Separate Lives
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!
Chapter Twenty-Five
Leaving her unsettling thoughts behind, Trixie entered the guest room that had been converted into preparation central for one Madeleine G. Wheeler. The sight that met her made her gasp. Honey stood in front of a large, full-length mirror, her eyes as wide and excited as a child's on Christmas morning. Her mother quietly whispered directions to Honey, reminding her that she needed to stay perfectly still while they slipped the dress over her. Di gingerly held on to the delicate material and, when Honey gave them the word, helped lift the gown over her head. Yards upon yards of white satin gently fell into place. The long train was unhooked, created a half-circle behind Honey, who ran her fingers over the material, enjoying the feel of it underneath her fingertips. Her buoyant giggles rang merrily throughout the room.
Trixie closed the door. "Honey, you look absolutely perfect!" she sang out and joined the women in front of the mirror.
"I believe the correct phrase would be 'perfectly perfect," Di corrected with a trilling laugh.
"Either one fits," Madeleine Wheeler declared, smiling benignly at both women. Cupping her daughter's shoulders, she gently turned her around until she could stare into the eyes that were a carbon copy of her own. "You are lovely, Honey. The most beautiful bride I've ever seen."
A smile flashed, brighter than the sun and more charming than the moon. "Thank you," she murmured and leaned forward, tossing her arms around her mother like she had once been afraid to do, so many years ago.
Madeleine returned her embrace back and reluctantly let go. Swiping a perfectly manicured finger underneath her eyes, she grabbed a stranglehold on her rapidly disintegrating emotions. Needing a distraction, she cleared her throat and turned to Trixie. "We didn't practice taming the train yesterday during the rehearsal," she announced, pointing to the part of the dress that the maid of honor was staring at with a mixture of incredulous horror on her face. "We can do that now. You'll be in charge of placing it out of the way during the ceremony so that Honey doesn't trip over it. It'll also need to be arranged nicely while she's up at the altar, too."
When Trixie's eyes widened in shock, Di gallantly stepped in and draped a comforting arm around her waist. "Don't worry, Trix. It's super easy. Honey helped me with it at my wedding, if you remember. All you have to do is pull it off to the side and smooth it out. There's nothing to it," she insisted, hoping to alleviate any fear that Trixie may be feeling over the simple task.
"Thanks," Trixie muttered back, appraising the innocent-looking section of the wedding garment with a perturbed scowl. Countless beads and crystals sparkled along the satin, catching and reflecting the light. When Madeleine motioned for her to pull the train out of the way so that Honey could walk over to the dresser, Trixie bent down and quickly moved it out of the way. She was surprised by how heavy the train actually was. Honey murmured a few encouraging words, smiled her thanks and practically bounced over to study her reflection again, this time in the mirror attached to the dresser. With Honey occupied, she bent down and copied Madeleine's competent hands. Together, the two ladies smoothed it out, making sure there weren't any wrinkles or anything showing, and Trixie made a few quick mental notes of how she needed to take care of the train during the wedding ceremony. Taming it turned out to be an apt term. "You couldn't have chosen a dress with a smaller train, could you?" she grumbled good-naturedly, arching a sarcastic eyebrow up at the beaming bride.
"Sorry, Trix," Honey said, grinning down at her. "If it makes you feel any better, the dress I almost settled on before I fell in love with this one had an even longer train." She patted Trixie's head. "You're getting off a little easier than you could have."
"Thanks," she replied dryly and stood back up.
"The veil is next," Madeleine reminded them. Well aware of their tendency to get side-tracked, she efficiently moved the young women along and carefully carried over the long, wispy material. After asking Honey to sit on the padded chair, she artfully meshed the comb into the elegant French twist. The veil cascaded down in back, three generous tiers of pure ivory, until it ended in its delicately scalloped edges. Narrowing her eyes, searching out any possible flaws, Madeleine stepped back. Her sharp, shrewd eyes didn't miss a thing. After a thoughtful and considerate pause, she declared, her tone as happy and excited as Honey's face, "You're ready, dear."
Honey immediately touched the filmy material falling down her back. She touched the silky soft material and rubbed it between her fingertips. A small object in white and blue dangling from Di's hand interrupted her preoccupation with the newest part of her wedding finery. Blushing a little, she accepted the garter and bent down to situate it high on her thigh, under the voluminous skirt of her gown. A stolen glance towards the clock showed about an hour and fifteen minutes before show time. To ward off another bout of nerves, Honey took a deep breath and, because she was in desperate need of a distraction, wondered aloud, "What happens next, Mother?"
"Pictures, of course!" Madeleine clasped her hands in bated anticipation. She had met with the photographer more than a few times to share her vision of what needed to be captured on film. Basically, she wanted it all, from the very beginning all the way through to the end. Not only did she want it all but she wanted it in black and white and in color, as well as close-up and far away. She also wanted many, many formal poses but the wonder and joy of unexpected, candid shots, too. The photographer and his employees were being paid extremely well to make certain they didn't miss a single magical moment of the Wheeler-Belden wedding. "It starts with you walking down the staircase. We'll take that shot first. Miss Trask and the head photographer should already be waiting for your arrival at the bottom of the stairs. After we're satisfied with the shots, we'll move to my living room and take a few more there before the wedding starts."
Honey knew her mother well enough to realize that a 'few more' really meant a few rolls. She choked back a giggle at the pained expression that briefly floated across Trixie's face. "It's so close. Almost unbelievably close," she said, her voice tinged with wonder and gifting her maid of honor with a reassuring smile. "It's going to go by so fast, isn't it?"
"You'd better believe it." Di picked up a small box from the dresser and offered it to Honey. "Your mother took care of your something old. I volunteered for something borrowed, Honey. It's the bracelet I wore for my wedding. Don't worry. It'll match your necklace perfectly."
Honey pulled out a pretty strand of small, glistening pearls. As Di stated, it was a perfect match for the strand around her neck, she quickly slipped it and lifted her wrist to admire the pretty bracelet. "Thanks, Di," she managed to get out past a throat clogged with unshed emotion. "I love it."
"My pleasure." Because her violet eyes were threatening to spill over with the first of many tears of the day, she added, infusing her voice with as much strength as she could muster, "But remember. They're only borrowed. I'll need them back. Okay?"
Having been given the task of finding something new for Honey, Trixie strode over to the antique dresser and picked up the small box wrapped in shiny ivory and gold paper she had snuck into the room before heading to breakfast earlier in the morning. "I kind of cheated on this one," she admitted as she carried it over to Honey and held it out. "It's not exactly from me. I'm only the one handing it over to you."
Bewildered by Trixie's puzzling words, a frown settling on her forehead, Honey accepted the box and played with the bow made out of piles of matching curling ribbon. "What is it?" she asked, somewhat stupidly since she only had to open it to find out what it was.
"It's from Brian," Trixie said with a laugh. "When I told him my assignment a few months back, he asked me for it, instead. He wanted to be the one to get you your 'something new', Honey. Go on. Open it up."
Long, aristocratic fingers eagerly tore into the gift wrapping without a thought for the pretty packaging and opened the box. "Oh!" she cried out, delighted with the items inside.
"He found out that you were wearing your grandmother's pearls and that Di was lending you her bracelet. I don't know where he got the idea but somewhere along the line he realized that you should have a matching set." Along with the others, Trixie swallowed a chuckle at the sight of Honey immediately pulling off the dazzling diamonds that had graced her ears and inserted the dangling pearls without a second thought.
"I'd say your almost husband made a good choice." Despite her best intentions, her first tears escaped. Di made a bee-line for the tissues and dabbed them away.
Honey smiled through the few that sprinkled from her eyes. "Thank goodness for waterproof mascara," she murmured, her voice catching.
"And tissues." With a flick of a wrist, Di whipped one out for Honey and passed it over to the sniffling bride, sharing a set of watery smiles.
Needing a few seconds to compose herself before she broke down into a sniveling mess, Honey turned away and stared towards the window. Golden beams of sun streamed through it, filtering through the thin curtains to make contrasting patterns of light and dark on the thick carpet. She walked slowly over to it, pushed back the curtains and stared outside, over the gardens. A few guests had already arrived; were walking around and admiring the charming setting for the upcoming wedding. Looking higher, Honey beamed at the sun breaking through a thin layer of clouds. It wasn't going to rain on her wedding day. "It's beautiful out today."
"A terrific day for a wedding," Di chimed in and settled her gold wrap around her arm. "And, if I remember correctly from my wedding, Miss Trask is probably chomping at the bit by now to get the first round of photos started." She received an affirmative nod from Madeleine.
"I'm certain of that." Wanting a few more minutes with her baby girl before she started the next phase of the day, Madeleine announced, "We'll be down in a few minutes. Would you mind letting Miss Trask know that we're ready to start?"
"Of course," Di said, grabbing Trixie's arm. Together, they left the room. Di stopped on the landing to get her wrap situated correctly around her back. The gold edges swung by either side of her legs, making a lovely accent for her gown. When she was ready, she descended the staircase, her eyes searching out her husband.
Trixie didn't take the same time or care with hers. Instead, she clutched hers in her hand, unmindful of any creases she may put it in. Exactly as Madeleine had predicted, Miss Trask and a photographer were waiting in the main hallway, their attention glued towards the staircase. "They're here," she said lowly.
"The first professional shot," Di whispered back, remembering the different poses she had been photographed in for her wedding. She hadn't minded a single one of them. Each and every picture was a treasure to her, a photographic memory of the very best day of her life.
"Honey looks like a dream. She's going to look terrific in all of them." About to say something else, a movement out of the corner of her eye drew her attention. Her mouth bowed before settling into a small grin. Nudging Di, she pointed towards the blonde man sauntering their way and ignored the tiny squeal of delight coming from her sister-in-law. As if they had been separated for longer than a mere fourteen hours, Mart grabbed his wife and proceeded to kiss her, quite soundly, and unashamedly right in front of his sister. Trixie groaned and found the vaulted ceiling extremely interesting. When a loud clear of her throat didn't break them apart, she went for something stronger and stepped on her brother's foot. "Is Brian still over at Regan's or is he hidden away here at the house?" Trixie inquired sweetly, ignoring the look of fury coming her way.
Scowling at her, shaking out his feet, Mart rested a cheek on the top of Di's head. In deference to the day, he didn't call her on her move. Arms wrapped around Di, holding her as tightly to him as he could, he said, "He's ready and safely ensconced in Mr. Wheeler's study, with both patriarchs of the family. Dr. Belden is specifically under orders not to leave the room without permission from anyone. Failure to do so could result in serious consequences," Mart answered, a humorous twinkle coming into the blue of his eyes.
Inclining her head towards the staircase, Di announced elatedly, "We're waiting on the star of the day. She should be down any moment. She's spending a little more quality time with her mother."
On ultra-quiet feet that served him well in his chosen profession, Dan came up on Trixie's other side. "What are we staring at?" he wanted to know, following their eyes to the empty staircase. Dressed in his wedding finery, he looked amazingly handsome in the stark black and white of his classic tuxedo. The only sign that he was slightly uncomfortable wearing it came when he tugged impatiently at his collar. Blue jeans were more his forte than formal wear.
Trixie caught the telling move and felt an immediate twinge of sympathy. She could endure a formal occasion and the clothing it required when the situation warranted it. "As if you didn't know," she remarked with a sarcastic snort that was incongruous with the beautiful gown adorning her body. Adding a roll of the eyes for good measure, she explained, "We're waiting on Honey."
"Ah. Yes. That makes sense. The first grand entrance of the day," Dan mused, slung a companionable arm around Trixie's shoulder and squeezed. Because Mart was once again kissing his wife quite soundly, he chose to ignore them and shared a look of disgust with Trixie at the public display of affection between the smitten couple. He half-turned them around so they wouldn't have to witness it. "Did you girls have a nice time together last night? Other than having Mrs. Belden over there help me with my tie I haven't had a chance to talk to any of you today."
"It was just like always," Trixie replied, choosing to forget about the mini-interrogation she had experienced at the extremely proficient hands of her best friends. Blushing a little, remembering exactly who had helped her conquer her dress, she smoothed her nervous hands over her skirt. That little gem of an unexpected experience was something she didn't plan on sharing. Not with anyone. She could only imagine the ribbing she would take for it. Her friends were nothing if not persistent in their teasing. And her skin wasn't nearly as thick as it would appear to be. "Did everything go well at the cabin?"
"The normal stuff." Dan shrugged a muscular shoulder and dropped his arm from Trixie. Jerking a hand towards the man who was still lip-locked with Di, he added impishly, "That one over there managed to eat most of the food, leaving only a few, pitiful crumbs for the rest of us. It was a good thing Jim had a cooler stuffed with food from the Manor House out in his SUV. Otherwise we may have starved."
"Hey! I resent that!" Mart exclaimed, lifting his head from the pleasant ministrations he was sharing with his wife. Blue eyes darkened and glared at Dan. "That's not accurate at all. I'll have you know that there was plenty to eat." His glare lightened with the help of Di's soothing, caressing hand on his back.
Trixie shook her head. It was too easy to imagine Mart eating them out of food. It had happened enough at the farm during their growing-up years. Thinking about the times they shared made her recall her absent siblings. Missing her older brother, she shared, curious about how he was doing, "I hear Brian is already on the premises. Is he doing well?"
"He's a little nervous," Dan answered with a low chuckle, remembering the half hour they had spent playing card games to pass the time in his uncle's apartment. It had been quite an experience to witness the normally dependable, calm, and focused oldest member of the Bob-Whites turn into a tense, distracted, and agitated wreck. "We played a few hands of poker to kill some time with my uncle and Mr. Maypenny. Brian's never been the best player in the world to begin with but today…well, let's just say it's a good thing we were using pretzel sticks and crackers in lieu of actual currency. If we hadn't, your brother would be seriously deep in the hole right now."
The thought of Brian veering so far away from his normally cool and composed self was amusing. It so rarely happened, made her remember how he bumbled through that summer a long time ago before he and Honey first started dating. Her lips tilted up at the corners. "That would have been a sight to see. I'm sorry I missed it," she said, laughing at the image in her mind. Any response Dan could have given her was silenced by a brisk and sharp directive from Miss Trask.
"Quiet, everyone!" Miss Trask ordered them with an understanding smile but a militant gleam to her eyes that dared any of them to go against her strict orders. The beginning stages were about to be set. She didn't want anything to go wrong. In fact, she wouldn't let anything go wrong, not on her watch. The wedding meant too much to her. Motioning to the photographer to get into his correct place, she added, "Madeleine's starting down the staircase. That's our sign to get ready. Honey will be coming down soon after she reaches us." She sent one last sweeping look to the four gathered in the hallway, waited until she met each and everyone's eyes. She knew her audience well. They weren't always the most patient, serene or subdued. "We need it quiet in here," she reiterated strongly.
Coming from his father's study, Jim stopped at the edge of the main hall and swiftly catalogued all the waiting people studying the staircase. Only the two stars of the day were missing. Since Brian was clearly out of the picture, he correctly inferred that the group was waiting for Honey to begin her descent. His gaze lingered briefly on Trixie. In profile, he caught the pert nose, the upturned lips, the slight pink to her cheeks. His fingers tingled from the memory of how her bare back felt underneath them from his assistance earlier in the day. Painting a crooked grin on his lips, he loped over to join his friends and saw his father sidle up next to his mother. Consciously choosing to stand next to Trixie, he acknowledged the others with a warm nod. "I'm glad I didn't miss this. Honey's coming down soon, isn't she?"
Trixie peered up at him, her smile breaking through and a brightness entering her eyes, making them match and surpass the glory of the stones embellishing her body. She tried not to focus on the fact that he was standing a mere six inches from her and worked hard to keep her features normal, especially within a room of eagle-eyed people. "It's a big moment."
"The biggest," Di proclaimed with feeling, attention on the upstairs landing. The final descent. There was nothing quite like it. Hers was as alive to her as if it had happened yesterday instead of nearly a year ago. Her heart started beating in an almost painful rhythm, matching Honey's in the hallway above perfectly. It was the official beginning, the commencement of a major moment in her life.
"Every moment of it is going to be caught on film," Mart noted, observing the photographer with a critical eye. The man was posed and obviously ready to start flashing.
"Just like your wedding," Dan joked back, dark eyes gleaming with good humor. "I almost went blind with the amount of photos you two demanded of your wedding party. I should have remembered my sunglasses for today."
"Honey wouldn't let you wear sunglasses," Mart snorted sardonically and released a loud laugh that drew an annoyed frown from Miss Trask. "Not even to cover up that ugly mug of yours."
One more whispered hush from Miss Trask prevented Dan from defending himself. There wasn't any more talk among the chattersome group but it wasn't because of the slight reprimand from the wedding planner. No, the woman who appeared on the landing caused a small, gasped hush of awed wonder from them all. More than a few tears glistened. Matthew immediately clasped his wife's hand while Madeleine sought the comfort of his closeness. Both hardly dared to believe that the charming vision coming towards them was their little girl.
Cheeks tinted a becoming rose because she knew she was going to be a victim of more than a set of avid attention aiming her way, Honey paused to regain her poise at the landing, unconsciously prolonging the moment. The photographer couldn't have been more pleased with her unintentional pause. He started clicking away and didn't stop. Ordering herself not to bite her bottom lip or make a small snack out of her lipstick which she prayed would make it through the ceremony, Honey started down the staircase, her steps slow and unhurried, following her mother's last-minute instructions to project an aura of tranquility and calmness she was not actually experiencing. One hand trailed regally along the smoothness of the banister while her fingertips held onto her skirt. The sunlight streaming in through a trio of windows caught the diamond in her engagement ring, made it shine in a series of tiny, radiant rainbows. She concentrated on each step, didn't take the time to look at any one waiting on her so she didn't catch the expressions or exclamations of surprise. She didn't resemble the Honey any of them knew. In her place was a sophisticated, elegant, and absolutely breathtaking princess. Little pins topped with crystals sparkled within her hair but weren't visible now, not with the wispy veil hiding them. Her matching ivory shoes peeped out through the bottom of her voluminous skirts. As if she was used to having her photograph snapped, and quite often, she didn't blink as the flash went off again and again but kept the smile on her face. Her blush darkened, the only sign that she wasn't as comfortable with it as the image that she projected.
The second her foot touched the bottom of the staircase, the spell was broken. The Bob-Whites didn't wait a single second before converging on her despite a laughing protest from Miss Trask that went completely unheeded or a few muttered oaths from Matthew, who desperately wanted to get to his daughter. Laughter and sniffles, smiles and tears abounded while Honey was hugged, tugged, and pulled into a few different directions until her father was finally able to seize her and pull her out of the throng. All was captured on film until Miss Trask let out a secret weapon she had used in her long-ago career in education. A long, sharp whistle cut piercingly through the air.
"Sorry," she said unabashedly when a deafening silence rang supreme. Tapping a sensible shoe on the floor, she explained needlessly, "We have a tight schedule and a lot to get done before the ceremony starts. Right now, we need Honey, her bridesmaids, and her family for the first round of photographs. I'd appreciate it if someone would let Brian know that we'll be in the formal living room with the door tightly closed. Now would be an excellent time to escort him towards the garden and out of Honey's sight. Make sure he understands that he'll have to stay there until the wedding starts."
"I'll do it!" Trixie immediately volunteered, more than willing to put off the dreaded photo ops, and choosing to overlook the fact that the bridesmaids were needed, too. Before Miss Trask could clarify that she meant for one of the many gentlemen within their midst to see Brian or any of them could offer to do it for her, she was off like a golden shot, moving much faster than the others had ever witnessed her move in heels, and was halfway down the hallway before anyone could do more than blink after her.
The quick burst of energy made her feel rejuvenated. She hated being stuck inside, was desperately in need of something to do that wasn't of the feminine variety. Curls bouncing, hips swaying, Trixie slowed her pace after eating up the carpet at a quick clip. Nearing the study, she lifted her hand and knocked lightly on the closed and usually imposing door. It wasn't imposing to her today, not when she knew fellow Beldens were housed inside. Without waiting to be invited in, she pushed it open and poked her blonde head in. Brian and her father stood at the window, looking out towards the garden, engaged in low, murmuring conversation. "What are you looking at?" Trixie inquired from behind, announcing her presence since neither one heard her knock or the door open.
They turned as one, both equally stunned to see her standing there. Peter drank the sight of her in, finding it hard to fathom that his beloved tomboy had turned into the poised, confident woman standing before them. "Trixie! My goodness. You're beautiful!" he breathed out and stopped himself, unwilling to expound on it further. He understood her well. Any other words of praise would only fall on deaf ears and embarrass his little girl.
"Wait until you see Honey," Trixie said with a quick wink at Brian and strolled her way into the room. "You're not going to believe your eyes. She is absolutely stunning." She closed the door with a smart snap and made her towards the window.
"A pretty good amount of guests are here. The early arrivals were invited to inspect the gardens," Peter answered since Brian seemed incapable of speech at the moment and was staring off into space with a far-away expression on his handsome face, most likely contemplating Honey in her wedding gown. "Obviously, no one's being seated yet. It's too soon. When the musicians start their prelude music in about forty-five minutes then it'll be time for the ushers to begin their duties and help the guests find their seats."
Trixie glanced around the room, for the first time realizing she hadn't seen her mother yet this morning. "Where's Moms? Is she here?" Her forehead crinkled in worry.
"She's outside seeing to any needs of the guests and making certain that everything is set up and running fine. Unfortunately, there was a slight mishap. A few flowers met with an untimely demise. She sent Bobby on an errand of dire importance," Peter explained, shaking his head and trying not to laugh. He had found the entire situation humorous. Helen had not. "Since Bobby has confiscated your car and it's already parked in, he had to race down to the farm to use his own car to go to the florist in town."
"What happened to the flowers?" Trixie stood on her tiptoes and peeked outside. Everything looked fine to her. Bright and beautiful. Vibrant and green. Vivid and colorful. A few people came and went through their line of vision. A sigh worked its way through her when she finally caught sight of her mother, standing near the guest book with Mrs. Lynch and her twin daughters. "I don't see any problems."
"You can thank Larry and Terry for this particular accident," Brian answered, chuckling at the antics of Bobby's closest friends that resulted in the mishap. From his position at the window he had witnessed it firsthand. "They were fooling around and knocked over one of the arrangements, one of the larger floral arrangements. In fact, it was an important one. They took out the one that sits right next to the guest book," he said, pointing out the missing arrangement that should have been right by their mother's elbow.
"Oh." Small white teeth tried to keep the laughter in but weren't successful. It rolled up and spilled out, only to mix with her father's and Brian's. Honey had a lot on her mind. She probably wouldn't care about a broken floral arrangement or even notice that one was missing. Miss Trask and Madeleine Wheeler on the other hand…her imagination wasn't strong enough to come up with their most likely reaction. They wouldn't be pleased at all. "Honey doesn't know about the accident. I'm sure she would have told us about it if she did."
"Helen took care of the problem herself. She tried to salvage it at first but couldn't. After throwing out the broken arrangement, she called the florist right away," Peter said, proud of the way his wife had taken control of the situation. "And sent Bobby off to fetch the new one."
"Moms didn't think Honey or Mrs. Wheeler needed the extra stress right now," Brian explained unnecessarily.
"Madeleine," Trixie corrected him immediately, gifting him with a playful grin. It felt great to tease her older brother. It didn't happen that much. "Remember, Brian. You're going to have to get used to calling her Madeleine. She's going to be your mother-in-law shortly."
Brian, her oldest brother, actually flushed before he continued, "She decided not to worry Honey, Miss Trask, or Madeleine about it. The florist had another similar arrangement but couldn't get it out here in time because they have another wedding to prepare for today. That's why Bobby was volunteered for the errand to retrieve it from the florist. We've been watching out for his return."
"Here he is. Finally," Peter mumbled under his breath, pointing to his youngest who was carrying the new, large basket filled to capacity with countless white roses and placed it on top of the stone pedestal where the other one had met its untimely demise. Whitney magically appeared at his side and helped him place the basket in the best possible spot. Peter shook his dark head. It was obvious that his youngest was head-over-heels in love with the lovely young woman and that the feeling was one hundred percent reciprocated. "Mission accomplished," he murmured quietly.
"And disaster averted," Brian said, breathing a sigh of relief. He wanted everything to go as perfectly perfect for Honey as possible. A broken floral arrangement was a simple fix, absolutely nothing to worry about it. Stepping back from the window, he walked towards the commanding, impressive desk of Matthew Wheeler. Once he reached it, he did a quick about-face and headed back in the same direction, unconsciously starting to pace the entire of length of the room.
Trixie and her father watched him complete a few rounds. "Do you think he realizes he's not getting anywhere?" she wondered aloud, watching her brother with a tiny, understanding smile traipsing across her lips.
"Not at all," Peter answered out of the corner of his mouth. The sight brought back long, almost-forgotten memories from his wait before his wedding to Helen. Set at Crabapple Farm with a much-smaller guest list, he still became a victim of nerves. Pacing had been his only weapon to counteract it. It was soothing to realize that Brian needed it, too.
Trixie shared a low chuckle with her father. "Brian," she called out finally, trying to get his attention. When he didn't respond, she spoke louder. "Brian."
"What?" Lifting his head, he paused in midstride and frowned, almost as if he had forgotten they were in the room with him.
"I didn't come to visit you. I'm actually here to let you know that it's okay for you to rejoin the land of the living or, in this case, the guests in the garden," Trixie quipped playfully, approaching him and throwing her arms around him in a sisterly embrace. "Honey is in the formal living room having her picture taken which means the path to the garden is safe for you right now, Brian. You can get there now without running into Honey or having her see you."
The need to pace left him as quickly as it had overtaken him. "It's time, isn't it?" Brian's grin grew, turned goofy while his eyes shone with an eagerness, highly anticipating the moment when he finally made Honey his, for the rest of their lives. He couldn't wait for it to happen. A picture of Honey taken after her high school graduation reclined on the desk. He picked it up, tenderly traced her face, and wished that the wedding was happening right now. It was proving impossibly hard to wait it out.
"Just about time." Trixie looked over at her brother, gently took the picture out of his hands, and gave him a helpful shove. "Get going, big brother. I probably have to report to the never-ending photo session myself before they send out a search party for me. You get yourself to the garden. We'll see you at the finish line." Standing on her tiptoes, she hugged him again and moved onto her father next.
Brian needed no further urging. He left the room with determined strides, his father at his side and Trixie two steps behind them. Her tread this time down the hallway was much slower. Pausing, she watched them turn off to the side and go out to the side door to the garden. "Lucky ducks," she mumbled to herself.
"Have you had enough yet, Trix? First you break all possible land records in your haste to get out of the room and now you're talking to yourself?" Dan widened his eyes in an attempt for innocent that he couldn't pull off, not with the devilish gleam shining through.
"Shut up," Trixie ordered, sticking her tongue out and making him laugh even harder. She hooked a thumb towards the correct room, "You know I'm on my way to get my picture taken right now."
"They're almost ready for the poses with Honey and the bridesmaids," Dan said, falling into step besides her. "Miss Trask had the photographer take the family shots first. Honey's posse is up next."
"Honey's posse?" The description made her chuckle. The thought of Honey Wheeler, an heiress to the Wheeler/Hart fortune, having her own posse was exceptionally amusing.
"Yeah." Dan reached out, opened the door to the formal living room for her, and bowed with a low flourish. "You're on deck. We men have been ordered to get out to the garden where another member of the photographic staff is going to start taking our pictures. So there's no need to worry or complain. It's not all one-sided."
"Thank goodness." One small wink and she was in the crowded room. The scent of fresh flowers filled the air. Bouquets were laid out on the coffee table, patiently awaiting their owners. Trixie bypassed them and watched the photographer reposition the Wheeler/Frayne family for their last set of pictures. She couldn't help but smile. The four of them looked so happy together. Two redheaded males; two women with soft, honey-colored hair. It would be tough to know that they weren't Jim's biological family. The bonds between them ran strong.
When the photographer finished, the men didn't waste any time before hurrying towards the door, more than ready to taste the fresh spring air outside. "Good luck," Jim whispered to Trixie on his way towards the door, well aware of the fact that she wasn't fond of having her picture taken either.
"It's for a good cause," she replied, barely resisting the urge to cringe at the next coming moments. Truly, it was for the best. She nodded over at Honey who was currently studying her beautiful bouquet and awaiting the next set of directions from the photographer. "Brian's outside now. It's the waiting game now for him, isn't it?"
"The pictures are going to keep Honey busy. She won't have too much time to think or to get nervous," Jim shared, correctly inferring the exact reason why their mother planned to have so many pictures taken ahead of time. He caught his father waving him out of the room and offered a hasty farewell, "See you soon, Trix."
Knowing that the pictures were being conducted to keep Honey's mind off the potential stress of the wedding made her feel much better about the entire ordeal. Smiling her farewell, she fell into place besides Di. The photo session wasn't going to be as difficult as she thought it would be. She went through it all without any problems, not complaining in the least as the same shot was taken from different angles, with different film, with or without bouquets. The little laughs and sighs coming from Honey made it all worthwhile.
Her prediction was right. It went by quickly. Although her facial muscles were amazingly sore from the amount of smiling required of her, Trixie wasn't as bored or stiff from the session as she originally expected to be. Holding her pretty bouquet made up of a single rose surrounded by lilies, all white, and tied together with a trailing gold ribbon, she followed the others towards the patio where they would make their entrance. Beautiful, soothing instrumental music floated on the spring air, telling the wedding party the time was finally here. Most of the guests were already seated. Low hums of excitement and anticipation came back to them, battling the music for supremacy. It was hard to tell which one came out the winner.
Honey gently stroked the petals of one of the many roses that made up her bouquet. No other flowers were allowed in hers. Only elegant white roses. Countless roses. She actually didn't know how many there were. To put it plainly, she didn't care. "Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. I can't believe it. It's time," she murmured under her breath while her ladies began to take their assigned spots. One hand fanned her suddenly warm face. "It's finally time," she said again, looking a little dazed and a lot excited. "I'm getting married!"
Looking extremely distinguished in his tux, Matthew came up besides his daughter after Jim arrived to take a teary-eyed Madeleine away from the group to seat her, one of the tell-tale signs that the ceremony was about to commence. He embraced her and said gruffly, only half-joking, "We could cancel everything if you want to, Honey. It wouldn't be a big deal."
A choked giggle escaped her bowed lips. "No, Daddy. I don't think we'll be doing that," Honey replied when she was able to formulate an answer, her eyes gleaming with merriment, exactly as her father intended.
"Sadly, that's what I thought you'd say." Matthew released an exaggerated sigh, not surprised in the least. You couldn't blame a father for trying, he thought to himself with a philosophical lift of his shoulders. When Miss Trask motioned for everyone to quiet down, he obediently followed her cue, a sight that would have surprised many of the people who worked with him. The thought of Matthew Wheeler taken orders from a woman who used to be in his employ would have astounded the business world of New York City and beyond.
The music changed. The conglomeration of bridesmaids started to thin out and make a straight and expectant line. First Courtney. Then Maya. Trixie stepped behind Di. Nervous fingers gripped her clutch of flowers and played with the long strip of gold satin that held the bunch together. The line slowly thinned out. When Di breezed through the French doors and walked towards the aisle, looking cool, comfortable, and absolutely regal, Trixie hurriedly turned and gave Honey a quick, hard hug. "I love you," she whispered and took her spot at the door, awaiting her cue before Honey could do more than mumble a reply.
The second Di hit the prearranged mark, Trixie started smiling and stepped out into the light for the first time all day. Even though she had seen and mentally estimated the amount of people coming to the wedding, she was still shocked by the amount of faces staring back at her. Many of them she didn't know; were members or acquaintances of the Hart/Wheeler family or business associates. Her smile grew after glimpsing visions of people she did know, who made her feel more comfortable than the startling amount of strangers to her.
Her attention focused at the end of the long aisle, to a string of handsome men, all who carried important parts in her life. First, there were her brothers, each and every one of them. From the slightly solemn-looking Brian who wasn't paying the least bit of attention to her, was looking beyond her to the front of the aisle and for the woman who would soon become his wife, to the love-struck Mart who couldn't take his eyes off of his own wife, to Bobby, who was smirking at her and trying hard not to laugh, obviously finding the whole experience of yet another large society wedding quite a lark. Then there was Dan, dark and handsome as always, with his trademark grin on his face. He stood tall, confident, and nodded in acknowledgement to her. Not surprisingly, she saved Jim for last. Right next to Brian, her partner for the wedding, and looking so handsome in his tuxedo that it caused an ache from somewhere deep within her. Shivers coursed along her back, right where his fingers had traced earlier in the day from his helpful assistance. It took an effort to keep her smile to stay in place, to not falter in her trek down the aisle, and she forced herself not to stare at Jim. If she did, she was afraid every single person in attendance would see the longing she had for him on her face. It felt like the longest walk of her life.
She finally made it to complete the row of bridesmaids and turned to face the assembled audience. "Don't forget to help Honey with her train," Di murmured through her bright, happy smile.
Trixie gave a small start. "Thanks," she whispered back, having already forgotten about that tiny and rather important detail. She laughed with the rest of the guests as the flower girl and ring-bearer practically raced each other down the aisle, their childish giggles battling the sedate music and causing their mother to look on with an expression of absolute dismay. She wasn't the only one who hoped that the rings were tied tightly to the satin pillow in Caleb's hands.
As soon as the race ended and Leah Delanoy was deemed the winner, the music changed yet again. The air became electric with anticipation. The entire conclave stood as one and turned in expectation to the beginning of the aisle. A princess, one who looked too heavenly to possibly tread upon something as ordinary as the simple earth underneath all their feet, began walking her way down the aisle laden with a generous assortment of flower petals, her arm safely tucked within her proud, beaming father's.
Breathing was impossible. Brian knew he had to be doing it, and successfully, too, since he hadn't passed out due to lack of oxygen and was still standing. His palms started to sweat while he wildly wondered why the hell she had ever chosen him. She was simply too damn beautiful. Then she was standing next to him, her smile bright and touching her hazel eyes, and his sudden attack of nerves evaporated into the gentle spring air. She was there, she was next to him, and they were going to begin their lives together. He could not ask for anything more.
A huge thank you to my sister, Pam and bundsbaby for making the story even better! Thanks, ladies!