Chapter 10

The voice went on. "There is an imprediment. The b ... bride is my wife." Everyone turned around in shock. The complainant was a thickset, red-faced man in his thirties. He didn't seem to be too steady on his feet. Millie gasped white-faced.

"Allan!" He didn't make any move to move further into the room and I was preparing to go and sort this out when I felt the hand of the registrar on my arm.

"Leave this to me Mr. Hammond, it is my duty to sort this out." He addressed Millie's ex-husband. "Would you come forward and state your name and why you object to this marriage." Mr. Winton took an unsteady step and stopped. He took a deep breath and started again.

"He's drunk." Whispered Millie her words only heard by Mr. Gilmorton and me. I took Millie to one side as he unsteadily approached the registrar.

"She can't marry this tosser. She's my wife."

"We're divorced Allan." An angry Millie shouted at him.

"Paper! Just bits of paper." He dismissed them. "You belong to me. I am your husband and you do what I tell you."

Mr. Gilmorton cleared his throat and addressed Allan. "Mr. Winton. I can assure you that your divorce from this lady is full and absolute. As part of the pre-requisite of this marriage all of this has been checked and found in order. You have no right of objection. If you wish to you may remain for the rest of the ceremony, but quietly. If you do not I have the power to have you ejected."

"Rubbish. I don't give a toss for your bits of paper. She is my wife until I decide that I don't want her anymore."

"Mr. Winton, you give me no alternative but to ask you to leave. If you don't I have powers to call the Police and have you arrested." I could see that the calm words of the registrar were having no affect on Allan Winton. Mr. Gilmorton could see that too so picked up his mobile phone and dialled a number. He whispered out of the side of his mouth. "I am doing that now." I saw John still wearing his Chefs white coat and blue checked trousers coming up behind Winton, so I moved towards him to divert his attention. It might be the time to mention that John was six foot three and fifteen and a half stone of muscle. I was five foot ten and although Allan Winton was bigger than me I was not anxious. In my teens I had gone to a segregated school for boys where battle to be top dog was accepted. I had learned that showing fear was worse than the pain of fighting. I had fought, suffered pain but administered it myself in equal measure.

"Ooh. What are we going to do? Going to fight me, punch the nasty man on the nose. Who and whose army are going to do that, eh?" Allan Winton taunted. John and I reached him at the same time. As John grabbed his left arm I took hold of his right."

"Nobody's going to fight, Winton. We are just going to take you outside whilst the police are called."

"Too scared to fight for the trollop?

"I see no trollop here just a silly drunk making himself look ridiculous. Millie is worth fighting for, but it would be an unfair fight as you are drunk. You may hurt me, but I assure you that I will hurt you as well if not more, and at the end of it, you will still be divorced and I will still marry Millie."

It was at that moment that he looked at the other person holding him. John looked vicious although I knew he wouldn't hurt anyone. It just wasn't in him. The size of him was intimidating however and Winton collapsed. You could literally feel the aggression seep away. We took him out to the car park, now our grasp was one of holding him up rather than forcing him to leave. Mr. Gilmorton had followed us.

"I don't think we need the Police now." I said to him.

He shook his head. "I have called them and they have to respond. We won't press charges though."

The Police came and took Winton away and we recommenced the ceremony. As we were now running late and the registrar needed to be elsewhere our personal vows could be left for another time. Millie and I were pronounced man and wife and the smiles returned to our guests. We took our place at the entrance to the dining room where the reception would be held and our guests formed a line to wish us well. The reception line seemed never ending shaking hands, kissing cheeks and speaking a few words with everyone when all I wanted to do was take my wife into my arms. Eventually the line passed and I grabbed two glasses of Chablis from the table and led Millie to a small alcove. We sat down and held hands. It was then that I made those very personal vows to Millie that I had been denied in the ceremony.

"Millie we have both known the darkness and now we have the light. I love you Millie and I promise you that I will always do everything and anything to keep that light shining on you. Thank you for coming into my life and loving me."