by Woods, Karen
“That’s Bradford. He’s obsessed with recording everything in photographs. He’s good with a camera and has state of the art equipment. Trust me. We’ll have good photos to remember our wedding by.”
“That’s good.”
She looked at him and had to ask. “Are you absolutely sure you want to do this? It’s not too late, if you want to back out.”
“I know I’m rushing you,” he replied. “But, I really think it is for the best.”
“You probably won’t want to repeat my vows back exactly. I plan on including obedience among my vows.”
“Another old-fashioned thing about you,” he said. “Why would you want to take a vow of obedience? That’s almost unheard of these days.”
“No organization, let alone a family, can get anywhere with authority split equally between two strong willed people. That vow is a mark of profound trust in you, Josh. But, I need you to know I won’t take being ridden roughshod over. I expect you to listen to my opinions. But, you will have the final say in matters pertaining to our family. Think of it as owning a majority position in a corporation. Management still has to answer to the stockholders who can make things profoundly miserable for them.”
He laughed at her. “I am deeply touched by your faith in me. I will do my best to deserve it.”
“You will,” she told him. Then she added, “I never thought I would be marrying like this.”
Josh took her hand. “You’re trembling.”
“I’m scared, Josh.”
“Of me?”
“Never of you. Of failing you, maybe. Of not being the wife you need me to be. Of putting you in danger.”
He pulled her into his arms. “Everything will work out. We’ll get past this current trouble, and everything will be fine.”
“I wish I was as certain as you are.”
“I’d kiss you, except if I did, neither one of us would leave this room until morning,” he said, his voice thick.
“Probably,” she replied on a sigh. “Or maybe you’d leave a lot sooner in disgust.”
“In disgust? Why would I be disgusted?”
Geri stepped back out of his arms. “I have scars, Josh,” she admitted, her voice pained. “Terrible scars.”
“Life leaves scars on all of us, Geri. I’ve got a few myself.”
“It’s not too late for you to back out of this. I won’t hold it against you.”
“Not a chance, sweetheart. We’re in this together for life.”
Geri sighed. “As long as you’re certain this is what you want. You go on down. Take my bible with you. I’ll be down shortly. But, we haven’t talked about the ceremony.”
“Just follow my lead. I’ve taken care of everything,” Josh said. “It will be simple and beautiful. We’ll be in front of the fireplace for most of the ceremony. Candles will be lit. Our rings are in the boxes on the mantle. I’ll let you give your vows first, then I’ll give you mine. We’ll exchange wedding rings. We’ll do the unity candle lighting and the Jewish wine glass breaking. Then kiss. And that’s the ceremony.”
“We should have the declaration of the purpose of marriage and ask for any objections before everything begins. Then have scripture readings done by both families, before anything else. I’ve marked the appropriate passages in my bible. And I’d like the Lord’s prayer prayed, at minimum.”
* * *
Josh’s sister, Carol, and her family arrived about twenty minutes before everything was to start.
“Josh,” Carol, a tall, beautiful, brunette, said after she greeted her brother with a kiss. “This is one of the most interesting things you have ever done.”
Josh just laughed. “Carol, you’ve met Gerianne.”
Carol smiled. But, her smile was considerably colder than the greeting she had given Josh. “How are you, Geri?”
“Overwhelmed. Your brother is sweeping me off my feet.”
Carol nodded. Her smile brightened and warmed consider-ably. “He does tend to do that. Mandy used to say that it was easier to change the course of a river than it was to change Josh’s mind when he decided on a course of action.”
Geri nodded. “Yeah. I understand that. Carol, I’d like to have passages of scripture read by members of both of our families. Would you read a passage at the beginning of the ceremony.”
“I’d be honored, Geri,” Carol replied. “Which passage?”
“First Corinthians 13:4-8.”
“The Love chapter,” Carol replied with a smile. “And what will your family read?”
“Ephesians 5:21-33. I have both passages marked in my bible.”
“That’s a rather oldfashioned passage,” Carol remarked.
“I’m a rather oldfashioned woman,” Geri said.
David, Jr. came over to Geri. “Are you really marrying Uncle Josh, Geri?”
“Yes, Davy. I am.”
“Terrific! There’s no one I’d rather have as an Aunt,” the twelve-year old boy said with enthusiasm. “You’re great!”
Jimmy, Davy’s younger brother, said, “Me too. Can I call you Aunt Geri?”
“Of course you can, Jimmy. And boys, the feeling is quite mutual. I think you’re both fine young men. I’ll be proud to have you as nephews.”
“David,” Josh said to his brother-in-law, “you know Geri.”
“Yes, we’ve met several times over the years at the corporation picnics and such,” the chief of police said. “Hello, Geri. I understand you are about to become part of the family.”
“It looks that way, Chief,” Geri replied. “Do you mind?”
David, Josh’s brother-in-law, looked at her and sighed. “The circumstances could be better.”
“Don’t I know it,” she replied, with feeling.
Josh took her hand in his. “Don’t you go getting cold feet on me, woman!”
She smiled tightly and asked with more than a shade of ice in her voice. “I gave you my promise.”
“You’re a woman to whom promises mean something,” he said. “Shouldn’t we begin?”
“Just let me have a word with Brad.”
A few minutes later, Josh and Geri stood in front of the fieldstone fireplace. They had just signed triplicate copies of the pre-nuptial agreement. Each of their lawyers had taken a copy of the document for the files, leaving one copy for them.
The room was full of people, with their families, some of the bodyguards, as well as the household staff and some of the ranch staff present as witnesses.
Geri and Josh each lit a candle on opposite ends of the fireplace mantle. “Those individual candles represent Geri and myself,” Josh said. “Separate, apart from one another as we begin.”
Brad opened Geri’s prayerbook, and began reading the marriage service, “Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony; which is an honourable estate, instituted of God, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church: which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee, and is commended of Saint Paul to be honourable among all men: and therefore is not by any to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God. Into this holy estate these two persons present come now to be joined. If any man can show just cause, why they may not lawfully be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter for ever hold his peace.”
Brad gave a time for objections than addressed Geri and Josh, “Gerianne and Joshua, I require and charge you both, as ye will answer at the dreadful day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know any impediment, why ye may not be lawfully joined together in Matrimony, ye do now confess it. For be ye well assured, that if any persons are joined together otherwise than as God’s Word doth allow, their marriage is not lawful.”
“No impediments having been raised,” Brad said, “l
et us continue.” He opened her bible and began to read St. Paul’s advice about husbands and wives being in mutual submission to one another. Then Carol read St. Paul’s categorization of love.
Geri turned to face Josh and took his hand. “I, Gerianne Evelyn, take you, Joshua Samuel, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to live together in God’s holy estate of matrimony. Joshua, I promise I will love you, comfort you, honor, cherish, keep, serve, and obey you, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others to be faithful to you as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow and pledge, so help me God.”
Then she let loose of his hand. He took her right hand in his. “I, Joshua Samuel, take you, Gerianne Evelyn, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to live together in God’s holy estate of matrimony. I promise to love you, comfort you, honor, cherish, protect, keep, and serve you, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others to be faithful to you as long as we both shall live. This is my solemn vow and pledge, so help me God.”
Geri blinked back tears. She took his wedding ring from the mantle. “Joshua, I give you this ring as a symbol and token of the vows I have made to you this day. With this ring, I thee wed.” She slid the ring onto his thumb, saying, “in the name of the Father.” Then moved the ring to his index finger as she said, “and the Son”. Then she moved the ring to his middle finger and said, “and the Holy Ghost.” Finally, she said “Amen” as she brought the ring to rest on the ring finger of his left hand.
Josh slid the engagement ring from her finger, then repeated her words and actions, finally placing her wedding ring on her ring finger. He replaced the engagement ring, sliding it down on top of her wedding ring.
They turned and took their individual candles from the candle holders. Together, they lit the white pillar candle in the center of the mantle. It was also surrounded by a wreath of orchids and red rose buds. Then they both blew out the other’s individual candle. Josh said, “Even as the candle flames were two and now are one, so are we.”
Josh picked up the stemmed glass containing the wine from the mantle. “Gerianne, my dearest, in many cultures, the sharing of food and drink makes a familial bond. You are family to me, and I to you, for the rest of our lives.” He took a large drink, then handed the glass to Geri who finished the contents of the glass. He slid the glass into a heavy cloth bag. He put the glass down on the hearth and stepped on it, crushing it. “Just as this glass can not be restored to its previous state, so we neither one can ever from this day be as we once were.”
Brad said, “Let us pray in the words Our Lord taught us. Our Father, who art in heaven...”
Everyone joined in the prayer.
“Amen.”
“So, kiss the bride, already,” Davy suggested.
“The child has his priorities straight,” Josh said as he pulled Geri into his arms. The kiss was a chaste brush of his lips against hers.
Geri was sure that the dinner that followed in the formal dining room was wonderful. But, the lovely prime rib of beef with twice baked potatoes and steamed broccoli spears could have been boiled crow for all the enjoyment that she was getting from the meal. Soon, all the guests would be gone and it would just be the two of them. Well, the two of them and a house full of servants and bodyguards.
She sipped from her third glass of wine. The alcohol was going to her head. Betty rolled in a cart containing a simply frosted two tiered wedding cake, the tiers separated by columns, each tier topped with an arrangement of white orchids and red roses. “How in the world did you pull that off on such short notice?” Geri asked the older woman.
“I keep a few unfrosted cakes of various sizes in the freezer. Josh has an incredible sweet tooth. He also tends to bring home guests for dinner at short notice. It was just a matter of thawing some cake and frosting the layers. You didn’t really think I’d let him get married without a wedding cake, did you?” the older woman asked. “Now you and Josh come and cut your cake.”
Geri laughed. “You spoil us terribly.”
“Of course I do. It’s my job.”
After Josh and she had exchanged bites of cake, Josh said, “I want you all to know I’ve made a new will. I’m going to sign it in the presence of everyone here when everyone’s finished desert. It’s virtually the same as my old Will. The major difference is Geri is named as my wife, instead of Mandy.”
“Josh! I don’t want your money! That’s not what this is about!” Geri protested.
He smiled at her. “Since you dictated the terms of that one-sided, in my favor, abomination you call a pre-nuptial agreement, Geri, no one can doubt that. The document doesn’t protect your interests at all. However, I want to make certain you are provided for. It’s my right and duty as your husband to do that for you, as well as providing for any children we might have together.”
She fought back a blush, unsuccessfully.
“Sweetheart,” he said, “this is just updating my legal papers to recognize the change in my life. It’s something I need to do. And it’s part of the evidence to support a claim we’re living as man and wife for the certificate tomorrow.”
“Josh,” Carol asked carefully, “are there any other changes in your Will?”
“Nothing major. The provisions for Davy and Jimmie stay the same. I dropped some of Mandy’s favorite charities and I added a couple of Geri’s favorites. Other than that, the Will is virtually the same.”
“Brother dear, you are a force of nature.” Then Carol looked at her new sister-in-law, “Geri, I wish you luck in taming him.”
“I like him just the way he is,” Geri said as she took Josh’s hand in hers. “You could no more tame Josh than tame a whirlwind.”
After everyone had eaten desert, Josh’s lawyer put down the ten page document in front of Josh. He read it quickly, then signed it and the accompanying affidavit. Betty Henderson and Brad, as two people not named in the document, signed both the Will and the accompanying affidavit as witnesses, affirming they had seen the Will signed in their presence. Josh’s attorney then notarized the affidavit.
A few minutes later, Josh took her into his arms for the first dance of the evening. Josh’s gym had been emptied out of the mats and the other equipment, leaving only the lovely hardwood floor. Soft, romantic, music came from the speakers.
“Well, Mrs. Sutherland, what do you think?” he asked.
“I think I could dance all night.”
Josh chuckled. “I had other plans for us.”
“I am going to be a good wife to you.”
“And I am going to be a good husband to you. Or at least, I’m going to do my best.”
“That’s all I can ask.”
Later in the evening, while Geri was talking with other people, she noticed that David went to Josh and the two of them disappeared. Geri found them in the office when she went looking for them a few minutes later.
“I don’t know how we are going to tell Geri about this,” Josh said, great weariness in his voice.
“Tell Geri about what?” she demanded as she came into the room and closed the door.
David looked at her, clearly uneasy. He sighed. “I just got a call from the detective. There was a female body found in your apartment this morning. She’s just been identified.”
“Another of the tenants in the building?” she asked.
“No, Geri,” David told her. “It was your mother.”
“Momma’s been dead and buried since early spring,” Geri denied, after a moment utter disconnection with reality.
David shook his head negatively. “It’s your mother, Geri.”
Then her temper began to flare. “He exhumed my mother? Wouldn’t someone have noticed? I was just out at the cemetery last week. Her grave was undisturbed.”
“Her grave is still undisturbed,” David replied. “I had men out to the cemetery checking on it.”
“Then how?” Geri demanded. “Are you certain that it’
s my mother whom you found in the rubble?”
“That’s the ME’s report. It was easy enough to track. There was a medical alert bracelet on the body and the dental records match.”
“Dental records? Who was the dentist?” Geri demanded.
David flipped open his phone and got the detective back on the phone. “This is Chief Black. Who was the dentist you got those records from?”
“Dr. James Young,” David said as he disconnected.
“He was Momma’s dentist,” Geri stated. “But, her body would have been severely decomposed by now.”
“The body found wasn’t decomposed.”
“I was there at the mortuary when they closed the coffin containing my mother’s body to take it to the church for the wake. The closed casket lay at the Church overnight. Then after the requiem the next day, I rode with the casket out to the cemetery and I watched it lowered into the ground,” Geri said. “Josh and Brad were both there. Both of them were pallbearers.”
“That’s true,” Josh stated. “And that casket, while light because Gina didn’t weigh much when she died, was not empty.”
“But, you never opened the casket from the time it left the funeral home until it was lowered into the ground?” David asked.
“No,” she admitted. “I didn’t. The casket sat unguarded overnight at the Church.”
“We need to exhume the casket,” David said. “I wish we didn’t. We can do this with your permission. Or we can go to court for a warrant. It’s your choice.”
“I know,” Geri said as she rubbed her neck. “I don’t like any part of this. But, do what you have to do. You have my permission to exhume Momma’s grave, if that is what you believe is necessary. Do you want that in writing?”
“It would be cleaner if it were given in writing,” David allowed.
“Okay, let me go get Brad. Legal issues are his area, not mine,” Geri said.
“I’m sorry, Geri,” David offered. “This isn’t what you need on your wedding day.”
“Thanks, David. I’m sure this is nothing but more sick harassment from Albert’s twisted mind. Now, what do you know about the package hand delivered to my office earlier today.”