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48.

There must have been something in the air. Just as I was embarking¹ on my new romance, Paannounced that he’d decided² to marry. He’d asked Granny’s permission, and she’d granted it.

Reluctantly, it was reported.

Despite Willy and me urging him not to, Pa was going ahead. We pumped his hand, wishedhim well. No hard feelings. We recognized that he was finally going to be with the woman heloved, the woman he’d always loved, the woman Fate might’ve intended for him in the first place.

Whatever bitterness or sorrow we felt over the closing of another loop in Mummy’s story, weunderstood that it was beside the point.

Also, we sympathized with Pa and Camilla as a couple. They’d taken star-crossed to newlevels. After years of thwarted³ longing⁴, they were now just a few steps from happiness…and newobstacles kept appearing. First there was the controversy⁵ over the nature of the ceremony.

Courtiers insisted it would have to be a civil ceremony, because Pa, as future supreme⁶ governor ofthe Church of England, couldn’t marry a divorcée in the church. That set off a furious debate aboutlocations. If the civil ceremony were to be held at Windsor Castle, the couple’s first choice, thenWindsor would first need to be licensed⁷ for civil weddings, and if that were to happen theneveryone in Britain would be allowed to have their civil weddings there. No one wanted that.

The decision was therefore made that the wedding would take place at Windsor Guildhall.

But then the Pope died.

Bewildered, I asked Willy: What’s the Pope got to do with Pa?

Loads, it turned out. Pa and Camilla didn’t want to get married on the same day the Pope wasbeing laid to rest. Bad karma. Less press. More to the point, Granny wanted Pa to represent her atthe funeral.

The wedding plans were changed yet again.

Delay after delay—if you listened carefully you could hear, wafting⁸ across the Palace grounds,the shrieks⁹ and groans¹⁰ of despair. You just couldn’t tell whose they were: the wedding planner’sor Camilla’s (or Pa’s).

Other than feeling sorry for them, I couldn’t help but think that some force in the universe(Mummy?) was blocking rather than blessing¹¹ their union. Maybe the universe delays what itdisapproves of?

When the wedding did finally take place—without Granny, who chose not to attend—it wasalmost cathartic¹² for everyone, even me. Standing¹³ near the altar I mostly kept my head bowed, eyeson the floor, just as I had during Mummy’s funeral, but I did sneak¹⁴ several long peeks¹⁵ at thegroom and the bride and each time I thought: Good for you.

Though, also: Goodbye.

I knew without question that this marriage would take Pa away from us. Not in any real sense,not in any deliberate or malicious¹⁶ way, but nevertheless—away. He was entering a new space, aclosed space, a tightly insular¹⁷ space. Willy and I would see less of Pa, I predicted, and that left mewith mixed feelings. I didn’t relish¹⁸ losing a second parent, and I had complex feelings aboutgaining a step-parent who, I believed, had recently sacrificed me on her personal PR altar. But Isaw Pa’s smile and it was hard to argue with that, and harder still to deny the cause: Camilla. Iwanted so many things, but I was surprised to discover at their wedding that one of the things Iwanted most, still, was for my father to be happy.

In a funny way I even wanted Camilla to be happy.

Maybe she’d be less dangerous if she was happy?

There are published reports that Willy and I snuck out of the church and hung Just Marriedsigns on their car. I don’t think so. I might’ve hung a sign: Be Happy. If I’d thought of it at thetime.

I do remember watching them drive off and thinking: They’re happy. They’re really happy.

Damn, I’d like all of us to be happy.

 

1 embarking   

乘船( embark的现在分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• He's embarking on a new career as a writer. 他即将开始新的职业生涯——当一名作家。
• The campaign on which were embarking was backed up by such intricate and detailed maintenance arrangemets. 我们实施的战争，须要如此复杂及详细的维护准备。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 thwarted   

阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过

参考例句：

• The guards thwarted his attempt to escape from prison. 警卫阻扰了他越狱的企图。
• Our plans for a picnic were thwarted by the rain. 我们的野餐计划因雨受挫。

4 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

5 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

6 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

7 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

8 wafting   

v.吹送，飘送，（使）浮动( waft的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• But that gentle fragrance was clearly wafting from the window. 但那股淡淡的香气，却分明是从母亲的窗户溢出的。 来自互联网
• The picture-like XueGuo, wafting dense flavor of Japan, gives us a kind of artistic enjoyment. 画一般的雪国，飘溢着浓郁的日本风情，给人以美的享受。 来自互联网

9 shrieks   

n.尖叫声( shriek的名词复数 )v.尖叫( shriek的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• shrieks of fiendish laughter 恶魔般的尖笑声
• For years, from newspapers, broadcasts, the stages and at meetings, we had heard nothing but grandiloquent rhetoric delivered with shouts and shrieks that deafened the ears. 多少年来， 报纸上， 广播里， 舞台上， 会场上的声嘶力竭，装腔做态的高调搞得我们震耳欲聋。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 groans   

n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• There were loud groans when he started to sing. 他刚开始歌唱时有人发出了很大的嘘声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was a weird old house, full of creaks and groans. 这是所神秘而可怕的旧宅，到处嘎吱嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

12 cathartic   

adj.宣泄情绪的；n.泻剂

参考例句：

• His laughter was cathartic,an animal yelp that brought tears to his eyes.他哈哈大笑以宣泄情绪，声音如野兽般尖厉，眼泪都笑出来了。
• The drug had a cathartic effect.这药有导泻的作用。

13 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

14 sneak   

vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝)；偷偷摸摸做；n.潜行；adj.暗中进行

参考例句：

• He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
• I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。

15 peeks   

n.偷看，窥视( peek的名词复数 )v.很快地看( peek的第三人称单数 )；偷看；窥视；微露出

参考例句：

• A freckle-face blenny peeks from its reef burrow in the Solomon Islands. 奇特的海生物图片画廊。一只斑点面容粘鱼窥视从它的暗礁穴在所罗门群岛。 来自互联网
• She peeks at her neighbor from the curtain. 她从窗帘后面窥视她的邻居。 来自互联网

16 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。

17 insular   

adj.岛屿的，心胸狭窄的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• Having lived in one place all his life,his views are insular.他一辈子住在一个地方，所以思想狭隘。

18 relish   

n.滋味，享受，爱好，调味品；vt.加调味料，享受，品味；vi.有滋味

参考例句：

• I have no relish for pop music.我对流行音乐不感兴趣。
• I relish the challenge of doing jobs that others turn down.我喜欢挑战别人拒绝做的工作。