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Marion and Fleur waved off the last of the townswomen. They had been sweet and had fussed over them while they donned their wedding dresses.
“We’ll be only a few minutes behind you, so don’t dally on the way,” Marion called out to them.
“So kind of them to take such an interest in us, though I thought they would never go,” Fleur said.
Marion smiled and nodded her agreement. “Shall I help you put on your headdress? Then we really must leave.”
Fleur handed her the white tulle-draped cap and Marion fitted it over Fleur’s golden hair, making sure it sat straight and low on her forehead. It was the latest fashion, as was Fleur’s layered-silk dress, the upper material gathered up with crystal beads above her knee, to form a swag of material cascading to mid-calf.
Marion gently shook out her embroidered lace veil and swept it over her shoulder to fit it onto her head. Fleur settled the veil on Marion’s dark bob. A line of embroidered lace marched across her brow. Fleur brushed the lace to sit as it should. “There, beautiful, Marion. Bill will be struck dumb by your beauty.”
Marion chuckled. “I certainly hope so. I can’t wait to see the looks on the men’s faces when they see us.”
“Let’s go find out,” said Fleur.
Flowers in hand, they hurried down the path to the front gate of the hospital, where Marion’s Ford car stood with Dave Maundrel sitting in the driver’s seat, waiting for them. He stepped around the vehicle to help them into the rear seat. “Stunning, ladies,” he said.
A few minutes later they were outside the church. Standing outside the double doors on the little timber porch of the church, the gothic style of the small timber building with its stained glass windows, sitting in the middle of the outback, struck Marion as incongruous.
Inside, she could see the ladies’ committee must have plucked every flower alive in town to fill the church with blooms.
The nave was full and some townsfolk were standing at the rear. An amazing turnout. It touched her heart to see them all there in support on this special occasion. Bill and Jack had earned their places in the townspeople’s good books through all their assistance after the flood, and she and Fleur had cared for most of them at some time.
As the organ music began, Bill and Jack turned to watch them walk down the aisle together. Bill, his face lit by his cheeky grin, looked eager to start his new life. She spared a glance at Jack. Even his happiness was readable on his intense, sombre face. His brown eyes were riveted to Fleur’s. Marion drew a deep breath. It was going to be alright—for all of them.
The ceremony was quick. Before Marion could savour the occasion, she was married and whisked up the aisle again on Bill’s arm, following Jack and Fleur. Half the congregation had emptied outside while they signed the register, ready to cheer them as they exited the church.
This must surely be the happiest moment in her life...with the man she loved and surrounded by family and friends.
Beside her, Marion heard Jack say to Fleur, “I wish your family could have been here.”
“We’re going to create our own in the future. That’s enough for me,” said Fleur.
Marion smiled at all around her, but mainly at Bill. This was the beginning of their new life together and it was going to be wonderful, no matter what problems they faced. They would meet them side by side.
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More books by Isabella Hargreaves:
All Quiet on the Western Plains: Jack and Fleur’s story
(prequel to Journey’s End on the Western Plains)
English nurse, Fleur Armitage, moves to outback Queensland to escape all reminders of the Great War. Jack Edgarson, pastoralist and war hero, is a damaged man living in isolation, fearful he may harm someone. Their lives become entangled, but dare they love each other?
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Wanton Widows: three short Regency romps
Three Regency-era widows seek new partners in unconventional ways.
‘What a Widow Wants’—The young Dowager Lady Caroline Newberry sets out to snare a lover.
‘The Widow's Wedding Night’—Arabella Linfield dreams of a wedding night to remember, but the reality is a surprise.
‘Wooing the Wealthy Widow’—Can Sir Hercules Standfast pass the wealthy widow's twelve tests for penniless suitors?
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The Persuasion of Miss Jane Brody
Jonathan Everslie, Marquis of Dalton, knows he must marry soon to provide an heir who can take care of his large family. His aunt has already written a list of suitable ladies for Jonathan’s attention. Miss Jane Brody, daughter of a clergyman, is not on that list. As a member of an educated and intellectual family who advocates the rights of women, Jane struggles to retain her principles while she finds herself falling for Jonathan.