While Annie went upstairs to get ready to go out, Grace turned her head in surprise as she heard a firm voice say to her, "Young lady, I must speak to you immediately."
She turned to see the wide eyed face of Mrs. Pugh staring right at her. Grace smiled shyly, already knowing what Mrs. Pugh wanted to discuss with her.
Mrs. Pugh grabbed the younger woman's arm tightly in both of her hands. "My dear girl, I have just heard the most remarkable rumor from Drake. Now, what he has said seems to be so utterly outlandish that I am in fact questioning whether the poor fellow has begun to go senile."
Grace pursed her lips and shook her head. "I believe what you've heard is in fact true, Mrs. Pugh."
The cook opened and closed her mouth several times without any sound coming out. "You and M-Mr. Warbucks…getting married?" She finally managed to blurt out.
Grace gave her friend a warning look, prompting her to quiet her tone. "Yes, Mr. Warbucks and I are getting married."
Mrs. Pugh looked as though she was ready to burst and Grace held up her hand in an attempt to calm her. "Before you go getting all excited…We're not marrying because we're in love or anything like that. We're marrying for the sake of Annie, so that she may stay with us."
Mrs. Pugh's excitement didn't seem to falter much even at Grace's words of earnestness. "Oh but love can grow. It happens more often than you may think."
Grace shook her head, immediately dismissing the foolish notion. "Well, I'm afraid it's not going to happen in this instance. I respect him too much to develop such frivolous feelings for him."
Mrs. Pugh looked at Grace, aghast. "Frivolous? Oh, my dear, you just wait. Once you feel the pull of true love at your heart you'll discover that it is one of the most vital and profound emotions one can ever feel. When you feel it, you'll realize you're alive."
Grace rolled her eyes, the corner of her lip twitching. She held out her wrist to Mrs. Pugh. "I have a pulse, Mrs. Pugh. I'm alive", she said dryly.
Mrs. Pugh shrugged lightly, a coy look on her face. "Well, I didn't know you before you came to work here but something tells me that pulse of yours has beaten with somewhat more intensity in the past seven years, since you've known Mr. Warbucks."
"Yes, probably because he shouts so much", Grace argued, glaring mockingly at Mrs. Pugh who simply continued to smile at her conspiringly.
Grace shook her head. "Honestly, you and Annie are as bad as each other."
"Speaking of", Mrs. Pugh nodded her head towards the staircase Annie was bounding down hurriedly.
"Annie, are you ready to leave?" Grace asked the child who nodded her head with a big grin.
"Isn't it wonderful, Annie, Miss Farrell's going to be your Mother", Mrs. Pugh looked down at Annie with a grin as wide as the little girl's.
"I know Mrs. Pugh. Isn't it great?!"
"Absolutely. You are very fortunate to be gaining such a loving, caring Mother", Mrs. Pugh told Annie, then shared a look with Grace who offered her friend a warm smile and murmured "thank you."
"Well, we'd best get going. We have wedding outfits to buy, don't we?" Grace asked Annie cheerfully.
"Oh, how exciting!" Mrs. Pugh bounced on the spot.
"Yes, it is, and I hope you have something nice to wear yourself, Mrs. Pugh. I want you standing next to me when we make our vows."
Mrs. Pugh's eyes became watery. "Oh my dear, it would be an honor and a privilege."
"The privilege will be mine", Grace assured her, touching her arm gently before turning to walk out the door.
"Bye Mrs. Pugh!" Annie waved to the cook, following Grace outside.
Mrs. Pugh could only wave, too emotionally overcome to speak.
…
Just seventy-two hours later, Grace and Oliver were getting ready to be married.
"Are you excited about getting married, Daddy Warbucks?" Annie asked, dangling her legs off the bureau she was sitting on in her Father's room.
Oliver looked at her out of the corner of his eye while fixing his tie in the mirror. "I'm not sure that excited is the right word. I'll be excited to have this formality over and done with."
"Are ya nervous?!"
Oliver cast a sideways glance at his daughter and narrowed his eyes. "Not yet. Why? Should I be?"
"I dunno, but getting married is a pretty big commitment, ya know."
Oliver couldn't decide whether he wanted to yell at her or laugh. "And just how would you know?" He asked her with a leer.
"I s'pose I don't really, but it means being together forever, right? Well, forever sure is a long time."
Oliver swallowed as he tucked his tie through its loop. The girl was eleven. She had a wild and vivid imagination. He really shouldn't let her words affect him. He couldn't deny what she'd said though - forever was a long time.
Suddenly the doubt and uncertainty began to cloud his mind again for the umpteenth time in the past few days. Could he really go through with this? Could he really allow a beautiful young woman to throw her life and any chance at love away on him?
He knew she was willing and mature enough to make up her own mind but she was still so young with so much life ahead of her. Would he really be able to live with himself knowing that in marrying her he would be depriving her of a much happier life with a husband she actually loved?
He couldn't let her go through with what he was sure would be an epic mistake, one she would come to regret and resent him for.
He rushed out of his bedroom, with Annie calling out after him, "Daddy Warbucks? Is it time for the wedding already?! Wait for me!"
He could explain things to his daughter later, right now the most pressing thing was speaking to Grace.
He ran down the hall to her room where she was getting ready herself and opened her door without thinking. He jumped in shock at the sound of women screaming as he entered the room. He looked up to see Mrs. Pugh and Cecile guarding Grace from his view.
"Mr. Warbucks, what are you doing? You can't see the bride before the wedding. It's bad luck!" Mrs. Pugh scolded him.
"I fear it'll be worse luck if I don't see her. Now kindly step aside, Mrs. Pugh and let me speak to Grace."
He could see Grace staring up at him from her dressing table, looking quite confused. She nodded reassuringly at the other women and they both left the room rather unwillingly.
"Sir…Oliver", Grace stamped her foot in frustration at her blunder "What's going on?"
"Grace, I'm sorry. It was entirely inappropriate, unprofessional and indecent of me to ask you to be my wife. I've put you under unfair pressure and have probably left you feeling as if you have no choice in the matter. Well, I've come to assure you that you needn't go through with this. I…I can't and I won't do this to you."
Grace looked blankly at him, trying to process what he was saying, as well as the million thoughts running through her own mind. He wasn't finished yet though.
"And you needn't worry. If we don't get married today, I promise I will not hold it against you. Your job will remain the same and you can still have the same relationship with Annie."
"No." Grace protested, finally able to put her racing thoughts into words. "I won't have the same relationship with Annie."
She stood from her stool. "Don't you understand? If I don't marry you, you'll have to marry someone else to keep Annie. As long as you marry someone, your relationship with Annie won't change. You'll still be her Father. But if it's not me who marries you, I won't get to be her Mother. I shall have to watch another woman have that honor, that privilege."
"You would still be a part of her life, Grace."
Grace shook her head rapidly. "It wouldn't be the same and you know it."
"But what about your own family? Surely you have hopes for a life and a love of your own? Children of your own."
"There is no certainty of any of that. Annie is here now. That little girl needs a Mother now. And haven't you considered that I might need her just as much as she needs me?" Grace asked him pleadingly.
"Please don't say you won't let Grace be my Mother, Daddy Warbucks."
Both adults jumped at the sound of Annie's meek voice. They turned to see the little girl standing in the doorway, tears streaming down her freckled cheeks.
"Annie…" Oliver began trying to explain a situation that was really much too complicated for a child to comprehend. Annie cut him off, not letting him finish.
"I've already lost one Mother and I don't want to have to learn to love someone new. I love you", she turned her attention to Grace.
"And I love you, Annie", Grace opened her arms to the little girl. "Don't worry sweetheart. Daddy Warbucks just wants to be sure that we're all going to be happy, and we are, aren't we?" She smiled gently at the tearful girl who nodded quickly. Grace glanced at Oliver and repeated the question. "Aren't we?"
"If you're sure", he responded with caution in his voice.
Grace returned her eyes to her soon to be daughter and nodded resolutely. "I'm sure."
There was a knock on Grace's door. It was Drake. "Excuse me Madam, I…oh", Drake blinked in surprise at seeing Annie and Oliver also in the room. "Well I was going to say I didn't know where Mr. Warbucks was but you're here, Sir, so conveniently I can inform you all that Judge Brandeis has arrived."
"Thank you Drake. I'll be down in a moment", Oliver told the butler.
"We won't be far behind", Grace assured him, gripping Annie's hand. "Drake, please send Mrs. Pugh back up."
"Yes Madam", Drake bowed. Even though she wasn't technically Mrs. Warbucks yet, all of the staff had been referring to Grace as "Madam" instead of "Miss" since they had learned of the engagement. Truthfully it had given everyone quite a thrill to know that someone from their rank was about to become the wife of a billionaire. Especially someone as hard-working and kind as Grace was.
Oliver looked at his daughter and soon to be wife. "I apologize for upsetting you both. I just needed to be sure."
"I appreciate your concern but I wouldn't have agreed to this without having thought it through. I do hope once we're married you might learn to start giving me some credit", Grace said to him, a hint of a smile pulling at her lips.
Oliver was about to take offense until he realized she was teasing him and he gave her a light glare with a smile of his own. "I shan't underestimate you again, I swear."
"Is it too late to put that in the vows?" She joked again as he went to leave and go downstairs. He glanced back at her quickly and simply said, "Nice dress by the way."
In fact it was a beautiful dress. Grace had chosen a form-fitting silk gown with a tulle veil. It was elegant and understated but looked simply stunning on her.
Grace drew in a deep breath and looked down at Annie who was slowly calming down. "Are you ready?"
"You bet", the girl smiled through her tears.
They waited for Mrs. Pugh to come back upstairs before Annie began the walk down.
"You are a vision, my dear", Mrs. Pugh told Grace, then sighed. "I really do pray that you'll be happy."
The bride smiled tightly. "We all make sacrifices for the ones we love, Mrs. Pugh. This is simply my sacrifice for Annie. One I would make again and again in order for her to feel loved."
"Such is the joy of Motherhood", Mrs. Pugh replied to her with a bittersweet expression as they began their descent downstairs.
As they reached the bottom, Mrs. Pugh took Grace in her arms and said, "Annie is a very lucky little girl…and Mr. Warbucks is a very lucky man."
Grace wasn't sure whether to smile or frown at the woman's latter comment. She knew her friend only meant well however, and so she shook her head lightly with a sigh and a simper.
They rounded the corner and were met with a household full of smiling faces. All of the staff had come to be present at the nuptials of their boss and his secretary-turned-fiance. Although they were all aware of the reason for Mr. Warbucks and Grace choosing to marry, many of them were still looking forward to the happy celebration.
Grace looked ahead and saw Oliver standing in front of the judge, still with a slightly cautious look on his face. Annie was standing next to him, with a completely enraptured expression on hers. Seeing the child so pleased made Grace smile and she decided that Annie would be the thing to focus on throughout the ceremony. Hopefully that would make the situation less awkward between her and Oliver.
Bride and groom had carefully selected vows that made no mention of love. They were both quite fond of each other, but would never have said it was in a romantic way. Each of them had much gratitude and respect for the other, and they knew that many marriages had begun on much less.
Brandeis opened with a well-worn spiel about marriage and then asked the question, "who gives Grace to be married to Oliver?"
Mrs. Pugh enthusiastically stepped forward and spoke, "I do."
"Thank you", the judge smiled at her. "And who gives Oliver to be married to Grace?"
"I do", Drake responded, looking quite proud of himself.
"Thank you", Brandeis nodded to the butler.
"And I do too!" Annie added cheerfully, making everyone laugh, including OIiver and Grace who were glad for a little diversion from the seriousness.
"And thank you as well", Judge Brandeis chuckled, peering down at Annie before looking at the bride and groom once again. "Grace and Oliver, please face each other and join hands."
Grace drew in a deep breath as she held out her hands for him to take. She'd never expected getting married to be quite so sobering. Oliver too, steeled himself for the next part, schooling his features as he clasped Grace's hands in his own.
"Oliver, do you take Grace to be your lawfully wedded wife? Before these witnesses do you vow to care for her as long as you both shall live? Do you take her with all of her faults and her strengths and offer yourself to her with all of your faults and strengths? Do you promise to help her when she needs help, and to turn to her when you need help. Do you choose her as the person with whom you will spend your life? If so, say I do."
Oliver breathed in and out a few times before answering, the weight of the meaning of the vows pressing down on him heavily.
"I do", he finally responded with a glazed look in his eyes.
"Grace, do you take Oliver to be your lawfully wedded husband? Before these witnesses do you vow to care for him as long as you both shall live? Do you take him with all of his faults and his strengths and offer yourself to him with all of your faults and strengths? Do you promise to help him when he needs help, and to turn to him when you need help? Do you choose him as the person with whom you will spend your life? If so, say I do."
"I do", Grace was much more prepared for her answer than Oliver had been and answered quicker than he had.
Judge Brandeis turned to Annie and raised his eyebrows at her. "I believe you have the rings, young lady?"
"I sure do!" Annie chirruped, holding out the smallest of the two rings to her Father.
Oliver turned to Grace and repeated the sentiment he was instructed to say by the judge. "With this ring, I thee wed."
Grace nearly lost her steadfast composure when Oliver slid the ring onto her finger. It seemed like such an act of finality.
She cleared her throat and took Oliver's ring from Annie, repeating the same words he'd said as she placed his ring upon his hand. Oliver flexed his finger, the feeling of the gold band so foreign.
"Let these rings be a symbol of the commitment you have promised to one another, and now by the power of that commitment, and the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
The newlyweds both sighed in relief to have the formalities over with. Both of them froze in realization though when the judge then added, "Oliver, you may now kiss the bride."
Everyone in the room watched with bated breath to see what the pair of them would do. In the end, it was Grace who leaned forward and pecked Oliver chastely on the lips, both of their faces flushing wildly as she pulled away.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Warbucks!" Judge Brandeis announced and the room became raucous with applause and cheers, not least from Annie who squealed "Yaaay!"
With the ceremony finished, the staff all excitedly led Grace and Oliver through the hall and down to the reception room where they were gobsmacked to see a dance band set up ready to play.
"Did you know about this?" Grace asked her new husband in astonishment.
"No, but I'll know all about it later when I have to pay their fee", Oliver grumbled.
Grace laughed lightly, knowing he was jesting. The cost of a wedding band meant nothing to him and as the staff began migrating to the middle of the hall and pairing up to dance, Grace could see that they had only been hoping to have some fun and to make the wedding truly a special occasion
"Well, um…I suppose seeing as how we are the bride and groom, we're probably obliged to share a dance", Grace told him with a somewhat shy smile.
"Dance? Haven't we been put on show enough today?" Oliver sighed but Grace noticed how eagerly he followed her once she took his hand and led him to the middle of the floor.
As the band played Irving Berlin's "How deep is the ocean", Grace and Oliver swayed together in a relaxed manner. By the time the band began the next song, which was slightly more upbeat, Oliver had begun to swing Grace around the floor while she laughed breathlessly. It didn't take long for him to stop caring about what kind of a show they were putting on, he was simply having too much fun.
For the next song, Annie came and joined them and they all danced together as a family, each of the adults holding one of her little hands and prancing gaily around the room.
The hors d'oeuvres were served, the champagne poured, and the hours ticked by until it was quite late at night, Oliver carried a very tired Annie up to her room and both he and Grace tucked her into bed.
She closed the little girl's door softly and she and Oliver made their way down the hall to their own respective rooms, feeling rather strange and ever aware of their unique situation as they each went to retire to separate bedrooms on their wedding night.
"Grace, I…I just want to say thank you again", he said when they stopped at her bedroom door.
She shook her head lightly at him. "I did this as much for me as for you and Annie."
"Still, I want you to know how grateful I am."
Grace nodded her head with a dainty smile. She went to open up her door and Oliver halted her. "Grace…"
"Yes?" She gazed into his eyes expectantly.
"Uh…don't worry about starting work too early tomorrow. It's late and we've both had a bit to drink. I think we can excuse ourselves just this once", he gave her a half smile.
"Yes", she blinked slowly. "Thank you."
"Well…goodnight", he told her rather awkwardly.
"Goodnight", she bid him in reply, watching him retreat to his room before slipping into her own.
She leaned up against the door as it closed behind her. Staring down at her left hand, she examined the gold band she now wore and would wear forever.
She was feeling many different things all at once.
Disappointment and loneliness - she had never expected to spend the night with Oliver, but it was still a very deflating feeling to go to bed alone as a newly married woman.
She felt a sense of grief - grief for an alternate life, an alternate marriage where she wouldn't be left to feel this way, where she and her fantasy husband would be spending the night in each other's arms.
Happiness - of course she was exceptionally happy that she was now Annie's legal Mother. Holding that role made her so glad and so proud.
Tiredness following a long and emotional day.
As she slowly crossed the room and slumped down on her bed, the myriad of emotions hit her all at once. She held on tightly to her pillow and let her tears flow freely now that she was alone and no one else could see.
