Chapter 7

Anh and Terry went to church the following Sunday – to Holy Trinity, the nearest church to the docks, and, as it happens, to Anh's flat. They spoke to the vicar and made an appointment to see him during the following week. They also called Terry's parents and agreed to visit them to talk about arrangements. The vicar gently suggested that a date after Easter would probably make better sense than one at the earliest opportunity. He didn't mind that they were thinking of marrying in Huntingdon.

"Though," he said, smiling, "traditionally, it should be in the bride's parish. These days, no-one minds..." He then took a cheque from Terry for the fee for the Banns.

Marty Peters travelled to London to face a Board (at Thurrock) to gain his Master's ticket for Thames Barges. Jenni travelled with him and managed to keep him relaxed with the result that he passed his oral examination with flying colours, very much to his relief; now he was Captain Marty Peters, qualified to be in charge of a ninety foot long Thames Spritsail Barge, carrying passengers. Jenni was delighted to congratulate him and reward him in her inimitable manner.

"But you know," he said when he was capable of rational speech, "I almost think I was happier sailing as your Mate..."

"Silly," she laughed, kissing him, "there's nothing stopping you. I might enjoy being your Mate sometimes. Is there a good reason to rush back to Felixstowe?"

"No, the school aren't expecting me back this week."

"Then why don't we stay here and visit the Maritime Museum? Go back day after tomorrow?"

"Sounds good to me, Skipper, dear."

"Then let's do it, Skipper darling."

Amy threw herself into the task of completing her dissertation and got it sent off to her supervisor for comment by the end of March. That, and the twins, occupied her mind sufficiently that she didn't brood, though she did take the children to visit Terry at weekends, when Anh was there.

Anh and Terry had plenty to occupy them. She was learning her way round the office and the barge and working hard on her degree. Both of them made the journey to Hartford, Huntingdon to talk to Terry's parents and the Vicar. They scheduled the wedding for mid March, explaining it would be very difficult to take time off once the sailing season began. Marty and Jenni both visited regularly and became fast friends with the new couple; Amy drove over during the week with Beth, who was finding driving difficult.

"It's ... almost like having a family!" Anh exclaimed one afternoon after Beth and Amy had left; Amy needed to be back to collect the twins from school.

At the Ashcroft Centre, it was business as usual. In other words, unpredictable. Whatever the timetable might claim, when you're dealing with damaged adolescents you just cannot be sure what's going to happen on a given day. Oh, you can lay down boundaries ... you have to lay down boundaries, because most of the time that's what the youngsters need, but you also have to maintain those boundaries and doing that often means disrupting the timetable.

If you timetable one-to-one time with a youngster, you can insist they sit in the room with you, but you can't make them open up and tell you about their lives. Group work can be more effective when other youngsters begin to take an interest; peer pressure can be effective, but the job can be extremely frustrating...

One day in early March, John Shepherd had just emerged from a one-to-one with Tom Carmichael. It had been a repeat of ... how many others? Thirty minutes of painful silence between monosyllabic replies to John's comments or questions. Head down, he almost collided with Sarah Johnson.

"No progress, huh?"

He shrugged. "I'm beginning to wonder if there's anything to penetrate his armour."

"You don't look so good, either, John."

He shrugged again.

"You ought to bring April over to see us. Have supper, drink a glass or two, unwind."

He looked at her properly then and she was shocked by his expression.

"April's gone; I won't be bringing or taking her anywhere again."

"What!"

"I need some coffee..."

They sat in the Quiet Room, cradling mugs of indifferent coffee. The silence could have been cut with a knife. "Are you going to tell me about it?" She spoke quietly, gently, her expression concerned.

"Oh ... couple of weeks ago, well, I've got about a week's worth of time-owing, so I took a few hours back. I thought I'd surprise her, maybe go out for a meal or something."

"And ... you did surprise her?"

"Very civilised, we were. I walked into the lounge and there she was necking on the couch. In a way, it wouldn't have been so bad if she'd said she loved him, but it was just some random bloke she'd brought home. Anyway, he scarpered. She just said she couldn't cope with me 'never being there for her', that she'd go and stay with a friend and come back for her bits and pieces while I was at work. She said she was sorry; I asked what for, and she just shrugged. At least we never married and there aren't any kids to suffer."

"Sounds like good riddance, then. What about Tom?"

"Brick wall. 'Yes, no, shrug.' I've taken him out, tried playing board games with him, tried art and music ... and the only thing I've seen have any impression, was that barge trip."

"When's he off, then?"

"Next week, I think. Really he ought to make his own way there, but I'm going to take him, then pay a visit after a couple of weeks, just before their first cruise."

"Good luck. And ... I was serious; come over, have supper and a pint with Jim. What about Friday night?"

John looked a little grim, but shrugged and smiled. "Thanks, Sarah. Okay, I will. Half-seven?"

"Perfect."

Anh and Terry were married at All Saints Hartford by the vicar, 'Connie' McKenzie on the second Saturday in March. It was a small affair, though they invited all the charity staff plus Amy and the twins, Beth and James, Marty and Jenni. Andrew and Lucy were proud to be page and bridesmaid, their mother as matron-of-honour. Anh looked stunning ... Terry looked stunned! A good time was had by all. Terry and Anh stayed in order to attend the morning service, at which Anh was baptised into the church. After lengthy discussions with the vicar, they decided to borrow a portable baptistry from a local pentecostal fellowship so she could be baptised by immersion ... After the ceremony, as she was wrapped in a very large towel, the vicar said to her, "welcome to the family of God." then turning to the congregation, said, "welcome our new sister."

Anh began to cry, but through her tears, was saying, "Thank you, thank you," over and over. The service over-ran considerably. Anh wanted to shake hands with everyone there and the desire was mutual; no one really minded the wet footprints...

Afterwards, over the refreshments, Anh commented to Terry, "I never thought, when I said I'd marry you, that I'd be gaining two families."

"How would you like to visit your family in Vietnam? We could go at the end of the season."

"I ... am not sure. I will have to think about it. It is a lovely idea, but I am a little afraid."

They spent a few days in London as a token honeymoon, because they had to be back before the weekend to welcome Tom.

Friday morning they woke early, had breakfast and Anh walked the short distance to the office. Terry was on his own. Okay, that wasn't new, Anh had been working in the office for nearly two months, but still, he was aware that something, or rather someone, was missing. He told himself he'd have to get used to it; banked the stove and went for a walk. He met Anh for lunch – they had sandwiches sitting on the quay – and went back to Emily Jane to await the arrival of Tom Carmichael.

Tom and John arrived at the quay mid afternoon. Terry offered John a hot drink, but he declined with a smile. "Tom needs to get settled in. I don't think he wants me around! Do you, Tom?"

The lad looked surprised, but shook his head, and John turned to go; but turned back. "What happened to Beth?"

"She married ... you knew that, didn't you?"

"Oh, yes. I did know that, since you remind me."

"Well, she's expecting a baby any time now; it's due in about a week, I think. She left last October and they gave me the Mate's job. You knew Pete – the skipper – retired too, did you?"

"No! That's a pity ... he was so good with the kids. Who's taking over?"

"Marty Peters ... with his wife Jenni as backup."