The Wedding Dress

by Mary O'Donnell

  Annie smiled as she saw Ian talking to Wally on the far side of the tent. He seemed to be describing some situation in great detail, using his hands to demonstrate something she couldn’t quite make out. Wally was listening, chin in his hand, as if working on solving the problem Ian was laying out. Annie knew that Wally often worked for Ian, making home repairs and sometimes taking on the job of remodeling certain areas of Ian’s house, and surmised it probably had something to do with that.

  Seeing Wally, Annie knew that Peggy wouldn’t be far away. Sure enough, Peggy breezed in behind her, almost breathless with news. “Did you girls hear the latest? Tony Palmer is engaged! Gwen didn’t say a word, but I was talking to Meredith just now while we were watching the kids play badminton, and she told me that he brought a girl home—from Ireland no less.”

  Alice spoke, “You’re a little behind the curve this time, Peggy. Tony’s fiancée is staying at Grey Gables with Annie.”

  “Seriously?” said Peggy. “Meredith didn’t mention that. She just said that her mother was not a happy camper. I guess Tony and his dad are in the house right now, having a deep discussion in John’s study. Meredith says they’ve been in there since after lunch.”

  “I wondered why Tony wasn’t out to meet us,” said Annie. She explained that she, Alice, and Dervla had walked over from Grey Gables.

  “Dervla? What kind of name is that?” asked Peggy.

  “It’s Irish,” said Alice. “She said it means ‘daughter of a poet.’”

  “I thought the Irish speak English like we do,” said Peggy.

  “They do,” said Annie, “but the original tongue of Ireland is Irish Gaelic, or I guess they would just say ‘Gaelic.’ I think it’s taught alongside English in school.”

  “Well, whatever her name is, it’s got the Palmer family in a tizzy. Where is she, by the way?” asked Peggy.

  “She’s over there with Vanessa, who is giving her the third degree about Ireland,” said Kate. “Honestly, this is the first time I’ve heard anything about her wanting to take a trip to Ireland. I wonder how long she and Mackenzie have been plotting that! It’s a good thing they won’t be graduating for a couple of years yet. Perhaps that plan will die a natural death.”

  “Wow, she’s gorgeous!” Peggy exclaimed. “It’s no wonder she turned Tony’s head.”

  Annie wanted to try to turn the conversation to a different topic. She’d only known Dervla since that morning, but in a short time she’d come to feel very protective of her. She was beginning to understand how Tony had formed an attachment so quickly. There was something special about the girl. Looking around for inspiration, she was a bit surprised to see that Stella had come to the party and was sitting at one of the tables talking to Reverend Wallace and his wife. Annie knew that Stella wouldn’t tolerate any nonsense, and she thought the presence of the pastor might inhibit a discussion about Dervla and Tony.

  “Look,” Annie said, “there’s Stella. We should go say hello.”

  “I wonder if she knows about Tony,” said Peggy.

  Annie just stopped herself from rolling her eyes. Peggy was a good friend, and was a lot of fun, but her penchant for gossip could sometimes go beyond the pale.

  “Maybe we should just wait to see if Tony makes an announcement before we spread the news any further,” said Annie.

  “But it wouldn’t be fair if we all know, and Stella doesn’t,” said Peggy. Just noticing who Stella was seated across from, she added, “… but maybe you’re right. Stella might not want to hear about it, unofficially, that is.”

  As the group made their way to greet Stella, Annie glanced over in the direction of the house and saw Tony and his father coming toward the tent. Neither looked especially happy. John joined Gwen’s group, but Tony walked past them, wordless, having seen Dervla on the other side of the marquee.

  After saying hello to John, Mary Beth excused herself and came over to join the Hook and Needle Club ladies as they all seated themselves near Stella. Gwen, John, George, and Sandra seemed to draw nearer together, their heads bent in close to one another, almost like a huddle in a football game.

  Annie was surreptitiously watching Tony. When he reached Dervla, he took her hand in his, and as she looked up into his face her smile became warmer, her eyes brighter. Yes, thought Annie, she does love him. There was no mistaking the look. She wished that Tony’s family had been watching, but they were still in their huddle.

  Then Annie noticed a blond woman who was also observing the scene. Annie felt like she was seeing a carbon copy of Gwen, only this woman was about twenty-five years younger and a bit more contemporary in her choice of clothing than Gwen. It had to be Meredith.

  Annie watched her make her way toward Tony and Dervla. With his arm loosely slung around Dervla’s shoulders, Tony was speaking to Vanessa; he looked up when his sister approached. His eyes looked uncertain, until Meredith said something and reached out her hand to shake Dervla’s. Now both Tony and Dervla were smiling, and it did Annie’s heart good to see that someone in Tony’s family was welcoming Dervla.

  Shortly, a man surrounded by four young children, including Peggy’s daughter, Emily, entered the tent. There was a boy who looked to be about Emily’s age, and two older girls. Annie felt certain that this must be Meredith’s husband, Frank, and their children. This was confirmed when he made his way to stand next to his wife and proceeded to introduce himself and the children to Dervla.

  Annie wasn’t aware how much the others had seen, but Alice was the first to speak up, “There’s Tony with Dervla now—and Frank and Meredith too.”

  Peggy didn’t waste a moment. “Looks like the kids finished their game. I should go see about Emily and introduce myself to Tony’s fiancée.” With that, she got up from her seat and went to pry Wally away from Ian so that he could join her.

  “What did she say?” asked Stella.

  “I think she said she was going to go meet Tony’s fiancée,” replied Mary Beth with a quizzical look on her face. “When did this happen? I was just talking to Gwen, and she didn’t mention anything about a fiancée.”

  “We’ll fill you in, in just a moment,” said Alice. “I think that Tony might be getting ready to make an announcement.”

  It did appear that Tony and Dervla were making their way toward the area where the sound system was located. Once there, Tony turned on the microphone, cleared his throat and began to speak, “I want to thank you all for coming out this afternoon. Sorry I wasn’t out here to greet all of you when you arrived, but I’m glad to see you and appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedules to be here today.

  “I’ve had my nose to the grindstone now for six years—finishing up my bachelor’s and now my MBA. I want to thank my parents for their financial assistance and moral support all this time. It was their idea that I should take a long vacation to celebrate the completion of that phase of my life. I expected the trip to be an ending, a capstone to my life as a student, but fate would have it that it turned out to be a new beginning instead.” Putting his arm around Dervla, he said, “My first week in Ireland, I met someone very special. We spent a lot of time together talking about our views on life, and what we want to achieve. When it was time to come home, I couldn’t imagine life without her, so I asked her to marry me. Please welcome my future wife, Dervla O’Keefe.”

  7

  The rest of the afternoon went past in a blur. The crowd had erupted in spontaneous applause when Tony made his announcement. Friends and neighbors lined up to wish the young couple well. It was, of course, a complete surprise to almost everyone, and there were murmurs about the short time that the two had known each other before becoming engaged, but the general tone was that of a celebration.

  Many of the guests went to Tony’s parents to congratulate them on the good news that their son was engaged. Annie thought that Gwen and John’s expressions looked strained, but they rose to the occasion and graciously accepted the goodwill that came their way. Although Annie never d
id see Gwen approach the young couple that afternoon, John, George, and Sandra were cordial when they were finally introduced to Dervla, but not especially warm. It was a strange and awkward situation amidst the otherwise merry occasion.

  Meredith and Frank were the exceptions in the family. Meredith in particular seemed to be doing everything she could to make Dervla feel like one of the family, and Frank kept an eye on the children so that his wife could help Tony with introductions. When Annie met Tony’s sister and her husband, she found them to be exceptionally friendly and outgoing. Frank Campbell was a Southerner like Annie, and they jokingly compared accents. George and Sandra were friendly to Annie as well, but they were by nature, she thought, more reserved.

  The party had been slated for two to four o’clock, but it was nearly five before the crowd really began to disperse. Stella was the first of the Hook and Needle Club members to leave, as she had instructed her driver, Jason, to pick her up at four. In typical Stella fashion, rather than standing in the queue that had formed, she walked to the front of the line to speak to Tony and Dervla before she left.

  Annie had wondered if Stella would rake Tony over the coals, but instead, when it was her turn to congratulate the couple, she surprised the other ladies by complimenting Tony on his choice of a bride. She did mention to him that now he should stop roaming around and get to work. He took her advice with a smile and said, “That’s just what I intend to do, Mrs. Brickson.”

  Ian was one of the last to offer his congratulations. The catering team, which had also provided the marquee, the tables and chairs, and the sound system, had begun the task of clean-up, and the crowd had thinned out considerably. Annie had noticed Ian throughout the afternoon, moving from group to group, charming the older ladies, chatting about sports with the men, and listening patiently as several young mothers discussed their concerns about calming traffic around the school for the upcoming school year. She even saw him kiss a baby. And it wasn’t even re-election time.

  After Ian had congratulated Tony and Dervla, he walked over to say hello to Annie and Alice; the rest of the Hook and Needle Club members had already left the party. Alice returned his greeting, and then smiling slyly, said that she just realized that she was “dying of thirst,” and would they please excuse her so that she could get a drink before it was cleared away. Annie and Ian exchanged glances, but said nothing about her obvious intention to leave them alone together.

  “So,” asked Ian, “is Andrew stopping by Grey Gables next week?”

  “Yes, I think so,” answered Annie. “That’s how we left it after lunch at Maplehurst. We arranged for Monday, but didn’t set a time. I haven’t heard from him yet, so I’m not sure exactly when he’s coming over.”

  “If you’d like me to be there too, just let me know,” said Ian.

  “I don’t think there’s any need for that, but thanks for offering,” said Annie.

  Ian hesitated and then said, “I understand that Dervla is staying with you at Grey Gables. It was really nice of you to open your home to her.”

  “It’s no problem. Gwen has a houseful, and I have all that extra room. Besides, Dervla is delightful. I’m glad to have her company.”

  “If I’m not mistaken, there’s more to it than just the issue of space. I’ve known Gwen and John long enough to recognize when they are not entirely pleased with a situation,” said Ian.

  “I think it was just that they were unprepared,” said Annie diplomatically. “I’m sure that when they get to know Dervla, they’ll accept her and be happy for Tony.”

  “Maybe,” said Ian. “Sometimes we Mainers can be stubborn.” Changing the subject, Ian said, “Would you like to do something this evening? We could catch a movie, or just grab a bite to eat at The Cup & Saucer.”

  “Thanks Ian—perhaps another time. It’s been an eventful day, and I’m planning to make an early night of it.”

  “Of course I’m disappointed, but I understand,” said Ian with good humor. “Just promise me we’ll set up something soon—maybe we could go out to dinner one evening—something a little fancier than The Cup & Saucer.”

  “That’s a promise I’ll be glad to make,” said Annie. “I enjoyed our lunch the other day. I didn’t realize you knew so much about art and history. I saw a whole new side of you, Mr. Mayor. You just keep surprising me.”

  Ian smiled at her praise. “I won’t forget that you’ve promised. I’ll be giving you a call.”

  After Ian left, Alice returned to her side and Annie said, “‘Dying of thirst’ … that was pretty transparent, don’t you think.” It wasn’t a question.

  Alice’s face was all innocence. “I don’t know what you mean. I was rather thirsty.” And then she asked, “Didn’t he ask you to go out this evening?”

  “As a matter of fact, he did, but I turned him down. I’m tired. It must be this heat.”

  Alice rolled her eyes. “Annie, what am I going to do with you? He likes you, and if I’m not mistaken, you like him. Stop putting up roadblocks.”

  “I’m not ‘putting up roadblocks.’ It has been a long day. Besides, I did promise him that we’d go out sometime soon.”

  Alice sighed. “I guess that’s OK then.”

  “I’m glad it meets with your approval,” Annie said with a hint of sarcasm. “Let’s go tell Dervla that we’re heading home.”

  When they went to say goodbye to Tony and Dervla, Tony said that he would bring Dervla over to Grey Gables later. He explained that the two of them were shortly heading up to Boothbay Harbor to attend evening mass at the Catholic Church, so that they could attend the Stony Point Community Church service with the rest of the family on Sunday morning. It hadn’t occurred to Annie that Dervla might be Catholic; she hoped it wouldn’t be another issue of contention for Gwendolyn.

  As Annie and Alice walked toward home, they observed that very few cars remained along Ocean Drive. They were glad it was such a short walk from Wedgewood to Grey Gables and the carriage house. While it was still quite hot out, they could take their time and enjoy the sights and sounds of the ocean in a way that just wasn’t possible when one was traveling by car.

  Annie had given an extra key to Grey Gables to Dervla, so that she could come and go as she pleased. It was a good thing. Annie really did feel exhausted after all the events of the day. After taking a brief shower to cool off, she put on a lightweight caftan and curled up on the sofa to read a new mystery she’d checked out of the library. It was an exciting story, complete with a Victorian heroine and Egyptian mummies, but it wasn’t long before she began to doze.

  She awoke with a start and realized that the sun had set while she had been asleep. She got up and went to the kitchen to fix herself a cup of chamomile tea and snacked on a small bowl of trail mix while she waited for the water to heat up. Boots wandered in wanting attention and a treat, which Annie gave unstintingly. Then she took her book and cup of tea up to bed and read until her eyes were too tired to continue. She turned off the light and fell asleep. She only vaguely remembered hearing Dervla climbing the stairs.

  * * * *

  Sunday morning started out much warmer and muggier than normal, and it was predicted that by the afternoon the temperature would soar into the low 90s. Grey Gables wasn’t equipped with air conditioning, but the air quality tended to be slightly better inside than out.

  Tony had come by very early to pick up Dervla, so that she could have breakfast with the family before going to church. He was dressed in a light gray suit and tie; she looked charming in a knee-length, empire-waist dress with cap sleeves made with a sage green print. Annie was pleased to see them dressed up for church. The custom of wearing your “Sunday best” seemed to have gone by the wayside in recent years, though it had never gone out of fashion for her.

  Because of the heat, Annie dressed as lightly as she could for church that morning. She wore a short-sleeved dress with a wide waistband, made from a cotton blend in a dark blue floral print with a white background, and wore matching dar
k blue shoes with low heels. She smoothed back her hair into a chignon and put on a pair of blue-and-white–porcelain drop earrings.

  Shortly before the service was to begin, Annie drove her car into the church parking lot and parked in a space under the tall, leafy trees that provided shade all around the edge of it. She always derived a sense of serenity from the sight of the white-clapboard–sided church building. It was located within walking distance from Main Street, but the property was surrounded by a curtain of tall pine trees that provided a green backdrop in every season and served to separate the Sunday morning observance of creed and ritual from the workaday area of commerce.

  The front doors were open, and as she walked up the steps with others who were also just arriving, she could hear the sound of the organist playing a familiar hymn. Once inside, she saw that the entire Palmer family, including Dervla, was already seated in a couple of pews on the left near the front. Mary Beth was sitting alone on the opposite side, nearer the back, so Annie slipped into the pew next to her, and they exchanged a few words about the upcoming Hook and Needle Club meeting that week.

  “I have an idea for a new project for the group,” whispered Mary Beth, “but there’s not enough time right now; we can talk about it when the service is over.”

  Just as Mary Beth said “over,” the organist began playing the notes of the opening hymn, and the worship hour began. Reverend Wallace gave a thoughtful sermon, as he always did. His text that day was from Ephesians 2:19, 20: “You are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.”