Harper's Fortune

by F. C. Clark

  Quizzically, Luke looks at me.

  ‘Your mum was really drunk. She was dancing on the bar; I’ve never seen anything like it… She is so refined and elegant, and last night she was—’

  ‘Grappa.’

  ‘What.’

  ‘Was she drinking grappa?’

  ‘Yeah – a lot of it.’

  ‘When she drinks grappa, you need to run.’

  I move to his chair, placing myself on his lap, locking my arms around his neck.

  ‘In case I forget to tell you, I love you. Thank you for today, but most importantly thank you for asking me to be your wife.’ Our lips meet.

  A knock at the door makes me smile.

  ‘I’m glad it’s you; I thought you were never going to arrive.’ I pull Mr Jones into my room.

  He looks at his watch. ‘You said eleven-thirty.’ He moves further in to the suite. ‘Are you OK?’

  ‘Yeah, it’s just been a crazy morning.’

  ‘Weddings normally are.’

  ‘I guess. Anyhow, I told Mum and Dad to go and get ready and come back at one. I need some time alone.’ I walk towards the dining table and retrieve two glasses of bubbly. ‘Cheers – here’s to us, Harper Jones.’

  ‘Sutton Jones, perhaps.’ He smiles.

  ‘Never – always Harper Jones. You seem to have the very last piece of me, Mr Jones.’

  ‘So I do.’

  I scan his flawless three-piece suit. ‘You look fab.’

  ‘Why, thank you. May I introduce to you my most treasured suit, handmade by my father from fabric he bought while in Italy?’

  ‘Wow, and it still fits!’

  Mr Jones laughs. ‘Yes, it fits very well.’

  ‘Let’s sit down.’ I reach for the gift bag on the coffee table. ‘I have a gift for you – a very small gift. I thought…’ I pass him the bag. ‘Open it – you’ll understand.’

  ‘Kate, why have you got me a gift?’ He opens the bag and removes the box of handkerchiefs. ‘Spectacular.’ He examines them closely.

  ‘I wouldn’t go that far… We have a matching set.’ There are three white hankies with HARPER JONES embroidered across them in blue.

  ‘These will remain my favourite from now on… You are a special young lady.’

  ‘Ready to zip me into my dress?’

  ‘I would be honoured.’

  We stand in front of the mirror. The dress looks perfect.

  ‘I’m not sure what to say, Kate. You look beautiful… Luke’s grandmother’s veil matches perfectly, and I agree, your hair down is stunning.’ The ribbon round my waist and the Sutton family heirloom complete my look.

  I take a deep breath and move to the dressing table. ‘You have one last job.’ I pass him one of the Harper Jones hankies. ‘Can you attach this to the underskirt of my dress?’

  He takes my hands as I look at his eyes.

  ‘No crying, Mr Jones; I’m barely holding it together.’

  He kisses my cheeks in turn. ‘Something blue?’

  ‘Thank you.’

  ‘For what, Kate?’

  ‘For Luke – you helped me find him.’

  A knock at the door dispels our moment.

  ‘Allow me.’ Mr Jones opens the door to Mum and Dad. ‘Your daughter is waiting for you.’ He moves, allowing them to see me.

  ‘Kate.’ Dad moves towards me first.

  ‘Don’t you dare start crying, Dad. Mr Jones nearly had me gushing. Tell me a joke, make me laugh.’

  He squeezes my hand.

  ‘Mr Jones, the dress looks even more stunning than when I saw it last. Thank you,’ Mum says.

  ‘It has been my pleasure, Susan. I will leave you to it.’ Mr Jones places one more kiss on my cheek before he leaves.

  ‘OK, we have a few minutes to kill.’ I move to the tray and pour two more glasses of bubbly. ‘Here.’ Mum and Dad each take a glass.

  ‘To one of my best girls in the world.’

  ‘Dad – no.’ I blow air through my lips to stop my emotions escaping.

  ‘I know I don’t talk about—’

  ‘Malcolm, not today,’ Mum says.

  ‘Susan, I need to. The day it all changed.’ His eyes rest on mine. I’m not his daughter – and it kills him. ‘Kate, you make me so proud. You’re so strong, and you’ve been through so much.’

  ‘You too, Dad – we nearly lost you.’

  I look at Mum, who has tears running down her cheeks. ‘Dad’s right, Kate: you held us all together when he was in hospital, and Harry would be lost without you.’

  ‘You have never once complained about what we did, and I know you’re angry.’

  ‘I’m not angry, Dad. Maybe I was then, but not now. Sometimes I feel—’ I look at Mum.

  ‘Katenka? Kate, you can say her name: she gave me two precious gifts, and I owe her everything.’

  Dad wipes the tear from my cheek. ‘Your mum is right. You look like her, Kate, and she had a good heart too.’

  I shake my head and take their hands. ‘You gave me that. You gave me and Harry the best chance in life. I hate that I never met her, but I don’t blame you.’

  ‘We want you to be happy, that’s all.’

  ‘I am.’

  ‘Mum keeps telling me to open up to you girls.’

  I nod. ‘I know how hard that is for you. I love you, Dad; I will always be a Harper.’

  He places a kiss on my cheek. ‘You’ll always be my girl.’

  I can’t take any more. ‘Are you ready to hand me over to Luke?’ Am I ready to give him all of me?

  The three of us arrive by boat at Palazzo Cavallis. The weather is fairly warm and the sun beams down from a bright blue sky. There is a comfortable silence between us; maybe our long overdue conversation has released some hidden tension. In my heart we have barely scratched the surface, but for Dad it was a huge milestone and I respect him for that.

  We move towards the room where we will marry. I take Dad’s arm and hold a small posy of lily of the valley. Mum enters first.

  ‘Ready?’ Dad looks at me.

  ‘As I’ll ever be.’

  The room falls silent and the music starts: Usher’s ‘Scream’, played by the string quartet Luke used on Valentine’s Day. It’s perfect.

  We reach the pathway to my future. All eyes are on me and my dress. But my eyes are solely on one person: dark and mesmerised meets dark and entranced.

  How can a short walk feel like an eternity? Dad releases my arm as Luke takes my hand. I can just about breathe; I’m close to losing control, as my emotions fight for release.

  He leans towards me and gently kisses my lips. ‘You look breath-taking – like an angel.’

  ‘I love you,’ is all I can muster.

  I hear a cough, and turn. Barney points to a laptop he’s holding. I can see Molly crying.

  I look at Luke. ‘I knew you wanted her here; this was the only way it was possible,’ he explains.

  ‘Thank you.’ I kiss him again. ‘Wait a minute.’

  I move towards the screen. ‘Can you hear me?’

  ‘Yes.’ I receive a delayed response. ‘You look beautiful, Kate – be happy.’

  I look at Harry, who has tears streaming down her cheeks, and Barney is sniffing.

  I kiss the screen. ‘Love you, Molly.’

  ‘Love you too. Now go and get married. I’m watching.’

  I return to Luke’s side. ‘Thank you… Sorry.’

  ‘Can we get married now?’ He smiles, knowing he has my heart and now my undivided attention.

  ‘Yes.’

  I slide Luke’s ring on to his finger, as we are declared man and wife.

  ‘I want to say something.’

  Luke looks at me, puzzled.

  ‘I know my timing is off, but I h
ave to say something… in front of everyone.’ I squeeze his hand. ‘You have blown me away since the day we first met, when you revealed your bossy nature…’

  Luke smirks.

  ‘Yes, you’re definitely bossy, but I guess that’s what makes you, you – the man I couldn’t bear to live without. I love you more than you will ever understand. Your heart, body and soul belong to me – and they have done since the moment you said hello.’

  He leans towards me, allowing our foreheads to meet, and rubs his nose across mine. I reach for his cheek, wiping away his tear. The only other time I’ve seen him cry was when he talked about Paul – and now my words have caused the exact same reaction.

  ‘You’ve got me, baby – how am I supposed to follow that?’

  ‘You don’t. I just needed to tell you how I felt.’

  Everyone remains silent, watching us both, then Luke takes a breath.

  ‘Hai cambiato la mia vita, dal momento in cui ti ho incontrato. Io non sono mai stato così aperto e onesto con chiunque, Kate siete il mio mondo. Io non sono nulla senza di te, ma con voi al mio fianco posso conquistare il mondo. Avete la mia anima e corpo – sempre.’

  Holy shit. Luke speaking Italian – I need to bottle this. It would be worth a fortune.

  ‘I have no idea what you said, but please repeat it tonight in bed.’

  ‘Words that I don’t want everyone to hear. You have me – all of me, Kate, you know that. This is it, baby: us forever.’

  I kiss him hard on the lips. God, I love him so much.

  ‘How are you feeling, Mrs Sutton?’ Luke takes my hand as we turn to walk down the aisle.

  ‘Fab… and you, Mr Sutton?’

  ‘Perfect, now you’re my wife.’ I giggle. Holy shit, I’m married. I am now officially Kate Sutton.

  Finally we sit inside the restaurant, which is attached to an outside area suspended over the lagoon. The room looks perfect with hundreds of tea lights flickering on the tables, mixed with the delicateness of the flowers. I’m thrilled with how it looks.

  Everyone is relaxed, which is exactly the sort of wedding we wanted. The food is fabulous. As each guest has ordered from the menu, the tables are filled with pasta dishes, steaks, fish – all sorts of wonderful food. I have to pinch myself. Being here, being married to Luke with all our friends and family here is a dream come true. I sit back and take in my special day, while the string quartet play classic club tunes.

  As ever Luke’s arm is placed firmly at the back of my chair, although today it feels different; today he is protecting his wife.

  He leans to my ear. ‘I knew you would look beautiful.’

  ‘So do you, Mr S, my gorgeous husband.’

  ‘Thank you for my shirt… and of course the socks.’

  ‘Which ones did you decide to wear?’

  He flashes his ankle, revealing his choice: You & Me = Right. ‘Good choice.’

  I hear the clinking of someone tapping a glass. To my absolute amazement, it’s Max. I look at Luke. Max speaking in itself is a rare treat.

  ‘Excuse me, everyone… I know Kate and Luke wanted a relaxed day without speeches, but I would like to say a few words. I know I don’t usually say much…’

  ‘No shit, Sherlock,’ I say without thinking.

  ‘Kate!’ Mum looks across at me.

  ‘Oi, Harper, let the man speak,’ Barney shouts good-humouredly.

  ‘Sutton, not Harper,’ Luke jibes at Barney.

  ‘Always Harper to me, babe.’ Barney winks.

  ‘Can I speak?’ Max calls.

  ‘Knock yourself out, Max.’ All eyes lock on Barney. James and Scott seem slightly unsure how to take him.

  ‘OK. Kate and Luke are like chalk and cheese. I know – I live with them both.’ Everyone laughs.

  I turn to Luke. ‘Max does speeches… and he’s funny… What the hell is going on?’

  Luke shrugs in bewilderment.

  ‘But they found each other. The day Kate arrived in Luke’s life was the day I saw him change. He needed her more than he realised, and Kate… well, what can I say? She’s loyal, caring, honest – too honest, sometimes – but she loves Luke. To watch them reach today has been an honour. I have never met two people more made for each other, two people who have found their missing link.’ He swallows his emotional words, words he will never be able to say to his own son. ‘Please raise your glasses for Kate and Luke.’

  I stand up and walk towards Max. He needs a large dose of Harper affection. I lock my arms around him.

  ‘I love you, Max. I can’t believe you said so many words.’

  ‘Watch it; I still have to drive you around next week.’ He kisses the top of my head.

  ‘Come here,’ Luke says.

  Max releases me and clasps Luke in a manly hug. God, this is so difficult for them. I know Paul is here in spirit; he walks with them both daily.

  ‘Kate, Luke, they’re ready for you to cut your cake.’ Livy interrupts our moment with Max.

  Luke and I stand next to the cake posing for pictures. He laughs.

  ‘How appropriate.’

  ‘Did you not see it when you first walked in?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘I emailed the hotel a picture… I’m amazed they got it right.’ It’s a white chocolate cake in the shape of a box, tied with a black sash and double bow with an edible label attached, inscribed: eat me.

  The music plays, once again Usher’s ‘Scream’ – it’s our cue to hit the dance floor. Luke wraps his arms tightly around me as we dance slowly. I link my arms around his neck and kiss him cheekily, which pleases our guests, who cheer.

  ‘So are you going to make me scream?’

  ‘Yes – Mrs Sutton, every night.’ He spins me around the dance floor. ‘Have you enjoyed your day?’

  ‘More than words can describe.’ I finger my ring. ‘Holy shit – Luke, we’re married. It only feels like yesterday you asked me, and now I’m officially your wife!’

  After a few turns, the string quartet up the tempo of our song, enticing everyone to join us. I could burst, I’m so happy.

  It’s my time to party with the pack: my Louboutins rest in the corner, my husband is relaxing with our family and friends, I have taken off my veil. Roller Girl has arrived – all that remains is to dance the night away, barefoot.

  The dance floor is relatively small and instantly fills up, but I have a plan, one I have been thinking about for some time. I drag Max to join me. As he twirls me around, I take him over to my single Harper Jones colleague, Valerie. Max and Valerie – burly meets soft and gentle. They would be a perfect combination.

  My next victim is my sister. We take hold of each other and spin joyfully. I pull her to my chest, holding her close.

  ‘Love you, Harriet Harper.’

  ‘You too, Kate Harper.’

  What? I blink hard. The room slows to a second-by-second frame. I can hear the music, but I remain motionless. I can’t breathe. My eyes fix to the doorway and the silhouette standing there. ‘Ivor!’

  ‘What?’ Harry looks at me.

  ‘Ivor!’ I yell as I run towards the doors, hitching my dress up. My feet move fast as I search for him. All I can hear is Harry calling my name, and then Luke.

  Ivor – I know he’s here… I arrive barefoot in the hotel lobby. Still no sign of him. I move outside and run up and down the garden – nothing. He’s here, my gut instinct tells me he’s here. I return to the foyer, panting. People are staring at me; as I literally resemble the runaway bride. I rush past the reception desk and head towards the jetty.

  ‘KATE… KATE!’ I can hear Luke calling me.

  My mind fills with fear – not fear of Ivor, but fear that he has disappeared from my life again.

  I stop at the edge of the water. Darkness is everywhere, except for the lights twinkling in the distan
ce.

  ‘KATE… KATE!’

  I turn as Luke runs towards me.

  ‘Kate.’

  I try to speak, but I can’t quite catch my breath. ‘I saw him. Ivor was here.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘It was him… I know it was.’

  ‘Baby, it has been a long day.’

  I look into his eyes. ‘Don’t stand there and tell me I didn’t see him – I did.’

  He pulls me to his chest. ‘Shh…’

  I hear footsteps behind us.

  ‘Sutton.’ James and Scott both arrive at the scene.

  ‘Kate said she saw Ivor. If he is here, I want to find out where the hell he is.’

  I look up. ‘He is here. I know I saw him.’ I move away from his arms. ‘I want to go to our room.’

  ‘I’ll come with you.’

  ‘I can go on my own.’ My voice trembles.

  ‘This is not up for discussion – if you saw Ivor, then I need to be with you.’

  ‘I did see him.’ I barge past all the men and make my way to the lift.

  Luke joins me. He lifts my left hand and kisses my wedding ring, igniting my love for him and the safety he gives me.

  Luke opens the door to our suite. He watches me closely.

  ‘I need to freshen up.’

  ‘OK.’

  I head towards our bedroom and stop in my tracks. ‘Luke!’

  He arrives at my side. ‘What’s wrong?’

  I point to the bed. ‘Did you put that white rose on the pillow?’

  He shakes his head. ‘I haven’t been back to our room since this morning.’

  ‘He’s been in here.’

  ‘What? Kate, you’re not making any sense.’

  ‘Ivor’s been in our room.’ I move towards the closet and collect a couple of items. The first is a photograph of Katenka and Ivor on their wedding day. I pass it to Luke.

  ‘Look at Katenka – look at what she’s holding.’

  ‘A single white rose… Kate, the hotel staff may have put it here.’

  ‘I don’t think so.’ I pass him the other item in my hand – the letter from Charles Morley. ‘It was Ivor – I know it was.’