SavageLust

by Gabriella Bradley

  “I’m going to go stir crazy being bound to this room much of the day,” she said aloud. The wedding ceremony was at four in the afternoon, and the reception right afterward. She was sure the festivities would go on till very late in the evening.

  Topaz walked to the French doors and opened them to a clear blue sky and sunshine. Even the weather was cooperating. There was a knock on the door and she hurried to put on her robe. “Yes, come in,” she called out, hoping it was Corky, but then remembered that Corky was forbidden to do anything that day.

  A strange girl entered, a young brunette, all dressed in black and wearing a frilly white apron. “Your breakfast, Miss,” she said and placed the tray on the coffee table in front of the fireplace.

  “Thank you. What’s your name?”

  “Sally, Miss.”

  “Thanks, Sally. I notice there’s no coffee on the tray. Think you could bring me a large mug? Two sugars and cream, please.”

  “Yes, Miss. I’ll be back shortly. Sorry about that.”

  Breakfast consisted of poached eggs, toast, jam and butter, a bowl of fruit salad, a glass of milk, a glass of tomato juice and tea. It sure wasn’t one of Corky’s breakfasts, but she was so hungry, anything would taste good right now.

  Sally returned quite fast with a steaming mug filled with coffee. “Ah, just what I need. Sally, I like several cups of coffee in the morning. Maybe you can make fresh coffee and fill a thermos and bring it here with cream and sugar? And at lunch, I like my tea but make it a pot, please? And I don’t take cream or milk in my tea.”

  “Sure, Miss. If you need anything, just ring.”

  Topaz was glad she at least had a TV in her room. She’d never watched it in her room before, hadn’t needed to, but now at least it would divert her and pass the time. She had some books but wasn’t much into reading right now. The hairdresser wouldn’t arrive until eleven. Oh, I’d give anything to go for a ride after breakfast. Can I climb down from the balcony? Would anyone see me?

  After wolfing down her breakfast, she jumped up and went to inspect the balcony. Making sure first that Chad, Sam or Johnny weren’t outside, she hung over the railing. Too far to jump, but there was the tree. Inspecting the branch that was so close to the balcony, she saw it was thick enough to support her weight. She’d climbed plenty of trees in the past and saw no reason why she couldn’t now.

  After dressing quickly, she brushed her teeth, braided her hair, then thought to write a note before the catering staff alerted everyone in panic and put it beside the tray. I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry, I’ve just gone outside for a bit. Topaz.

  Again, she scanned the area for any sign of the men or other activity, but all seemed clear. Carefully, she grabbed the branch and swung over the railing. The branch creaked a little under her weight but held. Once she was near the trunk, her feet found a thick branch and she was able to make her way down. She hadn’t forgotten how to climb trees.

  When her feet touched solid ground, she scanned the area again but nothing. She crept along the wall to the side of the house. Out back, everything was quiet as well. Not even any of the ranch hands were around. Then again, Chad had given everyone the day off. The ranch hands and their families were invited, too. Some of them had worked for the Douglas family for years and their fathers before them.

  She sprinted to the stables and quickly entered them and saddled Daisy who nuzzled her affectionately. “Sorry I haven’t been to see you lately, girl, but I’ve been so busy the last days. How about a quick ride to the river? Are you into that?”

  Before she led Daisy out of the stables, she quickly looked outside. No one. Trying to be as fast as possible, she led Daisy out, closed the doors, jumped into the saddle and took off. Spurring Daisy on, they raced off the property toward the forest. She hoped no one had heard them.

  The ride relaxed her more than any glass of whiskey ever could. When she got to the river, she quickly took off her clothes and stepped into the icy water. It was freezing, but she didn’t care. Her skin puckered and it took her a bit to step into the water completely, but once she was in and her body was accustomed to the temperature, it felt heavenly. She swam with swift strokes back and forth, then floated on her back for a while thinking about the day to come and about the night afterward.

  That night she’d finally know what it was to be a woman, to be completely and fully loved by the man of her dreams. She just wished that all three could have been there tonight, but that just wasn’t possible yet. For that, she’d have to wait till the next day. Her libido surged. Even the icy water didn’t help to calm it down. No time for that now, she decided and swam to shore. Of course, she hadn’t brought a towel. Damn. Well, her first thought hadn’t been on swimming but just to escape from the house for a bit, to unwind and relax before the busy day started. She picked up her watch from the pile of clothes and frowned. If she didn’t get dressed and hurry back, she’d be seen when she returned. Well, it didn’t really matter if any of the hired people saw her. As long as she didn’t run into her men.

  As she’d suspected, by the time she rode back onto the property, it was a beehive of activity. There were people everywhere. Somehow, she managed to sneak Daisy back into the stables without attracting too much attention. After she’d taken off the saddle, hung it up and brushed Daisy, she looked at her watch again. Not too long before eleven. The hairdresser would be there soon and if Corky had arrived, she’d be frantic.

  Now to get to the front of the house and climb back up the tree. That would be a major problem because that’s where most of the activity was. The ceremony and reception was going to be held in the front gardens.

  Scanning the stables, she saw an old jacket hanging on a hook and a cowboy hat. “Ha, just what I need,” she muttered and quickly put it on making sure her braid was hidden and pulled the hat deep over her eyes. This time she wasn’t as cautious when she left the stables and walked back to the house casually, trying to walk more like a man.

  She gasped when she got to the front of the house. The gardens had been transformed into a field of flowers, the scent of lilacs drifting toward her on the wings of the wind. The tent wasn’t necessary that day as the weather was glorious. The bower and makeshift altar were all ready, a red runner leading to them. A few hundred rented chairs stood neatly placed on either side, the outer chairs all had a beautiful bouquet of lilacs and lily of the valley tied together with a large lilac ribbon attached to the sides. It was absolutely breathtaking. But she had no time to ponder. How to get to the tree without anyone noticing was her main concern now.

  As luck would have it, someone dropped something and the people closest to her balcony and the tree scurried over to assist. Quick as a flash she ran to the tree, jumped up and grabbed the branch and pulled herself up. Carefully, she let herself drop while holding onto the last branch near her balcony and one hand at a time moved carefully along it until she could jump over the railing. “Phew, that was a feat,” she mumbled and hurried inside to be met by a loud scream.

  It was Corky who stumbled on her feet and looked like she was about to faint. Topaz yanked the hat off her head and ran to Corky’s side to grab her. “Corky, it’s me, Are you alright?”

  “Heavens to Betsy. Don’t you ever go doing that to me again, Missy. You nearly gave me a heart attack. Whatever were you thinking of taking off like that? You had me worried out of my mind and I couldn’t tell the boys that you’d gone missing.”

  “I wasn’t missing, Corky. I left a note.”

  “Yes, but I was still worried sick. No woman goes and does stuff like that on her wedding day and you’re too old to be climbing trees. And dressing up as a man scaring me half to death. Shame on you, child.”

  “Never too old. I’m fine and I don’t think anyone saw me. I just needed to get out, Corky, needed some alone time, to be with Mother Nature. I’m good now. It really helped to go for a ride.”

  “Good Lord, you went riding? What if something had happened?”

 
“Nothing happened. I rode sweet, gentle Daisy. I even went for a swim.”

  “Are you aiming to get sick on your honeymoon? Mi…Missy, you’re gonna give me gray hair.”

  “You already have gray hair, Corky. Forgive me?” Topaz hugged her and was sorry she’d scared her. At the same time, someone knocked on the door. It was the hairdresser followed by the aesthetician, two men who brought in all her portable gear and Tiffy, who still had a towel wound around her head. The men left the room and the hairdresser, whose name was Marian, started first on Tiffy.

  Tiffy looked lovely with her hair done in a bob and subtle makeup and Corky looked every inch the lady. Her hair was an updo in an old-fashioned style.

  Topaz was last and by the time Marian’s swift fingers were finished with her, she hardly recognized the image in the mirror that stared back at her. Suzy, the aesthetician, tackled her next.

  While Suzy was busy with Topaz, Corky and Tiffy put on their gowns, then uncovered Topaz’s gown and opened the box that held the bridal veil and tiara.

  “I can’t wait to see you in this dress, Missy,” Corky said, stroking the skirt.

  Suzy was finished with Topaz’s makeup and concentrating on her fingernails so she could look at Corky and Tiffy. “Oh my, you two look beautiful. Have you looked in the mirror?”

  “I feel very overdressed, Missy. This dress is too fancy for the likes of me.”

  “Nonsense. Look at yourself, Corky. You look lovely.”

  Corky hesitantly stood beside Topaz and inspected her reflection in the mirror. “Oh boy, is that really me?”

  Tiffy’s and Corky’s gowns were identical. Topaz had chosen the princess-style pattern because it would slim down Corky’s stout figure and it did. The dresses were fairly plain in style but accented by deep purple embroidery around the neck and just under the breasts, dotted with sparkling mauve rhinestones. They were sleeveless and had a square neckline. At the back, the neckline dipped and just at the V a deep purple gathered train hung to the hem, hiding the zipper. Their hair was adorned with lily of the valley. Corky proudly wore the golden cross Topaz had given her at Christmas and no way would she put on the necklace she’d bought for her and Tiffy for the wedding. Tiffy gasped at the gold chain and the amethyst pendant with matching bracelet and earrings.

  “Mizz Topaz, you shouldn’t have. Is it real?”

  “Yes, of course. Put them on. It’ll be the finishing touch. Corky, you can at least wear the bracelet and earrings.” Silently, she wondered if she’d ever break Corky and Tiffy from using Mizz.

  “I have something for you, too, Missy. It was mine and I wore it on my wedding day.” She hurried to her day clothes and came back with a blue garter in her hand. “Something borrowed, something blue.”

  “Thank you, Corky. I’ll wear it with pride. Now I just need the other two, something old, something new.”

  “That’s taken care of, too. Just wait a minute.” Again, she dove into her deep apron pockets and came back carrying a beautiful rosary. It sparkled in a ray of sunshine that caught the crystal beads, the silver cross shone as if it had just been polished. “That belonged to Mistress Isabella. Master Chad asked me to give it to you. That’s your something old. He also told me to give you this.”

  Corky took the small velvet box from Corky. When she opened it, she had to control her emotions. It was a brooch designed especially with Chad, Sam and Johnny in mind. Four gold rings intertwined inside a gold heart-shaped border dotted with small amethysts. “My something new.” The only other jewelry she would wear was her gold chain, medallion and locket and gold earrings that she had already put on.

  Suzy was finally finished with Topaz’s nails just when lunch arrived for all of them. It was a light lunch because after the ceremony there would be a full smorgasbord dinner served. Topaz hardly felt hungry now. They laughed and chatted while they ate carefully, so not to disturb their makeup too much, but Marian and Suzy were on standby to do any necessary fixes.

  By three, Topaz finally decided to put on her gown with Corky and Tiffy’s help. She’d given Marian her camera to command and she snapped pictures of the struggle to get into the dress without mucking up her hair. Once she was in it, the zipper done up, she walked to the mirror and gasped. It was her fairytale dream come true. The dress was designed especially for her and her love for Gone with the Wind. The skirt was very full and ballooned out over the hooped underskirt. Layers of fine satin overlapped edged with handmade four-inch lace. The last ruffle was completely made of sixteen-inch wide lace. The bodice was plain satin with a deep neckline and small, puffed, off-the-shoulder sleeves. The neckline was embroidered with a white floral design and accentuated with white crystal beads.

  Last, she pinned the brooch on the bodice. Marian handed the camera to Suzy so she could put on the tiara with the twenty-five-foot-long veil attached to it. Topaz’s hairstyle was designed so the tiara would fit around the front of the curls piled on her head and the veil was attached at the back just underneath the curls, with a short veil that had to cover her face.

  She was ready, finally, and it was almost time for Terry to knock on the door.

  “Missy, I want to wish you all the happiness life can bring you,” Corky said, holding both of Topaz’s hands. “Be good to my boys, although I have no doubt you will,” she added softly. Then she carefully hugged Topaz and kissed her on the cheek.

  “Thank heaven for stay-on, no smudge lipstick,” Topaz quipped while wiping away a few tears and having Suzy hover over her to make sure her eye makeup was intact. Terry knocked on the door and Corky opened it to let him in. He was dressed in a black tuxedo and looked very stately.

  “Boy, Terry, I hardly recognized you,” Topaz said. “What a change from jeans and cowboy shirts and hats. You clean up nicely.”

  “Now, do I take that as a compliment or an insult?” he grumbled but smiled. Taking her hand, he squeezed it. “Topaz, I’m so pleased at this turn of events. This is what John had in mind when he changed his will and the whole reason and purpose behind it. He made me swear not to tell anyone and I kept my word. He wanted life to run its natural course, which he assured me it would. He was absolutely convinced that one of his boys would fall in love with you. I wish you all the happiness in the world, child, and I’m honored you asked me to give you away.”

  “Wow, that was quite a speech and I’m astounded at Daddy John’s scheming, but at the same time glad he did.”

  “Shall we go and join your future husband?” Corky handed her the bouquet of lilacs and lily of the valley and she wound the rosary around the stems so that most of it would dangle down.

  Terry held out his arm and Corky opened the door wide for them. Corky and Tiffy followed to take care of the veil, to make sure it didn’t catch on anything. At the front door, Tiffy’s little girl started first, spreading her flowers over the red runner. The little doll drew a lot of awws and ahhs from the female guests. Tiffy followed soon after and a minute later, Corky. The guests all stood. Topaz’s heart beat so hard and loud she thought for sure others could hear it. All the chairs were filled and there was a throng of guests standing. As they started down the steps, a sea of faces turned to the bride and she felt overwhelmed for a moment. Cameras flashed, several news reporters had been invited. The photographer Chad had hired took photo after photo as she walked down the red carpet on Terry’s arm.

  Topaz shook off the overwhelmed feeling and focused on the three men waiting for her at the altar. She only had eyes for them now. They looked so handsome in their white tuxedos, mauve ruffled shirts and deep purple bow ties. If she’d thought them handsome before, today they were absolutely out of this world.

  “Who has the honor of presenting this woman to be married to his man?”

  “I do.” Terry placed her hand in Chad’s and she finally felt safe as he led her to stand before the priest.

  The words went by in a haze until she had to say her vows. For someone who had never spoken in public before, it was a scary exp
erience. Topaz swallowed hard and kept her gaze locked on Chad whose eyes looked at her with all the love he felt. Placing both her hands in his, she started. “Chad, I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask no more of you than you can give. We were born to be together and together we shall be forever more even when the wings of death scatter our ways. Let us love one another but not make a bondage of love. Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of our souls. I promise to laugh with you, cry with you, to be your faithful partner during good times and bad. To love you unconditionally, to love and adopt your family as my very own and to cherish your forever, now and into eternity.

  “Chad?”

  His deep voice was clear, without a tremor. “Topaz, I promise to be your lover, your companion and your best friend. I shall always stand steadfast at your side no matter what obstacles life may hurl at us. I want to share with you the joys of parenthood. I feel truly blessed and today I commit my life to you. As our journey begins this day, I promise to give you the best of what I have from now until the end of time. I will love you in good times and bad and will let you in through the window of my soul to share with you my deepest secrets, fears and dreams. We are now of one heart, one soul, one mind and one body. The circle of our love can never be broken or undone.

  Topaz tried desperately not to cry. They weren’t tears of sadness but rather tears of joy, of utter and complete happiness, although her happiness wouldn’t be complete until the other ceremony had been performed with Sam and Johnny.

  “You may now kiss the bride.”