Liberation (I Am Margaret Book 3) (23 page)

Eduardo stood in front of the signless noticeboard, looking extremely smug. Encouraging.

“You got the roses?”

“I did, Margaret. I, ah, have a little ‘gift’ for you as well. Call it an apology for the photos, if you will. I do mean well, you know.”

I did know. Problem was, Eduardo’s well-meaning head would trample any merely emotional obstacles standing in its path.

“I do know that, Eduardo, there was no need...”

“Or call it a wedding present, if it will save an argument. I’m not sending it back. Not yet, anyway,” he said cryptically. “Shall we?”

He waved me towards the stairs.

“It’s in my room?”

“It is.”

I headed upstairs. What was it? Hard to imagine what sort of thing Eduardo would choose. Figuring out in his early teens that he would fail Sorting on account of his borderline autism – and that his parents didn’t plan to try and save him – he’d fled to Vatican State at once rather than wait ‘til he looked the age of a sortEvader. Where he’d managed to remain, despite his tender years, in due course entering the VSS and quickly becoming indispensable. If he’d any hobbies himself, I’d yet to learn of it. His job was his life. Clichéd but true.

“Oh, your bridesmaids are in there already,” Eduardo said as I reached for the door handle, sounding extremely pleased with himself, at least by his standards.

I went in, my eyes searching for the mysterious gift...

“Margy!”

“Margo!”

“Margo! It’s you!”

Three squealing shapes struck me in quick succession.

***+***

21

A SUPERFLUITY OF BRIDESMAIDS (AND RIBBONS)

Sarah, Harriet and Caroline!

I gasped, half in shock and half ‘cause I was a bit winded.

“Oh my goodness! What’re you doing here? I’m so pleased to see you...” I tried to hug them all at once. “How did you
get
here? How are you? Where’s everyone else?”

“We’re here for your registration, silly!” said Harriet.

“She’s getting
married
,” corrected Caroline, “No EuroGov involved. Everyone else is back in Africa, Margo. The Security man said only three of us could come and he thought it would be nicest if it was your oldest friends. So Jane and Rebecca and the others couldn’t come. But they really wanted to.”

Only possible for three to come? No, three or five wouldn’t have made any difference, only
which ones
. Clearly Eduardo hadn’t wanted anyone too smart or nosy in this most secret of secret bases.

“Surprised Jane didn’t argue more, actually,” Harriet was saying. “She did
really
want to come, I could tell.”

Jane was clever enough to realise the real reason – and that there was no point arguing. I must send her a present. Must send them all a present. What, though?

“We were on a ship all night,” Caroline told me. “And really early this morning, this guy came and woke us up and we had to tiptoe up on deck and get in this really cool boat and that brought us the rest of the way. All really stealthy!”

“Then we had to creep up the stairs while you were in breakfast,” giggled Harriet. “We were a little late, we were afraid you’d catch us!”

I
had
been being delayed deliberately.

“Margy and Bane forever?” said Sarah happily. I hugged her again – she was definitely one of my oldest friends.

“Yes, Margy and Bane are finally getting married in...” I checked my watch and yelped. “In an hour and a half!” I cast around the room frantically. “I haven’t even got all my things!”

Caroline and Harriet looked alarmed.

“What are you missing?”

“Where’s your dress? I can’t see a dress...”

“I haven’t got a dress, it’s a skirt and top... Where are my shoes?”

A knock on the door – thank goodness! – Sister Krayj and Sister Mari, arms full of the missing items – shoes, garlands, bouquets...

“Ah, you’ve found your new bridesmaids,” grinned Sister Krayj.

“Are you three really going to be my bridesmaids?”

“Yes, look, we brought dresses...” Caroline pointed to three hangers hooked over the wardrobe door. African-style dresses, with the bold patterns. But at least they were in blue and white!

“Aren’t they lovely,” sighed Sister Mari admiringly.

“They certainly are,” I said. “And the... er... colours should fit in nicely.” Sister Krayj was laying things out on the bed. “Oh... but I did
want
you two as bridesmaids, y’know...”

“Well, we can process at the rear in a suitably matronly manner, if you want us to,” said Sister Krayj.

“Well, that’s okay, then.” Five bridesmaids was kind of excessive, but better than leaving anyone out.

“Margy, pretty...” Sarah pulled my sleeve.

“What? Oh...” She was pointing at my plant. A single, tiny hanging flower had appeared since I’d last looked at it properly.
Purple
. “It’s... starting to flower. That’s... nice.”

“Come on, bridesmaids,” said Sister Krayj, “into your dresses.”

Things descended into a whirl of preparation. I changed, and Caroline pinned some of my hair up, and Sister Mari expertly assisted the three of them with their matching turban-scarf things, and soon everything was in place except my garland and the silver doves.

“Well, what do you think?” I asked them

Caroline eyed me judiciously.

“It’s kind of...”

“...
blue
?” finished Harriet.

I shrugged.

“Well, the only white thing in the store was a pair of gloves. Anyway, white wedding dresses are actually a fairly recent tradition, y’know, in the scheme of things. It’s much nicer to have something you can wear for Sunday best afterwards.”

“Well, other than it’s not white,” said Caroline, “it looks lovely.”

“Bane will get that hypnotised look,” giggled Harriet.

But Sarah looked very unhappy.

“Margy wear this?”

“Yes. Margy likes this. I know it’s not white, Sarah, but blue is actually a very good colour for weddings...”

Sarah waved this away.

“No, no... no
thing
. Behind. Sarah hold!”

Caroline and Harriet looked guilty.

“Urm... we kind of told Sarah she could carry your train,” admitted Caroline.

“And, well, you haven’t got one,” said Harriet glumly.

“Oh,” I said. “Um... well, I
haven’t
got one, Sarah. But it’s okay, you’re going to have a bouquet to hold. Flowers, very pretty.” If Eduardo had thought to fetch extra bridesmaids, no doubt he’d fetched extra flowers – yes, there was a suitably large pile of bouquets on the bed...

Sarah looked unconsoled.

“Margy, Bane, forever day!” she said emphatically. “Have to be... have to be
good
. Have to be...” She waved her arms, frustration in her eyes.

I caught her hands.

“Sarah, it’s okay. Slow down. Bane and my wedding, you want it to be good, yes?”

She nodded fiercely.

“Yes. Good.
Better
... best.
Word?
”

“Perfect. You want it to be perfect.”

She relaxed and beamed, that familiar puzzlement in her eyes – how could I express this thing so easily?

“Purr-fect. Bane and Margy forever day
purr-fect
.”

Sarah had worshipped Bane ever since he’d found her sobbing on the floor in the middle of a ring of jeering boys not long after the accident. He’d ploughed into them like a wild thing, breaking one nose and one arm and putting the apparently insurmountable horde to flight.

For which act of heroic courage he’d been suspended for four weeks and been told by his parents that if he ever did anything like it again, they’d put him into care. Fortunately even the older boys were wary of getting in a fight with Bane after that.

I squeezed her hands.

“Sarah, Bane’s and Margy’s wedding is already perfect simply because you three are here. I don’t need a train for it to be perfect.”

Sarah thought about that.

“No?” she said at last. And nodded. “No.”

“Actually,” interjected Sister Krayj, “I think we may be okay on the train front.”

“Really?” I said.

“Yes.” She plopped the garland onto my head, then gathered up the cascade of ribbons that fell down my back almost to my knees – Sister Mari had got a little carried away. “Train?”

“Sarah can carry that! Perfect.”

It would look a teensy bit odd, actually, but if it made Sarah happy...

Sister Mari moved in eagerly with the silver doves, and Caroline rushed forward to make sure they went onto my hairdo okay. And I was actually ready. At least as far as my attire was concerned – butterflies suddenly swarmed in my stomach...

“Okay,” said Sister Krayj firmly, “We’ve just got time for Margo to have five minutes quiet to pray, then we’d better go.”

I gulped and went to my little kneeler in the corner. Tried to calm my mind. Tried to think serious thoughts about the huge step I was taking. Tried to ignore my three old friends shooting looks at me there engaged in the most forbidden of activities. But I couldn’t really think about anything other than Bane, and the fact we were finally going to belong to each other for life.
Help me, Lord
, I managed at last,
Help me to do this right. Help me not to forget you this day, this most important day
...

“Okay, time’s up. Know your lines?” Sister Krayj’s voice dragged me from my efforts.

“Yes.” I had to swallow before speaking. “And the alter servers have a little card they’ll hold out if we forget. It’ll be fine.”

“Then we’d better go.”

We trooped downstairs and headed for the cathedral. The corridors were deserted – everyone was already there. We weren’t
actually
late, of course. You didn’t come late for Mass, even a nuptial one, and making Bane wait for me would just be plain rude.

My bridesmaids made a giggling screen to hide me from Bane’s view as we hurried up the cathedral steps – no satellite overhead this morning, praise the Lord. I caught a glimpse of almost-tamed black hair but Bane’s groomsmen immediately shepherded him to the door and inside.

Which just left Kyle waiting there, smartly dressed in a cassock that’d had a more than usually serious encounter with an iron. I’d kind of avoided him for the last couple of days. But here he was, waiting to escort me in our parents’ place.

He came towards me as we reached the top, a smile on his face but anxiety in his eyes.

“Margo, you look beautiful.”

Putting his arms around me, he hugged me tight. I hugged him back and it was almost as if nothing had happened.

“I am really happy for you,” he told me seriously. “You know that, right?”

“I believe you.” I grabbed another quick hug. “We’d better go, Bane’s gone in.”

Kyle offered me his arm and my bridesmaids formed up behind – Sarah, beaming and holding my ‘train’, then Caroline and Harriet followed by Sister Krayj and Sister Mari, all armed with bouquets. I headed determinedly for the huge wooden doors and a rather military hiss came from inside, “Incoming,
go, go, go
...”

I stepped through the doorway. The multitude of guards had clearly designated themselves as Bane’s family and friends and sat on the right, everyone else sat on ‘my’ side, all just getting to their feet for the entrance hymn. The usual entrance procession – cross-bearer, altar servers, priests – was moving off down the centre aisle, with Pope Cornelius bringing up the rear in his white vestments.

Bane’s procession was setting off down the right-hand aisle. Still couldn’t get more than a glimpse of him, but I spotted Jon walking beside him, filling in for his lost parents and looking very smart in a suit. Fox and Foxie, as we’d nicknamed Fox One and Fox Two, came behind, resplendent in their Swiss Guard uniforms, and behind them, Hippo smart in his navy Vatican Police uniform, and Alligator sporting another miscellaneous suit – VSS were plain clothes.

I headed for the left-hand aisle, trying to keep pace just behind the entrance procession in the centre. Hopefully my bridesmaids weren’t too disappointed not to have a Hollywoodesque centre-of-attention ‘bridal procession’. They’d been done away with years ago – the bride wasn’t an object to be presented and given away, nor was it
her
day – Bane’s day as much as mine, and Mass was more important than either of us.

Almost there. My hands were sweating on the bouquet – I clutched it tighter. Kyle tightened his grip on my arm – the ‘parents’ in the procession came in handy just for physical support!

Then the entrance procession was mounting the sanctuary and I’d reached the end of the side aisle. I turned right, and... there was Bane! Coming towards me... Wearing a suit the exact same rich chocolate brown as his eyes – Jolita must’ve hidden it away! His eyes widened as he saw my bridesmaids and he grinned at them.

Then our eyes met and my bridesmaids might’ve disappeared off the face of the earth, from the way his eyes fixed on my face. I headed towards him, oblivious to all the people watching.

Finally we reached the centre aisle, staring at each other across it.
Bane
...

Kyle gave my hand a squeeze and stepped back, extracting my bouquet from my grip and giving it to Sarah, then seeing the bridesmaids to their seats – I scarcely noticed. Jon clasped Bane’s shoulder, then gave him a little shove in my direction. He blinked, then strode forward, hand outstretched. I placed my hand in his, his strong fingers closed around it and we walked the last few steps together, to where a short bench waited behind a pair of kneelers right in front of the sanctuary rail.

Pope Cornelius began the Mass and soon I found myself actually struggling to remember the words to the Gloria! Bane was no better. He’d remember we were supposed to be singing, look blank for a moment, manage a few lines then trail off, mouth slightly open, staring at me again. As though he could hardly believe it was finally happening. Knew the feeling...

Huh?

“...Pour forth the help of your blessing on these your servants Bane and Margaret, so that in the union of Marriage they may be bound together in mutual affection, in likeness of mind, and in shared holiness...”

Oh, the Gloria had finished.
Pay attention, Margo!