Chapter 16: Her Master's Wedding, Part 16, Celebrations

And I really feel like celebrating. I can't keep the grin from my face. Reaching into the ice bucket, I fish out the bottle. "It's a bit early for champagne, but I thought buck's fizz would go down nicely."

And it does, citrus and bubbles complementing cereals, devilled kidneys and laughter.

Everything I ever wanted....

When even Charlotte's furnaces have been stocked with enough fruit, eggs and extra toast to halt an army....

How does she eat like that and never put on an ounce?

Plenty of 'exercise'....

..... we settle down a bit.

I've been looking forward to this moment.

I take an envelope from my pocket, passing it to Michael. "This, by the way, is my wedding present to the pair of you."

He looks a little surprised but gulps back the last of his fizz. He cuts it open the envelope with a knife, wiping butter and marmalade in equal amounts on the paper, extracts the contents....

.... and reads....

For a long moment his face is a blank, then he scratches an eyeb