Chapter 21

The next major event was the trip to Norfolk for Terry to meet Grace’s parents. Despite reassurance from Grace Terry was nervous. They might not take to him which would mean that Grace might become estranged from them or worse that he would lose her. He realised that that was all most unlikely. If he and Grace had gelled so completely there could hardly be any reason for any of that to happen. All the same there was a nag.

Everything went to plan. They left the flat on time, ran into no slow moving traffic and arrived for elevenses as they intended. Both Grace’s parents were there to meet him. Grace hugged and kissed them both and then introduced Terry.

Belinda stepped forward with both hands outstretched.

“Hello and welcome, Terry!” she smiled.

Terry smiled shyly back. “Hello, Mrs Ward and thank you for such a warm welcome.”

“Nonsense! Any friend of Grace’s is a friend of ours and no more Mrs Warding, Belinda.”

“Thank you, Belinda.”

She released him and Jim stepped forward, hand outstretched. “Jim,” he said, “just to forestall any misters.”

Terry smiled. “Thank you, sir,” he said.

Grace snorted.

“Come on in,” ordered Belinda. “Leave your stuff for the moment. Coffee’s ready. Much more important!”

Both parents led the way to the kitchen. Grace slipped her hand into Terry’s and mouthed a kiss to him. He squeezed her hand and returned the kiss.

“So,” said Jim to Terry, “you’re the one who taught Grace to drive what Belinda calls Motorway Monsters.”

“Helped to teach her,” smiled Terry. “Greg Honey, the foreman, taught her the basics. My job was the continuation training.”

“A very necessary part.”

Grace nodded. “And he did it jolly well too: patient, gentle and with plenty of laughter. We became good friends.”

“Wasn’t that a bit tricky with you being his manager?”

“Not really.”

“We both behaved very circumspectly. She wore her old army coveralls complete with lance-corporal’s tapes,” added Terry.

Belinda and Jim laughed.

“Go on,” said Belinda. “There’s more to it than that.”

Terry looked at Grace who glanced down but then said, “Well, I hadn’t really been taking enough exercise and thought that with the Peak District almost on my doorstep I ought to do some weekend walking there so, with his being a local, I asked Terry whether he knew it. He did: well and loved it. He offered to take me on a guided tour and I accepted.”

“She provided a feast of a picnic lunch including some really, really delicious soup.”

“He guided me up to Edale and the start of the Pennine Way which we did the start of and then took me by a wiggly route through really, really stunningly beautiful countryside with some equally stunning views.”

They glanced at each other and fell silent.

“Go on,” said Belinda again but gently and with a smile.

Another glance flashed between them. Terry took up the tale.

“I was really attracted to Grace by this stage but realised the difficult position she was in. I asked her to come to the cinema with me but said we could ‘meet by surprise’ so that although we could then sit together no-one could accuse her of fraternising. Um, and this is where my appreciation of her went up, she knew that I was working at Wilkins to see myself, with some help from my parents, through university, so she nipped in early and bought tickets for both of us.”

Both parents glanced proudly at Grace who looked down bashfully. Her hand found his again and squeezed.

Jim and Belinda looked expectantly at Terry.

“Well, after her generosity, I offered her a pizza but she got bossy.”

Terry had been gathering confidence from the quiet and appreciative attention of her parents.

“She took me to an Italian restaurant which did pizzas and once again she insisted on paying. I ... I started to fall for her but couldn’t do anything while I was still employed at Wilkins.”

“So?” asked Jim, in an interested and not unfriendly way.

“Well, um, I mentioned that I sang with the West Bromwich Choral Society and she came to a performance with the Robinsons, she’s the personnel Manager at Wilkins, and they enjoyed it.”

“What were you singing?” chipped in Belinda.

“Fauré’s Requiem.”

“Yum!”

“Well, then um, I persuaded her to come and listen to us rehearsing for the Christmas performance.”

“Messiah?” Belinda again.

“No, the first three parts of Bach’s Christmas Cantatas.”

“Whee! The first part’s lickety-split!”

Both Grace and Terry laughed.

“I was hooked, said Grace, “and the director had lent me a score and afterwards asked me to join.”

“I was welcomed and, thank goodness, the director took the first few rehearsals at half speed,” she went on.

“Which meant,” said Belinda gently, “that you were doing something together without the job constraints.”

Both Grace and Terry nodded.

Terry took a deep breath. “A-as you’ve probably gathered our being able to see each other without the job problem meant we grew closer. I-I’d never dreamt of bringing it up so soon but, Jim and Belinda, I love Grace from the bottom of my heart and she returns that love. Please, Jim, may I have your daughter’s hand in marriage?”

Jim and Belinda had guessed this was coming. Jim smiled at him.

“Yes, Terry.

Grace leapt, flung her arms round Terry and kissed him, hard. Next she ran to her father and hugged and kissed him ecstatically. Belinda was attacked equally enthusiastically and for rather longer as Grace cooled down and just hung on to the mother who was also her spiritual confessor.

Jim stood up.

“Terry, those two are going to get into emotional upheavals not to mention marriage plans. Come and have a walk round with me.”

Terry followed him out gratefully but silently. “I’m sorry,” he said in the end. “I’d intended to wait rather longer and let you both get to know me a bit better before I asked for Grace’s hand.”

“Pooh!” smiled Jim. “We’d twigged already what this visit was all about. I imagine you know about her previous flame.”

“Yes and I think he treated her appallingly, totally selfishly and she agrees with me.”

“We never met him but I rather got that opinion too. Anyway what are you going to use your degree for when you finally get it?”

“I hope in only two years’ time but electrical engineering on a large scale, generators and turbines and suchlike.”

“Good for you but you’re not going to be making any money until then.”

“No, which was why I was rather shy of letting myself fall for Grace but it was impossible.” He smiled ruefully. “Corporal Ward pulled rank on me and said she would easily be able to support us both until I’ve found myself a decent job. I must say having got to know the Robinsons I gather that the General Manager is very impressed with her.”