Jon watched the sun rise from out of the sea. Today was his wedding day. Today he and Carla would begin a whole new life together – still in this house, for he was the one to inherit the vineyards, but together!
Jon gazed into Carla’s eyes, so full of love for her that he was surprised he wasn’t shining visibly.
And there were so many people there! All the island had come to the wedding, and was milling around outside the house, dressed in their wedding finery.
Barnabas waved at Bianca, who was looking a bit overawed by it all. She’d never seen everyone together all in one place before now.
She caught his eye, and suddenly didn’t feel quite so lost in this crowd of people.
Ben, Tobias and little Luisa – now past the crawling stage – all thought that it was incredibly moving, seeing and hearing Jon and Carla make their promises to each other.
They weren’t the only ones…
Astrid felt a strange pang at her heart – her eldest child was married. She was so happy for him and Carla, but it was still strange to think of him growing up and away from her.
“But I don’t want to hang on to him,” she thought to herself. “This is silly! Or maybe it’s just normal…”
After the promises, everyone broke up into small happy groups. It had been a long time since the last wedding, and it was good to have a reason to celebrate something together, instead of mourning.
Astrid and Maria hugged each other delightedly.
“I’m so relieved,” Maria said. “Jon is such a good boy – he’ll take care of Carla. And Cecelia and Brigit will look after Luisa and Bianca. Oh, Astrid, it was the best thing that happened to us, meeting your son. Thank you so much.”
Astrid could imagine how worried Maria must have been, after Marco and Liesel had been killed, and they’d been left with three children on their hands.
“Well, I think meeting your grand-daughter was the best thing that’s ever happened for Jon,” she replied. “So I’m in your debt!”
Astrid, Ben and the boys had built on to their house, to make an extra bedroom for Jon and Carla. There was plenty of timber on the island, and it was surprising how quickly you could put up a timber-framed building with enough help!
Carlo’s wedding gift to his grand-daughter was a beautiful new bed, and Maria had made them a cover for it, with a pattern of vines embroidered on it. And Astrid, when she saw it, made a mental note to get Maria to teach some of the younger ones her embroidery skills!
Carla sat on the lovely bed, still in her wedding dress that had been worn by so many brides before her, and waited a little nervously for her husband to come to bed as well.
He came and sat next to her, and slid his arm around her shoulders.
“Well, my beautiful wife, we’re finally alone…”
After the excitement of the wedding, everyone settled back down into normal life. Time did what time does, and went on. The rest of Jon’s generation were growing up fast. Rachel, Sal and Anders’ eldest daughter was growing up unbelievably like her grandmother – not only did she look really like Ade, but she also had the same bold and adventurous spirit. When both Tobias and Barnabas had been on a voyage on Waverider, she was going too!
Petranella was definitely old now – though still energetic. She’d taken both Sarah and Hannah out fishing. They were standing very close to the water…
“Just don’t fall in, or Sal will not be pleased with me.”
“You know we can both swim!”
Sal was round the other side of the old mill, looking at its supports, which were more rickety than ever.
She went round and joined the others.
“Just don’t fall in, you two. Maria put a lot of effort into that embroidery on your clothes. Petranella, I think this building’s going to have to come down, it’s so unsafe. What do you think?”
“I think you’re probably right. And there’d be a lot of firewood for everyone from it.”
Morag, Patrick and Bella’s eldest child, was no longer a child, but a rather hard-working young woman. She was so busy in the garden, she didn’t notice the rainbow in the sky: only her wet clothes sticking to her skin.
Patrick had taken Siobhan and Callum with him to the fishing hole, and the same rain had caught them out.
“This isn’t much fun,” Siobhan complained.
“I know, my love, but we have to catch enough fish to eat and to store for next winter. Remember how hungry we’ve been, these last two winters gone? And you’re all getting bigger – you’re only going to need more to eat.”
“And the fish like the rain,” Callum said gamely. “Look how they’re biting.”
“Well, what about Morag and Brede and Mother?” Siobhan demanded. “Bet they’re not wet.”
“I bet they are,” Patrick said. “They’re doing the garden – and that’s outside too! But you’re doing very well, my brave wet darling.”
Siobhan was silent. She loved her father very much – and he was just as wet as she was. And it wasn’t really cold out, just wet. She stopped complaining, and concentrated on her fishing.
“Oh Brede, you are a good girl. You’re making the beds.”
Brede was the youngest of Bella’s four children, and her baby still.
Bella desperately wanted another baby, desperately wanted to feel as happy as she’d felt when she been pregnant with their children, but Patrick wouldn’t hear of it.
“We have enough to do feeding the four we have already. Not to mention doing everything else.”
And it was true. Bella found it hard to make enough time for everything. Clothes for instance – her mother had always made or mended them. How was she supposed to fit everything in?
“I love to help you, Mother.” Brded hugged her mother, and Bella’s heart melted within her.
“Will you read me a story?”
“Well, we ought to be outside, doing the garden…”
“Please will you?”
Out in the wet garden, or inside reading to her baby? It was no contest at all as far as Bella was concerned! She headed for the bookcase.
And outside in the rain, Morag was left alone to do the work of two people, while Brede settled down happily for a story from her mother.
Bianca was happier than she had been for ages. With Cecelia and Brigit living with them, Carlo and Maria weren’t so tired always. And they hadn’t been hit so hard by the cold over the last couple of winters. Maria had the time to make and embroider clothes again. And Carlo’s sense of humour and silly jokes had come back. He’d been teaching her his woodworking skills too, and Bianca had really loved that. She hadn’t got much patience with a needle, but give her a saw or a chisel and she was well away.
And she wasn’t the only happy one either. Working in the garden with Bianca, as the sun set, Cecelia was feeling more contented than she had done in a long time. Her grief over Joshua’s death had faded from its first wild anguish – “as it should,” Brigit had said to her, when Cecelia had confessed that she didn’t feel as sad, and did it mean she hadn’t loved him? And seeing more of her mother had been good for both of them.
It was also deeply satisfying to see the difference she made to the Luigli family, simply by being there and helping them. And they’d made a difference to her as well – Maria had made her new clothes, for a start. When she’d been with David and Ingrid, they’d only ever had time for the most basic of sewing. It hadn’t seemed to matter then, but there was a sneaking pleasure in knowing that she looked good.
Outside, Brigit was raking up a heap of old decaying leaves from the previous autumn. Inside, Maris was preparing a meal for them all. And both, each in their separate ways, were deeply grateful for the lives they now had – Brigit because moving here had given her a new purpose after Joshua’s death, and Maria because she could be confident that her grandchildren would be well looked after when she and Carlo were no longer there for them.
Tobias was the first one to spot Barnabas as he returned from his voyage on Waverider. The brothers thumped each other on the back, and hugged each other delightedly.
“Was it as good as I told you it would be?”
“Definitely! Hey – when did you grow that apology for a beard?”
Tobias clouted his brother. “More respect, you young whippersnapper. I was born first!”
Barnabas laughed, and then sobered up. “You always know the answer to this one – how many people on the island now?”
“Now you’re back, twenty-five. But Maria’s looking very frail these days.”
“I was afraid of that. How’s Bianca doing?” Barnabas’s question confirmed Tobias’s suspicions – that his brother was more than a little fond of his sister-in-law’s sister.
“Much better than she would have been without Brigit and Cecelia.”
“Hasn’t Bella had another baby yet?”
“No – and before you ask, neither have Carla and Jon. Don’t mention it – I think Carla’s a bit sensitive about it.”
“All right, I won’t. Is there any weeding that needs doing? – I’d love to feel the earth beneath my fingers again”
Carla was a bit sensitive about the lack of baby in her life. In fact, she was talking to Jon about it that very moment.
“I feel like there’s something wrong with me. I mean, look at Bella…And we’ve been married ages now.”
“Don’t worry, my love. We’ve got plenty of time. You’re still so very young. And actually, between you and me, I’ve loved our child-free time. I’ve enjoyed it immensely. In fact…”
Jon looked out of the window. Astrid, Tobias and the newly returned Barnabas were all in the vineyard. And he knew that Ben was busy too.
“In fact, we seem to have a little time to ourselves right now. Come here, my beautiful wife…”
And as Jon’s arms went around her waist, Carla stopped worrying and just let herself enjoy her husband. After all, Bella looked pretty worn-out these days – and this was fun…
No-one commented on their late arrival in the garden, but every so often they’d catch each other’s eyes and share a swift, secret smile.
“Barnabas and I have a plan we want to tell you about,” Tobias said to Astrid a few days later.
“We want to move out and take on one of the ruined houses together. Though we’d be glad to be fed for a while longer, during the building phase!”
“One day we might want to get married as well – and if we can make a home for one of us, so much the better.”
Astrid was sad at the thought of them going – but, on the other hand, they couldn’t stay here for ever, she knew that.
“We’ll miss you – you know we will. But whatever we can do to help, we will do.”
The twins picked a site where the original chimney and fireplace were still standing. It didn’t look like a home at all – but a few weeks later, it looked quite different.
“So – once we get the daub on this wattle, it’ll stop being so draughty. And we can have our old beds – and a stove when we can trade for one.”
“We’ve done well here, baby brother.”
The twins had gone, but the household gained another member – briefly. Hannah Waverider had come ashore with Barnabas, announcing that she’d made her last voyage. Jake had offered her a home with his wife and children, but she’d said no.
“I want to die here, on this island. And be buried next to Nils, please.”
There was no shortage of offers of a room for her last days, but in the end, Ben and Astrid took Hannah in. They owed her so much. If she hadn’t come looking for Nils – and the rest of the Svenson family – the island and the people on it would never have done so well.
But she was very frail now. Astrid, watching Hannah hobble slowly back to the house, thought that it wouldn’t be long before she was next to Nils at last. And Astrid was right.
Hard on the heels of Hannah’s death came another loss for the family. Maria died too – though, as is so often the case, sorrow and joy were mixed together. Carla had time to tell Maria and Carla that she was pregnant before Maria died, and she carried the memory of her grandmother’s happiness at the news within herself.
And Jon was also a huge comfort to her, when her grief threatened to overwhelm her. The tide of emotions that surged through her at the start of her pregnancy didn’t exactly help matters either!
Jon comforted her, told her she was wonderful, tried to fulfil her whims and fancies, and to be an understanding and patient husband to her. Secretly, he was amazed that they were going to be parents!
Carla had been just about to cook breakfast, when she was interrupted by something! And Jon lost his cool completely!
And the something that had interrupted the cooking turned out to be their baby daughter, Nell.
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