The Sins of the Fathers

Chapter Seventeen

Boston

Massachusetts

Grace Palmer-Stoddart walked up the aisle inside the Cathedral Church of Saint Paul right in the heart of Boston, just a pace or two behind Miss Olivia Stoddart, with Bailey Procter on her left and Emily Procter on her right. Dressed in extravagant peach and white gowns with flowers in their hair, they were barefaced but were wearing peach mittens and peach leashes, which were held by three page boys in peach velvet suits. Olivia, in white silk, was walked in on Stuart Stoddart's arm, and he held her leash, which Grace knew that he would hand to Howard Procter when the happy couple were pronounced man and wife in a symbolic transfer of ownership. On either side of her, as her page boy pulled at the leash to lift up her head, the great and the good of Boston filled every pew. Olivia had not got the quiet wedding she might have preferred, but Grace had to admit that she was radiantly happy as she reached the altar and took her place by Mr Procter's side.

Grace stood just behind Olivia, with the President of the United States to her left, in the aisle seat of the front pew, with her parents beside him, wondering what they made of her as a gentlewoman. Not that she was alone. Her mother and Mary Stoddart were the only two lavishly gowned women not wearing a collar and leash, and in her mother-in-law's case that was only because Stuart Stoddart refused to allow it. The ceremony was long but eventually the groom kissed the bride, and they were led out into the sunshine for the photographs. Her page boy, directed by the photographer, guided her to the side whilst the happy couple were captured on film for posterity, and tethered her to more railings with the twins.

"Mama looks so happy, doesn't she, Mrs Palmer-Stoddart?" Bailey whispered as the rest of the guests milled around, talking and watching the picture taking.

"She certainly does, my darling?" Grace said, placing her mittened hand around the child's shoulders. But then she noticed a bit of a commotion towards the back of the throng. She could not see clearly, but there seemed to be some pushing and shoving going on. Howard Procter, who was standing at the top of the steps with Olivia, had a much better view, and he immediately rushed off through the crowds, followed by several other gentlemen. Grace was immediately called on to join Olivia for her own snaps with the bride.

"It's a television van...and some reporters...and some people carrying placards" So, some sort of protest?" Olivia hissed as they posed as instructed. "Can you see what the placards say? I think it says something about nuns?"

Sean Fletcher, flanked by his increasingly nervous protection team, walked up to the van and had a quiet word, asking the director not to disrupt the wedding. It was a nice thing to do and a gesture that he hoped would be appreciated by the other guests, several of whom joined him and heard him save the day. Police quickly guided the dozen or so protestors a little further away and the situation was back under control. Fletcher promised the reporter a quick interview once the wedding party moved onto the hotel for the reception, and the crisis was nicely averted. And that prompted Barry Holden, chief executive officer of BIB, to offer the President his own thanks.

"I am sorry if you were inconvenienced, Mr President?" Holden said, shaking hands with a man he had met briefly twice before.

"I was worried that something meant for me was going to ruin the nuptials, Barry...but for once, it seems I was not involved...they seemed to be protesting about a convent?" Fletcher asked, playing dumb, which the Prof always said was one of his main talents. "Of all things to protest about...do you know anything about it?"

"Yes...one of BIB's clients, actually...there has been an unfortunate news story breaking whilst we were all in the Cathedral...inaccurate and premature, but it seems to be causing a bit of a fuss and bother?" Holden explained, looking uncomfortable.