Page 104 of A Secret Cornish Wish
‘Welcome everyone,’ Eddie says, looking a little nervous. ‘Thank you all for coming. It’s wonderful to see so many friends and loved ones looking back at me right now. I know some of you have travelled a long way to be here tonight, and I can’t tell you how much both myself and Dexter appreciate it. I hope you all have a wonderful time with us celebrating.’
There’s applause and the odd whistle and cheer.
‘But there’s something I have to share with you all. A little secret that Dexter and I have managed to keep quiet. A secret until now, that is . . . ’
The room falls silent.
‘Tonight, you are not simply here to help me celebrate my fortieth birthday . . . you are also here to both witness and help us celebrate the occasion of our wedding!’
There’s the sound of a room of people gasping in surprise, followed by applause and more cheers.
‘I know this might come as a shock to some of you.’ Eddie looks around the room. ‘But there is no one I would rather spend the rest of my life with than the man standing next to me right now.’ Eddie reaches for Dexter’s hand. ‘And there are no other people we would rather say our vows in front of than you all!’
Again, more cheering and clapping.
‘So, I ask that you all make your way down onto the beach in the next few minutes, because our wedding ceremony is going to take place on the sand in . . . ’ He looks at his watch. ‘Approximately ten minutes from now!’
‘Then afterwards it’s back here for party time!’ Dexter says, grabbing the microphone from Eddie. He then hands it back to the DJ, who has been playing music quietly over the speakers since we arrived. Then they both exit swiftly through a door before anyone can talk to them.
I turn back to face the table and the others, all of whom have various expressions of shock and delight on their faces.
‘I can’t believe we didn’t know!’ Mandy exclaims first. ‘Did any of you guys know they were getting married tonight – Claire?’
Claire shakes her head. ‘No, I didn’t know either. I had a feeling this was something more than simply a birthday party. Eddie was being very secretive about some of the things to do with it. But I had no idea this was the secret.’
‘We knew, didn’t we, Mum?’ Rosie says.
‘Did you, Frankie?’ Suzy asks.
‘We only found out when we arrived tonight,’ I say hurriedly. ‘I didn’t know before then.’
‘I thought the room was decorated fancily for a birthday party,’ Mack says. ‘I know you English do things differently than us in the States, but I didn’t think this differently.’
‘I’m pleased we’re going to be here for it – all of us,’ I say. ‘It’s so rare for us all to be together now that to be back here in St Felix for something so special is rather wonderful.’
‘Agreed!’ Rob lifts his glass. ‘Here’s to Eddie and Dexter! Let’s do everything we can to make sure tonight is a wonderful evening for both them and for us all!’
Twenty-Eight
The ceremony is just perfect.
It’s held down on the sand outside the restaurant. There are no chairs, but all the guests stand on either side of a red carpet that is laid on the sand for Eddie and Dexter to walk to the end of, where they then say their wedding vows in front of the celebrant. We later discover they have already had a legal ceremony a few days ago in a registry office in Penzance.
The intimate service, performed in the moonlight under the stars, is so moving that I find myself sobbing through most of it – especially when Rosie is chosen by Eddie and Dexter to throw rose petals from a little basket over the red carpet in front of them as they make their entrance.
I’m supported throughout the ceremony by Rosie, who has her basket in one hand, while her other hand tightly holds mine. And Mack on my other side, who passes me a clean white handkerchief to dab my eyes with.
When the service is over, we all head back up to the restaurant together, while Eddie and Dexter have a few more photos taken down on the sand, just the two of them.
‘Are you all right?’ Mack asks as we follow the others back up the beach.
‘Yes, sorry about that. I didn’t expect it to move me quite as much as it did, or I’d have come prepared with tissues.’
‘Keep the handkerchief,’ Mack says, looking at it covered in mascara and tears. ‘I’ve got others.’
There’s a bit of a queue as all the guests try to funnel in through the restaurant doors at the same time, so we stand back and wait.
‘So how have you been?’ I ask. ‘How’s your bar in New York?’
