by Ju Ephraime
She’d become worried when her mom and dad called to inform her Daphne had been missing for five hours. She didn’t tell about her role in the entire thing. She’d put down the phone feeling terrible because she knew something was terribly wrong. She realized then it wasn’t just a scare tactic, as Lena had told her. Her biggest problem was she didn’t know how to tell Wolfe because she was scared out of her wits. When she told her husband, he insisted that she tell Wolfe and offered to go along with her for support.
Wolfe was so upset by Cecilia’s role in Daphne’s kidnapping that he couldn’t even look at her. He wanted to do some physical damage to her, but he had to remember she was his sister, and they were no longer children who could resort to a physical brawl.
“Tell me one thing, Cecilia,” he asked. “What did you hope to accomplish by assisting Lena in trying to harm Daphne?”
“I didn’t think she would harm her!” Cecilia said. “But I thought you’d see she didn’t suit you and either resume your relationship with Lena or find a local girl to be your wife.”
Wolfe walked up to his sister and, without raising his voice, making it all the more effective, told her, “You want to tell me whom I should take as my wife? Has it ever occurred to you that there would be no wedding if there were no Daphne? I don’t need you meddling in my life.”
“I thought I was doing what’s best for you. I love you, Wolfe, and didn’t think you’d be happy with Daphne.”
“From now on, you stay away from Daphne. I don’t want you anywhere near her. And, should I find out you had a bigger role in her kidnapping than you have admitted to, I’ll see to it that the authorities give to you the same sentence they’ll be giving to Lena and her accomplice. You know the old saying...Sans un complice il n’ya pas de voleur. Without an accomplice, there is no thief. Leave now, while I am still able to control myself.”
T wenty-eight
Dawn was already breaking over the horizon by the time the authorities had gathered all the information they needed from Daphne and Wolfe. His dad and his brother went home, and they were finally alone.
Daphne was exhausted. She wanted to sleep but wouldn’t go to bed without Wolfe there with her. The experience had shaken her more than she wanted him to know. When she thought back to her first glimpse of the ocean at the docks, knowing she couldn’t swim, she almost had an accident on herself. She didn’t tell Wolfe or anyone else the level of fear she’d experienced. She began to tremble just reliving the moment.
Wolfe walked into the bedroom just as the shaking had taken ahold of Daphne. She was shaking so hard the bed was vibrating and her teeth were chattering.
He brought her into the fold of his body, as he slipped into bed. “Qu'Est-ce que c'est? Parle-moi, chérie? What is it? Talk to me, darling.”
He began to rock her like a baby until the shaking stopped. He knew it was shock, but he didn’t want to leave her to get her a shot of cognac, which he knew would settle her. He waited until he sensed she had quieted down and then he eased out of the bed and returned with a glass of cognac.
“Drink this. It will warm you up inside.”
“What is it?”
“Just drink it; it will make you feel better.”
“I’m feeling better already. Just stay with me.”
“I am right here. Would you prefer I warm you up myself?”
“I just want to be held. I don’t know if I’ll feel safe, ever again.”
“You are safe, Daphne. This was a deranged woman. I will take care of her and remove the threat. Unfortunately, I can’t do anything about my sister unless the authorities find her guilty. I don’t know why she sees you as a threat, imagined or otherwise. I will have a long talk with her at my parents’ home. Speaking of which, we will have to replace her as your Maid of Honor; I don’t think she deserves that position.”
“Actually, I’ve offered the position to Gayle, and she is juggling things around to make it possible for her to get here sooner than we had previously planned. I was going to tell you she’d be coming sooner than we were expecting her, but she’d not committed to coming definitely yet.”
“When did you ask her?”
“I asked her a couple days ago after the incident at the bachelorette party. I was feeling sorry for myself, and Gayle is usually able to cheer me up. It’s a bit difficult for her financially now that Robert, her husband, is unemployed.”
She didn’t tell him she had offered to pay for the trip, but Gayle was having none of it.
“Gayle wanted Robert to accompany her, and that meant a more expensive undertaking than it would be if she was making the trip alone. She has to arrange for the kids to go to her parents’ home for the time she and Robert will be away. Don’t forget she had to find temporary help to fill in for her because there’ll be no one to handle her job if she is not there. You do understand, don’t you, darling?” she asked.
Knowing what it was like to be a couple, Daphne understood perfectly and did not want to pressure Gayle into making the trip if it was not possible. Her offer to pay for the trip was there, if she needed it, but the final decision was Gayle’s.
Although she would dearly love to see her friend and have her visit with her for a while, she would certainly understand given the circumstances. She did not let Wolfe know that she was so looking forward to spending time with Gayle because he might misinterpret her action as loneliness.
“If it turned out that Gayle couldn’t make the trip, I would make do without a Maid of Honor,” Daphne responded. “I could always eliminate the role from my party.”
“I am for whatever makes you happy,” he said.
He let out a big breath. He didn’t want her to know he was nervous about her calling the wedding off because of these two incidents. He sure wouldn’t blame her. His sister’s role in the entire thing was unacceptable.
He didn’t want Daphne to be constantly looking over her shoulder, but he needed her to be careful and question everything. It was also important that she blend in. He didn’t want her to feel like an outsider, which is why he’d been so pleased when Cecelia had offered to be her Maid of Honor.
It was the eve of their wedding, and Wolfe was ecstatic to see Daphne appeared to have recovered from the kidnapping ordeal and hadn’t postponed or delayed their wedding. Everything was on schedule, and they were set to become man and wife in less than twenty-four hours.
On the eve of her wedding, Daphne found out she was going to be driven to the church in a horse-drawn carriage. This was Wolfe’s mom’s big surprise for her. She was beginning to realize that Wolfe’s mom was a very dramatic individual. The carriage was nice, but when it came to releasing a dozen white doves as they left the church as man and wife, both Wolfe and Daphne were shocked. This was going a bit too far, but his mom would not be dissuaded.
The wedding preparation had moved along as planned. The announcement was in all the local newspapers, saying that on the third Saturday in June, exactly three months after Daphne’s return to the island, Wolfe Eugene LaCasse, second son of Ange and Rupert LaCasse, was to be joined in holy matrimony to Daphne Ellen Cohen, daughter of the late Joseph and Victoria Cohen of Connecticut, U.S.A. The ceremony was even going to be broadcast live on the local TV station! Daphne didn’t know how his mom had pulled this off, and didn’t want to.
The day was bright and clear. It seemed as if even the weather was rejoicing in this union. The air was heavy with excitement. Everyone who was anyone on the island wanted to be present to observe this joining between a native son and a foreigner from America. The LaCasses were a well-known local family, and this, their second son, was a very popular young man. There was intense curiosity and idle gossip as to the reason why these two individuals were getting married. However, as soon as the gossips saw the two of them together, they stopped asking why. The love between them was palpable.
The horse-drawn carriage was bedecked with garlands of peach and white ribbons. The driver stopped the carriage in the churchyard s
o that all the people could see the bride and groom before they made their way into the church.
The church was packed. People stood in the back, and the crowd overflowed down to the churchyard, all to witness the joining of two people who came together after much heartache and many misunderstandings. Those inside the church were mostly Wolfe’s family and friends, except for the six people from America who were important to Daphne.
A hush had settled over the crowd that had gathered in front of the church as Daphne stepped down in a cloud of organza, silk, and lace, radiantly happy on the arm of her business partner, Ray, who stood in for her deceased father.
She walked into the church and glided down the aisle to the strains of the organ playing the music she and Wolfe had chosen, “All My Tomorrows” by Kenny Lattimore.
In an exquisitely cut tux, which fit his body perfectly, Wolfe waited for her before the altar and next to him stood Foxx, who served as his best man. Even though she’d seen him a few minutes before, it seemed as if something had changed, as if their worlds changed in the instant she placed her hand in his and together they turned to face the priest.
The priest began to speak: “We are gathered here today for one of the happiest occasions in all of human life, to celebrate before God the marriage of a man and woman who love each other. Marriage is a most honorable estate, created and ordained by God, signifying unto us the mystical union, which also exists between Christ and the Church. So, too, may this marriage be adorned by true and abiding love.”
He turned to Wolfe: “Will you take this woman to be your wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in holy matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor her, and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep yourself for her, so long as you both shall live?”
Wolfe replied quietly and firmly. “I will.”
When the priest turned to Daphne and repeated the same summons to her, she also replied, “I will.”
The service had gone on smoothly; at least she thought it had. She could remember very little, caught up and swept along on a tide of emotion, a tide of happiness that had welled as they’d exchanged their vows and peaked when they’d each placed the gold band on each other’s finger, and the priest ended the ceremony with those famous words, “...those whom God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.”
It was a very moving and emotional moment for Daphne when she heard the priest say these words, “I now pronounce you man and wife.”
Daphne beamed as Wolfe raised her veil, and she stepped into his arms. The kiss was brief. They’d been told under no circumstances should it be more than a brief peck. Wolfe took her hand in his, and she was surprised to feel a slight tremor in his fingers as she turned to face the mass of people assembled inside the small church.
Her happiness could not be contained as they walked down the aisle together for the first time as man and wife, accepting the well wishes and congratulatory comments of the assembled crowd. Some leaned in close to kiss their cheeks and others to shake hands. There were more of the former than the latter because cheek kissing was the thing on the island. Daphne was trying to get comfortable with it, but it was still new to her.
Around them the organ played “Never Too Much” by Luther Vandross in joyful celebration, almost it seemed in triumph. This certainly matched the tenor of the many congratulatory messages they received from friends and acquaintances. It was definitely a time for celebration, made more poignant by their particular set of circumstances.
An hour had passed before they’d been able to leave the churchyard. Some of the guests had gone ahead to the reception in the hotel ballroom. They were stopped several times along the way to pose for pictures, like celebrities. Finally, they were able to arrive at the spot where close friends and relatives waited to shower them with the traditional rice.
Wolfe’s mother released the dozen white doves she had rented just for this occasion. Everyone applauded as they rose in the air, and Daphne made a silent wish that hers and Wolfe’s love would take off and soar similar to these doves.
They were then whisked into a waiting limousine that took them and the wedding party to the Jardin de Balata to take pictures as a group. The sun was almost setting before they were able to make their way back to the hotel reception, where everyone was waiting for the celebration to begin in full force.
Wolfe glanced at Daphne and gave her a wink. She winked back at him, and they sat down to have their pictures taken for what seemed like the umpteenth time that day. Smiling, she looked down at the beautiful rings they had exchanged with each other. Neither had previously seen each other’s ring, so they spent the time admiring the workmanship of the rings and marveling at how similar they were, yet how different. It was symbolic of their relationship.
"I’d like to leave now, sweetheart,” Wolfe told her.
“Would it be okay to sneak out?” Daphne asked.
Wolfe looked at her and Daphne looked at him, “It went well,” they both said in union.
Thank God he’d had the good sense to make her his wife.
Daphne, looking into his face, felt the love that radiated from him to her and thanked God she had the good sense to return to him before it was too late.
Epilogue
Six months later
Daphne was busy preparing dinner for Wolfe’s family. She was quite well aware she wasn’t in the same league with them when it came to cooking, given their restaurant background. Nevertheless, she was preparing this dinner from a recipe she’d found in a magazine. It was very easy to follow, and she hoped it turned out right.
The first course would be samosas, a delicate, crispy spring roll wrapper hiding a delectable treat of juicy, hand-chopped white and dark chicken accented with ginger, onions, and crunchy water chestnuts. The main course was going to be an Italian-style stuffed tenderloin roast with pear pecan ravioli in Gorgonzola cream sauce and a spring green salad with oil and vinegar. The dessert would be tiramisu accompanied by a white vin d’Alsace. The moment she’d seen these recipes in the magazine, she’d wanted to try them. She wanted to impress Wolfe and his family with her culinary skills, so it was important to her the dinner was a success.
She checked the time on the kitchen clock and realized that she’d just enough time for a bath before putting the final touches to the dinner.
In the bathroom, she undressed hurriedly and stood in front of the mirror looking at her reflection, noting the changes to her body. Her breasts had increased in size, and they were rather heavy. Of all the changes her body had gone through, she liked this change the least because of the added weight on her chest, but Wolfe loved it. He was much gentler when he caressed them now, and she had to keep reminding him that she wasn’t some fragile flower that would break. He just couldn’t get over the size of her breasts. He was quite content to sit and stare at them for hours, enthralled.
She and Wolfe had been married only two months when she found out she was pregnant. She’d gone off the pill because, after they had discussed it, they felt now was the right time to have a baby. But they didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. They thought they would have to try to work at it, but after only one month of being off the pill, she got pregnant.
They were not surprised that it happened; their appetite for one another was insatiable. She couldn’t say why for sure, but it might have been because they’d almost lost each other and they had to live through those months of separation. Who was to know why the ferocious love between them had grown only stronger and more passionate as the months went by?
Now, five months into her pregnancy, it was as strong and heated as the first time they had met. All Wolfe had to do was look at her and she would become hot and bothered, and it was the same for him.
The baby was restless. She could see her belly rolling as it moved and kicked. The baby had begun kicking at four months, and thus far, it was proving to be a very active baby. They had agreed to wait until the birth to know the baby’s sex
. Daphne knew Wolfe was secretly hoping for a girl, but she was hoping for a healthy baby. Although a boy, with his father’s features, would be nice.
She thought it was uncanny how the baby knew Wolfe’s touch. He was always boasting about the fact that all he had to do was rub his hands on her stomach and the baby would respond, but then again, any time he was at home, his hand was always on her stomach. He admitted to not being able to resist the temptation to touch her and feel how the baby reacted to his touch.
Also, he was worried the rapid movements of the baby might be painful for her. She had to constantly reassure him that was not the case. Nevertheless, he did his bit by keeping the baby quiet. She’d tried the touching and rubbing thing with her stomach, but it didn’t work, so she left it to Wolfe.
She spent a good twenty minutes in the tub relaxing. She had to talk herself into leaving the water. It was very hot on the island, and with her pregnancy, the heat was sometimes unbearable, so she kept the central air on all the time. She seldom went out into the city before sundown unless it was absolutely necessary. If she needed something, either Wolfe or Foxx would usually bring it to her. Sometimes even Wolfe’s mom or dad would help. They were excited about the baby and were, if possible, even more protective of her than Wolfe was.
As she got further along into her pregnancy, she tended to sleep a lot more and had become a bit sluggish in the heat. But she was able to keep up with Wolfe with no problem, and if he had to, he just waited for her to catch up with him.
She should stop this daydreaming. Wrapped in her robe, she rushed into the kitchen and turned on the stove so the food would be hot when her guests arrived. She then made her way to the bedroom to get dressed.