He chuckled and sat across from her, looking up at the painting. "That is the Magnolia House I remember. Several generations of family lived there. We are quite proud of its legacy."
Hazel smiled. "As you should be."
She looked around at the pictures in the office. There were so many lining the wall, from the very old, where people were in what looked like period costumes, to the very modern.
"Go ahead, look around," Sir Felix said. "Over there is our Christmas wall. We've been taking group pictures for years now. This year it will include you and Sebastian."
He chuckled. "Somebody will believe that we time travelled. Look at this picture of Nick."
Hazel looked at it and sure enough, he looked very much like Sebastian did now. "Amazing," she whispered.
"Yes, I know," Sir Felix said, pushing his hands in his pockets and looking at her with a glint in his washed-out brown eyes. "What do you say we change Sebastian's name to Benedict?"
"What?" Hazel shook her head. "Why?"
"Because Nick is the last Benedict son. Most of these people here," he said, making a sweeping motion with his hand, "are not Benedicts."
"But..." Hazel looked at the pictures again, "they are your family."
"I know." Sir Felix walked to an old picture and pointed at it. "That's me and Burford with our parents. Burford died of pneumonia a few years back."
"I remember," Hazel said. "We attended the funeral with Patricia."
"Yes," Sir Felix nodded, "between us we had eight sons and four daughters."
He pointed to another family picture.
Hazel looked it over. She saw a younger Patricia and Helen. Helen's natural hair was curly like hers, and long. In the picture both girls looked like teenagers.
Sir Felix stabbed another picture with his index finger. Of the eight boys, he pointed to Eric, a younger version who looked very much like Nick.
"That’s Nick's father. He is the only one who managed to have a son. He had a girl too, but she died."
"I remember," Hazel said, feeling slightly weird.
"No other son managed to have a boy. Most of the businesses are run by people with other last names." He sighed. "Our legacy is dying."
Hazel shook her head slightly. Was he being sexist?
As if he read her thoughts Sir Felix looked at her and said vehemently, "No, I am not being one of those men who think that women are not able to function just as well as men in the business place. My granddaughters are spearheading some of the companies and I am happy for them…I don't love my grandsons more than my granddaughters.
"It’s just that when the girls get married and they are no longer Benedicts, they have children—boys too—but nobody is willing to append the Benedict to their name. My family will soon be no more."
"Sir Felix," Hazel said, alarmed at how abject the old man sounded. He even had a tear at the corner of his eye. "Sebastian's history is complicated. I can’t change his surname like that."
She realized that she hadn't even seen Sebastian's birth certificate. He must have one. She would corner Patricia and ask her about that tonight. And if she gave her the run-around she would ask Curtis to see it.
"What do you mean by complicated?" Sir Felix asked, picking up on her hesitation.
"It's a long story," Hazel sighed. "He was adopted by the Deckers when he was a baby."
"But they don't have him," Sir Felix said. "He's being raised by their youngest son, Curtis. Obviously they couldn't take care of the boy. We could fight that adoption in court and you could get him legally. We have a couple of judges in the family, you know."
"No, Sir Felix," Hazel said, backing away from the pictures. Fighting for Sebastian in courts was her plan, but now she was finding out that she might not want the true paternity of Sebastian to be leaked to everyone.
Maybe she should just let bygones be bygones. Facing a court battle now would be tantamount to letting her dirty laundry air to the world. Dirty laundry that she did not even remember.
What if Curtis lost interest in her after the whole sordid story got out? Maybe he had worked out his resentment toward her already, because he certainly seemed as if he wanted them to be a family. She couldn't jeopardize that.
To be honest, she wanted that too. Too many times over the last three weeks, especially when Curtis called to check up on both her and Sebastian she had found herself wishing that they were a family and that she wasn't just playing make-believe in her head.
"Well then," Sir Felix said, breaking into her thoughts. His shoulders had hunched over in a dejected slant. "If you don't want to agree with it, I can't fight it but maybe you could think about it."
Hazel nodded. She had thought about it already and she knew she wouldn't dare go through with a court battle. Not now.
*****
"What were you and the old man doing in the study for so long?" Brigid asked as soon as she walked out of the office.
"Were you watching the door?" Hazel asked.
"Yup and timing you." Brigid grinned. "You were in there for over thirty minutes!"
Hazel hugged her. "I have not seen you for close to a week and a half. The old man was discussing family stuff."
"Oh." Brigid shrugged. "He is concerned that his family name is dying out. He is hounding me and Nick to get married and produce boy babies to order. I don't mind the marrying part for now, though."
Hazel nodded. "He wants me to change Sebastian's name to Benedict."
Brigid chuckled. "That won't go over well with Curtis."
"No, I doubt it," Hazel said. "He told me once that if I had tried to take Sebastian from him I would have a fight on my hands. Enough about me; how've you been?"
Hazel looked at her sister thoroughly. Even half tired, Brigid was gorgeous. They were both in similar red dresses, a nod to the holidays but Brigid looked like she had lost some weight, lending an even sharper edge to her face.
"Exams were a beast. I did the last one yesterday." Brigid sighed and let her go. "I am looking forward to this holiday. Did you hear that Caity is going to elope? She said she was planning for a big wedding and then she decided that she couldn't bother so prepare to get a call any day now to attend a wedding."
"No!" Hazel gasped. "Well, she said something about a wedding a couple of weeks ago and I haven't heard anything since."
"Yup, she's serious about doing the no fuss wedding thing and I am thinking of doing the same thing. Life is stressful enough. I just want to go home to Nick in the evenings. I need to, I ache for him."
Brigid looked over at Nick and smiled dreamily. "Maybe we'll just go down to Sonia's hotel and tie the knot on the beach. I can see it now, barefoot, everybody in white."
"Early morning, so that a saxophonist can play Morning is Broken while you walk up the sand to your groom and some ethereal creature in white releases a dove while the sun’s golden rays rise across the sea."
Brigid laughed. "It was the opposite of your imagined church wedding with us in pastel shades while the organist plays Canon in D."
Hazel shrugged. "Yours always sounded much better and more romantic."
Brigid smiled as Nick headed for them. "I just might beat Caity to it."
"Two weddings in the space of a week." Hazel shook her head. "You guys are killing me."
"Who is getting married?" Nick asked, nuzzling Brigid's neck.
"We are," Brigid giggled.
Nick looked at her solemnly. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." Brigid nodded. "Very sure."
"You guys could do it at Lime Cay," Hazel volunteered. "It's gorgeous there."
"Yes," Nick nodded, "why not? Is tomorrow morning good for you, Brigid?"
"Yes," Brigid said, "tomorrow is fine."
"Wait." Hazel shook her head. "The day after—Curtis is flying in tomorrow morning. I'd like him to come."
"Do you think we should put off our wedding for Curtis Decker?" Brigid murmured to Nick.
"Hell no," Nick grumbled, "but if we are going to get
married for real I am going to have to tell Uncle Edgar anyway. He will be officiating. We have to tell the family and your friends so that they can join in. I think they'll need at least a day."
"And I need a dress," Brigid said, "and I'll have to invite Sonia."
Hazel laughed. "Are you two serious? I thought you were joking."
"Serious as a heart attack," Nick said. "And you know that is my specialty. I am going to announce it at dinner; this will be all the invitation the family will get. My friends will be told tonight and tomorrow."
Brigid nodded. "That's my guy. I'll do the same."
"You two will not have a boring life together," Hazel said, hugging the two of them. She looked around for Patricia and found her in a whispered conversation with one of her brothers.
"Hi Hazel." Patricia saw her hovering and smiled. "How are you, my darling?"
"I need to talk to you about Sebastian's birth certificate," Hazel whispered. "It's crazy how we never really talk about it; you always brush me off when I mention anything to do with it."
Patricia studied her for a moment and then relented. "I guess it's time we did talk about it. Where is Sebastian?"
"With Helen," Hazel said, "in her cottage. She is not ready to come over just yet."
"Well," Patricia pulled Hazel away from the increasingly crowded living room area and into what looked like a formal sitting room. "Have you remembered anything from that summer, Hazel?"
"Yes, just a little bit. I remember a party and a photo shoot."
Patricia sighed. "Then if you are remembering I shouldn't bother showing you the birth certificate."
"Am I on there?" Hazel asked, cutting through the usual speech. "Is the father on there?"
"Oh, for goodness sake," Patricia said in frustration. "Hazel, you do not have any idea what you did that summer, do you?"
"No," Hazel said mutinously, "but I have a right to see my son's birth certificate."
Patricia looked at her with a gleam in her eye. "Then ask Curtis. And let me tell you, as soon as you remember I have a cussing-out for you that is five years overdue."
Hazel hung her head. "Look, I am sorry."
"Save it," Patricia growled, " until you know what you are sorry for. You almost ruined a man's life with your shenanigans."
Hazel flinched.
"I have said too much already," Patricia said ruefully. "You'll soon remember it all; I am sure of it."
****
Sebastian could barely contain himself as they drove to the airport. "Are we there yet?" he asked every few minutes.
Hazel looked at him and grinned. "I think you are going to give me a complex, Sebastian. You sound like I have been torturing you these past couple of weeks."
"It’s just that I really, really miss my dad," he said, his little face scrunching up in consternation.
"That's okay," Hazel said, "I understand."
"Because you miss him too?"
Sebastian Matchmaker Decker, so innocent and yet so clear with his intentions. He wanted her and Curtis together. That much was screamingly obvious.
Hazel grinned. "Well, yes, I do miss him too."
"I like Grandma Helen," Sebastian said, changing the topic.
"Me too," Hazel said, "she's nice."
"When Daddy comes back can I still go to her place and paint pictures?"
"Sure," Hazel said, "I don't see why not."
"You and Daddy should live together," Sebastian reasoned, "like how Uncle Brent and Aunt Amy live together and Grandpa and Grandma live together and Grand-aunt Peggy and Grand-uncle David live together and..."
Hazel inhaled deeply; he wasn't going to stop. He was naming all the couples he knew in his young world. Sebastian was on a campaign to get her and Curtis under the same roof.
Hazel was happy when they reached the airport and they were standing in the arrival lounge. Curtis' flight was on time and he strode out to greet them, his bag thrown over his shoulders, walking confidently toward them. Theirs weren't the only eyes that were on him; people were actually turning to stare.
When Sebastian spotted him he ran to meet him joyously and Curtis scooped him up into the air and hugged him tightly. The missing had been mutual obviously. He walked right up to her and leaned down and kissed her, hard and brief.
"Hi." He smiled into her eyes. "You are a sight for sore eyes."
"You too." Hazel smiled. "So how was your flight?"
"Uneventful." Curtis followed her out of the airport and into the car, with Sebastian excitedly talking a mile a minute.
"And we went to a family dinner last night and Aunty Brigid is getting married and she wants me to release butterflies."
Curtis raised his eyebrow at Hazel. "Brigid is the sister who is doing medicine?"
"Yes."
"And she's marrying Nick?"
"That's right." Hazel smiled at him. She couldn't believe that he was here.
"Well, tell her congratulations from me," he said easing down into the car seat with a sigh.
"You are invited," Hazel said. "I suggested Lime Cay and they both agreed that it's a good idea. The wedding is tomorrow morning at sunrise."
Curtis looked at her. "Lime Cay?"
"Yes." Hazel nodded. "It’s a nice place."
"I know," Curtis groaned. "I know. Have you remembered anything else yet?"
"No." Hazel frowned. "Not at all."
"I am losing patience with your memory," Curtis murmured.
"Will it make a difference to us now?" Hazel waited breathlessly for his answer.
"Yes. It will." Curtis didn't look at her when he said that. He turned to Sebastian instead and allowed him to commandeer the conversation all the way back to Curtis' house.
And all the way Hazel had a panicky feeling that she was on the verge of losing something important.
Chapter Eighteen
Deja vu. Hazel was hit with it the minute she stepped on the Benedict, a large yacht belonging to Sir Felix.
Nick had gotten all his relatives and some friends to show up this morning. Everybody was dressed in white, as Brigid had requested, and most of them had woken up very early in the morning so that they could accommodate her.
On her way below deck to where the bride was in the master bedroom Hazel heard some grumbling about how chilly it was and why they had to go all the way across to Lime Cay when there was a decent enough beach at Port Royal.
Hazel chuckled, feeling slightly sleepy herself, yet exhilarated. There was just something about the still early morning air. The whisper of a cool breeze on your skin that felt bracing made you feel alive.
She headed to the room; Casey, Caitlin, and Marisol, Nick's mother, were already below deck. Sonia, Brigid's mother was there as well.
Caitlin blinked at her when she opened the door.
"Hi Haze."
"Hey," Hazel grinned, "why do you sound so..."
"Sleepy." Caitlin murmured, "because Brigid is a mad person. Who has their wedding at dawn on a small cay in the middle of the Caribbean sea?"
"Me!" Brigid said chirpily. "And because you love me, you and Casey and Sonia are going to stop grumbling about it. See, Marisol is not saying a word, and she is the mother of the groom."
"I am just too sleepy to grumble," Marisol said. She was applying makeup to Brigid's face.
Hazel sat on the bed. "I dare not lie down."
"Not you too," Brigid groaned. "Hazel, you are the only person on this entire boat that wakes up this early and loves it. We couldn't stand you for it back when we were younger."
"Well, not recently," Hazel said. "I have gotten lazy."
"Did Sebastian get the butterfly packets?" Brigid asked.
"Yes, he did. Curtis is with him and Nick and the other men in the main cabin."
"Who is your maid of honor?" Caitlin asked, looking in the mirror blearily.
"Casey," Brigid said, "not because I love her any more than the rest of you guys but Luca is Nick's best man so it just made sense since she is married t
o Luca."
"I feel so special," Casey said dryly.
Hazel laughed.
"And who is giving away the bride?" Sonia asked, straightening out her white outfit in front of the mirror.
"Patricia." Brigid opened her mouth to say more and then stopped. She didn't want to hurt Sonia with what she was thinking.
Marisol stepped back. "There you are, morning fresh and dewy, not that you needed anything much. You are a gorgeous girl." She hugged Brigid and stepped back. "See you on the shore, future daughter-in-law."
"Thanks Marisol." Brigid smiled and stood up and twirled in the mirror. Her halter top white dress just hit her at the ankles.
"You look gorgeous," Hazel and Caitlin said in unison.
"Yes, she does," Sonia echoed, tears at the corners of her eyes.
"Don't go crying and mess up your face," Brigid said, moving over to hug Sonia. Her voice was husky. "We are going to have some really gorgeous pictures."
*****
One end of the beach was transformed into a wedding scene that was filled with flowers and candles. There was a wedding arch that was made entirely of red roses and there were several chairs with red and white flowers. A catering crew was already at another end of the cay with chef hats on and the scent of food wafted on the air.
"How on earth did she do this at such short notice?" Caitlin asked Hazel in awe.
Patricia came up behind them. "Her name is Vern. I can give her your number, Caitlin."
"Yes. Oh yes," Caitlin whispered. "Definitely. If I don't elope, she'll be the one to call. There is Todd; excuse me a moment."
Hazel found Curtis and Sebastian a while later.
"The food tent is near your tree," Curtis said to her, pointing at the spot where they had first met.
"Yes, I see that." Hazel looked at him in the half morning light. He looked so good in white chinos and white shirt.
"How did you sleep last night?" Curtis asked, holding her chin and looking into her eyes. "Any memories come back yet?"
"No," Hazel murmured.
"Maybe you'll have some memories tonight." Curtis moved closer and brushed her hair from her cheek. "You look so innocent in white, like a bride."
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