Drummer Girl by Karen Bass Page B

corner, slipped off her shoes and massaged each of her feet in turn. Most of the people milling around were either from Uncle Peter’s family or were their friends and neighbours. Neither Devin nor James were intimidated by the room full of strangers and visited with whoever was closest. As usual, Devin managed to be closest to a group of young women. Sid admired the ease with which he talked to them, and got them laughing.
    She sat back and stretched her legs out straight. Someone in a grey suit tripped over her feet, stumbled toward her, veering at the last second, and fell onto the chair beside her.
    â€œSorry,” he muttered.
    â€œNo, it was my fault,” Sid replied as she tucked her unclad feet under her chair.
    She glanced, expecting an old man, and found herself facing a guy about her own age. He had black curly hair and blue eyes. At least she thought they were blue – it was hard to tell with the way he was squinting. He might have looked like a model for a Greek statue except that his nose was a little long and his chin a little pointed. Actually, his face was a bit like a triangle topped by a black mop.
    Sid realized she was staring and looked away as heat crawled across her cheeks. Then she realized he had been staring, too, so she looked back. What was a person supposed to say when she’d almost tripped a stranger? She held out her hand. “I’m Sid. Mandi’s my cousin.”
    The guy dropped his gaze, lightly touched her hand then withdrew. “I’m, ah, Brad. Ah, Brad Dmitri. Mandi is, ah, was my neighbour.”
    â€œYou used to live by Heather?”
    â€œStill do. Mandi moved out about four years ago.”
    â€œOh, right.”
    Brad continued to squint. Sid was starting to think she had a blob of mascara on her cheek or something. She excused herself, took two steps, came back for her shoes and carried them to the ladies’ room. It was actually two rooms. The outer room had a sofa, a wing-backed chair and a wall of mirrors with chairs and vanities in front of them. And a chandelier. In the bathroom. Sid mouthed wow, and headed for the nearest vanity. An examination showed nothing obviously wrong so Sid moved to the sofa and stretched her legs out. Only when women started trickling in did she put her shoes back on.
    A middle-aged woman entered and paused in the middle of the room. “Are you with the wedding in the Oak Leaf ballroom?” Sid nodded and the woman said, “People are starting to sit down for the dinner. You might want to get out there and find out where you’re seated.”
    Reluctantly, Sid went, then was glad she had because it took her five minutes to find the right table. A minute after she sat down, Devin and a young woman joined them.
    Sid whispered, “Where’s Dad?”
    â€œHe traded with me so Lydia could sit with us.”
    Sid and Lydia exchanged unenthusiastic smiles. If Lydia worried about having to share Devin’s attention, she didn’t need to. He ignored Sid. Why, she wondered, was I so excited about him coming home? The other people at the table were older, friends of her aunt and uncle’s. One of them knew James so Sid had to answer a few questions. Mostly, she picked at her food.
    She spotted where the guy, Brad, was sitting, but even though he was looking toward her he didn’t so much as nod. What did she expect from a neighbour of Heather’s? She studied the room as speeches started, then wore on. And on.
    The oak walls of the banquet room were a perfect background for the white linen table cloths and chandeliers which looked like they were about to release droplets of glass on the heads below. A trim of carved leaves marched around the edge of the ceiling – the oak leaves of the room’s name, Sid assumed. The same trim accented the bar at the back of the room.
    â€œA toast to the bride,” someone said.
    Sid hadn’t been listening but was sure this was the fourth