“She’s only going to the bottom of the hill, she could have walked,” Teddy said, earning him a clip to the ear from his mother.
“Cost a pretty penny,” Mr Hopkin said, “but it was worth it.”
“Oh my God!” Nellie gasped from the doorway, and we all turned as one to look at her.
She looked stunning. Her white lace dress flowed with her every movement, tied at her waist by a thin yellow ribbon, with elbow-length sleeves that showed off just a hint of her arms above her evening gloves.
Her long dark hair had been tied up in loose curls, hidden in place by a lace veil that hung down to her waist and had been fastened behind each ear with a flower. Under the warm April sun, she looked as though she were glowing.
“You look incredible,” I said, suddenly overcome with a feeling that I should bow to her, though I refrained for fear of looking like an idiot.
“What do you think?” Mr Hopkin asked, taking her hand and leading her around the wagon.
“I love it,” she said, and she kissed him on the cheek.
“I’ve got one more gift for you,” he said, reaching into his breast pocket and pulling out an envelope.
“I should wait,” she said, pushing it back towards him, “until Gethin is here.”
“This one is just for you,” he said, causing her to look curiously at him. “Open it.”
She took the envelope, tearing at the seal while looking at him for some sort of hint to its contents, but he remained silent, smiling at her as she pulled out a letter from inside.
“Dear Miss Hopkin,” she read aloud, “We hereby invite you to commence formal training at Aberystwyth Infirmary beginning September 1890…”
She trailed off after that, her eyes widening with excitement, and she threw her arms over her dad's shoulders in an embrace that nearly knocked the flowers from her hand. Mrs Hopkin, who was by this point in a flood of tears with a grin like a Cheshire cat, joined them in their embrace.
“Come on everybody,” she said, motioning to the group. “One last family hug before we send her off.”
Nan, Betty, Teddy and Howell all gathered together with their arms around Nellie and her parents, and I watched from the side thinking what a lovely picture it would have made.
“And you, you soft mare,” Mrs Hopkin said, beckoning me over. “You’re a part of this family too, whether you like it or not.”
I stepped up to join them with a huge grin on my face. I did like it. I liked it very much.
Outside the church I met with Gethin and his best man Dylan, who while pleasant, barely spoke a word to any of us. We stood, along with Teddy, and greeted guests as they arrived for the wedding.
Mair and Gwyn were amongst the last to reach the church, both looking beautiful in their formal wear. They walked towards us arm-in-arm and Mair, in a yellow dress decorated with white lace flowers embroidered all around it, leaned in to kiss me on the cheek. “You look so handsome,” she whispered as she brushed past me into the church.
Gwyn, unable to say what was on his mind with so many other people around, gave me a knowing smile and a tip of his hat as he followed behind her. It was enough to put a smile on my face.
When everyone was inside Gethin and Dylan entered to take their places, leaving Teddy and me waiting for the bride to arrive.
“Looking good, Teddy boy,” I said, giving him a light jab to the arm. “I didn’t even know you knew how to wash.”
He let out a little laugh and hit me back. He was shifting his weight from one foot to the other while he stared off up the hill for a sign of his sister.
“Are you nervous?” I asked.
“What have I got to be nervous about? It’s not me that’s got to marry him.”
“You’re going to miss her, aren’t you?”
“Can’t say I’ll notice,” he replied, trying to play it cool. I knew it must be tough for him to see another of his siblings leave home, as she inevitably would over the coming weeks, even if it was only to somewhere else in the village.
Before I could press the matter further the sound of hooves on the road brought my attention towards the hill and the carriage that was bringing Nellie to her groom. Behind it walked Mrs Hopkin, along with Howell, Nan and Betty, who looked as though she was struggling to keep up, though I knew that she would have refused any suggestion of joining her sister on the wagon.
Along the street, residents of the village who were not attending the wedding came to their doors to cheer on the bride through her procession. Even Mrs Wilkes had wiped the sour look from her face and managed to raise a smile for her. When they pulled up outside, Mr Hopkin helped lower Nellie to the ground and she waved to the people who had gathered to see her.