Chapter 14

Nothing was said as they drove back. Diana parked in the pub car park, undid her seatbelt and turned to Hal. Her left hand went behind his neck and her right to gently stroke his cheek.

"Thank you, Hal," she whispered. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You've given me my mum back. I love you so much. You're very, very special."

Hal smiled lovingly back. "I didn't do much. It was the Mules that got her going."

Diana smacked his cheek gently. "No, my love. You took no notice of her unwelcoming attitude. Instead you were natural and friendly. I think your willingness to take a fertility test helped but it was your gentle sense of humour, the respect you showed them and your unselfish love for me plus the fact that you asked for their blessing. Hal darling, I love you more than ever. You are a very, very special man and I am very, very lucky that you love me as you do."

She touched her lips to his. "More to come later, my Hal."

Hal took her hand from his cheek and kissed it. "Don't under-estimate yourself, my darling. Even though you were fussed about your mother you showed your usual courage, your sense of humour and your love for me. That must have helped swing her in our favour so you are just as special. I love you and am very proud of you."

She squeezed his hand, hard. "No more or I shall ravish you in public."

"Yum!"

"Shush! Come on, I'm hungry."

"For me?"

"I said 'shush'. Stop making life difficult! Come on!"

They did not have a big lunch but booked in for dinner and lunch the next day. Hal suggested a walk while it was still light. Diana grumbled about it being ravishment time but agreed.

They drove a short distance into the Peak District proper and walked from one of the points Frank had suggested the previous afternoon.

"Proper fresh air again," said Hal.

"It's such a long time since I was last in Sheffield that even I realise it," replied Diana. "I suppose it's the traffic fumes."

"And a lot of coal fires. I noticed how many chimneys were smoking. I could never live in a town certainly not a big one like Sheffield."

"I agree but we're not going to are we, my love?"

"No, thank Heaven!"

Diana got her ravishment, once on their return to their room, once in the shower and once more when they finally went to bed but that was altogether more leisurely and the best of the lot for both of them.

Sunday went well and all four enjoyed their lunch together. It was decided that the Gartsides would not come down until a week before the wedding. Hal and Diana would bring them back the next day before taking an abbreviated honeymoon in North Yorkshire, abbreviated because of the need to be back in time for lambing. Edna was disappointed that she would miss the lambs but Diana promised to collect them for a further week after shearing. They did not have any relations or friends that they wanted to invite to the wedding.

The following day Hal and Diana had a leisurely drive home via the Peak District which included a short walk and a light pub lunch.

Jilly had arrived home for Christmas and she and Diana quickly took to each other. Jilly was not particularly good looking but had a vibrant personality, a quick wit to match Diana's and a ready laugh. Hal was delighted to see her as she was him. She could not help but pull his leg. Wasn't it all a bit sudden? Had he been looking for another mother? On a serious note she wanted to be reassured that his back was fully healed. She was quickly convinced of the depth, sincerity and joyousness of their love and was thrilled for them.

The wedding was fixed for the first Saturday in April. It was a small, simple affair. Diana's parents and Mary Sykes were her only supporters. Hal's two uncles and aunts came but none of his cousins. There were a dozen from the village, including the Pennicotts from The Manor, although a lot more turned up for the marriage service itself.

Diana collected Harry and Edna the previous weekend. Edna was a bit shy and reserved to start with but Nick and Helen's warmth soon dispersed that. Both were fascinated by the farm and Edna even admitted that the Romneys' wool was not at all bad. It was a joy to see them come out of their shells and Diana was thrilled and deeply grateful to the Downsmans.

Diana and Hal had a blissful five day honeymoon based on a B&B near Richmond. They drove home the following Saturday to find that the elderly double bed in the main guest room had been replaced with a brand new queen-sized one.

The following morning after breakfast Nick held his hand out to Diana. "Come with me, Diana dear," he said. "I want to show you something."

Looking mystified she took it and was led out to his pick up and driven to the Wood field.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. Her hands flew to her mouth as her eyes filled. There were some two dozen bullocks. Then she turned to Nick and flung her arms round his neck.

"Little additional wedding present," he said with a smile.

"The best possible wedding present!" she retorted and kissed his cheek. She released him, got out of the pick-up and walked slowly to the gate. The bullocks, some forty yards away, took little notice but that was all right, plenty of time to get acquainted.

"What are they?" she asked Nick who had joined her. "They're redder than last year."

"Devons. They've gone out of fashion a bit but they produce really good beef so I'm taking a chance that with special Diana-care we'll make a bit more on them than we have in the past."

Diana gave a low soft whistle. Nothing. She did it again. One bullock looked up and regarded her still munching and then put his head down to take another mouthful.

"It's going to take a while for them to get to know me," she observed ruefully. "Hal gave me a head start with Hector."

"Depends how often you visit them too."

She nodded. "I'll try and get up twice a day at least to start with."

"Lambing could make that difficult."

She grinned. "Larger thermoses."

He smiled back. "And a broken hearted Hal."

That made her chuckle. "That'll teach him to tell me that I prefer kissing bullocks' noses to his lips."

Nick restrained a guffaw that might have spooked the herd and then, putting an arm round her shoulder, guided her back to the pick-up.

Hal had been up to the maternity ward to check on the ewes and arrived back in the yard at the same time as Diana and Nick. Diana flew to him.