They decided to wait until two days after the wedding. Perry had arrangements to make and there was a very important client he had to meet with first.
"Are you sure this is what you want?" Perry had asked Della.
Della looked at the stack of papers piled on her husband's desk and heard the telephone ring for the third time in fifteen minutes. She nodded.
"I am sure."
"All right!"
Della had packed her suitcase and Perry his. Early in the morning, Perry loaded the car and they left. It was an eight hour drive - far enough away so that no one could easily find them.
Perry had given Della the world and told her to pick where she wanted to go on their honeymoon.
"Paris, London, Rome, a trip on the Nile: the world is yours. Say the word and I will make all of the plans!" when he saw Della hesitate, he added, "And don't you dare give the price a thought! I never would have suggested it if I could not afford it!"
Della thought for a moment. When you marry one of the most prominent attorneys in the country, people have a tendency to want to bother him, even if he was on vacation or taking a break. She wanted to be alone with him and not have to worry about him finding a new client - or a new client finding him.
"I want to go somewhere far away, where no one can find us," she decided.
"Where?" Perry asked.
"Camping, maybe a nice cabin."
"Camping?" Perry was surprised.
"And not at your cabin. It is very nice, but people know where it is."
"I will find a good place. Are you sure?"
"I am sure."
"All right."
Perry found a nice place, a cabin in the middle of nowhere with a beautiful view. There was no electricity and no telephone and no one around for several miles. Della was just fine with that. Perry rented it, they packed up, and drove off for a four day long honeymoon.
"This is a beautiful drive!" Della commented.
"Just wait until you see the view from the cabin!" Perry smiled.
Della smiled.
The cabin was just as nice and Perry had hoped. There was a large, cheerful fireplace in the main room. A small wood cookstove sat in the corner, the only place to cook food.
"I ordered some groceries and had them sent up here," Perry explained the bags on the table.
They explored the cabin, unpacked, then went for a walk.
Perry and Della enjoyed themselves the rest of that day and on through the next morning, but come the second afternoon, it began to rain.
"I will make the best out of it and make a fancy dinner!" Della decided.
Della labored all afternoon on their dinner. Considering the fact that Della had never cooked on a wood stove, they sat down to eat during the thunderstorm that raged outside.
"This storm made it dark outside, but what an opportunity for a candle light dinner!" Perry noted.
And it was indeed a romantic supper. The thunder outside drowned out most of the other sounds. This is why they both jumped up, startled, when the front door of the cabin burst open. Four men walked in and stared at the couple at the table. They wore overcoats and hats to keep the rain off of their suits, but the water was now leaving a puddle on the floor. One man carried a large suitcase and the other a bag.
"Can I help you?" Perry asked after an awkward moment's silence.
"We didn't know the cabin was occupied," one man said.
"As you can see, it is-," Perry began.
"We can't go back out there," a different man said, "The storm is so bad, it is hard to see on the roads. The bridge west of here is washed out and we can't get through."
"We've gotta stay here for the night," the first man said, "We won't bother you two none. We'll stay right here in the living room and leave here in the morning."
Della wanted to object, but Perry put a hand on her arm that stopped her. He could see one of the men keeping his hand close to his bulging coat pocket. Perry did not trust the intruders and did not wish to rile them.
"Why don't we wash the dishes," Perry tried to send her a message with his eyes.
Della looked at him and said nothing as she picked up the plates.
The men took off their coats and moved to sit on the sofa and chairs. They talked low among themselves, but Perry could not hear what they were saying. Perry and Della washed the dishes in the little nook out of sight of the men.
"Perry, I don't trust them!" Della whispered.
"Neither do I, but there are four of them and two of us, and I think they are carrying guns," Perry hissed in her ear.
The front door crashed open again and in walked a fifth man. Perry and Della stepped into the living room to see what was going on.
"One of you idiots forget the rest of the loot in the car-" he stopped short when he saw the Mason's.
Four men suddenly had their guns drawn and pointed at them.
Reviews are always appreciated! My love for mysteries won out over romance for this story. I have a poll in my profile. I would love it if you guys would answer the question! It is at the top of my profile. I will be closing the poll at the end of the month. Vote now! Have a great day!
