fiery_ring | Reception

The reception takes place in the Big Top, which is more than large enough to accommodate the crowd. Outside, a large hog roast is taking place, with food and drinks aplenty.

It's a good time for Carlotta to catch up with her friends from school, most of whom she hasn't seen since the start of the war. A few of them have married in that time and brought husbands, some are in work or still at university. A petite, pretty woman, Alison, has brought a daughter of about two; finally a distraction from an incessant need to worry what her hair looks like. A tall, strapping woman, Mirabel, is sporting a burn scar on her face; rumour has it, she has been serving in combat.

The circus folk mingle among the guests, bringing food and occasionally breaking out into acrobatics. At the front of the tent, Fred the Bouncer sits with Wolf, his large guard dog.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

ostro_goth

Either, Fern had not been lying all along; or, William is lying now, taking her lie and running with it, to defend Carlotta.

In any case, this feat is turning ugly very soon, and Teja gets ready to interfere, if needed. Whoever might do whatever, he shall defend Carlotta from it. Carlotta and her daughter are, in the end, all that count to him here.

From:

fiery_ring

The police officers take Fern outside to get some explanation in a space they can hear themselves think.

As soon as the police are out of sight, Carlotta's father punches Will in the face.

From:

ostro_goth

Teja is there within seconds, to step between.

"You know not if that is the truth, or a useful subterfuge!" he hisses at the man. "He might yet hoist her with his own petard."

He steps between, to prevent more punches. It would be awkward if the father of the bride got arrested at the wedding.

As it is, he is sorry for Carlotta to have it spoiled so, even without himself and Demeter arguing, which he has meticulously avoided.

From:

fiery_ring

Will rubs his jaw, but doesn't hit back.

"John, for fuck's sake, do you want her to go to prison?" he hisses. "With a bit of luck, we might get custody too at this rate."

He nods his thanks to Teja.

From:

ostro_goth

"We must keep calm and quiet," Teja says, looking around at Carlotta, "and make the right moves. Fighting among yourselves will not help."

At least neither of these men questions who Teja is, any more.

From:

fiery_ring

"I'd say as father of the bride it's fairly realistic for me to be angry at you for having an affair." Carlotta's father says.

"You keep on being, just don't get arrested." Will hisses.

From:

ostro_goth

"You must answer later if that was the truth," Teja says, "at least to Carlotta herself. I would hope for your sake, Will, that it was not."

He gives him a stern look, but no more.

"But whatever the truth, you must speak it."

From:

fiery_ring

"The truth is..." Will glances between the two then says quietly. "That I had a drunken one night stand with Fern after Carlotta and I argued. I never denied that and Carlotta knows. I don't know for certain whether I'm Little William's father or not because I don't remember going all the way.

But if I'm not his dad, I'm his uncle. And I'm seriously worried about his welfare with Fern."

From:

ostro_goth

"I know not that your father in law and I needed to know that," Teja says, "but now we do, we may all pull at the same rope, so to speak, to bring this off well. For I would also think that no child should be condemned to growing up with such a source of constant high drama, if it can be helped."

From:

fiery_ring

"I was planning to go through the legal channels and report him as abandoned so we could adopt him, when enough time had passed." Will explains. "I always wanted several children, and Carlotta doesn't really want to go through childbirth again." Though he expects she'll be more willing in a few years.

From:

ostro_goth

"Are there ways that paternity can be tested, or at least excluded?" Teja asks.

He knows that the more sophisticated science people from the future use did not yet exist in this time.

From:

fiery_ring

"There's blood groups." Will says. "Mine's A positive, I know from the army."

From:

ostro_goth

"And if the child has the same, it is much more likely that you are his father?" Teja says. "But on the other hand, it might be because Fern is your cousin to begin with?"

From:

fiery_ring

"Depends what Fern's blood group is." Will agrees.

He looks back towards the door of the tent, where Little William is still bawling and trying to claw his way out of Fern's grip.

From:

ostro_goth

"Whatever it may be," Teja says, "it is clear the child does not wish to be with her."

From:

fiery_ring

"Fern!" Will moves over. "Look, whoever takes custody of Little William, this isn't the time. We're not going anywhere, let him go to my parents' tonight and tomorrow we'll do this calmly."

"You think you're so damn clever." Fern snaps.

"You can either drop the kidnapping charge, or admit I'm not the father." Will says.

"Well that's highly inconvenient, since you are the father." Fern snaps. "I can't believe you thought he could be brought up with these... these scum!"

"We're not the ones causing a scene at a wedding." Fred points out, holding his large wolfhound back.

From:

ostro_goth

"If you call these people scum," Teja adds, "it is like a piece of charcoal calling the freshly scoured copper kettle black. Are you not a black marketeer?"

Criminal, in other words, which is surely worse than mere 'scum'.

From:

fiery_ring

"The charges were dropped." Fern says. "On the grounds that I was coerced into doing it to help feed the child abandoned by his father."

From:

ostro_goth

"Who was with his relatives," Teja says, icily. "And here his father is, willing to take care of him as you probably cannot."

From:

fiery_ring

"I had to leave William with my in-laws because I couldn't afford to keep him." Fern snaps at Teja. "And got in trouble with the law trying.

"What rubbish! The rationing generation have everything they need, just not everything they want." Will says. "And what they need is taken away on the black market. How would you like it if Little William's ration of egg had been sold to someone for profit?"

From:

ostro_goth

"It probably was," Teja says, looking at her darkly.

From:

fiery_ring

"So bring it on Fern." Will says. "I'm ready to step up. Blood test."

From:

ostro_goth

"Have we a doctor here, to do it now?" Teja says. "I would offer my sahs, for the drawing of blood, if needed!"

From:

fiery_ring

Fern looks at Teja, as though he is mad.

"As if I'm ever letting William near these common people again. He's staying with me, and if you won't leave Carlotta, you can jolly well travel regularly to visit, and support him."