Chapter Two: The Perfect Wedding, Well Almost
Once she had arrived beside her father, Laura Sue forgot all of her anxieties and let herself be led up the aisle to the bridegroom. Her right hand held onto a bouquet of pink and yellow roses, while her left hand held onto her father. Laura Sue floated up the aisle and felt as if she were in a dream.
"She is such a lovely bride," Laura Sue heard someone from the crowd say and a dainty smile formed on her lips.
When she arrived at the altar and her father handed her over to Randolph, Laura Sue began to tremble softly. Randolph took her hands in his and gazed admiringly into her eyes. She smiled delicately at him and locked her gaze with his. The pastor began talking, but Laura Sue didn't hear a word of what he was saying. She glanced out into the crowd and saw a familiar set of sad brown eyes that belonged to her beloved Bronson Alcott. Seeing him sitting there caused a emptiness in her stomach. It should have been him up there standing beside her. She should be exchanging vows with him, not Randolph Cutler.
Laura Sue felt the wedding band sliding over her ring finger and she gazed at Randolph who had his eyes fixed intently on the golden band. It was obviously a precious heirloom his mother had given him for the wedding. Laura Sue pretended that Bronson was standing in the place of Randolph and he was the one proclaiming his love to her. When it was her turn, Laura Sue placed the wedding band on Randolph's hand and recited her vows faithfully. When the minister announced them as husband and wife, she closed her eyes and pretended that it was Bronson's lips against hers.
She had had herself completely convinced that she was kissing Bronson, but when she opened her eyes, Laura Sue was shocked to see Randolph. She plastered on a look of happiness that would convince anyone and took his hand. While walking down the aisle with him, Laura Sue let her gaze fall on Bronson. To her surprise, he had been looking at her also and, for a minute, their gazes locked. Laura Sue quickly tore her gaze away from his and looked up at Randolph. He was looking in the direction his mother who stood in the back of the garden with her body as rigid and straight as steel. Laura Sue thought that her mother-in-law had a terrible look of displeasure on her face. She followed Randolph into the hotel where Mrs. Cutler made sure that everyone was lined up properly and ready to greet the oncoming guests.
No sooner than the door had been open, guest began to file in. Each member of the family was to shake and greet every single guest. When all of the guests had been properly greeted and Laura Sue's hands and feet ached terribly, her mother-in-law led them to the dining room. There was a rectangular table set up front with signs that read: Reserved for the Bride and Groom's family. Laura Sue took her seat beside Randolph and sighed. As someone gave a toast to her and Randolph, Laura Sue glanced around the room in hopes that Bronson had come. She hadn't seen him walk in while they were greeting the guests, but decided that he was just being fashionably late. Although she knew Bronson wasn't like that, Laura Sue held on to the hopeless fantasy of the man that she truly loved.
Only two hours later, the guests began to file out and Laura Sue watched as Randolph stumbled as he got up. It was obvious he was drunk, but she was a bit confused. She watched as her mother-and-father-in-law left to retire to their rooms.
"Come on, darling," Randolph pleaded to her, "I want to show you our suite." Just as he said that, he stumbled over to Laura Sue and draped his arm around her shoulders.
Laura Sue could smell the alchohol on his breath and felt like she was going to vomit any minute. Still, she led him up the stairs and to their suite of rooms. This was going to be such a long night and all she could seem to think about was Bronson. Laura Sue kept seeing his sad, brown eyes staring at her as she had been on her way to the reception.
Once she had arrived beside her father, Laura Sue forgot all of her anxieties and let herself be led up the aisle to the bridegroom. Her right hand held onto a bouquet of pink and yellow roses, while her left hand held onto her father. Laura Sue floated up the aisle and felt as if she were in a dream.
"She is such a lovely bride," Laura Sue heard someone from the crowd say and a dainty smile formed on her lips.
When she arrived at the altar and her father handed her over to Randolph, Laura Sue began to tremble softly. Randolph took her hands in his and gazed admiringly into her eyes. She smiled delicately at him and locked her gaze with his. The pastor began talking, but Laura Sue didn't hear a word of what he was saying. She glanced out into the crowd and saw a familiar set of sad brown eyes that belonged to her beloved Bronson Alcott. Seeing him sitting there caused a emptiness in her stomach. It should have been him up there standing beside her. She should be exchanging vows with him, not Randolph Cutler.
Laura Sue felt the wedding band sliding over her ring finger and she gazed at Randolph who had his eyes fixed intently on the golden band. It was obviously a precious heirloom his mother had given him for the wedding. Laura Sue pretended that Bronson was standing in the place of Randolph and he was the one proclaiming his love to her. When it was her turn, Laura Sue placed the wedding band on Randolph's hand and recited her vows faithfully. When the minister announced them as husband and wife, she closed her eyes and pretended that it was Bronson's lips against hers.
She had had herself completely convinced that she was kissing Bronson, but when she opened her eyes, Laura Sue was shocked to see Randolph. She plastered on a look of happiness that would convince anyone and took his hand. While walking down the aisle with him, Laura Sue let her gaze fall on Bronson. To her surprise, he had been looking at her also and, for a minute, their gazes locked. Laura Sue quickly tore her gaze away from his and looked up at Randolph. He was looking in the direction his mother who stood in the back of the garden with her body as rigid and straight as steel. Laura Sue thought that her mother-in-law had a terrible look of displeasure on her face. She followed Randolph into the hotel where Mrs. Cutler made sure that everyone was lined up properly and ready to greet the oncoming guests.
No sooner than the door had been open, guest began to file in. Each member of the family was to shake and greet every single guest. When all of the guests had been properly greeted and Laura Sue's hands and feet ached terribly, her mother-in-law led them to the dining room. There was a rectangular table set up front with signs that read: Reserved for the Bride and Groom's family. Laura Sue took her seat beside Randolph and sighed. As someone gave a toast to her and Randolph, Laura Sue glanced around the room in hopes that Bronson had come. She hadn't seen him walk in while they were greeting the guests, but decided that he was just being fashionably late. Although she knew Bronson wasn't like that, Laura Sue held on to the hopeless fantasy of the man that she truly loved.
Only two hours later, the guests began to file out and Laura Sue watched as Randolph stumbled as he got up. It was obvious he was drunk, but she was a bit confused. She watched as her mother-and-father-in-law left to retire to their rooms.
"Come on, darling," Randolph pleaded to her, "I want to show you our suite." Just as he said that, he stumbled over to Laura Sue and draped his arm around her shoulders.
Laura Sue could smell the alchohol on his breath and felt like she was going to vomit any minute. Still, she led him up the stairs and to their suite of rooms. This was going to be such a long night and all she could seem to think about was Bronson. Laura Sue kept seeing his sad, brown eyes staring at her as she had been on her way to the reception.