Miranda has a lovely summer, some of it spent at Karen's and some in Italy and some at home.
She shows up with Karen at the train platform and they look for Minor.
He talks to his girlfriends. He tells them the whole story, actually, it's not as if they're going to endeavor to hold it over him. They are both very glad, to his minor irritation, that he wasn't sleeping with Muggles back when he was dating them. "You mean you're glad I didn't cheat? I wouldn't."
"No, I mean - hadn't been with Muggles in particular."
"I see," he says a little coolly.
"You hadn't, right?"
"I really couldn't say. Sometimes girls don't tell you if they're Muggles."
And on Saturday there's a carriage waiting at the bridge north of Birmingham.
"Hi!" says the soon-to-be-groom, who's in formal robes. "Beth and John, right? Come on in!"
"I am from a mysterious foreign exotic culture where this is what people wear at weddings." And off goes the carriage, on its own.
"- how is this moving," says John.
"Oh lord she's got engaged to one of the fair folk," says Beth, "Caroline's going to be swapped with a fairy baby -"
"But the fair folk can't touch iron," says John.
"Don't ask questions if we're lucky we just attend the wedding and go home and it's next week or something is all," hisses Beth.
...now he feels really badly about scaring them but he can't think what to do about that.
He sings.
This relaxes John and makes Beth very tense. She does not attempt to leap from the vehicle.
Beth keeps a tight hold on John's hand but manages to get out of the carriage without keeling over from stress. Rebecca hurries over to hug them both.
"It's all right, everything's lovely," Rebecca tells them.
"Is he a fairy," says Beth tremulously.
"- no but you're not far wrong, it's all right though, everything's fine -"
That's good of her.
None of his grandparents are in attendance; several sent disapproving messages. All his brothers managed to make it, though. He wrote his own vows.
"Rebecca," he says, "I swear to spend my life with you, and make yours safe and happy and very very interesting."
"Michael, I swear to spend my life with you and make yours warm and happy and very very interesting," she beams back.
It rains blue and red flower petals. They have a dance, and then a few more, and then drinks are passed around. He asks Timothy to take Rebecca's siblings home.
Beth will not be dancing at the fairy wedding thank you going home sounds great aaaaaaaa
Off goes the carriage of its own accord. "We'll be back by midafternoon," he says as reassuringly as he can.