Light A Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy

Author:Maeve Binchy [Binchy, Maeve]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780099498575
Publisher: Random House
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

XIII

ELIZABETH SAT BETWEEN Aunt Eileen and Maureen in the front left-hand seat of the church. Eamonn and Donal were at the church door guiding the guests to their seats. Niamh, as bridesmaid, was at home still with Aisling and Uncle Sean; about now they would be getting into the car which was already waiting in the square. Uncle Sean was pacing the sitting room like an animal in a cage and his hair looked odd since he had had too violent a haircut the day before. Nobody had commented on it, but Aisling had whispered to Elizabeth that he managed to make himself look like a convict, which would undoubtedly add to Mrs Murray’s pleasure when she saw the wedding pictures.

Elizabeth looked across at Tony as he knelt with his head in his hands, more from a hope of escape than from piety. He had what love-story writers would call a florid charm, Elizabeth thought; he had a high complexion and there always seemed to be sweat on his forehead. He was a big stocky man, and looked older than he was. If Elizabeth had been asked to guess she would have said closer to forty than to thirty. He had seemed uneasy on the three occasions they had met, but she excused him; so was she uneasy. She was very conscious of saying the right thing, the thing that would make her seem like a friend, an ally, rather than a rival. She found herself talking about the weather, and the journey over from England and the journey down from Dublin.

Then, Tony must be nervous, it was a big day for him too. No wonder he had sweat on his brow, no wonder his mind hadn’t been on their conversations. No wonder he half-sat, half-knelt, with his hands over his face, while his friend, Shay Ferguson, the best man, roamed the church with his eyes and winked twice at Elizabeth when he caught her eye. Shay was even older than Tony Murray and much fatter. He was a confirmed bachelor, and Elizabeth remembered that he had been one as far back as her own time in Kilgarret. Shay and his brothers sold agricultural machinery and they had often been in Uncle Sean’s shop. She had always thought of him as being Uncle Sean’s age; it was a shock to think of him as a friend of Tony’s. Odd and uneasy-making. It was as if Aisling were being handed over to older, coarser men in some way. Elizabeth gave a little shiver and pulled herself together.

She whispered to Aunt Eileen.

‘Can I say something or are you praying?’

‘I’m only pretending to pray. Go on.’

‘Are you happy or are you sad? Your face is hard to work out.’

Aunt Eileen smiled. ‘I’m happy really. It took Aisling so long to make up her mind, you know that too. She didn’t rush into it. He’s a good man. I think he’ll be able to look after her. No, I’m not sad. I’m mainly happy. There’s your answer.

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