simply.
“I could see that.”
“And over nothing. We’ve got the church, the hall and the dress. What more does anybody need to get married?”
“A blood test.”
David looked alarmed. “Lord, don’t mention that. It’ll be just one more detail they’ll find to argue over.”
“Hmm.” Carroll kissed him again, mostly because he deserved a reward for surviving in such an argumentative household over the years, and headed back for the door. “Come out and save me if you hear the sound of things being thrown.”
“I’ve already heard the sound of things being thrown. That was when I ducked in here. You can handle them, Caro. You always have.”
Chuckling, Caro wandered back out, mentally told the demons in her head to stop pounding, and rearranged her face into suitable sympathetic lines before reappearing in the living room doorway. Nance by that time had flung herself into a chair, and raised her head only long enough to give Carroll a dramatic look, full of pathos and despair.
“Do you see what I mean? She’s completely unreasonable.”
“Haven’t talked to Mom yet. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong first?”
“Everything’s wrong. Everything. The caterer backed out with only two weeks to go before the wedding—”
“Don’t worry. I’ll find another caterer. What else?” Bending down, Carroll carefully lifted the gorgeous wedding dress and hung it in the hall closet.
“The veil. Mother wants me to wear her veil, and I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but it’s old-fashioned.”
“So it’s old-fashioned. Weddings are supposed to be old-fashioned. Besides, we both know you’re not going to hurt Mom’s feelings, so you wear the veil and love it. What else?”
“Caro—”
“What else?’”
“Flowers,” Nance said glumly. “I want to carry a single rose, and mother wants me to carry a traditional bouquet. Look—”
“I don’t have to look,” Carroll said patiently, and bent down to start closing floral sample books. “You want to carry a single rose; you carry a single rose. Now what?”
Photographers, decorating the hall, ordering the wedding cake, what kind of wedding cake, liquor or just wine for the wedding reception… “If only Stéphane were here,” Nancy wailed. “It just can’t all be done in two weeks. There’s no way.”
There was, of course, always a way. Nancy was reasonably calm by the time Maud marched into the room. A short time later, the three women were dissolved in laughter, the arguments forgotten. Spats had always been fierce between her volatile mother and sister, but they’d never lasted long, particularly when Carroll was there to play diplomat.
Though she loved her family, Carroll no longer felt up to playing diplomat, and knelt at the hearth to start a fire. She had been freezing all day. The little flames licking at the kindling felt good. Not warm enough, but good. Better yet would be to curl up on the couch next to Alan, her head in the crook of his shoulder, his arm around her waist, and her increasingly miserable body safe, snug and sheltered.
Better yet would be to marry the man. Unfortunately, the steady patter about weddings made her starkly aware that Alan hadn’t mentioned marriage in some time now. Or houses. Or children.
Just love.
Her smile came from nowhere…or maybe from the delivery of orchids earlier in the day. Anonymous, of course. And someone—some crazy stranger—had left a package on the front seat of her car the day before that. The package was huge, just as huge as the white velvet unicorn inside it. The frivolity of the giant stuffed animal touched her far more than the flowers. When she’d called to thank Alan, he’d denied everything, with a lot of throat clearing that made her smile.
Still, she firmly banished the image of Alan from her mind. Later. She certainly didn’t want to see him when her complexion looked like white mud and her body was begging her to retire from the human
“I could see that.”
“And over nothing. We’ve got the church, the hall and the dress. What more does anybody need to get married?”
“A blood test.”
David looked alarmed. “Lord, don’t mention that. It’ll be just one more detail they’ll find to argue over.”
“Hmm.” Carroll kissed him again, mostly because he deserved a reward for surviving in such an argumentative household over the years, and headed back for the door. “Come out and save me if you hear the sound of things being thrown.”
“I’ve already heard the sound of things being thrown. That was when I ducked in here. You can handle them, Caro. You always have.”
Chuckling, Caro wandered back out, mentally told the demons in her head to stop pounding, and rearranged her face into suitable sympathetic lines before reappearing in the living room doorway. Nance by that time had flung herself into a chair, and raised her head only long enough to give Carroll a dramatic look, full of pathos and despair.
“Do you see what I mean? She’s completely unreasonable.”
“Haven’t talked to Mom yet. Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong first?”
“Everything’s wrong. Everything. The caterer backed out with only two weeks to go before the wedding—”
“Don’t worry. I’ll find another caterer. What else?” Bending down, Carroll carefully lifted the gorgeous wedding dress and hung it in the hall closet.
“The veil. Mother wants me to wear her veil, and I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but it’s old-fashioned.”
“So it’s old-fashioned. Weddings are supposed to be old-fashioned. Besides, we both know you’re not going to hurt Mom’s feelings, so you wear the veil and love it. What else?”
“Caro—”
“What else?’”
“Flowers,” Nance said glumly. “I want to carry a single rose, and mother wants me to carry a traditional bouquet. Look—”
“I don’t have to look,” Carroll said patiently, and bent down to start closing floral sample books. “You want to carry a single rose; you carry a single rose. Now what?”
Photographers, decorating the hall, ordering the wedding cake, what kind of wedding cake, liquor or just wine for the wedding reception… “If only Stéphane were here,” Nancy wailed. “It just can’t all be done in two weeks. There’s no way.”
There was, of course, always a way. Nancy was reasonably calm by the time Maud marched into the room. A short time later, the three women were dissolved in laughter, the arguments forgotten. Spats had always been fierce between her volatile mother and sister, but they’d never lasted long, particularly when Carroll was there to play diplomat.
Though she loved her family, Carroll no longer felt up to playing diplomat, and knelt at the hearth to start a fire. She had been freezing all day. The little flames licking at the kindling felt good. Not warm enough, but good. Better yet would be to curl up on the couch next to Alan, her head in the crook of his shoulder, his arm around her waist, and her increasingly miserable body safe, snug and sheltered.
Better yet would be to marry the man. Unfortunately, the steady patter about weddings made her starkly aware that Alan hadn’t mentioned marriage in some time now. Or houses. Or children.
Just love.
Her smile came from nowhere…or maybe from the delivery of orchids earlier in the day. Anonymous, of course. And someone—some crazy stranger—had left a package on the front seat of her car the day before that. The package was huge, just as huge as the white velvet unicorn inside it. The frivolity of the giant stuffed animal touched her far more than the flowers. When she’d called to thank Alan, he’d denied everything, with a lot of throat clearing that made her smile.
Still, she firmly banished the image of Alan from her mind. Later. She certainly didn’t want to see him when her complexion looked like white mud and her body was begging her to retire from the human
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