‘Back off, you two,’ he said, drawing her hand into the crook of his elbow. ‘She’s mine.’
And Harriet thought she detected a note of pride in his voice, if only she could allow herself to believe it.
Heads held high, they went downstairs to where the ceremony would take place. It would be a civil ceremony, but the venue had been done up to emulate the grandeur of a church. There were flowers everywhere and chairs laid out in rows, while at the far end a choir was assembling.
It was almost time to begin. Ken took his place and stood waiting, his eyes fixed on the door through which his bride would come.
At last Mary appeared and began to walk slowly towards him. She was magnificently dressed in a long gown of saffron coloured satin, a diamond tiara on her head. Behind her walked Frankie and Mark.
What would Darius be feeling now, she wondered, as his one-time beloved married another man and his children became part of another family? He was between her and the procession, so that his face was turned away, and she could only wonder about his expression. But she guessed it would reveal nothing.
As the children passed she saw that Frankie wore a frilly bridesmaid dress and Mark had a page’s costume, also frilly. How he would hate that, she thought.
As if to confirm it, he glanced up at her and made a face of helpless resignation. She made a face back, conveying sympathy. By chance, Darius happened to turn his head in time to see them both.
‘Poor Mark,’ she murmured.
The procession was slowing down, bringing Mark to a brief halt. Just a couple of seconds but it was enough for Darius to put his hand on his son’s shoulder and grunt, ‘Don’t give up, lad.’
Then they were on their way again, with only the memory of Mark’s look of amazed gratitude at his father.
Slowly, the ceremony advanced until the moment when the bride took her groom’s hand, looking up into his face and saying fervently, ‘You are mine, and I am yours. We will be together for always, and no other man will ever live in my heart.’
Conventional words for a wedding, but how did they sound to the man who had once been her husband? Carefully, Harriet turned her head, hoping to catch a sideways glimpse of his face, only to find it turned towards her. He wasn’t looking at the couple swearing their love. His gaze was fixed on her, and something in it made her turn quickly away.
A few feet away, Amos and his family were seated, their chairs at an angle that enabled Amos to see Darius and Harriet clearly. His eyes narrowed, an expression that Jackson recognised with a sigh and that made him exchange a glance with Marcel.
They knew that look on their father’s face, and it didn’t bode well.
AS THEY walked out afterwards Amos fell into step beside Jackson, speaking in a low voice. ‘What do you know about her?’
‘Only that she’s delightful, and a very good influence on Darius.’
‘And just what does that mean?’
‘I’ve been watching them together.’ Jackson fell silent.
‘And?’ Amos demanded. ‘And?’
‘He was laughing.’
‘What are you talking about?’
‘It’s true. Darius was laughing.’
‘I’ve seen that too,’ Marcel put in. ‘And you know what makes him laugh? She makes fun of him.’
‘She makes fun of him? And he likes it? Rubbish.’
‘They share jokes,’ Jackson agreed. ‘I’ve seen them and heard some of the things they say. Daft remarks tossed back and forth, things that wouldn’t make any sense to other people, but they understand each other, and they laugh together. I’ve never seen that in Darius before. She’s transformed him.’
Amos didn’t answer this, but he strode on ahead and waited for Darius to appear. He nodded briefly at Harriet and jerked his head for his son to follow him.
‘What is it, Father?’ Darius asked.
‘We need to talk.’
‘Right now? They’re just starting the reception.’
‘It won’t take long.’
He walked away without stopping until they’d both entered a little side room and closed the door. Then Amos turned on him.
‘I gather things are getting worse.’
Darius hesitated a moment before saying, ‘Financially, they’re not going well but in other ways—’
Amos brushed this disclaimer aside. ‘I was speaking financially.’
‘Of course,’ Darius murmured.
‘You can’t raise the loans you need, and when you put property up for sale it won’t raise the asking price.’
‘May I ask how you know these details?’ Darius said grimly.
‘You don’t imagine there are any secrets, do you?’
‘Not from you.’
‘You ought to be here in London, working things out. Instead, you waste time on that island that can hardly be worth—well, what is it worth?’
‘You mean in money terms?’ Darius asked in a strange voice.
‘Don’t play games with me. Of course I mean money. How much could you raise from it?’
‘I have no idea.’
‘But you’ve been living there for weeks; you must have investigated.’
‘In a sort of way,’ he said carefully. ‘But it’s too soon to form conclusions. I don’t want to rush things.’
‘I suppose that’s the influence of the young woman you brought with you. I hope you’re not taking her too seriously.’
‘As seriously as a man takes a woman who saved his life.’
‘Don’t make too much of that. It means nothing to her. It’s just her job.’
‘But it’s not,’ Darius said fiercely. ‘She isn’t employed by the Lifeboat Institution, she’s a volunteer. She has an ordinary job, but night and day she’s ready to drop everything for the people who need her, even if their cries for help come at awkward moments. She doesn’t think of herself, she thinks of them.’
‘All right, all right, spare me the speech,’ Amos said in a bored voice. ‘I get the point. Naturally, I expressed my gratitude and of course you’ve shown your own gratitude by bringing her
