Topic: The Prodigal Artist Weds: The Ceremony

Piper Granger

Date: 2011-09-03 06:01 EST
((OOC Note: this thread is for the ceremony only. The reception will take place as a live event on 10 September, 2011, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. If your character received an invitation via the GrangerGuild Courier Service, please feel free to post his/her reactions to the ceremony in this thread. A separate thread for the reception that will include the menu, setting information, music, and the all-important outfits for the evening will be posted closer to the actual event. Thanks!))

It was a rare day when Maple Grove was thrown open to the public, and this was certainly one of the rarer days in the Granger calendar. Not only was the prodigal son of one of the major branches of the family getting married, but he had somehow managed to snag himself a member of the nobility. Between them, Humphrey Granger and Hannah Davidson - Lady Somerville, no less - had attempted to pull out all the stops to make this day one that would be remembered for years to come. Of course, the bride and groom were a little less thrilled about all the fuss, but ultimately they'd been overidden.

Guests were guided through the cultured and cultivated wilderness of the Maple Grove grounds by means of a gently meandering path marked out with rose petals of myriad colours. As they passed from the enclosing greenery into the open lawn set before the ruins of the first house built at Maple Grove, they would be greeted by one of several ushers to be guided to their seats beneath the open sky.

A canopy had been set up at the head of the aisle between those rows of seats, draped in royal purple and sunflower yellow, beneath which stood a pair of chairs and two kneelers that had been appropriated from Our Lady of Perpetual Misery only that morning. A little way to the left of the canopy, a small rostra strage had been set up, upon which a single violinist would perform solo for both advancements both up and down the aisle.

Even the weather was not going to be an issue. By some intricate piece of magical chicanery, an unseen, unfelt dome of sorts had been placed over the whole of Maple Grove for the duration. Even if the heavens opened, not a single drop of rain would fall on the wedding party.

*~*~* http://embed.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/cid/33675878/id/0t-zebSo4BGXiMRpiR3Kjw/size/e.jpg *~*~*

Piper had been almost forcibly removed from Ollie's loft the day before and installed into a suite of rooms in the big house at Maple Grove on the insistence of the Old Man himself. Not that she truly minded at this point - she was nervous as all hell, and it was shining forth like a beacon.

The suite had been thrown open at nine o'clock that morning for the bridesmaids, maid of honor, and her mother to camp out there with her if they wished, each with their own burden when it came to trying to keep the bride calm. Between the excited flutterings of the baby kicking in her womb, her mother's almost non-stop chatter, and her own very clear memories of what had happened the last time she had attempted to get married, Piper was just this side of being a complete and total wreck.

"What if he decides he doesn't want to go through with it?" she asked in turmoil. "I can't go through that again, not in front of both our families!"

Kaylee Bennett

Date: 2011-09-03 19:33 EST
"Aw, get over it," Kaylee piped up from her perch by the window where she had been fiddling with her jewellery. "He'd have backed out months ago if he was going to."

She grinned over at the nervous bride, who was having her back rubbed by her sister in an attempt to try and calm Piper down before she changed her mind. Given the choice between purple and yellow to perform her duties as an offical bridesmaid, Kaylee had gone with yellow; and not just yellow, but a bright shade that contrasted surprisingly well with the purple jewellery she had chosen to match the color scheme. Sitting in the window, however, she was more than a little painful on the eyes.

Harper Stuart - Piper's sister - had chosen the contrasting color of purple for her own dress, which was hanging up still beside the bride's. Both sisters were in their underwear while Harper tried to knead the knots of tension from Piper's back.

"Katherine is right," Harper told her sister as soothingly as she could manage. "Oliver isn't Terence, Pip. Don't forget that. This one is as honorable as Daddy."

"Plus, you know, he adores you," Kaylee added, glancing over to where the others, and hopefully the maid of honor, were amusing themselves. "Right, girls?"

OH Granger

Date: 2011-09-04 13:25 EST
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Maple Grove's big house...

The groom's party had arrived early Saturday morning and were told that under no circumstances were they allowed to let the groom and bride see each other before the ceremony. They'd been escorted to a suite of rooms on the opposite side of the house from where Piper and the girls were ensconced and found their suits already there, having been laundered and pressed earlier that morning. Much more pleasing—at least to the groom's mind—were the three brand new bottles of Laphroaig scotch awaiting them.

"What if she decides she doesn't want to go through with it?" Oliver asked desperately, looking up at Jon and Dominic, who were peering down at him with something approaching annoyance on their faces. "She's a Lady," Ollie went on, heedless of the warning scowl that had just taken up residence on Dom's face. "I'm a painter. My father is a criminal, for Heaven's sake!"

He buried his face in long, spidery fingers and his next words came out muffled, though the anxiety in his voice came through crystal clear. "Am I fooling myself" Is this whole thing doomed from the start' Will I stand up there in front of God and...and everyone and pledge myself to her, only to have her say, 'What was I thinking"' Or worse, face a messy divorce ten years from now when she suddenly comes to her senses" I need a drink. Is there any scotch left?" Never mind dressing right now - Ollie was far more concerned with liquid bravery!

Dominic Granger

Date: 2011-09-04 18:06 EST
Dom looked up from where he was struggling with his cufflinks - the same he had worn on his own wedding day - and met Jonathan's gaze, rolling his eyes. The message was clear enough; Ollie was on course for a little tough love if he didn't calm down soon, and Dom had no problem apologising to the bride if the groom turned up with a fresh black eye. But then, after the year Dom had had, hearing someone obsess about what could go wrong with a marriage that truly seemed to be Fated was definitely not what the doctor ordered.

"Jon, you've had more relationships than me, you do the advice," he suggested a little gruffly. It was understandable, in its way; he loved his cousins in a quiet, understated way, but he would much rather have been in the process of getting Gwen to the wedding than fielding paranoia. But for Ollie's sake, he was trying to downplay that part of his feelings today.

He filled a glass with water and poured less than a capful of Laphroaig into it, handing it over to the prodigal artist with a grunt. "I'll get the buttonholes," he offered, passing the ball of Ollie's dwindling confidence over to Jon without any pretense at apology. "No hitting until I get back."

Fiora Shantalaine

Date: 2011-09-05 12:48 EST
She flew in through the doors with the the customary loud explosion of energy that had come to be acquainted with the erstwhile realtor. The vivid yellow of her gown only added to the energy it seemed, as if a miniature sun had arrived and with it the cheery good nature of a brilliantly buzzing hummingbird.

"I brought Fortitude!" She hollered and as the other bridesmaids and attendants looked on with some surprise she revealed the tray of tiny sandwiches she'd absconded with much to the chef's dismay. "Ye need somethin in that stomach other than baby and nerves, woman!"

Dimples flashed as she waved the tray of food about in a flourish of wild abandon, even adding a spin that sent the brilliantly yellow skirt flaring about as purple strappy heels skipped an acrobatic display of giddiness about the room.

"I overheard the menfolk yappin about needin' some fortitude and realized so did ye." Of course she was oblivious that most people sought alcohol to shore up loose nerves and calm the jitters. Sandwiches were surely the Answer to such predicaments.

She wasn't sure how Piper's sister felt about her but had assuredly found an ally in the Marching-to-her-own-Beat Kaylee and it was to her side that she finally flounced in a pile of chiffon: sandwich tray aloft.

Piper Granger

Date: 2011-09-06 08:14 EST
Fiora's entrance could hardly go unnoticed, even less so now there were two brightly coloured gowns in full sunlight. No doubt to everyone's relief, Piper laughed, her expression softening from those worried lines to something far more natural on her delicate features.

She leaned back into Harper's hands, necessitating her sister to stop the massage or be crushed. At a loss, Harper did the only thing that came to mind; she wrapped her arms around her little sister as the pair of them looked over at Kaylee and Fiora.

"I'm so glad you made it," Piper smiled to her maid of honor. "I thought for a while there you were going to stand me up!" Giggling softly at the tray of sandwiches - wondering what her parents were going to make of her merry friend - she realised there was an introduction that needed to be made.

"Oh! Fiora, this is my sister, Harper." She gestured between them. "Harper, you remember me telling you about Fiora, don't you?"

Jonathan Granger

Date: 2011-09-06 12:52 EST
Jon rolled his eyes dramatically at Dom as he passed the ball to him to give Ollie a pep talk. Jon, who had failed at every relationship he'd ever had, for one reason or another.

The truth was Jon envied Ollie and had once envied Dom. They had found what he'd been searching his whole life for and could never quite grasp. At twenty-five years of age, Jon still had plenty of time, but he couldn't help but feel a small tug of envy for Ollie and his new-found happiness and a well of sorrow for Dom and his grief. Mixed feelings. The younger of the three, Jon had always looked up to and admired both of these men, like one would older brothers, especially since he'd never been able to count on his own father for much of anything other than cold and quiet disapproval.

Being an actor came in handy on occasions such as these and Jon pasted on the patented Jon Granger smile, dimples and all, and gripped the groom's shoulder.

"You're going to be fine, Ollie. Stop worrying. It's like....opening night at the theater. You get a horrible case of the jitters, feel like you're going to be sick, but then you gather your courage, go out on stage, and give it your best shot. At least, you don't have to worry about the crowd loving or hating you. You already know your biggest fan is out there waiting for you, just as nervous as you are. She's beautiful, Oliver. She loves you and she wants to spend the rest of her life with you. You're a lucky man, and I, for one, envy you."

Jon closed his mouth, having said almost too much, certainly more than he'd planned on saying. He turned away to pour himself a drink. If anyone was going to need one to get through this day, it was going to be him. He waited until Dom returned and after a moment, turned back and handed them both a glass, raising his to both his cousins. He already had a toast prepared for later, but this was just for them.

"To the past, the present, and whatever the future may bring....May we always be like brothers."

Kaylee Bennett

Date: 2011-09-07 06:28 EST
Harper Stuart blinked as the maid of honor flounced in, somewhat startled that this hyperactive individual had made a friend of her sister. She remembered Piper as being quiet and shy; the picture Kaylee and Fiora presented utterly undermined this image of the bride.

"Oh, yes, of course," she managed a slightly bemused smile as she hugged her sister. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Fiora; I'm glad my sister is making friends here."

There was a pause while she watched Kaylee helping herself to what amounted to almost an entire loaf of bread with assorted fillings. Then -

"Right, you," Harper poked Piper in the shoulder. "Dress time."

Kaylee grinned through her mouthful as the sisters rose, thoroughly entertained by the sight of Lady Piper being dressed by Lady Harper as though she was still six years old. She nudged Fiora impishly.

"You're a life-saver," she told the merry realtor through another mouthful of sandwich. "I haven't eaten anything since last night - had to make sure I'd fit in the dress, don'tcha know." She winked at Fiora merrily, kicking her feet back and forth. "You look great, by the way. Happy little sunflower!"

Piper Granger

Date: 2011-09-08 05:12 EST
"Knock, knock?"

Without waiting to be told if anyone was decent or not, Daniel Davidson stepped in through the door, looking very dapper in his pressed tuxedo. Piper and Ollie had tried to convince him that this wasn't going to be a fully formal 'do, but Lord Somerville was a little set in his ways. A wedding meant formal, and his daughter's wedding meant special.

He chuckled at the sight of the two buttercup bridesmaids in the window, not recognising Fiora as the maid of honor in the slightest, and turned his attention to the other occupants of the room, his own daughters. Harper was given a gentle kiss to the temple, a nod of approval that seemed to say so much more than was implied, before he moved over to Piper, who was fussing with her bouquet.

Laying his hands on her shoulders, he smiled down at his youngest daughter, a smile that widened to a laughing grin as the baby in her womb gave him a damn good kick for standing too close. "Like its mother," he told them cheerfully, finally leaning close to press a soft kiss in the centre of Piper's forehead. "You look radiant, sweetheart." A glance was given around the room. "All of you ....utterly charming."

There was something very paternal in the way he looked on each of them; his own daughters, Kaylee, and Fiora ....for one day only, Daniel Davidson seemed to have adopted the entire feminine compliment of the bridal party as his own. He offered his arm to Piper, who took it with a nervous intake of breath.

"Shall we, ladies" Time and tide wait for no man ....though I'll wager they would wait to see this little group advancing up the aisle."

Dominic Granger

Date: 2011-09-08 06:08 EST
"May we always be like brothers."

It was a fitting toast, in Dom's opinion. Family, no matter how distant, no matter how disliked superficially, was always family, whatever came. He knew he was lucky to be able to count himself among the Granger family - unless a cataclysmic event hit Maple Grove and spread outward, there would always be someone of his blood to connect himself to.

He took a sip of the scotch, nodding approvingly to Jon, and advanced on Ollie, buttonhole in hand. "Stand still," he told the artist. "I want to stick this in the jacket, not you."

A sudden blaze of sunflower and iris made up the buttonholes for each of them, a splash of color against their dark suits. In deference to the wishes of the happy couple, Dom had deliberately left his tie at home, even mismatching his shirt to the suit in lieu of not being allowed to keep the three-month growth of his beard. He wasn't exactly clean-shaven today, but it was a lot more groomed than he had looked in years.

With the groom close to being finished with his dressing, Dom moved to peer through the window, snorting with laughter as Caroline signalled to him from below. He followed the line of her pointing hand to where the bride and her party were just visible through the trees, photographs being taken before they could make their way to the ruin and the ceremony itself.

He nodded over to Jon; as best man, it was Jon's job to slap Ollie into shape from here on in. "It's time."

OH Granger

Date: 2011-09-08 15:16 EST
Ollie took a deep breath and held it until he started to feel a little light-headed. It was time. The butterflies in his gut morphed into the size of houses and suddenly his palms were damp with nervous sweat.

He looked back and forth between Jon and Dom and then gave them a curt nod. "Well," he said. "What's the old showbiz cliche" Let's get this show on the road?" He forced a little smile and turned towards the mirror, catching a brief glimpse of the three of them, flashing back fifteen years to when the three of them were nearly inseparable. Funny how life often changes and gets in the way, but family always came back together somehow.

He turned away from the mirror and strode towards the door. "Lola hasn't turned up, has she?" he asked his cousins, pausing for a moment with his hand on the doorknob and a hopeful expression in his eyes. He was holding out hope that she'd somehow show up at the last moment. With their mother gone and their father an utter disgrace, Lola was the last remaining part of his immediate family who still meant something to him. He wanted - no, scratch that, needed her to be there for him today.

Jonathan Granger

Date: 2011-09-08 19:57 EST
Jon's gaze darted uncertainly to Dom when Ollie asked about Lola. The truth was Jon couldn't remember Lola and only knew her from the family photographs Correy had showed him, but he didn't think he'd seen her about and might not even recognize her if he had.

"I..." Jon paused, frowning sadly. "I haven't seen her, Ollie. I'm sorry." If Ollie loved Lola even half as much as Jon loved Lena, he hoped she'd find her way there somehow, for Ollie's sake.

Jon slid a hand inside his coat pocket, as if to make sure he hadn't lost the wedding rings and then he clapped his cousin on the shoulder and offered a reassuring smile. Ollie was right - it was time to get the show on the road, pre-nuptial jitters or not.

"Come on, Oll. There's a gorgeous girl down there who loves you. You don't want to keep her waiting."

Piper Granger

Date: 2011-09-09 05:19 EST
Across the lawn in front of the ruins of the first Granger house, the wedding party was assembled. The canopy with its sumptuous hangings stood at the head of the aisle, waiting patiently for the bride and groom to make their appearance and join the priest beneath its welcoming shade.

The bridal party came together at the far end of the aisle, hastily arranging themselves into something approaching a procession as the nod was given to Paige Lovelace to begin playing. As the sound of a single violin raised in heart-wrenchingly beautiful melody filled the air, the guests were encouraged to stand and greet the bride on the arm of her father, following Kaylee, Harper, and Fiora down the aisle.

In flowing white - despite all evidence to the contrary pertaining to her virginal state - her shoulders bare but for the sable fall of hair down over her back, Piper smiled to everyone who looked her way as her father escorted her down the aisle, to stand at the side of the man she was going to marry.

Helena King

Date: 2011-09-10 12:01 EST
As the music began, Helena stood along with the others, looking expectantly down to where the bridal party began their procession. Piper was beautiful, of course; Lena hadn't doubted she would be. And the others were lovely in their dresses, so like the flowers chosen for the ceremony.

But she couldn't help stealing glances to the front as well, from face to face as the bride's party approached. Ollie's life was changing - right now, forever - and he couldn't look more terrified and happy at the same time. Her heart ached for Dominic. She had always envied him his adventures, but she wanted to weep over him. And then there was Jonny. She didn't know what was happening with him. Whatever it was, he wouldn't tell her. He wanted her to be the child of his memories forever, even as he was growing away from her, and she couldn't be that. It was already too late.

Piper and her father passed her, and she smiled, pushing those thoughts aside. They looked so beautiful, and so handsome and so young, all of them. She didn't know what lay ahead for any of them, but right now, this moment' It was perfect.

Paige Granger

Date: 2011-09-10 18:46 EST
Through the whole wait Paige stood in the place she had picked out to best suit the musical selection that Paige had picked out. Not to the front as where the ceremony would be but rather center of the settings and off to the right.

There was a nice little set up with a chair for herself and the young gentleman escorting her that night. She couldn't sit. Too excited for her brother and her soon to be sister-in-law so instead of her rear on the seat the case for the violin was placed. In her hand was a lovely instrument that she grasped ever so lovingly. The graceful Stradivarius was a piece that any musician would die to hole let alone play and here she was, awaiting to play it for the bride.

When she spied Piper her lips sprung into a smile and the violin was tucked under chin, the bow gliding across the strings to produce a soft melody of introduction for the bride. A wink of encouragement was flashed to Piper before Paige closed her eyes and immersed herself deeply into the music. She played with all she was, making sure each note sung out pristine to all those present.

Heart-wrenchingly beautiful and filled with hope of a bright future for the bride and groom.

When Piper made it to Ollie's side the melody drifted off, trickling to an end as if the notes were mere dew drops falling from a petal's tip. The bow was lowered and the violin held to her side. She was trembling. Excitement or was there something more? Either way she watched the ceremony with bright eyes.

Dean Winchester

Date: 2011-09-11 17:16 EST
Dean watched Paige play the violin with nothing short of admiration and affection on his face, a swell of pride in his heart. That was his girl up there playing. His girl. No one else's. The very thought of that filled him with awe and joy and just a little fear.

He turned his head to watch as the wedding party made their entrance, the bride gorgeous, as brides always were, and he felt a small stab of envy when he saw the look of mingled nervousness, excitement, and adoration on the face of the groom.

Would that ever be him' He'd come close once or twice, but never close enough. Always a bridesmaid and never a bride... Wasn't that how the old saying went' It wasn't even that really. Dean had never been to a wedding before, except for catching one or two on TV, mostly on sappy soap operas he'd deny ever watching.

Sometimes his own life felt like a badly-written soap opera, but he hadn't given up hope yet. He figured the minute he gave up hope, he might as well lie down and die, and he wasn't ready for that just yet.

Dean turned his gaze back to Paige, a warm smile on his face and a fuzzy feeling deep inside. It was strange and yet familiar, and something he hadn't felt in a very long time.

Once Paige stopped playing, his gaze returned to the bride and groom, watching in rapt fascination as they promised to love and cherish each other for as long as they both should live.

Dean knew from experience that Death was nothing but a door into another world and another existence, whether it be Heaven or Hell, and he knew that life and, hopefully, love went on, even after the body had turned to dust.

He brushed a little moisture from his eyes, hoping no one noticed, and smiled brightly up at Paige again, promising himself not to let anything come between them. Not again, not this time. This time was forever, or so he hoped.

Piper Granger

Date: 2011-09-12 12:21 EST
The time had come. Before their friends and family, Piper and Ollie took centre stage beneath the luxuriant canopy, their hands entwined, as the priest asked those in attendance if they knew of any lawful impediment to the marriage about to take place. The hush that followed was almost reverential, a mass holding of breath until the ceremony continued onward.

Father Maguire smiled at the couple before him, his hands clasped as he began the Rite of Marriage, eyes twinkling with pleasure.

"Oliver and Piper, do you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage, to love and honor each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives"

As the priest spoke, Ollie could feel his tensions, his worries, melting away. Despite his paranoid fears only an hour ago, he was standing here, ready to take the woman who had so unexpectedly captured his heart as his wife. For all the endless arguments with her mother and the Old Man, it felt right that this should take place here, before so many friends and family. The only sadness was that Lola had not seen fit to even send a message, much less attend. But there was no time for sadness now; his answer came as readily as anything he had ever promised before. "I have."

For all her boldness in seeking a marriage at random, Piper could not have been more content at that moment. Without looking for it, she had found love with a man as gentle and wonderful as any she could have conjured from her imagination; a man who did not judge her for her mistakes; a man who wanted to be her husband, and a father to their children. Beneath her heart, the child in her womb lay still, as though recognising the import of these precious moments; as if knowing that in a matter of minutes, it would have a father. Even had the question not been asked, she would have answered it in the silence of her heart. "I have."

The old priest seemed to breathe a sigh of relief; God alone knew how many marriages he had officiated where either the bride or groom had refused at this point to go any further. His smile seemed to grow as he nodded to them both, taking their right hands in his to join them in his gentle grasp. "Then if you would now declare your consent before God and these people here present ..."

"I, Oliver Hudson, do take thee, Piper Isabel, to be my wife ...." And the child in your womb for my own, Ollie's smile added as the artistic length of his fingers closed possessively over the hand of his bride.

"I, Piper Isabel, do take thee, Oliver Hudson, to be my husband ...." The words came so easily to her, it was as though Piper had been preparing for this single moment through all the tribulations that had brought her to Rhy'Din in the first place.

" ....I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad ...." The dour line of his mouth had softened as Ollie spoke, the suggestion of the smiles that came so naturally now that Piper had entered his life brightening his watchful, hawkish eyes.

" ....in sickness and in health ...." Piper's eyes promised to hold true to these vows as she spoke them, a radiant, fathomless blue lit from within and trained without ceasing on the face of the man she had never expected to love so completely

" ....I will love you ...." And he did love her, for all that he had never thought it might happen again. After Lily had left, Ollie had come to resign himself to the prospect of a life alone with his art. Who could have possibly thought that answering a hastily scrawled advertisement for a husband could have handed him a wife and child to love and protect all the days of his life" And even more astonishing was this - that he loved the beautiful woman before him, and she in her turn loved him.

" ....and honor you ...." For what else could she do, but honor him with everything that was hers? He had taken on not only a wife, but a child as well, with seemingly no care that it would not share his blood. But Piper was determined, in her own mind, that whatever happened, the child now growing in her womb was theirs and no other's.

" ....all the days of my life."

Spreading his hands wide in benediction over them both, Father Maguire looked over their heads, to the seated congregation. To the faces of the people who most loved the couple in all the worlds, their families, their friends. There could not be a better gathering in which to make such a promise when the love was so unconditional.

"What God has joined, men must not divide. Lord, bless and consecrate Oliver and Piper in their love for each other." He gestured for Jon to produce the rings, laying his hand over the delicate bands of gold in blessing. "May these rings be a symbol of their true faith in each other, and always remind them of their love. Oliver, if you would ..."

Gold and diamond sparkled briefly as Ollie took the more delicate of the rings from Jon's waiting hand, tenderly slipping it along the pale slenderness of Piper's finger as he spoke the final part of these promises in a voice that shook imperceptibly. "Piper, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." His fingertips grazed over the cool sweep of her palm as the ring took its place at her knuckle, folding her hand between his as he met her eyes with fond reverence.

Her hands trembling as she registered the unfamiliar coolness of that precious band of gold against her skin, Piper took up Ollie's ring from Jon's hand, sliding it partway along the slender length of her artist's finger. "Oliver, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." The gold band slid home, and her fingers entwined with his once again, a wide smile brightening her face as she looked up at her husband.

"May the Lord bless you and keep you all the days of your lives," the priest declared, spreading his hands once more in benediction of their union. Then he grinned a sparkling little grin. "You should probably kiss your wife, you know, lad."

Ollie didn't need to be told twice. With a short laugh that was more relief than anything, he glanced just once to the faces of their friends and families and bent to kiss his bride's smiling mouth. Piper leaned into him, one hand gripping his as possessively as he held hers, the other softly touching his cheek as their lips parted, both of them a little embarrassed by the attention riveted upon them by the cheering and applauding people gathered with them.

"I will now leave you with a short poem that was given to me by Mr Humphrey Granger, shortly before the ceremony today," Father Maguire spoke over the heads of the newly-married couple.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking,it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these ...." His gaze turned to Ollie and Piper, his smile gentle and proud, " ....is love."

There was a pause as the words sank in, long enough for Father Maguire to clear his throat for one last announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please be upstanding for Mr and Mrs Granger!"