With no one to speak out against the marriage, Reverend Whitlock coughed and continued the ceremony.
‘I have a poem to mark this occasion,’ he announced proudly and unfolded a piece of paper from his pocket and began to read:
War for the end of war,
Fight that fight might cease,
And out of the cannons’ roar
A thousand years of peace.
‘I wrote it myself,’ he said.
Gracie felt the awkward cold emptiness in the room. No one knew whether to clap in the middle of a wedding or not. She was holding a flower basket so no one could expect her to clap but then Reverend Whitlock said the groom may kiss the bride and everyone did clap and Theo leant over, lifted Beth’s veil and kissed her on the cheek.
Missus Hooley pulled a biscuit wrapped in paper from her bag and offered it to Edie and Edie said, ‘Oh, I’m just crying tears of happiness.’ Missus Hooley raised her eyebrow and Gracie thought a dunce could see Edie wasn’t happy at all. Missus Hooley took the biscuit out of the paper and handed it to Edie and Edie said, ‘Oh, why not,’ and took a big bite.
After everyone had eaten sandwiches and cakes in the dining room, Beth went to her bedroom and changed into her day dress: a pale blue skirt, a white blouse and a lovely matching pale blue jacket that hung loosely to her thighs. She tidied her hair in the mirror and picked up her overnight bag. They were taking the train to Melbourne for their honeymoon. Theo said one night was all they could manage on account of the war, and because it was on account of the war she couldn’t argue. At least he had finally married her. At least she was now someone else — she was Missus Theo Hooley. When she came out Theo was standing talking to Paul, and she slipped her arm through his and gave him a little squeeze and waited for him to smile at her, but he didn’t, so she held on tighter to make him aware that she was there.
Paul saw her and her bag. ‘Righteo, let’s see them off,’ he called to the guests, and he nodded at her and she threw her bouquet, aiming for Edie who caught it and quickly passed it to Gracie standing next to her. Gracie held it high so everyone could see what a beautiful posy of flowers it was and then she giggled and said, ‘I’m too young to be the next married, Beth — you should throw it again.’
‘Oh, I don’t think so,’ said Beth. ‘I think you can only throw it once, it doesn’t work the second time.’
Beth was hurt that Edie didn’t want her bouquet and had passed it to Gracie. She reminded herself that Edie hadn’t wanted Theo and she had and she had nothing to feel guilty about. She hoped Edie would still find someone she did want, even though she was approaching middle age and it wasn’t likely. But Beth would feel so much better if Edie had someone.
Beth looked at Theo but he was somewhere else so she nudged him and he smiled at her, but she knew he still wasn’t really looking at her.
She hugged Edie and Gracie, Paul and Lilly, and her sisters and nieces and nephews and Laidlaw.
‘Well, let’s see them off,’ said Paul and everyone walked to the station, and on the platform Beth hugged everyone all over again. She even hugged Nurse Drake. Theo helped her onto the train, but he still hadn’t really looked at her and she felt his indifference like a slap across her cheek and it turned her skin hot and pink. They stood in the doorway and waved and called goodbye to everyone and she saw his eyes light up as they rested on Edie as she stood on the platform next to her father, and for just a moment Beth’s heart sank to rest among the sharp stones on the railway track and she heard Colin’s words: He will never belong with you.
The conductor blew his whistle and the train pulled out and she toppled into Theo with the jolt and everyone laughed and cheered for them. Theo straightened her up and said, ‘Righteo,’ and walked to a compartment. He pulled open the door for her and then shut it so they had the compartment to themselves. She sat by the window and he sat next to her and she leant over to kiss him and he turned and kissed her cheek first.
‘Bloody hell,’ she said and he screwed up his face in distaste. ‘You told me I had to wait until our wedding night before we can you know — do what we did down the lake, so we can consummate our marriage properly as husband and wife. Then you make me wait three bloody years and now we are married you don’t want to kiss me?’
Theo stared straight ahead; he wouldn’t have a war with her.
She sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.
‘I set the date because I leave on Monday,’ he said finally, looking at her as though he didn’t know her. ‘I wanted to do the right thing. This way we can ease into things — take our time to get used to married life.’
Beth couldn’t speak. Something inside her just bottled up and the lid closed down fast.
‘So when do you have to be at your barracks?’ she asked at last, keeping her voice flat and cold.
‘Well,’ he said, ‘it was supposed to be three this afternoon but
