"We need to figure out where my family is going to stay. It would just be easier if it was all Weatherpointe where we have room for everyone?" she says sighing. "Then they don't have to worry about hotels and airfare." Alec was down for the weekend to help with planning that seemed to never feel totally right to her, even when she trusted her decisions, but for some reason everything was hard. Flowers? everyone was booked up and they couldn't get what she had in mind for her bouquet. The cake...really did everyone just have fruitcake here? she wanted cake and why was it so hard to find?

"I'm sure Mum wouldn't mind them for the weekend?"

"Alec, that is a lot of people on your mother, Dad and Rosemary, and Bryce to start with. Faith is bringing Jem, and Jerry is bringing his girlfriend. Carl is coming solo?" Una groans. "I mean we can still go ahead of it one weekend and take photos or hell we can have a simple ceremony together before everyone even arrives?" Una tells him trying to compromise something. I can wear mom's dress there for photos, and the dress I got today for the family ceremony?"

"We can find a house or cottage to rent for the weekend for them. I'll cover it, it won't be a problem. They can spend a few days here to see the place and then we can all go down together and we'll find a place for all of us to use. If we can't manage that for the dates we want then we can see what can be done here and get photos taken down there by ourselves." Alec says after a moment. "Though if that happens, I thought you didn't like the church in Grantham?" Alec said after a moment. "Excuse me for a moment," he says making his way towards her bathroom.

"I mean it is pretty, but I was more worried about the whole thing from before, but the vicar has been hinting that he needs to know the dates whenever he is over for tea with your grandmother. So clearly he does not care at all." Una tells him a bit more loudly.

"Umm, luv. Why is there a wee stick in the trash?" Alec asks coming out of her bathroom with a look of confusion on his face.

"Because I needed one?" Una says with a shrug. "The implant makes things more tricky in tracking. You can lose your period altogether, but they tell you in the beginning that if you start going so many weekends without bleeding, to take a test. So I did, you know to make sure it's working and my lack of period was from it working and not because of it not working." Una tells him casually.

"So you thought you were pregnant and didn't tell me?"

"Oh, I knew I wasn't pregnant, which is why I didn't bother telling you about it. I was just following instructions." Una explains.

"You still took a pregnancy test Una, a heads up still would have been appreciated. I mean god forbid it had been positive?"

"Well, we'd be having a different conversation that is for sure. Alex, darling if I actually thought I was, you would be the first person to know. I made that mistake once and it did not turn out well for me?"

"Still! You didn't even tell me it had been long enough to even consider it a possibility Una. We're planning a wedding and working out spousal visa paperwork. A simple Oh yeah I haven't bled in two months I don't think I'm up the duff, but going to wee out a test to double check is I would think a common courtesy?"

"Do you want me to take another with you around Alec? You can see how glamorous it is to pee in a cup and dip a test in it?" Una tells him, understanding his slang much more than before.

"Sure why not," he says stubbornly.

"Fine," Una says stalking into the bathroom and slamming the door before coming out with a cup and a test. "Do the honours will you then, dip for ten seconds and then let it sit for three minutes."

"All right then," Alec says opening the wrapper and Una shakes her head and goes back to folding her clean laundry. He sits there watching it intently she almost wants to tell him watching it doesn't make it go faster.

"Una…how many lines is this supposed to have?" He asks after a moment.

"What do you mean how many lines," Una says rolling her eyes. "It's pretty simple to understand."

"Yeah well," Alec's voice sounded slightly afraid. "This isn't like the other one this looks like a plus sign."

"Oh come off it Alec," Una groans going to the looking over his shoulder heart suddenly beating faster and faster. "Move your hand." She tried to see the viewing screen and he refuses to move it so she wiggles the stick from his hand.

She peers at it intently, it clearly was negative and he was grinning at her obviously amused.

"You're a prat," she says shaking her head.

"Had you worried there for a moment though," He responds, standing up and looking down at her with his obnoxious grin still on his face.

"If you think you're gonna make me fall into bed, you got it wrong," Una tells him grabbing her things. "I have a piano lesson to get to teaching." She tells him.

"I'll just take a nap," He says yawning. He had woken up early to make it here when he did.

Una nods her head grabs her things, grabs the cup and pours the contents in the toilet and rinses it out and places it under the sink. Coming back into the room, she finds Alec already lightly snoring on her bed. She shakes her head, how easily he can fall asleep and she hears the front door and she realizes that's her student and she rushes down the stairs.


They drive into London, a place they never have ventured to together, always opting for other places that were less busy and more secluded. But Una had exhausted all the shops around Weatherpointe and Nottingham and found nothing that suited her.

"Do you really want me there?" Alec asks her. "Doesn't that defeat the purpose?"

"I'm not really that superstitious Alec, I don't care if you see the dress I pick out," Una says shrugging. "Plus Abby was going to come but Violet has been sick lately." She further explains to him.

"Well I have one place for us to visit first," Alec tells her. "It goes against all my better judgement, but for you, I will," he grins at her.

"Oh very funny," Una rolls her eyes. "Where are you taking me?"

"Look outside your window," Alec informs her as he pulls up to a sign.

Keats House

"Keats!" Una says bouncing in her seat. "You really are going against your better judgment! You won't be fired for conflict of interest will you?" She teases him.

"Very funny," he says laughing as he finds a parking spot for them and turns off the car.

He pays admission for them and lets her explore.

"I can't believe I get to marry you," Alec whispers in her ear as they explore.

"Yes, yes I know, let me explore," Una kisses him before she moves away from him.

Alec chuckles and shakes his head watching her, patting his pocket for what he had hidden.

He follows her around, room to room.

"You know I had two choices for this, my first idea was Stonehenge because we met on a train when you threw your book down in a huff, Tess D'urberville how angry you were at it and you told a completely strange about it. I couldn't get you out of my mind, so beautiful and out of this world, I never imagined I would see you again but I did. Alas, Stonehenge and Tess are a little depressing even if it brought us together. So we are here, in my literary hell, but for you my own Bright Sttar. I make the exception."

"What are you doing," Una looks at him in confusion.

"What does it look like I am doing I'm trying to propose to you," Alec tells her.

"Alec, we're getting married in two months," Una tells him. "I think you already have my answer."

"I know, but I keep thinking about it, and I don't want to tell our kids one day that we decided to get married during a fight in a church," Alec explains.

"Well go on then," Una tells him quietly, "if you feel so strongly about it."

"Una Marie Meredith, my own bright star that has stolen my heart and my body. It would be the greatest moment of my life if you would become my wife and stay by my side here forever, or at the very least until you realize you made a giant mistake and go back to Canada." He says as he digs into his pocket and pulls out a ring and holds it up to her.

Una looks at him amusement in her eyes, "So it was ready for pick up."

"Of course it was," Alec grins as he takes the diamond from the box and slides the ring on her finger. "Now you are ready for your dress shopping, maybe it will bring you some good luck

Una laughs and kisses him, suddenly there hear clapping around them and they both blush and try and duck away from the felicitations and best wishes that came with a public proposal, even if he knew her answer, and the wedding was already well on its way to be planned.


He brings her to the dress shop a good fifteen minutes before her appointment. "I'm sure they won't mind us looking about for a moment?" He says as he locks the car, looking at his phone briefly before pocketing it. "Come along Luv." He says ushering her from the window she was looking into. For a brief moment she swore she had seen her sister, but that made no sense because Faith was in Canada working a double shift as a nurse.

"Hello, do you have an appointment?" She woman up at a desk asks.

"Yes for Una Meredith," she says and the woman nods her head.

"Congratulation on your engagement, if you come with me I'll bring you to a fitting room where you can store your things and you can put on a robe to make the experience even more grand." She says.

"They said they would make a note that I need something to wear for two months?" Una asks quietly.

"Oh yes, we have plenty of off-the-rack designs and given your size you'll fit the majority of them within too many alterations if at all."

"Minus a hem," Una says smiling.

"Of course, but even that can be solved with the right pair of shoes," she says knocking on a closed door before opening it for Una and waving her in.

"Surprise!" She hears the voices before she even comprehends who is standing in front of her.

She can't talk, she just turns to Alec mouth gaping, because who else could have done this?

"How?" She says between both people.

"You think we would miss dress shopping with you?" Rosemary says. "Alec said you were having no luck and seemed sad when you went shopping. We planned out a day once he got you to make an appointment here."

"Which now means I am going to leave you ladies to dress shopping, when you are done we can all get dinner," Alec says, putting a fingertip to her lips as she was going to object "No buts, no one needs a man hanging about dress shopping. Enjoy your female dress-buying time."

Una only nods and kisses him soundly before slapping his butt at his leaves.

"I can't believe this," Una turns to Faith and Rosemary moving to hug them both.

"Well you can thank that fiance of yours," Rosemary says hugging her back before Faith steps towards her.

"He said you were having trouble, though I did bring a backup for you. I know you worried about Dad but he wants you to be happy, and it's not like it will ever fit me."

"I doubt it will fit me," Una tells her sister.

"Well the shop is steaming it out, they love a good old dress try-on," Faith tells her grinning and Una shakes her head knowingly at her sister.

Finding a dress was simpler than expected this time around. Maybe it was truly down to Faith and Rosemary picking things out that she would have never gravitated towards, or just knowing her as they do.

While her mother's dress was something older than she realized.

" I think this was her grandmother's dress," Faith says explaining. "Dad recalls something of it being a family dress, which is why he kept it all these years."

"It's definitely 1950s," the fitter tells them. "I think because of the stains at the bottom we just make it tea length and you can wear it as a more comfortable reception dress or for photos as you were talking about. We can replace the zipper and fix a few things and it will be good as new. As for the other dress, it fits like a dream even the length of it with the shoes you brought works perfectly."

"Thank you so much," Una tells her.

"Well, it's not every day we have Canadians in our shop, though when your man called and asked about hiding these two for a surprise for you we knew it be an interesting day," The owner tells them. "You seem very happy together I hope everything goes smoothly for you."

"So far it's been good," Una tells her. "I think it was slightly different we would wait a few more years, but time and distance aren't on our hands and it's been two years, why not get married?" Una tells her.

"Well, get changed and I will settle everything upfront with you," The owner tells her leaving her to change, ushering out Faith and Rosemary.

In the end, Rosemary ends up paying for everything because the bride's family should contribute something and her father would want to buy her dress and alterations.

"Dad didn't want to come?" Una asks for the first time.

"Someone had to stay with Bryce," Rosemary reminds her. "Plus this was girl time with shopping."

"Yes, and I texted Alec that we have one more stop today," Faith says looking at her phone. "Come this way," she directs her sister and stepmother towards what appears to be a lingerie store.

"You think I don't own lingerie Faith?" Una looks at her sister.

"If you do, it's nothing bridal looking," Faith says grinning. "Or really all that risqué in general?"

"What the point when he'll just rip it off in two minutes anyway," Una says under her breath. "Sorry Rosemary…"

"It's all good, you're like daughters to me, but also you are grown women and I have long relinquished any parental sort of connotation to our relationship," Rosemary explains. "Though I will say I don't want to know about it."

"I feel awful leaving Alec to his own devices," Una says looking through the racks. It was all incredibly bridal and lacy.

"He went to be fitted for his suit," Faith tells her and holds up a barely-there sort of thong.

"I don't need butt floss," Una says making a face and Rosemary snorts behind them. "I like this?" She holds up a sheer baby doll in powder blue.

"God, can you be a bit more exciting," Faith teases her.

"If you only knew how exciting I can be," Una says under her breath. "I'm getting hungry, and I am sure you are exhausted and hungry. I don't think I even asked when you got in?"

"We left in the evening and arrived in the morning after a seven-hour flight yesterday and explored a bit and had tea at the hotel and relaxed a bit this morning until surprising you," Rosemary tells her. "Though we'll be joining you up north for a few days, maybe help with a bit of planning and meet his mother and grandmother."

"Of course," Una says shaking her head. Alec had it all planned up it seemed.

And for the first time, wedding planning seemed to fall into place as choices were made and by the end of the weekend, things were set into stone.

Una Meredith was getting married and never looking back.