Part 18

Millicent Carter smiled indulgently at her grandson. "You never could keep a secret from me, John. I've known you were planning this for some time."

"But this wasn't planned. We only went out to get a dress, not get married. It was impulse."

"It was FATE!" Gamma replied forcefully. "There are no such things as co-incidences or accidents. You were destined to get married on Friday…and don't look at me as if I'm half-way to the mad-house John. You're not too old for me to take you over my knee!" she said, causing Carter to give a little smile and assume a more respectful attitude.

"I'm sorry, Gamma, but I never knew you believed in things like that."

"You think perhaps that because I'm the stern matriarch of a large family that I don't have a bit of whimsy in me?" Her eyes twinkled, softening the slight trace of sarcasm in her voice. "Let me tell you a story about fate. I had been engaged to Donald Winters for three years but we had never actually sat down and planned the wedding. There was one Christmas where I wasn't feeling particularly well and had been ordered by the doctors to stay at home instead of going to the Harrison's Christmas Party, but because I was madly in love with Donald and hadn't seen him for a few days I dressed myself up and arrived late at the party. Now," she said, pointing her finger at John and Abby, "if I hadn't gone to the party I wouldn't have seen Donald kissing Virginia Matheson. If I hadn't seen them kissing I wouldn't have run out of the room onto the terrace, and if I hadn't run out onto the terrace I would never have met your grandfather." Her tone became nostalgic and her eyes glazed over as she talked about her late-husband. "He had come to the party with Virginia but had found her with Donald, so to avoid a confrontation that would ruin the night for everybody else he had come out onto the terrace. He was lying down in the middle of the terrace looking at the stars which was why I didn't see him straight away. I came running out of that ballroom at such a speed and tripped right over him, falling flat on my face…I must have looked a fright!" she laughed. "My hair was all over the place, I had tears streaming down my face, and I had ruined my dress when I fell…but he just sat up, put his jacket around my shoulders, and offered me his handkerchief." Her tone had become wistful again. "We sat there the rest of the night talking. Nobody came out to join us because it was too cold, so it was like we were in our own little world." She stopped at this point and wiped her eyes which were starting to tear up. "Sentimental old fool!" she muttered to herself, then pulling herself together she continued. "Anyway, you couldn't separate the two of us after that. Five months later we were married, and I don't believe either of us ever regretted losing our partners that Christmas."

Abby had listened to Gamma's tale with tears in her eyes, pleased by the trust the older woman had placed in them by sharing her story and touched by the romance of the tale. She walked over and sat beside Gamma, who patted the arm that Abby had put around her shoulders. "That's a lovely story, Millicent, thank-you for sharing it with us."

"Yes," said John, "thank-you Gamma."

"But you don't see the point I'm trying to make do you?" She looked over at John who gave a wry smile and shook his head slowly. "I had planned to marry Donald Winters, and if it weren't for the fact that I'm such a stubborn thing I probably would have done…and where would you be?! The fact is that I knew deep down he wasn't serious about marrying me but I was blind to all the signs. I was ready for marriage but he wasn't, and I realise now that it was because though I was ready for marriage it wasn't to him. When I met your grandfather I met my soul mate and everything else was inevitable. You and Abby are soul mates," she said, looking between the two of them and smiling, "so from the very moment you met Friday was inevitable. You may not have talked about it, or planned it, or maybe even thought about it, but you both instinctively knew it was the right time for you to get married on Friday which is why you did…Now I think I've said my piece. Shall we call for Lunch to be served?" She rose from her seat beside Abby and moved towards her desk where she rang a bell to summon Lunch, which comprised a platter of sandwiches and a tray of lemonade. "You don't mind if we eat in here do you Abby? It's just that I've taken to eating my meals in here since my husband died and it's hard to break a habit!"

"Trust me, I know!" Abby said, munching away on a sandwich. "This is nothing, when I was little my brother and I used to make a camp in the bathroom and eat our meals in there!"

"I remember whenever my parents used to hold a party I would go and hide under one of the tables and eat my cake whilst looking at the feet of all the adults walking past me. I could stay there for hours and I would hear my mother walking around looking for me to entertain the guests!" She and Abby were laughing at their shared eating experiences of childhood, but John remained quiet and kept looking at the two most important women in his life. He was so happy: he couldn't believe how easily Abby had become a part of his family and hid life, and it was becoming difficult to remember a time when she was not there. He continued to watch the two women talk and bond with a smile on his face, but as time went on he continued to think about what his grandmother had said and something didn't make sense. He liked what she had said about them being ready for marriage, he was perfectly willing to say that it was Fate which had brought Abby and him together, and he had certainly made no secret of the fact that he intended to marry Abby one day, but to say she knew they had gotten married on Friday because he couldn't keep a secret from her? He didn't buy it. There was something more she wasn't telling him, and he was determined to find out what it was. He cleared his throat to get her attention and then began to ask her the question on his mind.

"Gamma, please don't take this the wrong way, but are you lying to us?"

"John!" Abby cried out, horrified that he would accuse his grandmother like that. She glared at him but he just looked steadily at Millicent, who was staring back at him and trying to keep a straight face.

"Why John," she said, "whatever are you implying."

"Nothing…it's just there's something not quite right about all of this. If I didn't know I was going to get married on Friday then how could I keep it a secret from you…and don't give me a story about your strange psychic powers!" he added when he saw her open her mouth to reply. "Come on Gamma, tell us the truth."

"Oh, alright, but you really are a killjoy John!" She walked over to the desk again and returned with the paper she had been reading as they had first entered the room. She turned a few pages and then handed it to Carter open at an article.

"What's this?" he said, taking the paper from his grandmother and looking up at her.

" 'This' is tomorrow's society section," Millicent explained. "I am on very good terms with the writer of that column, as you can imagine, and she thought I would be interested to know what was going to be the leading story on Monday and to get a comment from a family prospective."

Carter looked away from Gamma and turned his attention to the article in his hands. Abby meanwhile had moved from her seat opposite and was once more sitting next to Carter. She leaned against him slightly so that she had a better view over his shoulder. "FAUX-SOCIALITE WEDDING YIELDS SURPRISE OF THE SEASON" the headline ran, and underneath was a picture of Carter and Abby obviously taken from the museum benefit they had attended over a year ago. "God, where did they dig that picture up!" Abby muttered to herself. Carter shifted so that she was more comfortably settled against him and stretched his arm along the back of the couch behind her before starting to read.

" 'It is the sad duty of this reporter to inform you that one of Chicago's most eligible young bachelors is most definitely off the market! On Saturday I had the dubious honour of attending the wedding between Richard Lockhart MD, an up and coming cosmetic surgeon who is the name on the collagen-enhanced lips of most of middle-aged middle-class Chicago, and Catherine Wilkinson, a nondescript schoolteacher from suburbia. Any other time this would have been relegated to the announcements section, but in a slow Newsweek anything goes. So in the name of keeping society informed I forced myself into yet another ghastly floral monstrosity favoured at these affairs, spent three hours with Fabrizio having my hair and nails done, and tried not to think of what I was about to endure for my Art…' "

"This woman is a friend of yours?" Carter stopped reading and looked at his grandmother.

"Ssh!" Abby pushed him, "Keep reading!"

"OK, no need to get aggressive! Where was I?" He scanned the page and mumbled to himself until he found the spot where he had left off. "Here it is: '…I went to the reception with low expectations and I wasn't disappointed. The obligatory gold leaf was present everywhere, as were the ice sculptures of dolphins, and white doves were duly being released on the terrace of what I used to believe was a hotel with standards of taste. I would have left with little to disclose to loyal readers of this column (other than the vulgarity of the groom's mother) were it not for my curiosity being piqued by the presence of Dr John Truman Carter III, heir to one of the largest private fortunes in the State, accompanied by a mysterious and beautiful brunette. I was able to discover on their departure that the woman in question was Abigail Lockhart (34), a nurse at Cook County General where Dr Carter is Chief Resident and, I'm sorry to say ladies, the new Mrs Carter. That's right, we can stop speculating because somebody has finally snapped the delectable Dr Carter up, and by all accounts he couldn't have chosen a lovelier, more down to earth woman. The family are said to be delighted with the match, and the lack of a large society affair has been attributed to the hectic work schedules of the newlyweds, although it is well documented that Dr Carter is a reluctant participant in society gatherings. I for one look forward to seeing more of this delightful couple, and I thank them for turning one of the most turgid evenings it has been my misfortune to attend into the highlight of my year…' "

"Well she's not afraid of speaking her mind, is she!" Abby said as Carter moved forward to place the paper down on the coffee table. "I'm not too sure if I like the sound of some woman calling my husband 'delectable' though!" she teased.

"Oh I don't know," Carter replied, turning to smile at her, "I rather like the idea of you being my 'mysterious and beautiful' wife…. So you got a tip-off from a journalist?" Carter asked, turning to his grandmother. "I have to say I'm disappointed. I thought you might have ESP or something!"

"You're disappointed?" Gamma replied. "I might not have expected to be a participant at your wedding but I would have liked to have been told by you before having to field calls from journalists…Luckily for you I'm an old hand at these things and had no problem saying that I was delighted at the news and that I highly approved of your choice of bride."

She smiled over at Abby who blushed a bright shade of crimson. Carter had the good grace to appear a little shame-faced as he apologised.

"I'm sorry Gamma, it's just that Friday really was a spur of the moment decision. I guess I thought that since I would be seeing you today…the truth is I didn't think. The past 48 hours have flown by so quickly that I haven't had time to register much, or to really think of anything besides Abby."

"That's quite alright, dear," Gamma replied, looking down indulgently at her grandson and his wife. "I won't pretend that I'm not disappointed that I didn't get to see you stand up at the altar, but when I said earlier that you had better things to do with your time than visit an old lady I meant it. I just want you to promise that you'll let me make a fuss when my first great-grandchild comes along!"

"We promise!" Carter and Abby said together, then laughed.

"Good, that's settled!" Gamma clapped her hands together in satisfaction and rose from the couch. "Well, I say we take advantage of this beautiful weather and go for a little drive. Who wants to come with me?"

Abby readily agreed but Carter chose to stay behind to pack up his things from his room to take back to Abby's apartment…. No, he thought, to 'their' apartment. He watched from his bedroom window as the car pulled away down the drive and he gave a little wave, even though he knew they could not see him. He then turned and looked around at the room which had been his home for most of his life. He gave a small sad smile as he thought about leaving it for good, but his smile broadened as he pictured his new life with Abby. He set to work packing up the boxes he had brought with him, whistling happily as he went.


(And that's your lot for now. Sorry if this Chapter was both wordy and rushed at the same time but I really like Gamma and think she doesn't get enough screen time, plus if I don't start pulling everything together I'll never be able to get the two of them back to the hospital! Hope you liked it. Oh, and if it's not too much trouble could somebody read my new fic and tell me what you think of it. Pleeeeeeeeease!)