CHAPTER 37
Aunt Elsa jumped in the mix about half an hour later and announced that it was time for the tossing of the bouquet. Ladies came from everywhere. "Okay now, don't be bitter you didn't catch my nephew, get on up here and catch yourself a little luck!" Edgar thought there must have been over one hundred women gathered for the toss. Sig escorted Louise to the front of the party and turned her facing away. Louise sent it sailing into the middle of the mob and there was the traditional tug of war before one woman claimed it as her own. It was the girl from the bank, Edgar noticed. She was smiling at him. "Well, no hard feelings there, thank God." Edgar then sat Louise in a chair and put his body in between the crowd and Louise to remove the garter. For that he got a loud roar of boo's." Edgar looked over his shoulder and said, "You want a look at what you can't have?" There were some eager, "Yeah's" from the crowd. Louise tensed a bit. Edgar shouted back, "Well, forget it!" He leaned in to kiss Louise on the cheek and whispered again, "Mine." as he removed her garter. He then stood back to the audience and flung the garter. His four year old little cousin came up with it and took off running and squealing. Everyone laughed.
The couple was allowed to change into there more comfortable attire for the reception at this point and the drinking, dancing, and well wishing began it earnest. People kept handing Edgar envelopes of money to which he was genuinely surprised and grateful, yet confused. He mentioned this to Berk who produced a thick stack himself and said that with the short notice people did not have time to get gifts and this was customary. Edgar gave his stack to Berk who agreed to keep up with them for him. The reception continued on with the DJ blaring and the crowd waning. Sig told his brother, "You can leave now. Just slip away quietly." Edgar took Louise by the hand and she ended her conversation with a cousin about her move to Seattle. "Sig said we should sneak out now." Louise stiffened, "Is that rude? Should I say goodbye to my parents at least." Edgar could sense her fear and said, "Yeah baby, you go do that I will be right here." Louise found her mother and they moved away from the crowd. Edgar wants to leave now, "Is this how it's done?" "Yes dear, you can go now. I love you." Jinna kissed her on the forehead and said, "It will be fine, I promise. Edgar is a kind man.
Louise remarked to herself that Edgar was a kind and considerate man. Her fears about tonight were not that he would hurt her anymore than he had to, but that she would disappoint him. She did not relate these fears to her mother. She could not face her father. This is why it is done this way, she thought. Louise returned to Edgar and he asked, "Ready?" She smiled meekly and said, "Yes." They opted to walk to the cottage as it was in eyeshot of the castle and in no need of hiring a car. They walked holding each other and that made the walk go slower. Edgar was trying to think of a way to put her mind at ease without making light of the situation. It was just a little after 5 pm and the sun thought fading, had not yet began to set.