Christmas Wedding (11 page)

She was kicking and screaming.

He held her in front of him, his right hand holding the gun muzzle against her temple while his free arm encircled her waist.

“
You’re coming with us, Scarlett,” he yelled.

“
Are you crazy?” she cried angrily. “I’m not Scarlett. I’m Melanie Wilkes. Now get your hands off me.” And she attempted to jab him with her elbow. He only squeezed her tighter.

“
Yeah. That’s what you’d like us to think. But I seen your picture in the paper on Sunday. I know who you are. You’re the dame that put the finger on Blackie. You ain’t getting away with that.”

“
Do something,” I yelled at Binkie. “Somebody do something.”

Melanie’s arms were free and she reached up and unpinned her veil. The veil went flying off her head, but she had the long hatpin in her hand and before her abductor knew what was happening, she was stabbing the long sharp pin into the hand that held her.

He let out a curse and yanked his arm away from her. She broke free.

Like lightning Binkie jumped up and seized the whip from its holder. With one quick snap, he brought the whip down onto the man’s other arm, causing him to drop the gun.

The man who had been holding the horse’s bridal let go. “Let’s get outta here,” he cried.

Both men turned and ran. But they ran straight into the arms of uniformed police officers who seemed to have appeared from out of nowhere. In seconds the thugs were handcuffed and being led away.

Binkie sprang down from the carriage and helped Melanie back inside.

And then Nick there, lifting Melanie’s veil from the sidewalk and handing it to her.

“
Nick! I can’t believe you are here. Who were they? What did they want?”

Nick was looking me over with very admiring eyes. “You take a man’s breath away, Ashley.” Then he composed himself and reverted to his cop’s mode. “They are what’s left of Blackie Sullivan’s gang. We had reports that they were in town, and we’ve been tailing them. They mistook Melanie for Scarlett Barrett.”

“
You knew about that?” I asked.

“
It’s my business to know what is going on in my town, Ashley.”

He stepped back and gave me a little salute. “Have a happy life.”

Then he waved the carriage on, whisking me away and into my new life with his blessing.

19

The guests were seated. Our wedding party was assembled in the narthex. As Granny Campbell and Nelda Cameron were escorted down the aisle and seated in the first row on the grooms’ side, Scarlett stepped to the altar and began singing Ave Maria in a clear soprano voice.

The choir door opened and Father Andrew, Jon, and Cameron walked in and took their places at the altar. My heart raced at the sight of Jon.

I had butterflies in my stomach and my palms were sweaty. Then events seemed to proceed quickly and with a power of its own. The organ played Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and the five groomsmen trooped down the aisle and lined up on the right side below the altar.

Next came the bridesmaids, looking so pretty in their red gowns with their nosegays of white roses. They were followed by the ring bearer, a sweet lad, the great-grandson of Willie Hudson.

And a precious little girl dressed in a long red dress headed solemnly for the altar, tossing red rose petals onto the aisle runner.

When the organist switched to Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” the guests all stood and turned to look toward the entrance, smiling, expectant, watching for the brides.

“
Are you ready?” Binkie asked, taking my left hand and slipping it through his folded arm and then patting my hand gently. His eyes were shiny wet with tears. Mine were too.

“
I’ve waited my whole life for this moment,” I responded. “I just didn’t know it.”

Aunt Ruby was escorting Melanie down the aisle ahead of us and Binkie waited until they were mid-way to the altar before he began his slow even pace. My nosegay of red roses felt light in my right hand.

At the altar Jon waited, light streaming in from a high window illuminating his golden head. He was smiling broadly, his eyes fastened on my face.

I glanced at the guests and smiled but my eyes always returned to Jon. All of a sudden I felt overwhelmingly happy. This was right. So right.

And then a slight murmur and light laughter came from the congregation and I turned my head slightly to see what had caught their attention. A slight movement behind me made me look back and I laughed out loud.

It was Spunky. Spunky the cat, his white on black patterned fur making him look like he was dressed in a tuxedo. Melanie had tied a red ribbon around his neck. He was following us down the aisle with cat-like grace, ignoring the congregation and the attention he was attracting.

Binkie and I arrived at the altar. He delivered me to Jon and then he and Aunt Ruby took their seats in the front row on the bride’s side. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Spunky rolling in the strewn red rose petals. Had catnip been sprinkled with the rose petals? The scent led him to Aunt Ruby’s feet. She reached down and scooped him up into her lap, where he draped himself languidly across her knees.

I looked at Melanie and arched my eyebrows. She winked at me and grinned. She was glowing with happiness.

Father Andrew began: “Dearly, beloved: We have come together in the presence of God . . .”

I looked at Jon. He looked at me. We had eyes for only each other.

The priest said, “Ashley, will you have this man to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”

With a glad and thankful heart, I responded, “I will.”

The priest said to Jon, “Jonathan, will you have this woman to be your wife . . .”

Looking fully into my eyes, his whole being shining through his, Jon responded, “I will.”

Father Andrew repeated the Declaration of Consent with Melanie and Cameron.

Father Andrew then addressed the congregation. “Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two couples in their marriage?”

Our guests replied with a resounding and encouraging, “We will.”

Father Andrew said, “The Lord be with you.”

The congregation replied, “And also with you.”

“
Let us pray.”

After the prayer, Willie Hudson mounted the pulpit and read from Genesis.

Then we two couples exchanged our vows. Jon took my right hand in his and said, “In the Name of God, I, Jonathan Alfred Campbell, take you, Ashley Ann Wilkes, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for . . .”

I took Jon’s right hand in mine and said, “In the Name of God, I Ashley, take you Jonathan, to be my husband . . ."

Willie’s great grandson produced the rings and we slipped our wedding rings on each other’s fingers.

We gave ourselves to each other. Father Andrew ended The Marriage with, “Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.”

And the congregation resounded with a loud, “Amen.”

We recited The Lord’s Prayer.

Jon and I, Melanie and Cam, knelt at the altar while The Blessing of the Marriage was offered. Then we rose and joyfully participated in The Peace. Jon and I greeted each other as husband and wife. We hugged our attendants and said to each of them, “The peace of the Lord be always with you.”

Jon and I and most of the congregation partook of communion. After a last prayer, a trumpeter played Clarke’s “Trumpet Voluntary” and the classic trumpet piece filled the sanctuary. Two very happy brides and two very happy grooms, along with our wedding party, trooped down the aisle. On Jon’s arm, I know my feet did not touch the carpet. I floated. So gloriously happy to have given myself to Jon and to have taken him as my darling husband forever more.

20

Outside St. James, the long white stretch limousine waited. Room enough inside for the bridal couples, Aunt Ruby and Binkie, our new sister Scarlett, Nelda, Granny Campbell, and one very mellow cat. As soon as we got in and settled our finery around us, Cam popped the cork on the champagne bottle and filled our fluted glasses from the frothy stream.

“
To the happy couples!” Binkie toasted and we clinked glasses.

The others did not know about our perilous carriage ride to the church. “Your hatpin saved Melanie’s life, Nelda,” I said.

“
Isn’t that a bit dramatic, dear?” she asked.

With interruptions from Melanie, Aunt Ruby and Binkie, I told them about the harrowing ride when Blackie Sullivan’s gang tried to abduct Melanie.

Instantly, Cam was concerned. “Are you all right, love?” he asked.

“
Perfect,” Melanie replied. “Now. For a moment there it was harrowing. But between my hatpin and Binkie’s whip, we sent them flying into the arms of the local police, didn’t we, Binkie?”

Binkie grinned. “Correct. We gave them a lesson in how justice is dispensed down here in Rebel Territory.”

After that, we had to tell everyone Scarlett’s story. That she was not our cousin but our step-sister and that thanks to her a dangerous criminal and his gang had been locked up.

Nelda looked at Scarlett with new respect. “You are a heroine, my dear,” she said.

“
The wine glass!” I shouted. “It wasn’t cracked. It exploded because he was firing a bullet at it,” I said. “I’ll bet my honeymoon on it.”

I looked at Jon and giggled. “I’m sure of it.”

“
Wouldn’t we have heard a gunshot?” Melanie asked.

“
Not if he used a silencer. Remember? There were people standing on the pedestrian walkway on the bridge. He could have fired from there,” I said.

“
I just realized something else,” Melanie said, excited. “At the carriage, the man looked familiar. I thought I had seen him before. Now I remember where. At the rehearsal dinner last night, he posed as a valet and was tricking me into going into the parking lot with him.”

“
Well, thank goodness, we caught up with you when we did,” Jon said.

“
I don’t like any of what I am hearing,” Cam said. “I’m going to have to take very good care of you from now on, Melanie. I won’t let you out of my sight.”

Melanie smiled. “Well, darling, I do think that is overdoing it. But maybe just for the honeymoon.”

Our celebration restored, w e cruised around the historic district, down Third Street, tooting the horn, turning onto Nun to pass my house, and through my neighborhood, lowering the windows and waving to neighbors. “We’re hitched,” Jon called out of the window.

“
We are blessed with this weather,” Aunt Ruby said. “December 22 and it must be seventy.”

“
I planned it this way,” Melanie said and grinned. She slipped her hand into Cam’s. Cameron Jordan, internationally acclaimed television and movie producer, looked as joyful as a little kid on Christmas morning. I’ve got everything I want now, his expression said.

“
This is nowhere as beautiful as it was on my wedding day,” Nelda began, and proceeded to dominate the conversation with a description of her wedding and what she had worn and how she had looked.

We all exchanged looks, wondering when she would end.

But to my surprise, Cam cut her off. “You’ve got a beautiful soprano singing voice,” he said to Scarlett. “Have you ever sung professionally?”

Nelda’s jaw fell open. Her son had interrupted her.

Our driver took Dawson to Oleander, heading out through Forest Hills.

“
No,” she answered, “I’ve only sung in church.”

“
Well, I think you sing as good as any professional I’ve ever heard,” Cam said.

“
And he would know,” Melanie said.

“
I’ve got some contacts. Would you like me to call one of my Broadway producer friends and set up an audition for you?”

Scarlett seemed speechless. “Why . . .” She was momentarily at a loss for words. “Why, yes.” She was beaming now. “I’d love that. Do you really think I’ve got a chance on Broadway? That would be perfect. New York is my home and I miss it. I’ve been away too long.”

Cam leaned forward and spoke earnestly, “I think you’ve got a very good chance.”

“
But . . .” Scarlett hesitated. “Maybe I’m too old. I’m past the age of a starlet.”

Nelda gave her an appraising look. “How old are you?” she asked sharply.

“
Forty,” Scarlett said softly.

“
Posh, you’re a baby. I got some of my best roles when I was forty. Naturally we were not announcing my age, and I looked ten years younger.”

“
You look very young, Scarlett,” Cam agreed. “You don’t have to show them your birth certificate. You can pass for thirty any day. I don’t think that’s a problem. You’ve got poise. And that voice. And we all know you can dance. Look at Streisand. She’s still on top at what? Sixty-five?”

“
Thank goodness, the times are changing,” Aunt Ruby said. “You know, I think I’ll have another glass of champagne.”