CHAPTER ELEVEN
(chapter title – I Have Always Loved You)
Cassidy and Marius were enjoying their getaway and being in the company of each other. They had fished in the lake, gone horseback riding, taken another bicycle tour, sang songs around the fire, read in the library, visited the gazebo and attended a service at the small church. They had also went to a square dance, waltz and tango competitions at the dance hall.
They had also done things with their new couple friends. Marius and the guys played a round of golf while the girls got massages in the Peach Room of the mansion.
"Clair, you never told us what you and Oliver do for work." Cassidy said as she got a deep-tissue massage.
"We're both retired school teachers. I taught History, Music and Art. He taught English, Algebra and Science." Clair's voice vibrated as she got karate chopped on her back.
The girls were finished with their massages and went to join their husbands. Marius came over to Cassidy and kissed her passionately.
"Marius!" Cassidy giggled as they went to their room.
They kissed for a while, but didn't undress each other. Marius said they were running a little late and they had to hurry. Marius changed into jeans and a nice T-shirt while Cassidy wore a knee-length white skirt, a blue button-down shirt and her black flats. Marius wore sneakers. She also saw him sneak something into his jean's pocket, but didn't say anything.
They had 5:45 reservations at Martha's – the restaurant next to the gift shop. Their waitress' name was Maebelle and like Jesse – their waiter on the riverboat – spoke with a light Southern accent.
Cassidy ordered a steak sandwich with a garden salad on the side. Marius ordered a ham sandwich with French fries on the side. Both of them ordered unsweetened iced tea and water to drink.
Dinner conversation ranged from a variety of subjects, ranging to Cassidy's new job to a client that Marius was helping.
"Can I interest y'all in some dessert?" Maebelle asked as she took the couple's plates away.
"I'm stuffed, but Marius, if you want something, go for it." Cassidy said, patting her stomach.
Marius decided he didn't want any dessert, so he paid for the meal and the two of them left the restaurant.
The time was now 7:12 and dusk was beginning to fall.
"You might want to put this on because where we're going, the mosquitoes will eat you alive." Marius said, tossing Cassidy a can of bug spray. She sprayed herself and handed it to Marius, who put some on then put it away.
Cassidy smiled as they went hand-in-hand down to the lake. A silver canoe was waiting for them at the edge of the lake.
"Ladies first." Marius said, extending his hand to Cassidy. She got in the canoe as Marius pushed them off the shore and rowed them to the middle of the lake.
The moon was rising as Cassidy looked at the lake. She heard all sorts of noises – crickets, frogs, cicadas, owls, wolves and in the distance, horses whinnying to each other.
The water rocked the boat like a mother would cradle her child to sleep. Cassidy looked over and saw the large silhouette of the riverboat go drifting by.
"Cassidy, before it gets too dark, I want to tell you something," Marius started, taking Cassidy's hand in his. "I have loved you since the first moment I laid eyes on you. You are the light in the darkness, my lighthouse beam to guide me home, my everything. Since I can't kneel in this canoe, will you, Cassidy Maria Davis, do me the honor of marrying me?"
Cassidy felt tears in her eyes as Marius slipped a ring onto her left ring finger. It fit perfectly.
"Yes, Marius. I'll marry you!" Cassidy told him, kissing his soft lips. He kissed her back and felt for the oars. He found one, but seemed to have misplaced the other one.
"We might be in a little bit of trouble here." Marius told Cassidy.
"Why? What happened?" Cassidy asked.
"I seemed to have misplaced one of the oars."
"Great. Now what are we going to do?"
"Call for help?"
"Not just yet, there's something under my foot!" Cassidy squealed. She slowed her heart rate down as she felt the oar against her foot.
"What was that squeal for? You didn't see a snake, did you?" Marius asked as he rowed them back to shore.
"Thought I did." Cassidy answered.
Marius teased her some more about the oar being a snake as they walked to their room.
"Shh! People are sleeping!" Cassidy whispered as Marius fumbled for the key. She put her cell phone light to the keyhole, which made it easier for Marius to see.
The two of them entered the room, kicked off their shoes and went right for the bedroom. Things only got better from there.
The entire last day of their getaway, Cassidy got sick to her stomach that morning. Marius held her hair back and rubbed her back as she vomited.
"I'm dying, aren't I?" Cassidy asked as she finished.
"No, you're not." Marius answered, helping her stand.
The two of them packed their belongings and exited their room. They ran into their friends that they had met at breakfast their first day at the mansion.
"Please keep in touch." Oliver told Marius, hugging him then Cassidy.
"We will." Marius promised as he lugged the last of the suitcases to the car.
On the ride home, Cassidy slept while Marius listened to an audio book. They stopped along the way home, just to use the bathroom and get lunch.
They reached home at 1:15 in the morning. Cassidy went directly to the master bedroom while Marius brought in the rest of the clothes. They would wait until the following day to do laundry and get the kids.
Marius climbed in next to Cassidy and held her in his arms. He kissed her neck and drew her closer to him.
Cassidy had been getting sick each morning for a couple of weeks now. She and Marius were at the clinic, just to make sure that Cassidy was all right.
Her name was called and both she and Marius walked to a back room. The nurse took Cassidy's vitals and asked her some health questions, which Cassidy answered honestly. She then handed Cassidy a pink gown and had her change, saying that Dr. Nelson would be in shortly. Cassidy thanked the nurse and stripped, feeling embarrassed.
She was now in the gown and was seated on the edge of the examining table. Marius sat on a chair next to the examining table, holding Cassidy's hand.
There was a knock on the door and a blond-haired hazel-eyed female doctor entered the room. She had a friendly nature about her as she shook Cassidy, then Marius' hands.
Dr. Nelson started the examination of Cassidy by asking her a few personal questions. Cassidy answered the questions honestly as Dr. Nelson ran her hands all over Cassidy's body.
"I'm going to do a pelvic exam on you, all right?" Dr. Nelson said, having Cassidy lay down on her back while Marius held her hand, telling her everything was all right.
The doctor finished her exam and handed Cassidy a pee cup. She rolled her eyes and exited the room. Dr. Nelson and Marius chatted until Cassidy came back with a full pee cup. Dr. Nelson took the cup and exited the room, only to return five minutes later with a huge grin upon her face.
"Congratulations you two – you're expecting!" Dr. Nelson told Marius and Cassidy.
"How far along am I and do you know how many babies I'm carrying?" Cassidy inquired.
"You're about six weeks along and according to the tests in the lab, you're going to have twins," Dr. Nelson said, writing something down on her prescription pad. "This is a prescription for pre-natal vitamins. Cassidy, because of your age, I would like to schedule a C-Section, okay?"
Cassidy nodded, smiled and thanked Dr. Nelson. Marius shook the doctor's hand, also thanking her. She told the couple to have a nice day and that Brenda at the front desk would help them with everything they needed. She then exited the room, leaving Cassidy to get dressed.
"Twins! I can't believe it!" Cassidy marveled as she put her clothes back on.
"I can't believe it, either." Marius said, helping Cassidy stand up and the two of them exited the room. They went to see Brenda at the front desk before exiting the clinic. She handed them brochures on OBGYNs, Lamaze Classes and anything else baby related that they would need to know.
They exited the clinic, hand-in-hand.
"Oh, I got a phone call from my sister Bridget. She, my other sister Evanna and my brothers Cedric and Thomas are flying here for the rehearsal dinner." Cassidy told Marius.
"I had forgotten all about your siblings!" Marius told Cassidy as they went to a restaurant near the clinic for lunch.
"Have you chosen a Best Man yet?" Cassidy asked as they were seated at a table near the back of the restaurant. A blond haired waitress with multicolored dreadlocks waited on them.
"I have. Enjolras," Marius answered taking a sip of his root beer. "Have you chosen a Maid of Honor?"
"My sister Evanna. Bridget, Eponine, Sara and Ella would be bridesmaids. I would love to have Jolene be the flower girl." Cassidy said, taking a sip of her water. They had ordered grilled cheese sandwiches with a side of French fries and a pickle, for Cassidy.
"Cedric, Thomas, Grantaire, Courfrayac and Joly would be groomsmen. Anton would be the ring bearer." Marius told Cassidy.
The two of them talked some more about wedding plans throughout lunch. They had decided that Cedric would walk Cassidy down the aisle, since her parents had disowned Cassidy when she was fifteen.
They had also decided that their wedding day was going to be June 12th. They had already taken their pictures for their Save The Date cards at Wolf's Howl.
Before they knew it, the day of the wedding arrived. Cassidy kissed Marius and got out of bed to take a shower and get dressed. She was two months pregnant and had her wedding dress altered throughout her pregnancy.
Marius rolled over and felt for Cassidy. He sat up, then went back to sleep, remembering she was going to the salon then to the church.
After Cassidy left, Marius forced himself to get up, showered and dressed. Enjolras had picked up the tuxes and was waiting for Marius and the groomsmen at the church.
The wedding was at 2:15, so both Marius and Cassidy had plenty of time to get ready.
Cassidy undressed as Evanna, her sister and Maid of Honor, helped her into her beautiful dress. It had been Cassidy's mother's dress and fit her perfectly.
"Cassidy, there's someone here to see you." Eponine said as she changed into her honey-colored bridesmaids dress.
"If it's Marius, tell him its bad luck to see me before the wedding." Cassidy said, wincing as Evanna helped her pin the tiara to the top of her head.
"It's not Marius – it's some guy in a kilt." Eponine told Cassidy. She felt her stomach drop – it was her dad. She hadn't spoken to him since she was thirteen years old.
"Quit squirmin'! You can handle a wee bit of pain!" Evanna told Cassidy. All Cassidy's siblings and other family members came from Ireland, Scotland or Wales. Cassidy had lost her Irish brogue when she had lived in America for five years.
"Ouch!" Cassidy whimpered. Evanna had successfully fastened the tiara in place. She then gathered her skirts and went to where the visitor was waiting. Cassidy scowled as she stood in front of her father. Her father only spoke Gaelic, which Cassidy could easily translate. "What are you doing here?"
"To see my girl get married."
"Bull. You kicked me out of the family when I was fifteen. I also don't remember sending you an invitation or a Save The Date card."
Cassidy could hear the string quartet finishing Vivaldi's Spring. She knew that Here Comes the Bride was next. Cedric was waiting to walk Cassidy down the aisle.
"I am here to get you to not get married. You don't know anything about this man. Ryan was a better match for you."
"Don't talk to me about Ryan or out of marriage on the most important day of my life!"
Cassidy exited the room and felt tears in her eyes. She quickly dabbed the tears away as she took Cedric's arm.
"You all right?" Cedric asked. Cassidy nodded and saw the bridesmaids, groomsmen and Marius waiting for her.
"Ran into dad – did you know he was coming?" Cassidy inquired through clenched teeth.
"No, I didn't. Don't worry – Thomas and I will keep an eye out." Cedric told his sister as she joined Marius. Cedric kissed Cassidy's cheek and took his spot behind Grantaire.
The priest greeted the congregation and thanked them for coming to this blessed union. Marius squeezed Cassidy's hand and she squeezed it back.
They exchanged vows, rings and a kiss or two before saying their I Do's. The priest blessed them and told Marius he could kiss his bride. He looked into Cassidy's eyes, drew her close and kissed her passionately just as the string quartet played. The groomsmen and bridesmaids made their way up the aisle, just as Marius and Cassidy followed them.
Cassidy, Marius, Evanna, Enjolras and the wedding photographer climbed into a carriage drawn by two beautiful white horses. The coachman gently flicked the reins and the horses trotted away from the church.
The five of them got out at different spots around the city to take pictures. Evanna and Enjolras watched the new couple look into each other's eyes as the photographer took picture after picture of them.
The last spot they took pictures was at a large fountain in the middle of town. Cassidy rested her head on Marius' shoulder and the two of them put their hands on Cassidy's stomach.
"So, where are you two going on your honeymoon?" the wedding photographer asked as he helped Cassidy into the carriage.
"We're going on an African Safari for two months. One of the months, we're going to an orphanage for both children and animals." Marius answered as he sat next to Cassidy.
"Hoping to adopt while you're down there?" the photographer asked.
"No – we're expecting twins in seven months." Cassidy answered, resting her head on Marius' shoulder. He put his arm around her waist and drew her close.
They arrived at the reception hall and entered the large building. Applause greeted Marius and Cassidy's ears as they entered the building and went to the dance floor.
"You ready?" Marius asked, placing his hands on Cassidy's waist, drawing her close. She nodded and wrapped her arms around Marius' neck. They had chosen Fly Me To the Moon for their first dance.
Once they were finished, there was scattered applause as they went to the Head Table. The bridesmaids were seated on Cassidy's side and the groomsmen were seated on Marius' side.
"I love you, Cassidy." Marius whispered in Cassidy's ear.
"I love you, too, Marius." Cassidy whispered back.
After dinner was served, Grantaire wandered over to Evanna and smiled at her. Evanna and Cassidy were deep in conversation, but looked over when Grantaire cleared his throat.
"Lovely vision of light, would you care to dance with me?" Grantaire asked Evanna. She giggled and excused herself from the conversation she was having with Cassidy.
Marius was currently dancing with Ella, Enjolras was dancing with Sara, Eponine was dancing with Gavroche and Courfrayac was dancing with Joly. Cassidy sighed and watched them.
"Cassidy, would you dance with me?" Combeferre asked. She nodded and followed him to the dance floor. She lifted her dress as she danced, not wanting to trip over it. "You look so beautiful."
"That's kind of you to say, Combeferre." Cassidy told him.
The dance ended and everyone went to their seats, except for Ella. Someone handed her a microphone.
"Could my dad and my new mom join me on stage, please?" Ella asked. Marius took Cassidy's hand and led her to the stage.
"Ella, what are you doing?" Marius asked.
"You'll see," Ella told him. She then spoke into the mic, "Cassidy has been in my life for two years and I want to give her and my dad something special. They're going on an African Safari for their honeymoon, so I thought I would give them this," she handed the mic to Cassidy and presented them with a leopard-print book, "it's a scrapbook to fill with pictures of your adventure on your honeymoon and your life together."
Marius and Cassidy kissed Ella and thanked her for the scrapbook. They took it to the head table as the music resumed.
"I haven't had a chance to dance with the groom yet. Is that all right, Cassidy?" Bridget asked. Cassidy nodded and went to the dance floor with Cedric.
"Want to tell me what happened between you and da?" Cedric asked as they waltzed around the floor.
"He showed up, without an invitation, trying to talk me out of marrying Marius and how Ryan was better for me." Cassidy answered.
"I didn't know he would do that. I'm sorry." Cedric said.
"It's all right, Ced," Cassidy told her brother. He spun her around and Cassidy froze in her tracks – her father was standing at the entrance to the reception hall. "Oh no! He's here!"
"Where?" Cedric asked as the music stopped. Cassidy pointed to the entrance of the reception hall. Her father was still standing there, eyes narrowed, glaring at Cassidy. "Thomas!"
Cassidy watched as her brothers walked to the entrance of the reception hall. She heard a lot of swearing and screaming in both Gaelic and Irish. She felt Marius come up beside her and wrap his arms around her.
"You all right?" he asked, resting his chin on her shoulder. "Who's that man?"
"My father." Cassidy answered, watching her brothers escort her father out of the reception hall.
"Your father?" Marius questioned. Cassidy nodded and leaned back against him. He kissed her and drew her even closer to him.
Thomas and Cedric came back over to Cassidy, assuring her that everything was taken care of.
"You two might want to go home and pack." Thomas told the newlyweds.
By this time, most of the guests had left, including Ella and Anton. While Marius and Cassidy were on their honeymoon, the kids would be staying with Courfrayac and Joly.
The couple went to their house and quickly packed a suitcase and laid out the clothes they were going to wear the following morning.
Cassidy undressed and put the dress back in its box, shoving it under the bed for now. She then slipped into the bathroom to put on the lingerie that Eponine had gotten her at her bridal shower. It was blood-red with black lace around the bottom.
Marius was lying on the bed, but sat up when Cassidy entered the room. She smiled and laid on top of him, covering him with kisses. Marius deepened the kisses as his hands went to the straps of the lingerie and rubbed Cassidy's shoulders. She took off his sleep shirt and boxers in one quick movement.
"Be careful, all right?" Cassidy whispered in Marius' ear. He nodded and removed the lingerie. He was now on top of her and smiled down at his bride.
"I will." Marius promised. Cassidy closed her eyes as she felt him go inside her.
They made love well into the night, which Cassidy didn't mind. She moaned with pleasure as Marius kissed and touched her in all the right spots. Marius even let out little moans of pleasure, which Cassidy giggled about.
The two of them were now asleep in each other's ears when the alarm clock made them sit up in bed. They took a shower together then got dressed.
Enjolras drove them to the airport, telling the couple to have fun on their African Safari. Marius and Cassidy promised that they would bring back souvenirs for everyone.
"I had forgotten how bad the malaria shots hurt!" Cassidy complained, rubbing her arm. A month ago, Cassidy and Marius had gotten shots and a lot of pills. There had been a malaria outbreak that killed 100 people in the course of five days. Cassidy received double shots, since she was carrying twins.
"It's not bothering you now, is it?" Marius questioned. Cassidy shook her head and kissed him. "You look beautiful right now."
She was wearing purple Capri's, a purple T-shirt and had her hair in braided pigtails. She wore sneakers on her feet.
"Notice anything different?" Cassidy asked, sticking out her neck. Marius looked down her neck and noticed the dog tags were gone.
"You took off your dog tags!" Marius answered, kissing the bare spot where the dog tags once hung. In the dog tags place was a silver chain with a Celtic Knot cross charm.
"They're in the drawer on my night stand." Cassidy told Marius as their flight was called.
They found their seats and sat down. Cassidy sat next to the window and Marius sat in the middle.
Once it was okay to get out electric devices that were approved by the airline, Cassidy got out her laptop and put in The Lion King, Marius watching over her shoulder.
Cassidy fell asleep towards the middle of the movie. Marius put an arm around her shoulders and drew her close, anxious to see what life had in store for the two of them.