Chapter 9
There were flowers everywhere in Collinwood, of all possible varieties and colors, and their scents mingled in the air.
Carolyn Hawkes, nee Stoddard, soon to be Carolyn Collins had spared no expense to make her wedding memorable. That was an event everyone would be talking about for years.
She was going to let those hicks know what a real party was really like.
Iris munched on a caviar canapé. It her opinion, caviar was overrated. If it was as cheap as sardines, it wouldn't sell, because, unlike sardines, it didn't taste so good.
She saw Chris Jennings by the punch bowl, looking miserable, and went to him.
"What's wrong, Chris.":
"Just talked to Carolyn."
"She is dressed more like a hooker than like a bride."
"She...she said that she could give a job to Amy, as a maid."
Iris sighed. She knew how Chris' middle class sensibility was hurt by the fact that Amy took in cleaning jobs.
"I am glad that its Quentin that she's marrying." he said bleakly. "I know that he's my grandfather, but I can't stand him."
Joe Haskell moved around the guests. He wondered how many of them still remembered him as the nut from Wyndcliff. Megan had told him that it would wear off in time, but it still hadn't happened.
"Pardon me, sir?" a maid came to him. "Are you Mr. Haskell? The one at the detective agency?"
"Yes."
"That must be very exciting work" the maid said, enthralled.
"Not really" Joe resisted the impulses to puff himself up "you need to do a lot of thinking."
Kira wandered outside. This party, like all parties, was a waste of time. She should be with Aristide, arranging for Sebastian Shaw. Instead she had to be here, watching that dolt of Quentin get married.
Roger wondered if David would show up...he wasn't there, but maybe later...
"He's marrying her for her money, you know" Nicholas said to him."
Roger turned around and looked at Nicholas severely.
"It doesn't matter." Nicholas continued "she doesn't love him either."
"You are drunk!" Roger said in disgust.
"And you are crazy. Tomorrow I'll be sober, and you will still be crazy."
Phillip studied the glass centerpiece, amused.
"You like it, don't you?" Carolyn asked.
"How much did you pay for it?"
"If you have to ask, you can't afford it. It is genuine."
Phillip shook his head "It is a fake. I've been in the antique business and I can tell you the factory in New Jersey where they make these."
Carolyn went pale.
"But you area not in the business anymore. You are just an errand boy for Barnabas/ But then, he's a genuine antique, all by himself. Early American."
George cornered Quentin. "I hope you know what your are doing, marrying her."
"I know" Quentin flashed an ingratiating smile "this is Holy Matrimony. A sacrament leading to the formation of a family unit."
"Go tell that to someone else. You are just the latest catspaw in her feud with Barnabas. I just hope you don't get burned by it."
"You are wrong.
"She is a strong hater. And her hatred makes her stupid. Remember the maid she fired because she found fang marks in her throat? Well, Barnabas pulled enough strings to get her a better job at the Environmental Center. He came out like a prince, and she came out as a bitch." George bit his canapé with relish. "That was very stupid of her."
Xavier looked with disgust at the food offered. How could people eat that junk? They were eating themselves into an early grave. Cholesterol, processed foods, additives, alcohol. It was a good think that he had remembered to bring a Granola bar.
Buffy came to him. "Mr. Davenport, I want to tell you how much I admire you."
"What for?"
"Standing up to that...that thing. Not letting him have the job."
"Thank you, but I don't think I deserve it. I think I will hire him, after all."
"You?" there was hurt in Buffy's eyes "Why?" she managed to say.
"Lady. I've been getting a lot of opinions on how to run my business lately. If you want to tell me who I should or shouldn't hire, why not tell me what kind of power generator to buy? Who should I subcontract for building materials? I am running a business and I don't want to go bankrupt. All you well wishers and busybodies, pro and con, will not help me any if I go broke. Whether or not I hire Barnabas Collins depends on whether or not he can do the job."
Tammy looked out into the seashore. It was that way that the ships had come. Carrying molasses, carrying rum. Carrying slaves in the Middle Passage.
All the horrors from that came to her. And it had been on that human misery that Collinwood had been built.
Angelique came behind her. "Nice view?" she asked.
"I don't think that it was so nice for the slaves on the ships."
Angelique's face hardened. "You have chosen the wrong person to tell that. I lived in that period. I starved in that period. I had to service sexually the men of the house in that period, or be fired. And slaves could not get fired. Being a slave meant that there was someone who worried that you didn't starve."
Quentin came to Carolyn and took her hand. "The justice of the peace is here. Better look like a loving couple."
"All right, but remember your place."
The guests were herded to the end of the room, while Roger led Carolyn forward.
Iris looked at Carolyn again. That dress of her. A swirl of white lace. And since she was a widow, not a virgin, there was red satin under the lace, a very low décolletage, and a figure hugging cut.
With envy, Iris recognized that Carolyn was one of the few women who had the body to wear that dress and look good in it.
The marriage ceremony was nothing out of the ordinary. If Nicholas were to keel over drunk, or Roger start accusing everybody of framing Nixon, that would have been worth noticing. But none of that happened. Just the usual formulas.
"You may now kiss the bride" the judge of the peace said.
