The Wedding Day

Your So Predictable

Caroline heard Kate's breathing change, then felt her begin to stir and tightened her arms, kissing the exposed patch of golden skin at the top of her spine. Hearing the "Mmmm" this garnered she began to caress the luscious round breast beneath which her hand had been tucked.

"Uh, uh, uh," Kate elbowed herself away. "Not on our wedding morning."

Attempting to move back in, "Your not going all traditional on me now, are you?"

Rolling away onto her other side to face Caroline, "No, just practical."

Unconvinced, "Practical. How?"

Rubbing sleep from her eyes, a charmingly youthful gesture, "No time. We've lots to do."

Grumping, "I've nothing to do until this evening. Gawd! Why didn't we schedule this for morning? We could have it finished and be away on our trip by noon."

Whispering now to the cinnamon spotted face that had moved in again, "Need I remind you, this was your idea?" The groaning lips got a peck before Kate, evading reaching hands, sat up and moved off the bed saying, "Besides, you do have lots to do."

Pouting a little, blue eyes following Kate, "Such as?"

Pulling out garments as she talked, "While I am showering and dressing, you'll be sneaking into Will's room for your iPad, whether you disturb him or not, so you can check yet again on our reservations in Cornwall. Then after a cup of tea you'll go harass Laurence about the state of his room with company on the way. Once the boys are dressed you'll clean the family bath and be stomping back in here to see what's keeping me."

There had been attempted interruptions to these predictions like, "How did yo…, I don't… Well I…" finishing defiantly with a haughty, "I never stomp."

Smiling sweetly, "By the time I'm dressed and ready to go down to meet Margo, you'll be getting ready to have lunch with Celia, Muriel, Marta, Susan, Gillian and Ellie. By mid-afternoon I'll be back here taking the nap I promised you, my mother and Kevin." With an arched eyebrow and a lifted chin, "I don't know what you will be doing with yourself then unless it is writing the vows you promised to make to me tonight when we're alone." By now Kate's naked and leaning in for one last kiss before she hightails it into the ensuite.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, obediently reaching only with her admiring face, "How do you do that?"

Hovering closer, "Dear Heart, you're just so predictable." And then, the kiss that doesn't end until all the clothing Kate had clutched to her is on the floor and her hands are pulling Caroline's shoulders in. Finally, sliding away with a little cry to press her face against Caroline's, both of them gasping, Kate breathes into Caroline's ear, "How do you do that?"

Through an failed attempt at a grin, "You're just so predictable, aren't you, My Brown Eyed Girl?"

The morning had gone much as Kate predicted. By the time Caroline returned from her luncheon, the premium grocer she'd selected had delivered the cake, champagne, and punch. A rental firm had dropped off the tableware and glasses they would need for such a large family gathering. She had been very grateful when Alan had volunteered to stay at the suite with Emily Jane to accept these deliveries rather than join them for lunch, the boys being off on errands of their own at the time.

Seeing the Buttershaws and the Greenwoods off at the door shortly after their return from lunch, she had commandeered the boys to place Kate's best tablecloth on the dining table and arrange the cake, and tableware on the long sideboard and gave them instructions on serving guests after the ceremony. Ellie and Raf had agreed to help William and Laurence with the serving when the time came. These preparations made, she sent them off to the cinema.

For once Caroline was not making supper for anyone. The ceremony would not take long, an hour or so for cake and champagne, then the families could all go out to a late dinner on their own and she and Kate could be alone. She had a special meal planned for them to share right here in their home with one of the most romantic views anywhere around. They would spend the night here and set off on their trip to Penzance tomorrow. It seemed like forever since they'd had any extended time alone together; she was really looking forward to their trip.

Taking herself to her study, Caroline checked one last time before Kate arrived home from lunching with her family to be sure she had everything she would need in order to dress back here. She wanted Kate to have their room so she could rest right up until the last minute. The dress Caroline had purchased on the shopping trip with her Mum hung here in her study, pressed and ready. Everything else was in order as well.

Kate had been mainly correct, she hadn't written out the vows she'd promised to write to her. She had however, been composing them in odd moments, and had been refining them in her mind even just now in the kitchen preparing the punch. She sat down to her laptop, finding it easier to type these days than to write. When it was finished she hand wrote her vows on the special paper she had purchased so she could present it to Kate, a wedding gift, along with their trip to Cornwall.

Completing this, she stretched out on Will's bed to relax for a few minutes. Her mind naturally defaulted to thoughts of Kate. Pulling out her mobile she tapped out a message.

Home yet?

Just.

Sleeping?

Duh! JJust lying down now.

What are you wearing?

Caroline! My mother is in the room.

I want you.

I want you more.

Meet me in the passage?

Caroline!?

Pleeease?

Mum says turn off the mobile.

:(

I love you.

I love you more.

Placing her mobile on the credenza Caroline tried to imagine the dress that Kate would not let her see until the wedding. For all their talk of not following tradition they seemed to be behaving very conventionally.

The Plot

Answering the door, Will found Celia and Alan, dressed for the wedding. "Granny, Alan, your back already?

"Shush! Where is your mother?"

In his normal voice but quietly since his Granny is whispering, "In her study, last time I looked. Do you want me to get her?"

NO!" Remembering to whisper, "No." Looking at Alan who is regarding her with his brows raised, that expression on his face, saying nothing.

Seeing this exchange William wonders out loud, "What's happening?"

Celia grabs his elbow and moves further into the room toward the window, still whispering "Shush. I have a surprise for Caroline. Well, and Kate too." All this whispering intrigues Laurence so he comes to stand beside William but Celia is pushing them both toward the windows in the hope that their conversation will be less audible to the back rooms. "Shush! Caroline has ears like a hawk."

"Isn't that eyes like a hawk?" inquires Laurence receiving a swat to the shoulder and another push toward the window for his trouble.

Giving him the evil eye, "Whatever." Continuing to Will, "I have caterers arriving any time to set up for the meal."

William's totally puzzled, "I thought Mum said it was just cake and champagne after the wedding, then you were taking us out to a late dinner, you and Alan."

Discounting this, "I know. I know what she said but you can't have people coming from Leeds and wherever for a wedding and then not give them a meal."

Will's looking at Alan again. He raises his hands in defeat still silent. Facing his Granny down now, "I don't think Mum is going to like this. She's made these plans with Kate. You know she doesn't like it when things don't go according to plan."

Celia, knowing that Will is right and nervous but trying not to appear so, "She'll like it well enough. You can overdo this understated simplicity idea, you know."

Beginning to think this through, "How exactly do you plan to carry this off?" Will sees Alan nodding his head sagely at this question, an eyebrow raised, just what he is wondering.

Conspiratorial now, "I've given the caterer strict instructions to be as quiet as church mice." Looking around, "I didn't realize how quiet it was going to be here though." Looking at Laurence, "Can't you put on some music or something?"

Patiently Laurence explains, "Gran, Mum is resting and Kate is trying to sleep just there," indicating the telly wall, "in their room with Edie."

Looking brighter, "Fine, fine, let's just keep them there shall we?"

Growing exasperated and increasingly fearful of his mother coming out to discover caterers and having a meltdown on this day of all days. "Gran! Mum is coming out any minute to shower in the hall bath since Kate is in their room. There is no way this is going to work."

Stubbornly, but with her nerves showing clearly, "Of course it will."

One last try, "Gran, you know she does have a nose like a bloodhound. One whiff of cooked food and she'll be out here in a flash."

Thinking fast now, "Alright. Why don't you go send your Mum to the shower now. Alan can keep the caterers in the foyer when they arrive, until she goes back into the study. Then I'll go help her dress and keep her there until it is time for the ceremony."

Will and Laurence look at one another then to Alan for help. The poor man again raises his hands in defeat, "Sorry lads, I've lost this battle long ago." Turning he makes for the door to waylay the caterers happy to be well out of it.

Will is running this scenario in his mind to see if it can possibly work. Obviously, caterers are on their way and the last thing he wants is to have his Mum upset on her wedding day. "OK, I'll get her into the shower but the other thing is that the plan was for her to dress and just before the ceremony come to the front door. That's her starting point to meet Kate here in the middle. If she comes out and sees caterers she'll…" Words fail him now, he looks at his Granny pointedly, "Well, it won't be good and we both know that."

Celia, becoming even more anxious but conscious of time passing, "We'll just have to deal with it as it comes. Will, you go get Caroline, we'll discuss the rest when she's in the shower." Giving Laurence another dirty look, "I thought you were putting on some music! Find something soft… but not too soft."

Rolling his eyes but well aware that there is nothing to do but follow instructions, Laurence moves off to comply, muttering to himself, "Soft but not too soft. What does that mean?"