Certainly Sensible

by Pamela Woods-Jackson

  Caroline looked around. “You’re right, it’s a nice room, but I don’t think it’s quite that big.” It had two full-size beds piled high with tastefully chosen green decorative pillows and coordinating pink duvets. The off-white dresser and nightstands each held a large onyx vase of freshly-cut pink roses, to coordinate with Misty’s chosen wedding colors of pink and black. What Caroline assumed was a genuine Monet hanging over a desk in one corner, and in the other corner stood a full-length swivel mirror framed in white. The bathroom next to the closet had a shower as well as a large soaking bathtub, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and a chandelier! The walk-in closet door was open, all racks empty, inviting the bridesmaids to hang their belongings.

  “Am I early?” Megan asked. “Sharlene said to be here at two for the hair and makeup people.”

  Caroline checked the time on her phone. “Right on time. I guess all the other girls are late. Probably too much celebrating last night.” Caroline got a pang in her stomach, remembering her glimpse of the wedding party at the rehearsal dinner and how excited Misty’s friends seemed to be.

  Megan rolled her eyes. “Maybe, but Richard and Misty…”

  “Stop, Megan. I don’t want to know.” Caroline went to the closet to hang Megan’s dress, opening the bag with her sister’s shoes and undergarments, and removing the earrings and matching necklace she was to wear, taking more time than necessary so she wouldn’t have to listen to Megan’s rendition of the previous evening one more time.

  “Hi, Megan.” Krystal walked into the room and threw her things on one of the beds.

  Caroline stuck her head out of the closet to see who had arrived. From what little Caroline knew of Krystal, aka Misty’s co-conspirator in the proposal entrapment, she didn’t like. Krystal was married but didn’t seem to have any more direction in life than Misty.

  The housemaid returned with Megan’s soda, opened it for her, and poured it into a crystal goblet.

  “Oh, good,” Krystal said to the maid, “as long as you’re here, I’ll have a Perrier, and I’m sure the other girls will want the same when they get here.”

  “Certainly, Mrs. McAlister.” The maid hurried out again.

  Krystal turned her attention to Caroline. “We met last summer. You’re Richard’s secretary, huh?”

  Caroline bit her lip. “Executive Assistant.”

  Krystal shrugged her indifference. “So I guess you know him pretty well?”

  Caroline thought about that. She almost blurted out that she knew Richard better than Krystal and any of these second cousins in the bridal party. She even thought she knew Richard better than Misty. But what she said was, “Yes, I’ve worked with him a couple of years now.”

  “Hmmm.” Krystal rummaged through her satchel. “Well, maybe you can explain why Richard seemed so, I don’t know, out of sorts last night.”

  “Um, maybe he had some business thing on his mind,” was all Caroline could come up with.

  Megan took a gulp of her soda. “It was really weird last night.”

  Krystal looked askance at Megan. “Weird how?”

  Megan shrugged. “I don’t know, just weird, because Richard and Misty don’t seem all that much in love and it wasn’t much of a party.” Caroline picked up her purse off the bed and looked for her car keys. “Can’t you stay awhile, Car?” Megan pleaded.

  Caroline didn’t know how much more of this wedding chit-chat she could take, but for Megan’s sake she hesitated. “Well, I…”

  “You can’t go, Caroline,” Megan whined. “There’s no way I can get into that dress and stuff by myself.”

  The look Megan gave Caroline said Please don’t leave me alone with her. Caroline glanced over at Krystal, who was ignoring both of them and texting. “Well, I guess for a little while, Megs, but then I need to go home and get dressed myself.”

  Caroline was definitely uncomfortable. Krystal certainly hadn’t made her feel welcome, and she couldn’t help Megan get into her bridesmaid dress until her hair and makeup were done. So she sat down quietly on the edge of the bed where Megan was sipping her diet soda. Megan offered her sister a sip and Caroline gladly took one.

  “Finally!” Krystal said, waving her phone in the air. “Only a half hour late.”

  Jessica, Natalie, and Sierra stormed into the room carrying their bridesmaids’ dresses and bags of accessories. They nodded to Megan, ignored Caroline, and wordlessly began claiming spots for their belongings in the closet and on the beds.

  Megan watched all this quiet busyness and whispered to Caroline, “Shouldn’t everyone be excited or something?” Caroline put her fingers to her lips and shook her head, so Megan asked them, “How was the bachelorette party last night?”

  “It never happened,” Krystal said, not looking at her.

  Jessica threw her handbag on a chair. “Boy, that made me mad! Hanging around Jazz Corner for over two hours waiting for Misty to show up, and she never did.”

  “We called her cell about a million times and sent dozens of texts,” Sierra added.

  Caroline was stunned. Misty never showed up for her own bachelorette party? And didn’t even bother letting the others know? Something was definitely up, and the tension in the room was palpable.

  “Do you think she and Richard had some kind of fight? Misty didn’t even stay for dinner,” Natalie said in a poorly-concealed whisper.

  “Richard’s got cold feet, that’s my guess,” Krystal said. “Because I know Misty’s determined to get married today, since her father…” she broke off, glancing over at Megan and Caroline.

  “…since her father what?” Caroline asked.

  “My lips are sealed.” Krystal did the fake zipping motion and pretended to throw away the invisible key.

  Yup, something’s really fishy about this wedding, Caroline thought.

  “Well, has anybody talked to Misty today?” Jessica asked.

  There was a chorus of not me from everyone, followed by another awkward silence. The door opened, and the maid came in again with the bottles of Perrier in an ice bucket, along with more crystal goblets. She began pouring the water.

  “Um, do you know if Miss Peterson is around?” Krystal asked the maid.

  “No, ma’am, she hasn’t been out of her room, but she did order a breakfast tray midmorning.”

  “Well, at least she’s still alive,” Sierra muttered.

  “When are the hair and makeup people supposed to be here?” Natalie stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror. “My hair’s a disaster, and it’s going to take hours on me alone.”

  “I believe they’ve just arrived, ma’am. I’ll show them up.”

  Caroline couldn’t have been more relieved. As soon as Megan was dressed, she was outta here. This whole thing was really odd. The bridesmaids mad at the bride? The groom with cold feet? The bride herself refusing to come out of her room? Yet the grounds were all set for an elaborate wedding. Caroline had no explanation for any of it.

  An hour later Krystal tossed her cell phone down on an end table. “Okay, I’ve had it. She won’t answer my texts.” In her bathrobe, with curlers in her hair, she strolled down the hall and banged loudly on Misty’s bedroom door. Caroline, Megan, and the other three bridesmaids listened and watched with eyes wide.

  “Misty, it’s me! Open up—we need to talk!”

  “I’m busy, Krystal!” Misty shouted through the door. “I’ll see you later.” The volume on the music in Misty’s room suddenly got louder, so Krystal tossed her hands up in disgust and went back down the hall to finish dressing.

  “Megs, I think I’ll be going,” Caroline said. She picked up her handbag and hurried out the door and out of the house.

  ****

  “Two hours until the wedding!” Sharlene surveyed the grounds with approval. Everything was beautifully decorated and the weather was clear and warm. The bar was stocked, and a bartender stood nearby, ready for early arrivals. Valets were stationed out front of the house in the circle drive, ready to park cars in th
e nearby church parking lot that had been rented for the occasion.

  Sharlene smiled at her accomplishments and started walking toward the house. She’d been wearing capris and a designer t-shirt all morning, and now she was drenched in sweat, certainly not an attractive look. It was time to take a bubble bath and get into the pale pink couture silk suit she’d spent days shopping for. She was on her way in through the back patio when she saw Daniel from a distance.

  She waved her arms in the air, signaling his attention. “Daniel, darling, I’m just about to go inside and get changed.”

  Daniel waved to her and headed toward the bar. “Daniel,” she called out again, but he either didn’t hear or was ignoring her. She shook her head, hoping her husband wouldn’t embarrass her on this of all days.

  She opened the slider and stepped into the refreshingly cool living area. There sat Adele in an overstuffed chair, two hours early. Sharlene braced herself.

  “Good afternoon, Grandmother.” Sharlene walked over and kissed her on the cheek, shuddering when she saw the deep lavender summer pantsuit and large red garden hat Adele was wearing. Sharlene tried to overlook her grandmother’s obvious eccentricities and smiled sweetly. “Are you feeling better today? You must have been dreadfully ill last night to leave so abruptly.” As Adele eyed her warily, Sharlene added in a less pleasant tone, “And please tell me you haven’t invited The Red Hat Society.”

  Adele sat up straight and faced her granddaughter. “I feel fine, thank you, dear. And, yes, two of my fellow Red Hatters will be here. This day’s going to be painful enough as it is, so I need my friends to bolster my spirits.”

  “Grandmother, surely you didn’t arbitrarily add people to the guest list!”

  Adele patted Sharlene’s hand. “I assured them you could squeeze them in.”

  Sharlene bit her tongue. She decided to just let it go and inform the caterer about the extra guests. She took a deep breath and tried again to be civil. “Why are you here so early, Grandmother?”

  “I need to speak to Richard. It’s too hot outside right now, so I’m waiting in the air conditioning until I see him.”

  Sharlene inhaled a calming breath. “Grandmother, please don’t put any undue stress on Richard. I know you don’t approve of this wedding, but he’s made his wishes clear.” She paused and nearly added more, but decided this day was too important to be spoiled with an argument.

  Adele gave her granddaughter a stern look. “No one ever kept me from speaking my mind before, so don’t you try now.”

  Sharlene shook her head. All the hard work and planning that had gone into this wedding and she had no intention of letting Grandmother’s opinions of the bride ruin everything, so Sharlene decided it would be prudent to head off Richard before Grandmother got her hooks in. She pulled out her phone to send him a text, but got distracted when she saw an incoming one from the reporter covering what he referred to as “this important society event.”

  She regained her composure and pointed to her phone. “Grandmother, it’s from The Indianapolis Star, and they’ll be here today to cover this wedding. So everything has to be perfect.”

  “Hrmph,” muttered Adele.

  Sharlene walked off, envisioning her picture in the Society section, her name captioned underneath, along with quotes about how hard she’d worked to make this a memorable day for her brother. Sharlene Meadows-Benedict, wife of Truitt Wellness Corporation’s CEO, sister of the groom. It had a nice ring to it.

  Richard walked in from the main entry at that moment. Sharlene stepped over, kissed Richard’s cheek, and planted herself between him and Adele. He was already dressed in his wedding tux, complete with a white boutonnière in his lapel.

  “Richard, dear, where have you been?” Adele asked, craning her neck around Sharlene.

  “What do you mean? I’m not late.” He pulled out his cell phone and checked the time display. “Actually I’m early.”

  “No, you’re late—almost too late. This is important, dear. Sit down here and listen to me. Sharlene, move.” Adele patted the oversized ottoman facing her. “You can still call off this wedding, you know.”

  “Grandmother!” Sharlene exclaimed, a lump rising to her throat as she nonetheless stepped aside.

  Richard sighed as he sat down. “Grandmother, I gave my word. I agreed to marry Misty, maybe in a weak moment, but it’s done, and one thing my mother taught me was to honor my commitments.”

  “See?” Sharlene said to Adele. “He’s going to do the honorable thing.”

  “Your mother was a fine woman,” Adele said, ignoring Sharlene, “but she died way too young. She had no way of knowing…” She sighed as she broke off.

  Richard took her hand between both of his. “Grandmother, I know you’re concerned, and I’ve been giving it some serious thought, I really have.”

  Sharlene tapped her foot. “Given what serious thought?”

  Richard waved his arms around. “All these preparations, gifts sent, food prepared, and the guests will be arriving soon. It’s too late to call it off.”

  Sharlene smiled to herself. Okay, so maybe Richard and Misty weren’t passionately in love like her and Daniel, but they were friends and could fall in love later. They had a whole lifetime ahead of them. As soon as this wedding was accomplished, that is.

  Adele shook her head. “It’s easier to call off a wedding than a marriage, Richard. You’re marrying the wrong woman.”

  Richard sighed. “We’ve already had this conversation, Grandmother.”

  “End of discussion,” Sharlene added.

  Adele withdrew her hand from Richard’s. “I’ve seen how you look at Caroline Benedict, Richard. That’s why I planned that little surprise dinner. Didn’t you see which woman you really want?”

  Sharlene’s jaw dropped. “What? You sent Richard on a date with another woman? Grandmother, really!”

  Richard rubbed his forehead, looking from Sharlene to Adele and back again. “Good cop, bad cop, huh?” He smiled, but it soon drained away. “I guess I need to speak to Misty. Do you know where she is?”

  “She hasn’t been out of her room today,” Sharlene said, chagrinned. “Bridezilla” didn’t begin to describe Misty’s behavior.

  “Well, if you put off the discussion any longer, you’ll be bound in wedded bliss to the wrong woman.” Adele stood and adjusted her hat. “Now please do the right thing and go speak with your fiancée.”

  Richard nodded thoughtfully as he stood. “If you’ll excuse me, Grandmother.”

  He walked out of the room, up the stairs to Misty’s closed bedroom door, and knocked. “Misty? Misty, it’s Richard. Can you open the door?”

  Sharlene stepped to the bottom of the stairwell and stared up at her brother. “Well? Any luck?” she called.

  Richard shook his head and knocked again, shouting louder this time. “Misty, turn down that music and at least talk to me through the door.”

  Sharlene went all the way up the stairs. “Misty, dear, your fiancé is concerned about you.”

  “Fine,” Misty called from her side of the door. “Okay, I’m here but I’m not opening the door. What do you want?” she snapped.

  Sharlene was a bit surprised at Misty’s tone, but hoped it was just wedding jitters. “Misty, I know it’s bad luck to see the groom before the wedding, but may I come in?”

  “No!” Misty shouted.

  She and Richard heard muffled whispers, and they exchanged puzzled glances. Then the volume on the music increased to a deafening level. “I can’t hear you. Go downstairs and let me finish getting ready.”

  Richard stared at the door and hesitated a minute, letting go of the knob. He turned to Sharlene, opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and ran down the stairs and out to the lawn.

  ****

  The doorbell rang, and Susan went to answer it. It was Patrick, carrying his coat and smiling as he tugged at his collar to loosen the tie. Susan invited him in.

  “Whew! It’s a scorcher out there
.” He looked at her with approval. “You look gorgeous!”

  Susan blushed. She had on a blue flowered sundress with a matching solid-colored shrug and low-heeled white sandals. “Everyone’s about ready.”

  “How’s Caroline doing?” Patrick asked.

  “Not too well,” Susan said. “This is hard on her. Anyway, Emily and Sara are here from Chicago, so hopefully we have enough troops rallied around her.” Patrick gave a low whistle, and Susan turned to look as Allie walked into the room.

  Allie had chosen a crisp pale yellow linen pantsuit with black strappy sandals, the spike heels adding to her already statuesque height. Her dark hair was pulled back with an elegant clip, tiny diamond stud earrings shone brightly, and she was carrying a small black clutch bag.

  “Wow!” Patrick exclaimed.

  “Do you think Brandon will like it?” Allie asked, turning around to display the entire effect.

  “What man in his right mind wouldn’t?” Patrick grinned broadly. “The bride had better watch out.” There was a knock on the door, and Brandon let himself in. Patrick elbowed him. “Are your ears burning, old man?”

  “What?” Brandon asked, and then he saw Allie.

  “Kind of takes your breath away, huh, Phillips?”

  Emily and Sara walked into the family room from the kitchen. Sara was dressed in her usual dark blue, conservative business suit, and Emily had chosen a sleeveless little black dress, understated in its simplicity. They looked at Allie and gasped.

  “Who’s the star of the show today—you or Misty?” Emily joked.

  “Is it too much? I can change.”

  “Don’t you dare,” Susan said.

  “And Emily,” Allie said, looking chagrinned, “I owe you an apology. For last month. You, too, Sara.”

  Emily folded Allie into a bear hug. “You owe us no such thing. You didn’t get sick on purpose.”

  “But I used visiting Brittany as an excuse to go see Mark, and then I moped for days, all while getting sicker and sicker. I should have spoken up sooner.”

  Emily released Allie from the hug. “We’re both just glad you’re okay now. Did you talk to Brittany?”