cheeks from Frederick and George.
In the background DC Boyle and PC Navarov already had started cleaning up the rice and some confetti from the floor. They had been the poor ones with broom and vacuum cleaner but had to leave soon to get back to work anyway.
"We don't have to walk like this all the way to the Saxon, do we?" Tommy asked laughing.
"Of course you have to!" Frederick droned and clapped his hand on Tommy's back once more. "I told you - this is an eternal bond."
"Congratulations, you two!" George added cheerfully.
Luckily the couple was allowed to get their hands free again because now DC Gaynor and DC Norton were about to give them a present from their teams.
It was a nice big photograph of the iconic New Scotland Yard sign, all in shades of metallic blue. The entire team had signed it and they had written good wishes and congratulations. And since Tommy and Barbara had spread the idea of donating to a charity instead of giving them presents for their wedding, the team also had collected money for Educate all Children, London. So now they also handed over an oversized fake cheque with the sum they already had donated with the given reference. It was not an insignificant amount of money.
"Wow, this is great." Barbara said and offered both DCs a hug before she saw that Letty tapped pointedly onto her invisible wristwatch in silence.
It was time to go to the pub. It was time to go to their beer reception.
The short walk to the pub only was a five minute walk. Nonetheless it looked quite weird how the group of people, very obviously a wedding party, walked among a few tourists and a lot of business people, the usual crowd on Victoria Street on a typical Thursday afternoon.
Frederick and his dear friend George fell behind and quietly talked to each other in a very private manner. They still were a bit chuffed from the hand-fasting ceremony a few moments ago. In the end they stopped and completely against their usual behaviour they quickly exchanged a gentle kiss. Good for them that Auntie Augusta could not see it because she just was chatting with Daze and was a few steps ahead. Otherwise she probably would have died on the spot.
The pub Barbara and Tommy had chosen for their beer reception stuck out from all other, much higher and distinctively more modern glass and concrete buildings around it. It was (and still is) the only remaining building from the original phase of the development of Victoria Street. The old building proudly stood its ground against modernism. The Saxon was a four-storey building constructed of yellow brick with red brick dressings and stucco trim. It was three windows wide facing the broad street, and five windows deep. The original canted ground floor front section was central panelled with glazed doors and flanking windows framed by granite pilasters carrying fascia, cornice, and baluster with ball finials.
The bar windows and glazed doors had beautiful cut, engraved, and frosted glass. The upper floors had recessed sash windows linked by ornate iron balconies on the second and third floors. The slate roof was framed by a stucco moulded parapet with a prominent stucco main entablature with deep cornices and lions' head modillions. Centred on both sides were upstands with "The Saxon" cut in on them. A pub sign hanging at the front towards Victoria Street showed an archaically dressed and combed man in a royal uniform. It was not swinging today because there was almost no wind on this lovely day.
And when you got inside the pub it did not stop to amaze. The interior retained some bar fittings that date back to some time around 1900. A lot of wood, brass and deep red cloth created an atmosphere that would not make you wonder if Queen Victoria herself would have dropped by to have a pint of beer or two. And they definitely offered a wide range of those.
Usually at this hour of day the pub was quite crowded but today there was a wooden information board standing at its entrance saying "Private function this afternoon - reopening at 5 pm" and on another board with more accurate writing it said
~ Tommy & Barbara ~
~ just married ~
~ congratulations! ~
"Congratulations, Mrs Lynley, Mr Lynley." Today's shift manager welcomed them and made an inviting gesture into the room. "Enjoy your reception."
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