Ghost Diaries 1_Gigi's Guardian_Paranormal Romance

by Michele McGrath

  What a day! I’m still shaking. Things nearly went wrong. The last week flew past in a whirl of preparations, with everything being arranged in a tearing hurry.

  “Mom said the sooner we married the better, or I’d be having the baby in the Registry Office,” Gigi explained. She hasn’t been smiling much lately, so I enjoyed hearing her making a joke, even such a grim one.

  Bertha insisted that Gigi moved into her hotel, the week before the wedding. Gigi wanted to stay with her friends, but Bertha kept nagging and she eventually agreed. Bertha thinks the hostel is bleak and shabby. She wouldn’t have allowed her daughter to live there, if she had known about it. She was positively shocked when she visited Gigi's room. Gigi was too tired to argue any more, so she reluctantly packed her bags and moved out.

  Her mother has a suite at the hotel. She has a separate bedroom and sitting room and a bathroom to die for. The bathroom almost, but not quite, reconciled Gigi to the move. She’s spent a lot of time experimenting with the different lotions and cosmetics supplied for the guests. She’s been trying to take her mind off her troubles. Sometimes the treatment works.

  I’ve enjoyed myself too, once Bertha and Gigi fell asleep. Lying in fragrant, steaming water is soothing, even for me. I'm glad my senses still work. Actually, some of them are enhanced, but that is another story.

  Gigi woke up early this morning, totally depressed - a dreadful mood for a girl on her wedding day. She lay in bed looking at her wedding dress, hanging on the outside of the wardrobe to avoid creases. She wondered whether she would be able to get through the day with a smile on her face. Would she be able to act the part well enough? She became gloomier and gloomier by the minute. She welcomed the rustling sound which meant her mother was waking up. Gigi managed to eat breakfast without breaking down, but she was relieved when Bertha went out for her facial and hairdo. Adele was coming to do Gigi’s make-up later on. She had time for a last, luxurious bath.

  The moment I had been waiting for had come! Gigi walked towards the bathroom, carrying a cup of coffee. She was thinking so hard, she did not watch what she was doing. I looped the belt of her fluffy white bathrobe round the door handle, pulling her up short. The cup flew out of her hands, straight over her mother’s attaché case.

  “Oh damn,” Gigi exclaimed, as glanced down to find out what damage she’d done. I left the case cracked open and aimed the whole thing perfectly. I had practised the night before. Most of papers inside were covered in coffee.

  “Mom’s going to be so mad with me,” Gigi thought as she drew them out and laid them on the table. She fetched a towel and began to dry them off. She wasn’t thinking about what was written on the papers, until her own name caught her eye. She automatically looked closer; then she wished she hadn’t. She held the copy of her mother’s letter to James. I’d shuffled it into a more prominent position last night. Then, if my plan worked at all, she would be sure to find it.

  Gigi sat reading the words, unable to believe her eyes. She felt sick, as if she had just been punched in the stomach. She scrabbled through the other papers to see if she could find anything else. She found the bank book, which confirmed the letter. James had been forced into marrying her for money and to protect his career! Tears streamed down her face. She was furiously angry with James, with her mother, but most of all with herself. She'd been gullible enough to believe she might find a sort of happiness with him.

  No way on Earth could she go through with the marriage now, even for the sake of the baby. She did not care if she let her mother down. She had never agreed to sell herself for money. Gigi was shocked to realise the lengths that Bertha had been prepared to go. For the first time in her life, she realised Bertha did not always do the right thing, however good her intentions.

  Rat-a-tat! There was a sudden knock and Gigi jumped guiltily, thinking, for a moment, her mother had returned. Then she remembered Bertha had a key. She mopped her streaming face and answered the door.

  “Adele!”

  “Good Heavens, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!”

  “Come in here.” Gigi dragged her into the room and shut the door. “Read this.” She thrust the letter into Adele’s hands and watched her closely.

  “We should have expected something like this,” Adele said, when she had finished.

  “I’m a fool. I’d started to think we might be okay, after all.”

  “He loves your money, that’s for sure.”

  “I can’t marry him now.”

  “I’m glad you’ve come to your senses at last.”

  “I’ve never, ever gone through my mother’s papers before. Now, what do I do?” Gigi wailed.

  “Nothing. Leave the rest to me.”

  “What are you going to do?” Gigi’s voice shook.

  “I’ve got an idea. Go wash your face and put some war paint on. Here.” Adele thrust her make-up case into Gigi’s hands. “Do the best you can. Use concealer under your eyes. I’m going now. I’ll meet you outside the Registry Office. Be late. Don’t forget the bride’s supposed to be the last to arrive.”

  “You’re going to do something terrible, I can tell.”

  “I’m not. I’ll get you out of this mess, if I possibly can and I’ve got to go RIGHT NOW!”

  Adele gave Gigi a quick hug, sprinted out of the hotel and hailed a taxi. She’d never even ridden in one before. Ten minutes later, she was back in the hostel, searching for Finn's number. She rang and left an urgent message, asking him to contact her as soon as possible.

  “Mind you, if he doesn’t ring in the next few minutes, I'll have to go and find him,” Adele said. “You stay by the phone as long as you can. Then go to the Registry Office and try to delay the wedding. Faint, throw a fit, do something drastic.”

  “Do you think this will work?” Jane asked anxiously.

  “I'm not sure, but Bertha doesn’t know where Finn lives. He can get her out of the situation, if she’ll go with him, and I think she will. At the moment, she’d run away with Dracula if he asked her.”

  Jane gave a rather hysterical giggle.

  Adele ran down the stairs and was going through the door when Jane screamed, “Adele!” Adele stopped in her tracks. “Finn’s on the phone.”

  “Thank God!”

  Adele explained the situation to him as quickly as she could. “...whatever happens later, she shouldn’t marry James,” she concluded. “Her mother doesn’t know anything about you and neither does he. I think if you walked into the room, she’d go with you like a shot. Will you do it?”

  “Don’t worry, Adele, I’ll be there. Bless you for telling me.”

  The wedding was supposed to be at two o’clock. Adele and Jane got to the Registry Office by one thirty, both shaking visibly and trying hard to conceal their agitation. Bertha had sorted out all the legalities and booked a nearby restaurant for a small reception. There weren’t many guests. On Gigi’s side only her mother, Adele, Jane, Tommy, three people from work and her boss had been invited. James had asked his parents and some friends, but no one was certain whether they would be coming. His mother arrived in a feathery hat, looking uncomfortable and saying very little to anyone. She greeted James with a tiny peck on the cheek and explained his father couldn’t come because he had ’flu. James was rather pale. He arrived at a quarter to two with Rupert, one of his witnesses. James went in to talk to the Registrar. Anthony came a few minutes afterwards and apologised for Selina. She had a heavy cold and was devastated to miss all the excitement.

  “A diplomatic one, no doubt,” Adele remarked when she heard, thinking Gigi would be pleased, whatever happened next.

  Ivan smiled at me, but looked a bit anxious as he whispered, “Why did you leave things until the last minute?”

  “Wait and see,” I replied, more confidently than I felt. It was getting late. Thelma had promised me faithfully that Finn would come in time and I trusted her, didn’t I?

  “I told Gigi to arrive last,” Adele whispered to Jane. “S
he won't be able to dally around for too long, though, without her mother getting suspicious.” Adele is most impressed by Bertha.

  In the event, Gigi found it impossible to slow things up and she arrived right on the dot of two. She was sheet white, which is difficult with a coffee-coloured skin - more boiled milk than cafe au lait. Both bride and groom looked like ghosts, if you forgive the expression. Actually real ghosts are much healthier and happier. We’ve just had a bad press!

  James stepped forward and greeted her with a kiss but, when he tried to take her hand, she would not let him. She clutched her bouquet, as if it was a lifebelt and the ship was sinking.

  “Where’s Finn?” Jane hissed. “He’s going to be too late if he doesn’t arrive soon.”

  “He’s got to get through all the traffic. I’ll stay here and wait for him,” Adele said, worriedly. “Follow them inside and delay the proceedings somehow.”

  We walked down the stairs into the Registry Office. As we entered the room, Ivan left me and picked up a vase of flowers which was standing on a window sill.

  “What are you going to do with that?” I asked him.

  “Drop it. I suggest you find something else to smash. If we act like real ghosts for once, we might be able to frighten everyone enough to stop the whole thing.” Good idea but, fortunately, we didn’t need to put it into practice.

  As Maude told me later, Adele remained outside, anxiously watching the road. The whine of a speeding motorbike interrupted her thoughts. With a leap of her heart, she recognised Finn racing towards her. She didn’t spot Thelma, of course, but Maude did. She had perched up behind him, hugging him round the waist and laughing her head off. Her hair had come out of its bun and the wind had whipped glorious colour into her cheeks. She looked as if she had just discovered the love of her life. Finn skidded to a halt, tossed the bike onto the ground and jumped free.

  “Where are they?” he gasped.

  “They’ve gone inside. HURRY!”

  Adele pointed the way. Finn leaped down the stairs, several steps at once. Adele sprinted after him, arriving in time to see startled faces turning towards him as he crashed through the door.

  “Young man, what do you think you are doing?” the Registrar asked.

  Dirty, oily, totally unaware of his appearance, Finn completely ignored her. He had eyes for only one person. “Gigi,” he said to her, “come away with me now.”

  For a startled second, Gigi stood still. Then, with a sob, she flung her bouquet aside and ran straight into his arms. James started forward, but Finn held out a hand to stop him.

  “You don’t love her. You never did. I love her and she knows I do.”

  James stopped. He didn't know how to react and his face showed all the conflicting emotions raging through his mind. Bertha reached out towards Gigi, but Jane moved quicker. She twisted sharply and brushed Bertha aside.

  “Don’t marry anyone unless you truly love them,” she screamed into Gigi’s face. “Don’t do it. Get away now!”

  The tableau broke up. Without another word, Finn grabbed Gigi’s hand and ran out of the room. Thelma slammed the door behind them and the last thing Gigi heard was her mother’s angry voice. Adele and Jane jumped forward, stopping anyone from getting out. The rest of us helped too. Funny to see people shiver as they forced their way through us. By the time everyone reached the street, Finn and Gigi were specks in the distance. Adele and Jane did not wait for recriminations. They grabbed Tommy and left, shaking with triumph and relief.

  Thelma and I caught up with Finn and Gigi after a few miles. Gigi was trembling and Finn obviously felt her doing so, because he stopped the bike.

  “Are you okay?” he asked her.

  She raised her face to him, glowing with laughter not tears. “It was just like that scene from ‘The Graduate’!” she gasped, “except you didn’t use a cross. I told you I wanted a quiet wedding!”

  He laughed. “Aren’t you glad you didn’t have one? I can always take you back, if you want me to.”

  “Don’t you dare!”

  “What a wonderful day,” Thelma said. “No wedding and the ride of my life. I never tried a motorbike before. They're thrilling! Beats my umbrella hands down. I must get one.”

  16th July 1968, Tuesday evening, London.

  Everyone's been keeping a low profile, since the wedding-that-never-was. They don’t want Bertha to find them. Gigi wrote a letter to her mother. She apologised profusely and explained why she had changed her mind, in a round about way. Bertha hasn’t replied. Not surprising. She must be furious and with good reason. Even if she acted misguidedly, she went to a lot of trouble and Gigi threw the whole thing back in her face. Gigi eventually decided to pluck up her courage and visit her. She rang the hotel, to find out Bertha had flown back to Antigua the day after the wedding. Adele and Jane were relieved, but Gigi had a bad conscience. She’s written to her father and asked him to mediate. She’s always got on better with him. He hasn’t had time to reply yet, so she’s keeping her fingers crossed. She doesn’t want to be estranged from her mother for the rest of her life. I wouldn’t either. Bertha’s a bit overwhelming and sometimes wrong, but she loves Gigi. Gigi discovered the hard way how much she loves her in return. So some good has come out of the episode, if they can only patch things up.

  The girls were happy to be together again. Gigi hasn’t moved back into the hostel, but stayed with Finn. She came visiting this evening. She was chatting with Jane, when Adele burst into the room.

  “I’ve got the tickets!” Adele waved a slim envelope in the air.

  “Hooray!”

  “Paris first, then Istanbul and on to India.”

  “I bet you can’t wait.”

  “I can’t. It’s everything I’ve ever dreamed of.”

  “I didn’t realise that you had the money already.”

  “I didn’t want to tell anyone, in case something happened at the last minute to stop me. As soon as all the cash was in the bank, I drew it out. I ran round to the travel agents, before I could spend any of it. My boss is holding my job open for six months, as you said he would. I leave at the end of the month. Let’s celebrate. I saved a bit of money for these.” Adele produced a couple of bottles from her bag. “Only plonk, I’m afraid. The real thing’s too expensive, but the bubbles tickle just the same.”

  Gigi and Jane looked at each other.

  “Fetch the tooth glasses, Gigi,” Jane said. Jane started rummaging in her wardrobe and pulled out two soft parcels, tied up in brown paper and string. Gigi assembled the glasses and Adele poured the wine. They lifted their glasses high and clinked them together.

  “Bon voyage.”

  “Safe journey.”

  “Friendship.”

  After the toasts were drunk, Jane handed one of the parcels to Gigi and gave her own to Adele.

  “This is for you, Adele.”

  “What is it?”

  “A leaving present.” Jane was smiling.

  “You didn't need to buy me anything.”

  “Open it.”

  “Oh!”

  Adele pulled the string off the first parcel and a long piece of embroidered yellow silk slipped out onto the bed. “Oh, how lovely."

  “One of my patients is from Madras and she told me what to buy. I had fun finding the right sari for you. The colours were gorgeous and I took ages to decide. Gigi’s also got something for you.”

  “I hope you like this.” Gigi gave her the other parcel, which contained a tunic, trousers and scarf in a deep midnight blue.

  “They call this a shalwar kameez, but I’m not sure if that's the way to pronounce the words.”

  “They’re absolutely lovely.” Adele threw her arms round the others and hugged them.

  “Thank you. I never expected you to get me anything. I know how short of money you both are.”

  “We couldn’t let you go so far away, without something to remember us by.”

  “As if I’d forget you!”

  “When J
enab came into the ward, I told her you were going to India. I asked her what would be a good present to give you. I’d already made up a packet of medicines, but Gigi and I wanted to get you something personal. You don’t need to wear Indian clothes of course. Most Westerners don’t. People appreciate the gesture, though, especially if you’re visiting places like temples. The Beatles are into Indian stuff now - you’ll even be in fashion.”

  “Try them on,” Gigi begged.

  Adele put on the underskirt and blouse, which came with the sari. “The silk is lovely against my skin, so sensual.”

  “You must tie the strings tight or the skirt will fall down.”

  “Okay. The sari goes on like this.” Jane tucked the end of the material into the waistband of the underskirt. She wound the long piece of silk round Adele. Then she pleated it in the front and tucked that in as well. She passed the loose end over Adele’s shoulder, to hang down her back.

  “How does that feel?”

  “Okay, I think.” Adele turned round, peering at herself in the tiny mirror. “Who taught you to tie a sari?”

  “Jenab did. We practised with sheets,” Jane said with a giggle. “You should have seen us. The other patients laughed when I tripped and ended up in a heap on the floor. Walk round and make sure you don't come apart in public.”

  “Avoid the Highland Fling at all costs!”

  “I can safely promise you that won’t be a problem!” Adele walked forward rather awkwardly.

  “Push your feet along the ground. Jenab said Indian women sort of glide in a sari.”

  “I'm afraid everything’s going to come unravelled. This is definitely a change from mini-skirts.”

  “You can always use pins,” Gigi suggested, with a giggle.

  “Good idea. I’d be happier until I'm able to manage this thing properly.”

  “You look splendid, though,” Gigi said. “You’re the right shape for a sari, tall and slim.”

  “Your colouring is wrong, of course,” Jane remarked, surveying her handiwork critically. “Not many blonds live in India, but you're happy and sunny. The colour suits you.”