Chapter Twenty Five

Bella

We left the twins with Rose and Emmett at the house, Peter and Charlotte had gone hunting and wouldn't join us for a couple of days. At Lisa's place there was uproar as the wedding got closer and closer. Mary was busy arguing with the caterers about the quantities for the buffet tea, apparently Crystal had refused the use of the in-house catering team for some reason. Andy was holed up in his room away from the flap and Lisa's dad had once more decided he had some urgent paperwork to do and escaped to his office. Jasper and Garrett made themselves busy ferrying various mysterious packages to the Inn and calming the wedding organiser there who had been given a hard time by the bride to be. He promised to tell me all about it later but he and Garrett were too busy to stop now. Mary was an angel, when she saw me she stopped everything to come over and hug me then stood back and eyed me critically.

"Lisa said you'd been ill but she didn't tell me it was this serious, you're so pale and cold. You come by the fire right now and rest. There are some orders of service booklets that still need compiling if you think you could manage that. Crystal just wouldn't let the printers do it as normal. She wanted everything to be finished off by the family, or did she mean she wanted the family finished off by all of it? That's more likely the way things are going!"

"Where are the boys?"

"It was send them to stay with friends for a couple of days or have a nervous breakdown and believe me it was a close run thing. The boys threatened to make a huge paper mache Chupacabra for the wedding and when I found them sneaking off with a pile of old newspapers and the contents of the baking cupboard I put my foot down. Crystal wanted them as page boys, can you imagine the mayhem? It didn't bear thinking about."

"Are they banned from the wedding too?"

"Unfortunately no, she insisted they show the guests to their places. I console myself with the knowledge they can't really upset that...can they?"

I didn't answer because I was sure they'd find a way of making mischief somehow.

Lisa and I were being roped in as bridesmaids, a job I didn't particularly want but couldn't get out of without upsetting Crystal and it was her wedding day after all. Lisa was amazed to be asked after calling Crystal a snoop and a liar but she was the kind of person insults slid off and we were welcomed with great delight although Crystal did look at me a little oddly,

"Bella you look terrible. I was so shocked to hear you'd been ill. Do you think you'll be OK for the big day?"

I nodded trying not to look at Lisa who stood behind Crystal pulling faces.

"I'll be fine Crystal, don't worry."

"Oh good because I want you to try on your dresses, I had them specially made and I'm sure they'll be a hit. Come on."

She dragged us both upstairs to oner of the spare rooms, the one I used when I'd stayed before and stopped just inside the door looking at the two dresses hanging on the closet door.

"See, I knew you'd be bowled over by them."

Lisa looked at the dresses then at me and I could see she was dying to laugh,

"We'll try them on then you can come in and look, get the full effect Crystal"

"Oh, that's a wonderful idea. I'll be back in about twenty minutes. Oh by the way, the shoes are in the closet, I hope they fit."

She went out beaming and we both burst out laughing,

"Is there a camera here somewhere because I'm sure this is a wind up."

I shook my head,

"I think she's serious Lisa. Shall we?"

I took my dress off the door and held it close.

"Looks like it will fit."

"Fit? How can it not fit Bella? It looks like a dirty net curtain someone hacked with a pair of garden shears! Oh God I can see we're going to be the laughing-stock. Well come on let's try them on."

The dresses hung from us like flimsy sacks and when we saw the shoes there was another burst of laughter.

"They look like Herman Munster wore them last! I'm going to need an oxygen mask if I put those on!"

The "shoes" were actually pale grey platform shoes, very high platform shoes.

"I think she's going for the "Bride of Frankenstein" look Lisa",

"Or the bride from the crypt! I dread to think what her dress is like."

"Do we know Lisa?"

"No she's keeping it a secret and now we know why!"

That evening we sat talking until late. Crystal had gone to a hotel for the night mumbling about it being bad luck to be under the same roof as her intended the night before the wedding.

"It's a good job your dresses fitted, I told Crystal she wouldn't have time to get them altered if they didn't but she assured me they would be fine."

"Mum did you see them?"

"No, I did ask but she said it was bad luck for anyone else to see the dresses before the ceremony."

"I just hope everyone can keep a straight face that's all"

Mary looked at me in horror,

"Oh dear, are they that bad?"

"Well lets put it this way, visualize Morticia Addams having an accident with a lawn mower and you'll get the picture!"

Mary and Dennis went to bed then shaking their heads and probably wondering what their son was getting tied up with!

Once we were alone with the guys, Andy still out with Cade on his bachelor party with friends, we started the cross-examination.

"Well Garrett cough up, what are the decorations like? Don't tell me she's got dead flowers scattered about the place and mortuary candles in huge brass holders."

"Not quite but it is different. I mean I'm no expert at weddings but it appeared a little out of the ordinary to say the least."

"Jasper?"

He looked at me with a grin,

"Well I've attended a few weddings, Rose and Emmett get re-hitched every few years but I've never seen anything like it. Garrett and I have been tasked with watching over the boys tomorrow."

"Thank God for small mercies, they wont get away with too much then".

"I think anything they think up will pale in comparison to Crystals imagination."

Lisa went up to bed soon after, she was shattered and like me wishing the whole pantomime was over, the thought of walking down the aisle in those dresses behind Crystal wearing God knows what was terrifying both of us. We almost decided to run but then realised it would spoil Andy's day too and although both his sister and I thought he was crazy to be marrying Crystal it was obvious he loved her very much. Garrett, Jazz, and myself went to hunt, it would be a long day in the proximity of many humans and I was still a little nervous although I'd done fine with Crystal and Lisa's family today and the flight full of humans yesterday I thanked my gift for making things so easy for me. Lets hope tomorrow didn't throw up any new surprises because I honestly didn't think Lisa and I could hold it together if Crystal came up with any more crackpot ideas.