Chapter 15

Emily Jane was expected alongside by nine am. Anh was fidgeting in the office from starting at eight and at nine-thirty Janice called Anh to her.

"Go ... take the rest of the day off. Just give them a chance to get everything stowed and tidied away. You've done well, Annie. I want you back here tomorrow, but then you've got a long week-end, she's not going out again until Monday."

"Thanks, Jan ... thank you very much!"

Emily Jane was already alongside when Anh arrived; the party was filing off and into a minibus as the two leaders were saying 'goodbye' to Jenni; Tom and Terry were busy about the deck stowing the foresail, coiling ropes and generally tidying. Despite her excitement, she stayed standing on the dockside, watching them work, stepping aside to let the minibus pass. She'd been there perhaps ten minutes when Terry noticed her and straightened up. She saw him say something to Tom. Who pushed him and made, 'go, go' gestures with his hands. Tom was smiling ... that ... was something new.

Terry strode down the deck and hopped over the rail to the quay ... he was walking toward her ... he was there. He'd expected her to throw herself at him, but she didn't, instead, reaching up with both hands to pull his head down for a long kiss. She didn't know what prompted her then or where the words came from, but she whispered in his ear;

"The storm is over, we're in a safe harbour." She stepped back slightly and smiled up at him.

He gathered her in his arms then, pressing her to him, burying his face in her hair; he was shaking and she pulled away slightly to look up at his face, brushing away tears from his cheeks with her thumbs.

"Jan gave me the day off. Let's ask Jenni how long before you're free." She took his hand and pulled him toward the barge.

"The basics are done," Jenni said, "what plans have you got for tomorrow?"

"I need to work," Anh said, "but I'm off for the weekend."

"Why don't we knock off now, spend tomorrow on some more serious stuff and you take the weekend off? Marty and I have some things to keep an eye on and Tom'll be around. I don't think we'll get him to leave before the end of his six weeks!"

They collected Terry's kit from the fo'c'sle and walked to Anh's flat, stopping on the way for coffee.

"You've changed," Terry said, tentatively, over the coffee.

She nodded, smiling. "I'm still Annie, though, just ... free to love you."

"Something happened in Hartford?"

"Yes," she smiled even more widely, "I think you could probably call it a miracle."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Whatever it was, I like it."

"Terry ... would you ... could we ... go to Huntingdon on Friday and talk to Connie again?"

Still thoughtful, he looked at her. After a minute or so, "Why not? I'll ring Mum."

They walked in Christchurch Park and round the Mansion, looking at pictures, as Anh described her visit the previous weekend. It took a long time, including eating sandwiches while watching the ducks. Terry didn't really know what to make of it; church hadn't really been a large part of his life since leaving home for University, but there was no doubt of the change in Anh.

As Anh and Terry were leaving the park, hand in hand, though;

"The twins like birds, don't they?" John was talking to Amy from his desk.

"Yes, we all do. It's something Barry introduced me to and it came to the kids sort of naturally."

"I was wondering how they'd enjoy a day at Stonham Barns with the raptors, on Saturday?"

"I ... think they'd love it. There are several good restaurants that way, too."

"Um ... how about getting a baby-sitter and having dinner with me in the evening?"

"Would you mind having dinner here? We could have a glass or two of wine and not have to worry about driving."

"Ummm ... are you inviting me to stay the night?"

"That ... would seem to be a logical implication, John." He was fairly sure he detected more than a hint of amusement in her voice. "The sofa in the lounge makes a quite reasonable bed." The amusement was stronger ... and was that a warning?

"I'd like that." Better to put a good face on it...

After an intense day on board Emily Jane, Jenni pronounced herself satisfied and released Terry for the weekend. Tom almost begged to stay on board

"You know you're going to be on your own every night, don't you?"

"That's okay. I'm sort of used to that. I just want to, well, make the most of the time. If there's anything I could do..."

"Not that I can think of right now. There's an Ashley's Book of Knots and some scrap rope if you want to practice try fancy rope work?"

Tom nodded. "I'm going to miss Emily Jane..."

"But you've got the Topsail Charters third-hand berth for Whit Week and the Summer. That's how I got started, you know."

"Really?"

"Really. I don't think they'll let you ship as Mate until you're eighteen, but once you're in the barge world and known, I don't think you'll have any problem finding a place. You'll need to think about what you're going to do in the winter, though. Take care, now. You know where the mobile is if there's any problem, don't you? Marty is speed-dial three, I'm four and Pete's still on five; he really won't mind you calling if you can't get us."

Tom nodded again, and watched her out of sight.

Friday morning at nine-forty, Anh and Terry boarded the National Express coach for Huntingdon. The journey was uneventful and just like the previous week, Betsy was there with the car when they arrived a little late at twelve-twenty. Terry could tell by the embrace his mother gave his wife that their relationship had developed since that last time he'd seen them together; he was quiet as they chattered on the way home.

"Connie can't see you today," his mother said, "but he'll be happy to see you tomorrow morning."

Since returning to Ipswich on Wednesday, Terry had been made very aware of changes in his wife and was unsure about them. They'd made love ... not surprisingly, quite a lot ... and they did so again Friday night. What was different? She was neither needy ... nor demanding; she wasn't clinging, or uncertain. She'd never given him the impression of being unsure about her body, yet she seemed to have a new confidence. He'd always thought her beautiful, but now ... she positively glowed. But the religious stuff? He didn't mind marrying in church (his parents would have expected it, anyway). He didn't mind her being baptised ... after all, many – once it would have been nearly all – babies in Britain were baptised almost routinely right after birth. But some of what she'd been talking about ... made him uncomfortable. God was definitely someone to be kept at a distance...

As before, it was Penny that opened the door and invited them in and showed them into the Vicarage lounge. Connie spoke;

"Terry, I'd like to talk to you, but you may prefer to talk one-to-one. I think it would help if Penny and Annie remained, though."

Terry thought about it. "Annie and I have shared a lot recently ... I think it's ... right she remain."

"Penny and I work together a lot and I find her presence helpful ... we complement each other, you see ... rather like you and Annie, I think."

Terry considered that. What was the problem? At most ... some embarrassment.

"Can I see how things go?"