Disclaimer: I don't own the Gardiners, Gordons, or any other characters
from the Pat books.
A/N: Another chapter. Not sure if it will be the last, because it isn't written yet. (tee-hee). But I'm working on getting to a cut off point. I promise, Miri, all will be revealed about the silver and white garment. An omen? I hardly think I would have anything tragic happen to Pat and Hilary now. Or would I? (Laughs evilly). Meg, my plan is to end this fic after the wedding, but fear not. I have a sequel in the works. And you don't think I'd leave out the cat, do you? They are too important in the books to ignore them. Also, I'm not sure about what time of year this is. I'm afraid I've put it together too hastily. You are good at finding my mistakes, aren't you? (wink-wink) lol. Let's just say it's a lovely time of year and leave it at that. I'll try to figure out the details.
Pat was dreaming. It was a heavenly dream. She, Judy, and Rae were all sitting in the orchard. Judy was peeling potatoes, Pat was sewing, and Rae was reading a book, absently petting Bold-and-Bad. It was so peaceful. Two of the dearest people in the world were with Pat again and she loved it. Rae started to try and get her attention, but Pat couldn't answer. Why couldn't she answer?
"Pat. Pat."
'I'm right here,' Pat thought. 'Why are you calling me?'
But Rae wouldn't stop calling her.
"Pat. Pat wake up. Pat, it's your wedding day. You can't sleep in, you goose."
Pat blinked rapidly, then opened her eyes completely. She hated facing the fact that it had all been a dream. Judy was gone and Rae was too. Nether of them would be here today.
"Pat, I said you can't sleep in, but that doesn't mean you can lie in bed, either. You've turned lazy since I left. Unthinkable."
As she focused in the bright sunlight, Pat's looked into a pair of laughing blue eyes.
"Rae?" she whispered, afraid that she was still dreaming. Rae laughed.
"No, it's Hilary. Darling, of course it's me."
"Oh, Rae! You're here!"
"Of course I'm here. My sister is getting married today. Where else would I be?"
Pat jumped out of the bed and threw her arms around her sister. It was only then that she noticed something different about Rae. She pulled back in astonishment.
"Rae, you've gained weight."
"Not anymore than my doctor says I should. The baby will be here in four months."
"Oh, Rae darling, I'm so happy for you. But why didn't you tell us sooner?"
"Well, we wanted to be sure and then I thought I'd rather wait and tell you in person when I heard you were getting married. Pat, I was so hoping to get here earlier, but there were delays beyond my control. I wanted to have a good gabfest the night before your wedding."
"Don't worry, Rae. It won't be too long before we'll live near each other again."
"Oh, that's another thing. Brook will be getting transferred sooner than we thought. We'll be in Vancouver in another year."
"This day is getting better and better," laughed Pat. "It's really all too wonderful."
"And, in exactly three hours, you will be getting married. Now, Hilary has been carted off to Swallowfield to get ready and you are free to roam the house without fear of bringing bad luck to yourself. Of course, I was the one who finally got him to leave. He was driving Aunt Hazel and Aunt Jessie crazy with talk of climbing to your bedroom window and eloping. Dad drove him over to Swallowfield as a last resort. I really think Hilary's more nervous than he acts."
"I don't doubt it," Pat interjected, slipping into a comfortable old dress. "I, on the other hand, am as calm as can be. We Gardiners are made of stern stuff."
"Is that so?" questioned Rae, her slender eyebrows lifting. "Well, I wish you had told me that, Pat. I was a wreck on my wedding day."
Pat stared at her sister in astonishment.
"But you looked so calm. So collected. You and Winnie both looked that way when you got married."
"An act, dearest Pat, only an act. There are enough people going crazy during that time without the center person losing it as well."
"Well, I guess that's true. In that case, I'm a wreck, too. But let's just keep it between us, okay?"
Rae laughed and Pat joined her until they heard a knock at the door. Aunt Jessie's harried voice drifted into the room.
"Pat? Pat, you need to come downstairs. Some of the food is missing and a few decorations are beginning to fall down. We need your help."
An exasperated sigh escaped Pat's lips as she began to head for the door with Rae close behind. Suddenly, she stopped, turned around, and ran to the bedroom window, throwing it open. For a moment, Rae stood in bewilderment. When it dawned on her what her older sister was about to do, she raced to Pat's side and grabbed her arm.
"Oh, no you don't," she said, giggling. "You're not getting out of it that easily." She pulled on her sister's arm gently but firmly. Pat whined mockingly.
"But it's not that far to Swallowfield. I can get there and Hilary and I can elope without any fuss or problems at all. Please, Rae. Please, let me go."
Rae's laughing increased. Pat had one leg out of the window, though she had no intention of actually climbing out, and the scene was rather comical. It was even more comical to Joe and Sid, who were walking by below. Her brothers' laughter floated up to Pat and she craned her neck to see them.
"Better not let Aunt Hazel catch you, Pat!" called Joe. "She's on a tear this morning."
At that moment, Pat saw Aunt Hazel appear behind Joe and Sid. She said not a word, but looked volumes. Unable to control herself any longer, Pat collapsed in laughter, having the presence of mind to pull her leg back in before she did so. Rae joined her on the floor and they remained there, laughing like two schoolgirls, until Mother's voice drifted up the stairs, calling Pat in a patient tone. Reluctantly, the sisters stood and composed themselves before heading down to the buzz of the Bay Shore farm.
A/N: Another chapter. Not sure if it will be the last, because it isn't written yet. (tee-hee). But I'm working on getting to a cut off point. I promise, Miri, all will be revealed about the silver and white garment. An omen? I hardly think I would have anything tragic happen to Pat and Hilary now. Or would I? (Laughs evilly). Meg, my plan is to end this fic after the wedding, but fear not. I have a sequel in the works. And you don't think I'd leave out the cat, do you? They are too important in the books to ignore them. Also, I'm not sure about what time of year this is. I'm afraid I've put it together too hastily. You are good at finding my mistakes, aren't you? (wink-wink) lol. Let's just say it's a lovely time of year and leave it at that. I'll try to figure out the details.
Pat was dreaming. It was a heavenly dream. She, Judy, and Rae were all sitting in the orchard. Judy was peeling potatoes, Pat was sewing, and Rae was reading a book, absently petting Bold-and-Bad. It was so peaceful. Two of the dearest people in the world were with Pat again and she loved it. Rae started to try and get her attention, but Pat couldn't answer. Why couldn't she answer?
"Pat. Pat."
'I'm right here,' Pat thought. 'Why are you calling me?'
But Rae wouldn't stop calling her.
"Pat. Pat wake up. Pat, it's your wedding day. You can't sleep in, you goose."
Pat blinked rapidly, then opened her eyes completely. She hated facing the fact that it had all been a dream. Judy was gone and Rae was too. Nether of them would be here today.
"Pat, I said you can't sleep in, but that doesn't mean you can lie in bed, either. You've turned lazy since I left. Unthinkable."
As she focused in the bright sunlight, Pat's looked into a pair of laughing blue eyes.
"Rae?" she whispered, afraid that she was still dreaming. Rae laughed.
"No, it's Hilary. Darling, of course it's me."
"Oh, Rae! You're here!"
"Of course I'm here. My sister is getting married today. Where else would I be?"
Pat jumped out of the bed and threw her arms around her sister. It was only then that she noticed something different about Rae. She pulled back in astonishment.
"Rae, you've gained weight."
"Not anymore than my doctor says I should. The baby will be here in four months."
"Oh, Rae darling, I'm so happy for you. But why didn't you tell us sooner?"
"Well, we wanted to be sure and then I thought I'd rather wait and tell you in person when I heard you were getting married. Pat, I was so hoping to get here earlier, but there were delays beyond my control. I wanted to have a good gabfest the night before your wedding."
"Don't worry, Rae. It won't be too long before we'll live near each other again."
"Oh, that's another thing. Brook will be getting transferred sooner than we thought. We'll be in Vancouver in another year."
"This day is getting better and better," laughed Pat. "It's really all too wonderful."
"And, in exactly three hours, you will be getting married. Now, Hilary has been carted off to Swallowfield to get ready and you are free to roam the house without fear of bringing bad luck to yourself. Of course, I was the one who finally got him to leave. He was driving Aunt Hazel and Aunt Jessie crazy with talk of climbing to your bedroom window and eloping. Dad drove him over to Swallowfield as a last resort. I really think Hilary's more nervous than he acts."
"I don't doubt it," Pat interjected, slipping into a comfortable old dress. "I, on the other hand, am as calm as can be. We Gardiners are made of stern stuff."
"Is that so?" questioned Rae, her slender eyebrows lifting. "Well, I wish you had told me that, Pat. I was a wreck on my wedding day."
Pat stared at her sister in astonishment.
"But you looked so calm. So collected. You and Winnie both looked that way when you got married."
"An act, dearest Pat, only an act. There are enough people going crazy during that time without the center person losing it as well."
"Well, I guess that's true. In that case, I'm a wreck, too. But let's just keep it between us, okay?"
Rae laughed and Pat joined her until they heard a knock at the door. Aunt Jessie's harried voice drifted into the room.
"Pat? Pat, you need to come downstairs. Some of the food is missing and a few decorations are beginning to fall down. We need your help."
An exasperated sigh escaped Pat's lips as she began to head for the door with Rae close behind. Suddenly, she stopped, turned around, and ran to the bedroom window, throwing it open. For a moment, Rae stood in bewilderment. When it dawned on her what her older sister was about to do, she raced to Pat's side and grabbed her arm.
"Oh, no you don't," she said, giggling. "You're not getting out of it that easily." She pulled on her sister's arm gently but firmly. Pat whined mockingly.
"But it's not that far to Swallowfield. I can get there and Hilary and I can elope without any fuss or problems at all. Please, Rae. Please, let me go."
Rae's laughing increased. Pat had one leg out of the window, though she had no intention of actually climbing out, and the scene was rather comical. It was even more comical to Joe and Sid, who were walking by below. Her brothers' laughter floated up to Pat and she craned her neck to see them.
"Better not let Aunt Hazel catch you, Pat!" called Joe. "She's on a tear this morning."
At that moment, Pat saw Aunt Hazel appear behind Joe and Sid. She said not a word, but looked volumes. Unable to control herself any longer, Pat collapsed in laughter, having the presence of mind to pull her leg back in before she did so. Rae joined her on the floor and they remained there, laughing like two schoolgirls, until Mother's voice drifted up the stairs, calling Pat in a patient tone. Reluctantly, the sisters stood and composed themselves before heading down to the buzz of the Bay Shore farm.
