DISCLAIMER: the wonderful Stephenie Meyer owns the characters and world of Twilight.
Warning: Refreshing sparkling water with a hint of lemon.
Music vibe: Moody Blues - "Dawning is the Day" and "New Horizons"
CHAPTER 55: SEEING THE LIGHT
Yolanda POV
The following week slipped by in a blur as we discussed the wedding. Liam deferred to me mostly, but it was reassuring having him around. I tried to keep a lid on things. The mantra was: keep it simple. Alice kept refining a fairly short list of items to be finalised until she moaned there would be nothing left for her to organise.
The first thing we tackled was the venue for the wedding celebrations. Liam & I insisted we wanted a short ceremony at a small and intimate location, initially assuming it would probably be at the Cullen house. Alice dismissed that idea as they'd already had Bella & Edward's wedding there. She felt we should have something different. Instead, she'd come up with a choice of two places, but her expression plainly indicated she already knew which one we would choose. Liam asked why she was even bothering giving us a choice and her answer was that she wanted us to make the decisions in the end. Yeah right, very funny!
I wondered about the venue. I couldn't understand how we could possibly even consider an outside location for our wedding, a place where humans would be and which would make it impossible for us to have anything like a romantic ceremony. Alice told me not to worry as she'd had an off-the-wall idea. When she let us in on the secret, Liam & I both laughed, but the more I thought about it the more I liked it.
The place she had in mind was a good drive down the coast. We arranged to go down for a look-see. The day we picked was overcast, although not dismal. Alice did her divining thing and said we'd be fine as long as we didn't linger for more than a couple of hours at the site.
As we couldn't all fit into Alice's Porsche, we went in Liam's new "new" car. After the last beach encounter, he'd swiftly upgraded to a BMW 4x4, much to Jasper's amusement. Emmett had taken the other BMW off his hands as he'd liked it so much. These guys evidently bought vehicles like anybody else bought a tank of fuel.
We invited Esme along as she was at a loose end, so four of us piled into the 4x4, with Liam driving to Alice's directions. We hurtled southward at speed, keeping an eye out for waiting highway patrolmen. "How far is it?" I enquired idly after we'd driven for half an hour. "Oh, about the same distance again." responded Alice airily. "Don't worry – I think the place will be worth the journey time."
In the event, the journey took just over an hour. We turned off the main road and headed towards the cliffs, bumping along a short track which led to a very pretty lighthouse. I was instantly charmed.
Alice cautioned me to stay in the vehicle while she went to meet the keyholder of the building. Ignoring the fact there was a human only a few short yards away, I turned to Liam with a surprised look on my face. "Do you think she's serious about this place?"
"Oh I think we can safely say she's serious. How we'll fit even our few guests in, I don't really know." He raised an eyebrow and grinned ruefully.
I started feeling uneasy about it. "It seems an awfully long way to come for a short ceremony."
Esme leaned over from the back seat. "Don't dismiss it out of hand. Give Alice a chance to show you around. I think you'll love it."
"It certainly is peaceful up here. Can't wait to get out and stretch my legs." I looked out at the buildings, trying to concentrate on those rather than anything else.
The lighthouse was painted white with a pinky-red tiled roof on it. It had a couple of tiny ancillary buildings beside it. About a hundred yards away, set well back from the cliffs beside some woodland, were two houses and a garage building with roof space above it. One house was larger than the other. They were both Victorian from the look of them, with steps up to covered porches by the front doors. The houses were both whitewashed clapboard and in good order. The windows of each property had been painted the same pinky-red as the rooftiles of the lighthouse buildings.
"What's taking Alice so long?" I wondered out loud. "What's this place called?" Esme told me that the area was called Cape Elizabeth and that this was one of the few lighthouses along this coastline which was open to the public and available for special occasions such as weddings. There was another lighthouse further south at a place called Ilwaco which did similarly, but was about the same distance away again from this location. They'd considered it as an option, but dismissed it as being too close to humans. From this location, we would all still have access to the inland valley and lake area within the Olympic National Park.
Finally there were signs of life as a woman got into a car and drove up to the houses. Alice came back outside and joined us. We all got out of the car. "Ok guys, let's have a tour of the place. It won't take long."
"You don't say..." said Liam with a touch of irony. He grabbed my hand and we headed towards the doorway of the lighthouse.
It was with huge trepidation that I entered the building. Inside was all tiled and whitewashed, pretty neat and functional as you'd expect. The smell of the place was of oil and iron, with a healthy dose of disinfectant. There was of course a mix of human smells around and so venom filled my mouth as the tangy flavour hit my senses. Liam's firm grip kept me pretty well controlled as my eyes cast about, automatically trying to find the source of the scents I could make out. I wondered what excuse Alice had given the woman we'd just seen leaving, but as long as she didn't bother us, I tried not to focus on her. I still felt edgy being in this environment and had to clamp down on my feelings. My biggest worry was being stumbled upon by a passing human and as a consequence, I felt more vulnerable than usual.
Alice led us to the steps which wound their way up the interior of the lighthouse. They were Victorian wrought iron, painted black with a pretty design on them. A quick scan of the ground floor room revealed old dark wooden furniture with practical items on them such as storm lamps and old brass cans, as well as the artistic flourish of a vase of flowers and a painted seaview.
Liam pushed me ahead of him up the steps and kept a hand firmly planted on my behind as we went up the hundred or so treads. I bit back a wry comment and didn't take him to task over it. When we finally reached the top and entered the lantern room, a spectacular view opened before us, stretching from horizon to horizon.
Dominating everything, naturally, was the huge reflective lantern. It sparkled like the array of diamonds on the satellite in the Moonraker film. While our skin hadn't been sparkling as a result of a sunny day, it certainly was now.
A circular bench described an almost entire circuit of the room, leaving a gap only for a doorway to the outside. Along with a table, a couple of rugs and a telescope on a stand, that basically completed the room's contents. The door stood open and led out on to the balcony walkway which cantilevered out from the exterior wall of the lighthouse.
We all trooped out outside to admire the view and I took in a lungful of fresh sea air, immediately feeling more peaceful. I turned around and leaned back against the railings, looking back into the lantern room, imagining us as a group gathered in there. "Oh Liam, this is gorgeous isn't it? Don't you just love it?"
He moved in front of me and put his arms around me, nuzzling my cheek. He had a huge smile plastered across his face. "Yes I do like it. Very much indeed. It's peaceful and kind of apposite in the circumstances."
"Why apposite?"
"Well it sort of underlines how I feel about you - that you're the light of my life!" I smiled into my hand with embarrassment at his waxing lyrical. Stealing a look at Esme and Alice, I saw them exchange smiling glances. "We're by the sea which we both love. It feels right. We're away from humans up here too, which is a bonus. We've got access to hunting nearby if needs be. All in all, it's a romantic location."
"Yes, it surely is romantic." I heaved a sigh and enjoyed the clean fresh air that was whistling past my nostrils.
"So you like it then do you?" squeaked an excited Alice. We walked round to join her and Esme, and looked out across the cliffs towards the nearest town far below us at sea level. Esme was now scanning the building with her practised eye and I could see her appreciating the architecture of it.
"Yes, I love it Alice. It's beautiful here. Two questions though - if it's open to the public, will we not be disturbed? And what we do about the reception party afterwards?"
"Ok, well firstly, we can rent the lighthouse for the whole day and close the gates to the public. The place can only be accessed from the road so we shouldn't have any strangers crashing our little gathering. As for afterwards, I thought we should rent the lighthouse keeper's cottages for a couple of nights and have our party over there. We can look round the cottages shortly. How does that sound?" Alice's face was a picture of eagerness and I almost expected her to tell me what my response was going to be.
I tilted my head back to Liam who was now stood behind me with his arms wrapped round me, nuzzling my ear. "What do you think, Liam?"
"I think it's nice here. I really don't mind. If we can't have a church wedding, I think it's the next best thing. Somewhere special and unusual."
His comment about the church startled me. "You wanted a church wedding?"
He laughed at my expression. "No, don't worry sweetheart. I'm nominally Catholic, as are you I believe, madam, but a church wedding isn't going to fly in these circumstances. I wouldn't want to put you through that ordeal."
I ruminated on that for a moment. "You've already got me forever and Carlisle understands that totally, so he's as good as a priest as far as I'm concerned for ratifying our eternal life together. In fact, I think he's the best man for the job: full stop!" Esme smiled warmly when she heard that, although the words were out of my mouth before I remembered Carlisle's wife was stood there.
Liam gazed down at me for a few moments. "You're so right." He then dropped a kiss on my nose. "Have you seen enough of the place? Shall we go and inspect the cottages?"
"One sec..." I nipped out from under Liam's hug and popped back to the lantern room again. Alice caught me up. Prancing around the room, she outlined who could stand where during the ceremony. As she was talking, a thought crossed my mind. "Alice, do you think Jacob and his pack would come if we invited them?" I heard Liam's rumble of approval from the balcony.
"Oh what a lovely idea. We can certainly ask, if you're sure you'd like them to be there." Alice seemed to make a mental note.
I gave her an exasperated look. "Alice, quit prevaricating. Tell me if they're coming or not!" Alice stood still for a moment and closed her eyes. "Yes, I can see Jacob and Seth, but not Leah."
"That's wonderful. We'll make sure we speak to Jacob when we see him. It'd be nice to have him along, given his kind permission for my transformation. It seems only right he be given the chance to be here to witness our progress."
Liam came up behind me and slipped his arms around my waist. "That's a nice gesture, sweetheart. I expect he'll be at the house again this evening."
"Right then, ok. This room is purrfect for the ceremony. Now to the party venue...." Alice swung around and started to go down the stairs. Esme blurred past us and followed her down. Instead of following behind them, Liam grabbed my hand and led me out onto the balcony. He shouted towards the stairs "We'll see you in a moment."
He shut the doors behind us, leaving us alone on the balcony. Sweeping me quickly into his arms, he gave me a passionate kiss. "Been waiting ages to do that." he said as he wrapped me in his bearhug and swayed us gently. "Being in the car with you all that time had me going there for a while. Thought I'd never get you on your own." I grinned but said nothing. He kissed me again and then turned towards the railings, leaping up onto them and balancing as agilely as a cat. "Ok, let's go." He turned back towards me, holding out his hand. "Come on, sweetheart. We'll take a shortcut."
"We can't do that!" Liam just looked at me and grinned.
So we leapt off the railings together with Liam holding me in his bearhug like he'd done at the tree we'd climbed the other week. I giggled all the way down and couldn't stop laughing after we'd hit ground. We reached the front of the building and walked over to join Alice and Esme who were laughing at our antics. "Naughty, naughty!" admonished Esme only half-seriously.
We got in the car and set off towards the cottages. "What did you tell your contact, Alice?"
"Oh nothing special - just that you're a well known celebrity and wish to keep your anonimity. She's dealing with us on a very confidential basis. She won't be showing us around the cottages, so don't worry. She'll go back to the lighthouse now, so we can keep the mystery of your identity going!"
When we'd been left alone again, Alice showed us into the main house. She started her commentary as if she were a proper guide. "This was the lighthouse keeper's main residence. It was built shortly after the lighthouse was completed in 1851 and replaced an older timbered framed building. There are four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The adjacent building was the assistant lighthouse keeper's residence built in 1852, but the garage building is a fairly modern addition."
"Enough already Alice!" growled Liam as we wandered through the house from room to room.
The kitchen was large and well kitted out, with a large table to sit round. The furnishings of the house were totally in keeping with the Victorian period. The living and sitting rooms were nicely proportioned, with tasteful furniture and reproduction antiques strategically placed. Each bay window had seats and the material used throughout the house was chintzy but tasteful. The cream wallpaper and walnut furniture complemented each other nicely. Everything was solidly made - something a vampire appreciated - and there was plenty of space in the house for about a dozen people due to the plentiful couches and chairs in both seating areas. The bedrooms were all surprisingly spacious and looked very comfortably appointed.
I could quite easily imagine a Victorian or even an Edwardian family living here with their gaggle of children. It also struck me that both Liam and Edward would probably feel quite at home here.
We went next door to the smaller house, to find the place had three bedrooms and one bathroom. It was similarly furnished and I guessed the same interior designer had been at work. We also went and looked at the garage which was big enough for two cars and had a loft space above. The loft space surprisingly had within it a large bed, a bathroom and kitchenette.
We returned to the main house. I mentally went through how we might all fit into the lodgings and asked what Alice had in mind. She explained the Cullens could all stay in the main house, that Liam and I could take the smaller house and that Jacob and Seth could possibly sleep in the loft space. She had it in mind that we would arrive the day before the wedding and stay for 2 or possibly 3 nights, making an expedition of the occasion.
As we chatted about logistics of staying at the properties, I suggested it might be fairer for Bella's family unit and perhaps the wolf pack to share the smaller house, with Liam & I taking the loft space for a cosy and intimate couple of nights. The idea appealed because it was almost like staying in a modest lodge. Liam laughed when I suggested it and said he didn't mind. However, Alice and Esme both instantly dismissed the suggestion and insisted that we would be staying in better accommodations than a snug loft space for our wedding night.
When I asked Alice where her other proposed venue was, she revealed that it was a group of luxury lodges set up in the Lake Quinault Valley area - it was remote enough to afford us privacy and feeding opportunities. When I looked at Liam, his expression gave no indication of whether he liked the idea or not. I pressed him and asked if he wanted to go and see the lodges. He shrugged his shoulders and said he rather liked the lighthouse idea as it was quite novel.
That settled it for me - the lighthouse it was going to be.
***
After we got back to the house shortly after lunch, Liam insisted on taking me out hunting. "Alone time" he muttered in my ear.
We headed off into the woods and ran a good 10 miles before we found some deer. After both feeding from the one buck, Liam couldn't control himself any longer. He took me into some nearby dense foliage and assaulted me ardently with his lips and his preferred weapon of choice.
I didn't care that vampires made love in the woods almost as often as they did indoors. Al fresco loving was sweeter and often more intense for its location. I felt more alive making out on the forest floor than I did anywhere else. I was more than happy that Liam wanted me morning, noon and night and more frequently if time and company allowed it!
Being cooped up in a car with his musky smell for a couple of hours had already teased me into a heightened state. Certainly, Jasper was more than glad to see the back of us after ten minutes at the house, more or less pushing us out of the door. For once, Alice had declined to come with us as she wanted to nail down some of the arrangements at the lighthouse, striking while the iron was hot. Jasper had looked disappointed but declined to play gooseberry with us - hence his wish to send us on our way.
Liam and I had initially got all hot and bothered in a frantic kind of way, which had us chuckling breathlessly afterwards as we reeled from the animalistic pleasure we divined from such occasions. We then simmered down and followed it up with a long slow kind of loving which brought us more gently to the boil again, but was no less glorious. I loved those times too, when Liam's softer side came to the fore and he held himself in an almost exquisitely tortured state of arousal as he made sure I was well and truly pleasured, begging for him to release into me. At such times, our long kisses made me melt and I was putty in his hands. I often sobbed at those climaxes because they were so beautiful and I felt almost in a state of grace, no matter where they occurred.
Liam was certainly making up for years of neglect in the most wonderful way and today, like the day before, and the day before that, I felt very blessed to have him in my life.
A/N: The lighthouse I have described here is fictional but is based upon one at Ilwaco at which wedding ceremonies can be conducted. There are several lighthouses along the Pacific coastline but most are occupied and run by the US Coastguard Service. The only ones I know purrsonally are further south in California at Point Reyes where we went whale watching and at Pigeon Point. I grew up on the Cornish coastline with the Lizard Point lighthouse flashing at us every night, so I've always had a fondness for lighthouses!
Been a poignant couple of days for me. My school sweetheart has just made contact with me again and coincidentally, a friend today reminded me of my love for the Moody Blues when I was 17/18 years old and in love with him. I've been revisiting their stuff this evening and the old words are coming back to me through the mists of time. Wonderful Justin Hayward's voice is sublime. So many songs to choose from – have gone with Dawning is the Day and New Horizons - I adore the melodies of these two and couldn't choose between them!
