9 A weeding, I meant a wedding comes along.
Dulcie wanted new everything. I spoke to Nick, and Edith was the same. Then Maise and Cook wanted to go to the big town to buy certain things and food was not one of them. Oh we had to have flowers. No problem its Spring at last look out the window there are whole bunches springing up all over the place. But they must be bought especially the white rose. Why white, Robin and the James girl, Laura, are already married by license several months ago and have been living down on Home Farm for the past four months. And because it was winter they cuddled together to keep warm at night. So where are they intending having the reception? In the castle hallway! A picnic one on the timber floor. Tables! How many are coming? The estate workers, wives, kids, plus the rest of the village. This is turning into a major exercise and who the devil is going to organise it? Oh no, not me, absolutely definitely not me. If I had my way we should hold the reception in the church, saves carrying everybody up to the castle. Well its got pews for heavens sake and sacrificial wine for those who indulge. It will already be warmed up by the previous service and we can leave the flowers there for others to enjoy at a later date. Now ask the vicar to attend me please.
Now excuse me that edifice people pray in was built by my forefathers and dam the church commissioners, its still our property though the rascals have been after it for centuries. They change religion and garments but it still remained ours. Even Henry number eight tried to wrench it from us and failed with a kick in the rear from the local citizenry.
Absolutely no, I am not getting involved. I don't even have to give my son away. Nick and Robroy have already been chosen as Best men, goodness knows why Robin needs both. I would have thought my Robroy would have filled the function well enough including any speeches that needed telling. And anyway why did Robin not have a good mate to take that place and bore us all with ribald jokes! And the food will we make it ourselves, get the Evans cook and ours to prepare a feast or buy in from a local restaurant. Robin showed me some quotations he had obtained and I nearly had a fit and these were priced at a cost for each seat, or pew if you prefer.
Dulcie said both cooks had known Robin from a little scamp and Maise had gone to school with him, Neither could be expected to work at the same time and being guests. Food had to be bought in. And the church was not a feasible idea. I thought the opposite, but that daft old vicar agreed with my wife. Next year I will change the young Deacon with the old Vicar and see if we get better church attendance. Well that's why I don't bother going now, bored out of my mind listening to intern-able sermons that he repeats week by week. I expect he wrote them all up the first year he was with us, a Scotsman, and very thrifty so continued trundling out those well thumbed sermons given each week and as he has a second parish over in Kettleridge, a repeat can be heard an hour or two later, if you were inclined to fall asleep the first time round and miss the important bits! I heard of an elderly lady who took one of those voice recorders the first year he came to us and recorded his weekly sermon then the next year would stay at home each Sunday and replay that particular sermon. And did not have to put in to the plate or bag her loose change. Bet she was his sister!
Well I've had my grumble and it seems Dulcie and her boys have sorted it out. I am to pay our local NAFI for the barbecue meat and roast potatoes, Gideon having donated a sheep from his herd. Now there's a problem in itself, those children all picked a special lamb and Gideon sprayed different colours on the lamb backs. If one of them had been picked for sacrificing there will a hell of a problem. I think I better have a quite word with my youngest brother to save a possible problem, such as a thrown spear or axe. I know what those children feel about their animals.
Maise and the two cooks will do the vegetables in the huge cavernous saucepans we have and the Evans will bring the baked tarts and custard from the Cafe. I will pay for the ice cream for the children which Mrs Evans will order. What have I missed. Ah yes the wine and beer from the pub. A cake? What the devil for? We are having fruit tart! Robin insists so that will have to be a bought item, and knowing my lot a triple layer. Bless my heart Edith will organise that purchase as she knows Mrs Merryweather is a fine pastry cook and had offered her services as a thank you to the family for getting her little dog back intact.
There all fixed up, the dining room and the library are to be reorganised to accommodate the hoards, Nick is arranging for some timber planks on trestles in the Library for the villagers and the army cooks to sit and eat, he will add further tables to the main dining room to form a large square. I expect I shall retire to my turret early in the peace as there is to be dancing in the main hall, Finlay will have to find another bolt hole if he wants some peace and quite. I expect he and Tom will be the wine servers so I will have Maise lock up my special sherry in one of the kitchen cupboards for safety.
Well that's about the end of it until the actual day, I do hope it will be fine and goodness knows how we are to get the hoards up here from the village church, can't expect the Shires to pull them up, suppose I could ask Tom to rent a couple of motor coaches, then there will be drivers to feed as well, its gets worse and worse!