‘I could see tantalising glimpses of the message through the gravy’
I thought I had organised everything really well. I booked a table at our favourite restaurant and made a plate with my proposal written on it, with the aim that the message would reveal itself during the meal. The restaurant had kindly bought into the whole idea so I delivered the plate to the restaurant a week before and it was all going according to plan. We finished our starters, and my heart was in my mouth as the main course arrived on my familiar plate. Part-way into the meal, I could see tantalising glimpses of the message through the gravy as Sandra scooped up her vegetables. Then she made excuses and ran to the toilet. The waiting staff gave me knowing looks, obviously assuming that she had read the message and hated the idea of marrying me. When Sandra returned, she apologised and said it must be too soon after her recent operation for such rich food, and pushed her plate away. She clearly thought I was weird and unsympathetic for trying to persuade her to have a few more bites of those vegetables – “They look delicious; go on, you must still have room”, I insisted. I repeated the whole charade six months later, and I’m delighted to say that she ate her food, saw the message and said yes. We have now been very happily married for 10 years. Craig Rore, Isle of Man
