Thorne: The Magic of Love

At

The House of Four Seasons

By Atonia

Part 3

Terry and Toni came back to the house hand in hand an hour or so later, Jack wasn’t back yet and they went into the kitchen for a cold drink.

“I still don’t remember, Toni, I wish I could remember every little thing we ever did together, it must have been wonderful.”

“It was, all of it, Terry, every moment I’ve ever spent with you. You married me in Cape Cod, took me down there and registered us in as Mr. & Mrs. Thorne. I didn’t have a ring so I stuck my hand in my pocket. It was a really nice B&B. When we got to the room you pulled out this ring and put it on my finger, we were magically married. It was wonderful, Terry, nothing fancy said except I love you.”

“That was it, that was our wedding?”

“I may have left out some details but yeah pretty much.”

“We aren’t really married then, and we have a child on the way.”

“I don’t know how much more married we could be?”

Terry turned his glass round and round, “I do, we’ll go into Gloucester and get a marriage license, a proper license not some magical piece of paper. Jack can marry us, he’s a ship’s captain, he signs the license and we get it filed properly. I don’t want to raise a bastard, Toni.”

“Terry we couldn’t be more married if we had a big church wedding.”

“Yes we could, it could be legal in the eyes of the law. Yes we will do this.”

“Jack is waiting on his ship, he’ll be gone very soon, Terry.”

“Well then, there’s not a moment to lose.”

“Terry where did you hear that?”

“I don’t know…Jack maybe.”

“Yeah that’s Jack’s line.”

“Find me paper and pen,” Terry left a note for Jack ‘do not leave, you have a wedding to perform, Terry.’

“I need a shower, Terry,” Toni protested as they got in her jeep.

Terry grinned as he backed her jeep out of the garage, “You smell good to me.”

They had to go to Salem to obtain a marriage license and by the time they got back Jack was there, having a glass of port in the living room.

He picked up the piece of paper Terry had left, “What may I ask is this?”

“You can perform marriages right?” Terry asked him.

“As the Captain of a ship yes I can, though I don’t believe I ever have.”

“Terry wants a legal marriage, we’ve been to Salem and got a marriage license.”

“Oh dear Lord. Is this quite necessary?”

“Yes it is, we’re having a child. Will you do it?” Terry looked at him.

“Will it be legal?” Toni asked.

“If it’s accepted in Salem I should say so. But why this sudden desire to have a piece of paper. You’re already magically married and that holds more weight than this piece of paper here.”

“Because of our child. I’d hate some day for him to look back and find there is no record of our marriage.”

“Well Toni, I will do this for you but there will have to be witnesses and you’ve already sent them packing.”

“Do you know when your ship will be in?”

“No, I do not.” Jack rubbed his face, walked over and refilled his glass. He sat down in a chair and looked at Toni. “I’m only doing this out of love for you, otherwise I would not attempt it.”

“Have you never performed a marriage, Jack?” she asked.

“No, I never have; there are no women on my ships, not real ones anyway. What brought this on, if I may ask?”

“I told Terry about our marriage in Cape Cod, he says it’s not legal and he doesn’t want his son to be a bastard.”

“That word is relative,” he looked at Terry. “We’re having a son are we?”

“I think it is, Max said he wouldn’t expect Terry to produce anything else.” Toni replied.

“A high compliment to you, Terry.”

“I don’t know what it will be, it doesn’t matter to me.”

“I hope you know you are going to have to share this child, he will have uncles.”

Toni smiled, “Special ones too.”

Jack sighed, “Let me see this license thing. What a boring little piece of paper it is. We shall do this at sea just out there, far enough from shore for this to be legal.  I have no authority on land to perform such a ceremony in fact I am not sure it would be valid at sea, however I do have aboard a certain Reverend Martin. I suppose the two of you are sure about this? One must ask these things. “

Terry left Jack and Toni and went outside, his steps taking him to the bluff and he sat down on the bench. “Drown me,” he said quietly, what did that mean to him…something but he couldn’t grasp it. It had been in his mind since Toni said it to him. He’d been told about almost drowning at sea and Jack picked him up. The good doctor…Maturin, Stephen Maturin flashed through his mind he could see his face hovering above him. He’d remembered his name, was that how it was going to be, a bit here and there? Why couldn’t he remember anything that Toni had told him about their relationship? Good God above if anything he wanted to remember her.

TBC

BACK                                                                                     HOME                                                                                     NEXT