6
Victoria woke early after a fitful night. Several times she'd been startled out of a shallow sleep, positive that she'd heard the ringing of the crier's bell sounding an alarm. Or that she'd heard Victor call for help. Or that she'd heard the dead woman knocking at her window.
But the morning of her wedding was gray and quiet and peaceful. Victoria pulled on her wrapper and slippers and stepped out onto her balcony. If she leaned out far enough she could see into the square and to Victor's house. No alarums. No chaos. More activity than was usual, though, as servants were trooping back and forth from the Van Dorts' house to hers. They must be preparing the hall for the wedding breakfast. Hosted by her parents, as was traditional. Paid for by the Van Dorts, as was necessary.
Comforted by the normalcy, Victoria took a deep breath of cold morning air. In the light of day, a walking dead woman seemed impossible. Or at least, very far away. She thought of her little prayer of the night before, and hoped that all would remain quiet and peaceful.
"Miss Victoria?" came Hildegarde's voice from behind her. "We had best begin getting you dressed, now."
Butterflies fluttered all through Victoria's middle. This was truly happening. Her wedding day. For weeks she had been dreading it, had been terribly afraid and nervous. Now that she'd met Victor, though, that all changed. She was smitten and excited and full of anticipation. She hoped that Victor was feeling the same way in his house across the square. With a smile lighting up her face, Victoria went back inside to don her wedding attire.
Her preparations went by in a blur. Victoria was perhaps the only bride in history to be ready and waiting before everyone else. There she stood in the front hall, close by Emil at the door, in her simple white dress, with the Everglot wedding crown holding her veil and her hair.
The hall itself was done up more grandly than Victoria had seen it in years, thanks to Mrs. Van Dort. Enormous, cascading flower arrangements covered the mantel, flanked the staircase, and adorned the banquet table. The linens were crisp and new, the china gleaming and extravagant. Victoria took it all in, staring particularly at the seats at the head of the table where she and Victor would soon sit. Married.
It was traditional for Everglot brides to meet their bridegrooms at the village gates, and then walk in procession to the church door before the ceremony. At least, that is what Mother had been putting about the village in advance of the wedding. Victoria knew that this was a lie. They'd had to sell the carriage and horses two years ago. That's why the wedding party would be on foot. Victoria was certain the entire village knew this, as well.
From outside came the voice of the crier, audible even through the heavy front door. "Hear ye, hear ye! Thirty minutes until Van Dort-Everglot wedding! Thirty minutes! Be on the look-out for bears, the crowds and wedding breakfast might attract them! Hear ye!"
Victoria's heart leapt. Everything was going as planned. She held her bouquet tightly, hugging it close. An armload of red hothouse roses. Not what Victoria would have chosen, but she was not asked. She'd have preferred a small white bouquet, dainty and simple. But the roses were lovely enough. She leaned down a little to take in their scent.
"What is this nonsense about bears?" Mother asked the room at large as she gave one last survey of the laden banquet table. Fussily she straightened a few silver spoons and held up some of the crystal to be sure it was clean. "That was his five o'clock headline this morning as well."
Victoria felt her cheeks color a little. "I haven't any idea," she said thinly, but Mother wasn't listening. She was closely inspecting the seating arrangements, a frown curling her lips.
"I have never seen china so gaudy," she said, staring around. "Dreadfully vulgar. Where did she find this set?"
Mother was not wrong. The floral pattern on the wedding china was decidedly garish. Victoria dearly hoped that this was not hers to keep as a wedding present.
"It truly is a shame," Mother went on, "that we've brought ourselves so low."
"The Van Dorts are not that bad," Victoria replied. "And I think Victor is wonderful." Those last words were out before she knew she was going to say them. Mother stared, then turned away with a sniff.
"Because you're a silly and romantic nineteen year old girl," Mother said dismissively, turning away. "Don't worry, child, you'll learn better."
Eyes downcast, Victoria sighed. As she stared at the floor she listened to the rustles and clinks and footsteps of the servants finishing up their work. And she let her mind fill with Victor. His hands in hers. His eyes when he looked at her. Their kiss in the woods. How beautifully and perfectly he'd recited his vows.
At that thought her daydreams broke off abruptly and again the vision of the dead woman filled her mind. Rising up out of the ground, skeletal and rotting. The way she'd reached for Victor.
I do.
Victoria shook the memory off and took a deep breath to calm her heart. Nothing had happened all night. There had been no alarm raised that Victor was missing. Everything was going according to plan. Her wedding day would be a happy one, to a man she knew that she could come to be deeply in love with, just as she'd always dreamed. She breathed again, slowly, the scent of her roses filling her nose.
"Ten minutes! Ten minutes til the Van Dort/Everglot wedding!" came the crier's voice from outside. Victoria was almost quivering with anticipation. Despite her attempts at decorum a smile kept breaking onto her face. Victor. She'd see him soon. They'd be married.
"All right, let's get going," Father said as he entered the hall from the direction of his study. He was tucking his watch into his pocket. "The bank opens at nine, we need to get this done by then."
Emil opened the door. A cool morning breeze blew into the entry. The air held the promise of springtime and warmth, a heavy smell of earth and rain. Promise. Victoria let herself smile fully as she stepped out of the door on her father's arm, Mother behind them.
Pure joy flooded her when she saw that Victor had come out of his house at the same time. He caught sight of her and his face lit up with a smile that she could see even at this distance across the square. He waved and stumbled just a little down the last few steps. Quickly righting himself, she watched him adjust his jacket and tie and smooth at his hair, all while watching her approach.
The two families met near the statue in the center of the square. Victoria, suddenly self-conscious about how she might look to Victor, took a moment to slowly raise her eyes to his. Once she did, and saw how he was looking at her, all her self-consciousness vanished. Victor was grinning, looking at her as though he couldn't believe his luck. Victoria felt herself blush even as her smile grew so wide she was sure her face would crack. She took Victor's arm, glad to be able to touch him again, to feel him at her side.
"Hear ye, hear ye!" came the crier's voice, alongside the ringing of his bell. "The wedding procession has begun! The bride and groom are making their way to the church for the ceremony! Another reminder to be mindful of bears as we near the forest!"
Victor and Victoria shared a complicated glance. She squeezed Victor's arm and drew a bit closer. Everything was all right. There were no "bears." The bear had gone back to hibernating. Surely.
Together they passed through the village gates. Villagers were starting to appear from their homes to join in behind them on the walk to the church. Friends and relatives, business associates. A few people merely curious to watch the big society wedding. But Victoria only saw all this out of the corner of her eye, on the very periphery of the moment. She only had eyes for Victor. She simply couldn't help darting glances at him, so handsome in his morning suit. And he was looking at her, too, every time she happened to glance his way. It was a wonder neither of them tripped on the walk to the church.
Much to Victoria's surprise, Pastor Galswells was standing at the foot of the church steps, the doors shut tight. The pastor was supposed to be waiting with the doors open for them, to lead them in procession to the altar. She glanced back at Mother questioningly, but Mother also looked confused. They all stopped before the pastor, who stood silent and glowering, his staff in one hand.
"Morning, Pastor," said Mr. Van Dort at last, tipping his hat. "Ready to lead our little parade inside?"
Pastor Galswell's eye twitched visibly. The more Victoria looked at him, the more she saw how deep the circles under his eyes were. The lines on his face seemed deeper, particularly the ones that framed his frown. His robes were wrinkled and his hat was a trifle crooked. In all, the man looked a fright. A deep unease began to settle upon Victoria as she waited for the pastor to speak.
"I must meet with Master Van Dort and Miss Everglot," Pastor Galswells announced. Even his voice, while it still carried, boomed much less than usual. There was an unnerving shakiness to it. "Before the wedding can commence."
"Oh, he knows his vows, you can trust me on that!" Mrs. Van Dort assured him, her fan going so hard that Victoria could feel the breeze. "And I sewed the ring into his pocket myself! Just like I always had to do with his mittens, you know."
Pastor Galswells did not reply. He didn't even spare her a glance. He was instead staring stonily at Victor, who was beginning shift nervously. Victoria watched as his free hand made to twist at his carefully knotted tie.
"This is highly irregular!" Father harrumphed. "And we are on a schedule, Pastor. How long will this take?"
"I do not know," Pastor Galswells said. "But they must come with me at once."
Victoria swallowed. She looked around at all of the assembled people, murmurs and whispers beginning to circulate. Pastor Galswells stood aside and gestured with his staff for them to proceed, still glaring at them. Heads bowed, Victor and Victoria obeyed.
"The couple only," Pastor Galswells almost barked, and she felt Victor tense up and cringe at the sound. Her own shoulders twitched a little, he'd been so loud. When Victoria looked back she saw her parents and Victor's, all of them confused and affronted, stop in their tracks. "I shall send for you when we are ready."
Her stomach cold and her throat dry, Victoria held on more tightly to Victor, pressing his arm against her and hoping that he found her touch comforting. His face was drawn and worried now, just as Victoria knew her own must be. In silence, they let Pastor Galswells herd them into the church.