Chapter 2

The Wedding

'Huh! Did she just say... no she's always been awful to me, just shake it off your mind Emily, you have a bride to see.'

Ready with a snappy comment of my own I turned back to Aunt Matilda but she already disappeared into the church.

Such small legs but a big mouth UGH... I thought.

I guess I do have a big mouth, hahaha!

Now I know why we are related I smiled and made my way to the church after my Aunts figure disappeared.

As I made my way inside, the church was very elegant but simple as well, very Lydia but more the groom. Unlike her, he only cared about places with less extravagant appearances, because he believed, true beauty is found with its history and knowing it through even if it's plain to the eye.

This place was special not only for this day but for father, after all he married in it himself, the groom picking it by chance, was just the toping of a cake.

Anyway as I focused more clearing on my surroundings, In must of been in my dream world because I realised people were here before me, making the church indeed full, I managed to recognise a few faces, mostly from Lydia's circle, old classmates, a few of our cousins, NO WAY Patrick Gates, oh this is perfect.

He was a young man, not too tall but broad shouldered, he had dark brown short slick hair parted down the middle with one side smoothed into a combed fringe tucked behind his right ear. When he was around Lydia, he always had a soft gray twinkle in his eye but today he wore gray eyes of sadness. It's obvious he was made to come.

Poor chap, when I was in middle school, he was in the school with my older sister Lydia, absolutely charmed by her, I heard he offered his carriage so they could go to school together, but they weren't that close then.

I remember having a little crush on him myself but it wasn't meant to be, of course, and now he's here for her wedding. Probably not exactly for Lydia, but for his cousin Henrik, on the grooms side.

Maybe I should say hello, he looks like he wants to be somewhere else but there's someone is talking to him. Should I rescue him? Hmmmm.

"Emily! OVER HERE" called out a voice. I turned my head around and found my male friend Daniel. "Emily! You look beautiful" He exclaimed when I came over, having a good look at me and taking my gloved hands. "So do you, what are you doing here? I said. "I'm one of the carriage drivers for this evening, the Valgales. You know em" Daniel replied.

"Uh yes" I sighed. "That one with the very accomplished children of the century" saying in a changed voice to mimic madam Valgale deep voice, praising her little darlings to the public whenever she could. "Of COURSE!" added Daniel mimicking Mr Valgale then we both broke in laughter.

"Why don't we break from these people and go over somewhere we can talk, like a little fresh air." Daniel said.

"Sure" I smiled.

So we walked outside in the hallway of the church and sat together on a wooden bench.

"I still can't believe this is happening" I found myself saying.

"What do you mean" Daniel said.

"I mean my sister getting married, I mean after the last wedding there wasn't anything to be happy about ..." I said sadly.

Daniel then brought me close and gave me a warm hug of reassurance.

"Bethany and Nathanial are fine. They're happy as can be" he whispered in my ear. Then broke away to look at my expression. I shrugged. "I guess so, she did promise to write. But that was a year ago."

"You worry too much... then his expression changed, "oh yeah, have you checked on Lydia yet?" Daniel asked.

"Oh I almost forgot, what's the time now?" I asked him. "Uh you have half an hour". Till its tears and wasted rice."

"Thank you" and left to see my fellow girls of lilac.

"Can I come in" as I knocked on the dressing room door.

YES! Yelled a muffled girl's voice beyond the door.

I opened the door with a click and slowly pushed the door forward.

Once the door was opened, the first thing that was revealed to Emily was a well dressed winters snow white figure, standing in front a floor length mirror, at her side were two other lilac garmented young women like herself, fussing over her like bees at a beehive.

"Sooo... todays the big day. Lydia." I said.

"Alright, alright, alright, that's ENOUGH powder whew" the snow white dressed woman then replied to the ones doing her makeup. May I please have a moment with Emily?

"Oh course, but don't be long Lydia" said one of them. "You'll make Henrik nervous" and left with the rest of the giggling women.

When they finally left, she turned to face me from her place, and I was almost overcome with the woman standing before me. It's hard to believe this being was my sister, darling Lydia.

"You look..." I started to say.

"I look like... what?" Lydia said eyeing me curiously. "Oh please don't criticise too much, I'm nervous as it is." Turning back at her reflection and fussing over her hair.

"And WHY would I do that?" I said. This is too weird for my sister to be vulnerable and insecure.

"Oh please, because you loveeeee, saying something, it often gets you in trouble you know." Lydia replied.

Words failed me. She had me there, I couldn't argue to that, I did often, BUT it wasn't ALWAYS my fault.

I rolled my eyes "Come here you fusspot" and I laid my hands on her shoulders so she couldn't turn away from me.

"You look utterly beautiful and I am almost breaking down with envy, so stop your fussing and make that man, who will soon be waiting for you, undeniably happy."

Lydia couldn't help be a little teary and gave me a warm hug. "I know, I do love him, I'm not usually like this, maybe it's because it's really happening, mother was hardly ever around so she didn't know how I felt about him and father wasn't easy to persuade, so I almost lost hope" she said softly over my shoulder.

I pulled away and gave her a kiss on top of her white veil. "It is and you're not dreaming".