‘I, Eleanor Josephine Thomas, being completely and utterly in love with you, Keith Terence Jewkes, accept your offer of a… life partnership, and promise to… do all I can to make you happy…’

     She paused, biting her lower lip. I squeezed her hands a little harder and gave her an encouraging smile. She swallowed, then continued:

     ‘… never lie to you, keep anything secret or go off with another man. I will provide for you… be your friend always… and die for you…’

     She collapsed, sobbing, into my arms.

     ‘If necessary,’ I gently prompted, although it was evident that the power of speech had temporarily deserted her. ‘We’ll take that as read. Well done, my darling – I hope you didn’t mind me springing it on you like that. I thought it would mean more if it was spontaneous. And it was, you know. I deliberately avoided thinking about what I’d say. How does it feel to be married, then, and to have had the cheapest wedding in history?’

     She began to recover, her sobs diminishing. A smile appeared as she answered me.

     ‘It’s the most… beautiful feeling I’ve ever had, and there was nothing cheap about it. Oh, Keith – trust you to do something different! I can honestly say that I feel far more married than I did the first time. Sorry to mention that, but it’s true. I’ll keep my promises, every one of them…’

     We were tightly in each other’s arms once more. It was a long time before we parted. We became aware that the sky was clouding over again. The first drops of rain began to fall.

     ‘Better get back in,’ I murmured.

     She took my hand and moved towards the rear doors. Our eyes met.

     ‘You can’t expect me to wait any longer,’ she said.

     It was therefore in the back of a white van, on a mountain road surrounded by sheep, with the rain crashing down on the roof giving the impression that we were in a boiler factory, that at last the overwhelming love we shared found its ultimate physical expression.

(To be continued)