Our only son astounded us when he announced his wish to marryhe was just twenty-two years old. But my husband and I decided not to stand in his way. After all, we ourselves had married young; my husband had just turned twenty-two, and I was only nineteen. It must simply have been fate at work. Besides, we rather liked his chosen bride: Emily was in the same course at university as our son. Once we realised they were quite serious, we began preparing for the celebration. Being that Victor was our only son, we felt it right to throw him a proper wedding.
As tradition would have it, my husband and I made arrangements to visit Emilys family, our future in-laws, one Sunday afternoon. Truth be told, we knew very little about the girljust that she and her mother lived together in a village not far from our town. So, we set out to speak to her family about the engagement. Of course, we let Emilys mother, Mrs. Margaret Wells, know of our visit ahead of time.
My husband bought a beautiful bouquet, and I baked a cake for the occasion, as one does. On arrival, the first thing to strike us was the immaculate garden and tidy grounds.
The house, while clearly an old one, was equally well kept and spotless within. We were greeted at the door by Mrs. Wells, and immediately felt at ease; she was lovely, a charming and attractive lady. Margaret welcomed us warmly and invited us to take tea. The spread she laid on was delicious, and it was clear she had planned everything with great care. We spent a delightful afternoon chatting. It quickly became apparent, though, that nothing would be settled about the wedding that day. Mrs. Wells was upfront from the start: she simply didnt have funds for a wedding. After she spoke, we could see how uncomfortable this made Emily, and our son looked rather crestfallen too. He never wanted a big wedding for himselfhe simply knew how dearly Emily wished for it. My husband and I decided not to change course. We promised our son we would arrange the wedding ourselves, and let life run its own course thereafter.
We told Mrs. Wells she ought to invite several important guests from her own side of the family. In England, guests never arrive empty-handed; whatever they might give would help defray the costs of their seats at the reception. Although Margaret hesitated for some time, we eventually convinced her it was all right to support her daughter and our son in this way.
Then, just a few days before the wedding, the doorbell rang. To our surprise, there stood Mrs. Wells. We invited her in for tea and she sat nervously, uncertain how to broach her purpose. At last, she produced a white envelope from her bag. Inside was a sum of money. It turned out shed gone to the bank to take out a loan, feeling she simply must contribute. We pleaded with her to return the money and not burden herself with such debts. It was plain as day, from what we had seen at her home, that she and her daughter lived humbly and simply. Still, she would not hear of it, insisting the decision was made. The wedding itself was a splendid affair.
The children were clearly overjoyed. At the reception, Mrs. Wells astonished us once more: we saw that she was not only capable and intelligent, but also a striking woman in her best dress, with her hair so beautifully done. She truly shone that day, and the guests took noteincluding my husbands younger brother, George. George, aged forty-six, had been divorced for years and was living and working in Ireland, but he had come back specially for his nephews wedding. All evening, he seemed quite taken with Margaret, and after the wedding remarked that he planned to stay in England for a little while longer. I rather guessed the reason…
So the following Sunday, we visited the Wells cottage once againthis time on a different errand, as George intended to ask for Margarets hand. Thankfully, all went well. The two married in due course. Within a few months, George brought his bride to join him in Ireland. Thus, my former in-law became my true familyand I must say, Margaret is a marvellous woman who truly deserves her happiness.
