Wedding Bell Blues
Chapter 5
Friday.
He looked in the mirror while shaving, examining his black eye. Yes, it definitely will still be black and swollen for the wedding tomorrow. Oh well. Nothing he could do about it now. Everyone will be looking at his beautiful bride anyway. As he toweled his face Julia came up to him, hugging him from behind.
"We are going to be a pair. Your eye and my red nose. Achoo!"
"Bless you. Yes, I guess we will be, but do you really care?"
And then he pulled her to him and kissed her.
She laughed but then got serious. "You better not get my cold, William Murdoch."
"I'll be fine. Just don't catch my black eye."
She slapped his arm and brought back her smile.
"Do you have to go in to the station today?"
"For a bit. You rest and I'll be home early."
"Sir, you needn't have come in today. I finished the report for you yesterday."
"Why, thank you, George. I just want to make sure everything is taken care of. I won't be back for a week you know."
George grinned. "Yes, I know. We will manage just fine. Now that the inspector is feeling better we can always call him if there are any problems."
"I suppose that would be alright."
"Are you nervous, sir?"
"No, George. Not really. But I am a little anxious that everything goes as planned."
"If there is anything I can do to help..."
"Well, George...would you mind being in charge of seeing to the wedding ring? I don't think I'll be able to chase after it tomorrow."
"I'd be happy to, sir. You will have the ring in time."
"Thank you, George. You're a good friend."
George grinned. "As are you, sir."
"And about this best man business..."
"I understand, sir. Truly, my feelings are not hurt in the least."
"Thank you again, George."
And much to William's surprise, George gave him a big hug. William could only smile.
When he arrived back at Julia's he found a fiancée who was steaming.
"Julia, what is the matter?" he asked with concern.
"That bloody dress! It's not ready!"
William stood there in shock. He had never really heard Julia curse before.
"Surely that must be wrong. Madame Marie assured me it would be ready."
"Well, she just called and said she would have it ready by tomorrow, no later than noon."
"There you go."
"William! What if it still doesn't fit? What if she is late? What will I do?"
"Calm down. It will be alright."
"But what if it's not?" she asked sniffling.
"Then wear something else."
"Oh, William! You're impossible. I wanted everything to be perfect and nothing is. Maybe we should have just eloped." She began to cry.
He took her into his arms and held her while she sobbed.
"The wedding isn't until four. There will be plenty of time to get your dress." But as he assured her, he thought of the ring he still did not possess.
Finally Julia calmed down. William prepared a pot of tea and together they finished the rest of the vanilla ice cream.
"I feel like I should be doing something," she plained.
"Don't your friends have any night before plans for you?"
"After the last bachelorette party I attended I opted not to have one myself."
"I can see why you would," he chuckled. "We'll just spend our last night as single people, together."
"William, I feel as though I've never been married before. That that was all just a bad dream. But now, with you, my real life will begin."
William pulled her close as she tucked her head under his chin. "I love you so much, Julia. I always have."
"And I love you. I'm so sorry to have ever hurt you."
"That's all in the past. From now on it's forward. No looking back with regrets." And with that he kissed her.
For the rest of the evening they sat in the parlor by a roaring fire, in each other's arms. They talked of all their years together...and apart, but mostly they talked about their futures, and their honeymoon. William didn't have a lot of time, only a week, so they opted for a trip to Montreal.
Julia looked forward to William speaking French all the time. She couldn't always follow the conversation, for her own French was very elementary, but she loved hearing it pour from William's lips so easily.