Jonty and Lydia have been wonderful parents-in-law, and Mum and Dad love Lewis almost as much as I do. Life has been very kind to us and we do appreciate it. I have no regrets at all.
‘Happy?’ Lewis takes my hand as the tables are cleared and coffee is served. My silver bangles jangle, the newest one, his present to me this morning, shining slightly more brightly than the others which I’ve worn all my life.
‘Blissfully. As always.’
‘Shall I make the announcement, then?’
I pull a face. ‘Yes, I suppose so – but please, please make it brief – I’m so embarrassed.’
He kisses me, slowly and with love. ‘You should be proud. I am. You’ve achieved something that I didn’t have the gumption to do … I love you so much …’
I watch him as he walks across to the raised dais. I know I’m blushing.
‘Thank you all for being here today to celebrate with Clemmie.’ His deep, husky voice rings out from the microphone. ‘It’s made a very special day even more special … I know you’ll all join me in a toast. I’m so very proud of her … my beautiful wife, my gorgeous best friend –’ he pauses and laughs, ‘so please raise your glasses and drink a toast to my very, very clever darling Clementine!’
I know I’m going to cry again. My cheeks are scarlet as everyone raises their glasses and echoes the toast. They are as proud of me as Lewis is.
You see, at the vast age of fifty-one, I have just achieved the last of my ambitions and gained a first-class honours degree in English. At last, I’ve been to university – oh, not Durham of course, I was a mature day student at Reading – and amazingly passed with flying colours.
We’d attended the official ceremony earlier in the year, of course, when Lewis and Lou and Mum and Dad had been bursting with pride as I’d tottered on to the college stage in my gown and mortar board to collect my certificate – but this, today, with all my friends, is even more precious.
Lewis holds up his hands for silence. ‘There’s one more thing to do before we get down to some serious celebrating …’
The rest of Solstice join him. I notice with amusement that Jenny and Vin have to stop holding hands. Hazel, Jez’s wife, beams at me from across the restaurant. She knows.
Solstice take their place on the dais again and Gus is waving the microphone.
‘As you all know, we’re shortly going to relive our ill-spent youth by hitting the road again. We’re intending to reprise our repertoire of those first heady days of the Swinging Sixties and as we’ve got a captive audience we thought you’d have to suffer our first practice run …’
Everyone claps and laughs.
The lights dim and much to everyone’s amusement Solstice run through a few riffs of ‘Oh My Darling, Clementine’. Then Lewis moves forward …
‘This is from me to Clemmie. With all the love in the world for ever, darling. As it was then, it is now, and will be for our eternity …’
Then he starts to sing …
‘Make It Easy On Yourself’ …
I shiver as the frisson tingles my spine and our eyes meet in absolute love. My happiness is complete. Now and forever.
Christina Jones
Tickled Pink
Walking on Air
Nothing to Lose
For more information about Christina Jones
and other Accent Press titles
please visit
www.accentpress.co.uk
Published by Accent Press Ltd 2015
ISBN 9781783756834
Copyright © Christina Jones 2015
First published in Great Britain in 2004 by Linford
The right of Christina Jones to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
The story contained within this book is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publishers: Accent Press Ltd, Ty Cynon House, Navigation Park, Abercynon, CF45 4SN
Summer of Love Page 10
