Chapter 7: The wedding

The day of the wedding came at last. Nicholas, Frederick and Pamela got dressed in great excitement. Christopher lost his suit. It was subsequently found hidden unobtrusively under his bed.

When they all got to the church at last, Zenia, looking resplendent in her shimmering white gown, greeted them at the entrance. With her were three people.

"This is Megan Titus," the woman introduced, patting a girl wearing a cream-coloured gown on the head. Megan scowled.

"My sister, Claudine," Zenia continued, nodding at a woman in ivory. Claudine inclined her head politely.

"Eustacia," the bride finished, smiling at a girl in her teens. Eustacia looked dressed to kill, and her leather jacket and cargo pants spoke volumes. Nick counted 21 pockets on the girl, before adverting his eyes under her piercing gaze. Fatty winced under her challenging stare and beside him, Chris wilted like a dying flower in desperate need of water. The adults present sighed and shook their heads.

As there was still some time before the actual ceremony, the company soon parted to meet and gossip – sorry – chat with their friends. Frederick was wandering aimlessly down an aisle when he came face to face with…

"Larry! Daisy!" A gleeful shout rang throughout the church.

"Fatty!" came an answering squeal, and a girl could be seen running towards a plump boy.

"Gosh, so we really are attending the same wedding!" A boy called Larry grinned. He gave Fatty a hard thump on the back to prove his point.

"This means that we are related in some way or other!" Fatty announced cheerfully. "Show me your cards, and I'll show you mine. Who are your parents?"

"Our mother is Helen," smiled Daisy. "I don't think you know our father."

"Helen Maxim, sister of Hillary," her brother took up. "Do you know her?"

Fatty furrowed his brows while he racked his brains. "The names sounds familiar, but I can't quite be certain." The boy concluded at last. Finally, he mused, "I think I may have heard of it before. Did Hillary marry?"

"She did, to a Bruce Titus!" Larry crowed gleefully.

"Megan!" The trio gasped.

"My grandparents?" Megan frowned. "Why ask me? In you want to know, find it out yourself!" With that, the girl flounced off.

"As old Clear-Orf would say, Gah!" muttered Fatty in disgust. "What a help she was. Cheek, I tell you. What sauce!"

"Let's ask Zenia," Daisy piped in suddenly. "As the bride, she is sure to know everyone invited."

"Good work, Daisy!" praised Fatty, pleased. "What an idea! I would have never thought of it myself." Daisy beamed.

"Megan's grandparents?" Zenia sounded surprised, but obliged sportingly. "Andrew Titus and Sarah Mortimer. Speaking of which, you three had better get ready. The ceremony starts in 15 minutes!"

When the bride had left, the Find Outers (minus Pip and Bets) turned excitedly to each other.

"Sarah Mortimer! That's my Grand-aunt! We are distant cousins after all!" Fatty exulted, and promptly did a little jig where he was standing.

"Golly!" exclaimed Larry. "What a coincidence indeed."

-

After Zenia got married in great excitement and splendor, Fatty retired to the back of the church to have some peace and quiet (and also to avoid the smiling faces of aunts and uncles he had never met before). While pretending to be asleep, the boy pondered over the day's events. Megan came across as hostile, and Eustacia...

Fatty was interrupted in his thoughts by girlish laughter.

"Oh, poor boy!" some distant aunt giggled. "He must be all tired out! Let him rest for a while." Her companion mumbled an ascent and the pair moved off – not before kissing Fatty heartily on each cheek and brushing hair off his forehead.

The boy shivered and grimaced in disgust. Opening his eyes, Frederick came face to face with his greatest nightmare: a smirking older brother.

"Idiot," Fatty grumbled, moving aside to make room for Nick. "You did not see what happened just now."

"I did!" guffawed Nick, his hazel eyes twinkling for all they were worth. "It was a picture! She…" The Trotteville son stopped talking abruptly when he saw Fatty's face.

"What you did was a very clever thing," Nick amended hastily. "If Aunt Millicent knew you were awake, you might have to pow-wow with her, and…"

Seeing as this wasn't happening either, Nick suddenly changed the subject.

"Anyway, I didn't come here to hang this over your head. There is a Mystery which I think you should know of."

"A m... mystery?" Fatty spluttered, choking on air and turning blue in the face. "But… but… What? When? How? I… I…"

Nick's jaws worked furiously to keep the laughter in.

"How do you know?" Fatty finished weakly. "Who told you?"

"Who else?" Nick responded. "Mr Goon."

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The next chapter might take a little longer to post, as we are running out of ideas. Please review to keep us going! --Totally Clueless and Raccoon