Wedding in Cornwall

Audoin decided he wanted to accept the offer from Kirrin Island. And Susan of course had nothing against it.

In St Mary Immaculate three sundays on a row the announcement was made that on Saturday 31st of July Audoin Errol would marry Susan Pevensie in the Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows chapel in a little village on the coast of Cornwall.

And it was a beautiful wedding. Susan was a bride in white, Audoin had a white tail suit and bow tie. The choir was small but very musical, but above all, in that day and moment, two lonesome people (as Audoin was and as Susan had become after the railway accident) said farewell for ever to loneliness and to certain hardships that go along with it. They took Our Lord's Body after vowing fidelity, and they prayed. After the wedding the priest also placed the brown scapular on Susan's shoulders and on Audoin's.

While the other went off to the feast, Audoin and Susan and the priest read the Vespers, Compline and Matins of the Little Office of Our Lady, than they went on to join the others. The priest gave them a dispensation to skip Matins this time.

George announced she was going to marry Mr White. Yes, the very same guy who had tried to ravish Susan and who had also helped her out of Mental Hospital.

"But he's Jewish?"

"Well, he is preparing for baptism."

"Oh, good for you."

Rose showed her a girl four years old now. "This is the girl you helped to save, back then. She is called Susan, obviously."

"And what about her father?"

"Well, the principal did not marry me, and I don't think I would have married him after he proposed abortion. But Nobby's cousin took extra good care of me - here he is by the way ..."

And there came a somewhat darker copy - and younger too - of Nobby out behind the corner of the inn, Susan had not noticed him in Church. He carried a boy on his arm. And another one toddled behind. "It is an honour for us to be present when she who saved our baby is getting married. I am Bobby and these are Peter and Paul."

"And I am pleased to meet you. Glad Rose made a good party."

"So am I," said Audoin.

A telegram of congratulations was also arriving from Setúbal in Portugal. Roy Campbell had moved there.

The port - which was a gift from Roy and his wife - was getting emptied in the glasses and they went in to the feast.

George's cousin Dick was the cook - and in Cornwall seafood was plenty. Flanders and Swann entertained at the piano. Dancing was done till late at night. Then people noticed that Susan and Audoin were gone. Off to Kirrin Island.

Just to make sure they were in the right place, a few girls from the tinker camp went on to the island too and went to the little hut. At some distance they sang a song which Donald Swann had composed, not quite the style of his comic songs with Flanders, but rather more romantic, and when Susan and Audoin showed their faces behind a linen sheet in the window, they clamoured for her garter.

She threw it out of the window, and the girl who caught the garter was sure to be married during the year. But then Susan and Audoin shut the shutters and the gipsy girls pretended to be disappointed - then went roaming off to the shore, left a few gifts, including not a little food, and Rose had given them Lucy's essay note book to leave Susan as a farewell gift from her, so they left that too and they took the boat and went back to the main land. It was a calm summer evening and full moon and it could be done without danger.

In the morning Susan and Audoin woke up late and after dressing, praying the minor hours of the Little Office of Our Lady - together and alone for the first time - and taking a cup of tea walked down the cliffs to the beach and thankfully noted the gifts of the giggling gipsy girls. Susan was glad to see the notebook again. And Audoin was curious about it too.