Altar Ego

by Sam McCarthy

  “I’m sure it isn’t easy.” She gave my hand a little squeeze and took a deep breath before continuing. “You should know that Dominic changed his will Elise. He left everything to you.” She looked up as Max walked in with two glasses of water and handed one to her. She kept talking as she passed it to me and took her own from him. “The issue is that we haven’t been able to trace his body. We have been round all of the hospitals and nobody seems to know where he was taken.” She sipped at her water. “Until we find him we cannot move forward with anything, though of course you are welcome to go home if you wish.”

  “I...errr...” I stumbled over my words. He left everything to me. Why would he do that? My head was in turmoil.

  “Elise is a bit unsteady at the moment.” Max interjected. “I think she should stay with me. At least until Christmas is over.” He told her.

  Sara nodded in agreement.

  “Yes that’s probably wise.” She reached into her bag and took out a business card. “This is my number Elise. I promise you I will find him. In the meantime, if you need anything...and I mean anything...you just give me a call.” She stood and shook Max’ hand as she turned to leave. “You take care of her please. She meant the world to that man.” With that she left the room, her heels echoing around the corridor as she walked.

  “Max.” I looked up at him. “Why would he do that? I asked.

  “Because he loves you Elise. Why is it so difficult for you to see how much we all love you?” He smiled at me. “Are you ready to go home? I don’t think we will find anything here, and it seems like Sara is on the case.”

  “No.” I struggled to get to my feet. “Go and get the biggest tree you can find and some decorations. Call a florist and have as many Christmas wreaths made as they can manage. Then get back here and help me with the guest list. There was a party planned for here tonight and I’m not letting Dominic’s world fall apart just because he isn’t here to oversee it.”

  “That’s my girl.” Max grinned at me. “It’s nice to see that fighting spirit coming back. You just aren’t the same without it.”

  Over the next few hours I sat in the office and called all the staff. They were mostly surprised to hear from me but were all more than happy to come in and attempt to get back to normal. By the time I had gone through the entire file of staff members and was about to start on the guest list, Max was back complete with two burly blokes and the hugest tree I have ever seen. They erected it in the main room and the girls that had already arrived set about decorating it. The whole place was a hive of activity. One of the girls had programmed the sound system and Christmas songs were filtering through the club. Everybody was really trying to get into the spirit of Christmas and I smiled as I watched them. In fact on the outside I was happy and cheery, but on the inside I felt broken in two. Nobody mentioned Dominic; I think they were all just happy to be back in the club and attempting to be ‘normal’.

  The time flew by and we were soon ready for the stream of cars arriving carrying our guests. Some of the biggest names were attending, judges, police chiefs, TV actors and even a couple of rock stars. They all wanted to keep this side of their lives quiet and who could blame them. Everyone was pleased to see the club open, and as if they had all been prepared...or forewarned...nobody asked me about Dominic.

  The party was a huge success, the drinks limit was relaxed, only a little mind...the pleasure rooms were still open and we needed everyone to be fully aware of any decisions they may make. After several hours of entertaining on top of all the preparation I was glad to see that last car leave. The cleaning could wait till after Christmas. We didn’t need to be back in until after Boxing Day so everybody could relax for a couple of days and hopefully enjoy Christmas now that they knew their jobs were secure.

  Max drove me home at a little after 3am and we both collapsed exhausted once in the house. Max lay with me for a little while, his strong arms holding me and his body curled around mine. I drifted off to sleep feeling a little happier than I had done for the last few days. I could see the future now, and although it was pretty dire to be facing it alone...I wasn’t afraid anymore.

  Chapter 31

  “IT’S CHRISTMAS!”

  Ellie was yelling as she bounded into my room. I dragged myself up the bed and smiled at her.

  “Good morning sweetheart. Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas Mum.” She sat on my bed and gave me a hug, “I’m so glad you are home.”

  “Me too sweetheart... me too.” I rubbed her back as she held on to me. I couldn’t begin to imagine how hard it must have been for her to go through what she had. She was so young. I owed it to her to make the most of the day. When she finally let go I reached into my bedside drawer and pulled out a small box. It was a charm bracelet Dominic and I had bought for her a week or so before the accident. I had Max pick it up from the apartment while he was out getting the Christmas tree the previous day. She gasped as she opened it and turned it over in her hands carefully, taking in each and every charm that adorned the delicate gold chain.

  “It’s beautiful Mum.” She wrapped her arms around me again. “I love it. Thank you so much.”

  I smiled as I watched her. Here was my daughter, all grown up and more beautiful than I could ever have dreamed. Even though her Dad and brother had made things extremely difficult for her over the last few months, she was still smiling the same gorgeous smile.

  I could hear Max and Ian busy in the kitchen, and the smells that were wafting up the stairs were incredible. I knew today would be okay as long as I had the three of them around me, and as difficult as it was likely to be without Dominic to share the celebrations, I was determined to have a good day with the people closest to me.

  “You head downstairs Ellie; I will be down in a minute.”

  “Are you okay Mum?” She wrinkled her forehead up and looked at me through slanted eyes.

  “I’m fine. I just want to take a minute by myself before all the madness with those two.” I laughed and gestured towards the hallway and the stairs.

  “Okay. I will see you soon.” She kissed my cheek, and still fiddling with her charms headed off downstairs to join in the raucous fun.

  I sat for a moment and wondered what it would have been like waking up with Dominic today. We were so looking forward to our first Christmas. For me, it was the first year I wasn’t expected to work all day and take care of everything, and for Dominic...it was the first time he had ever had anyone in his life to truly share Christmas with. I sighed and lifted myself off the bed, grabbed my crutches and hobbled to the window. I drew back the curtains and gasped. It had snowed through the night, probably not enough to call it a white Christmas, but enough to leave a dusting everywhere. I smiled as I thought how pretty it looked and blinked to adjust my eyes to the brightness of the sun bouncing off the crisp white snow. I looked down over the driveway and strained my eyes. There on the bonnet of Max’ car was a message scrawled in the white powder. I squinted to read it and time stood still as I realised what it said.

  “MAX!” I shouted. My hands flew to my mouth in shock. There... as plain as day in front of me were the words.

  ‘I said I would never leave you!’

  “MAX!” I yelled again and struggled to get to the stairs. He flew up them at speed and he practically caught me as I wobbled at the top of the landing.

  “Elise. What is it? What’s wrong?” He looked panicked.

  “Dom...Dominic....outside...” I was making no sense whatsoever but I couldn’t quite catch my breath and I just needed to get to him. “Get out of the way!” I pushed past him, leaving the crutches behind me and nearly breaking both of our necks in the process.

  “ELISE!” He shouted after me.

  As I reached the bottom of the stairs both Ian and Ellie were stood staring at me in disbelief. I flung open the front door and frantically looked around outside. He wasn’t there. I was dreaming. I must have been. Max was right behind me as I turned to go back into the h
ouse.

  “What is it Elise? Tell me Princess please.” He gripped my upper arms and was stooping so he was on a level with me. “You’re scaring me.”

  “I thought I...Dominic...I just...” I choked on my words as I felt my knees buckle underneath me. He caught me in his arms as I slumped and as I looked up at him through tear filled eyes I saw him look out over my shoulder.

  “I don’t believe it.” He said quietly. “Elise.”

  I looked round and everything seemed to move in slow motion. Our eyes met as he moved around the wall and stood in the gateway. I let Max pull me up to me feet and before I could even utter a word he was on the move, running, climbing the stairs two at a time and lifting me into his arms.

  “I told you Elise. I told you time and time again. How could you think I had left you?” He was kissing me again and again, on my forehead, my cheeks, my hair and my lips. I relished every single moment; I couldn’t believe that this was real. What if I was dreaming?

  “I thought you were dead!” I sobbed against him as he kissed me again, my tears running into our mouths as his lips possessed mine over and over again in frenzy. “They told me you were dead.”

  “Who told you I was dead Elise. Who?” He held my face in his hands and wiped away the tears with his thumbs. “Who said that to you?” His brow was furrowed and he looked tired. “Who told you that?” He repeated the same thing again.

  “Adam.” I said quietly as the realisation sank in. “Adam told me.”

  “Let’s get you inside.” He picked me up and carried me inside the house as a stunned Max looked on with Ellie and Ian behind him, their mouths hanging open in shock.

  He placed me down on the settee and knelt down on the floor in front of me. He held onto my hands tightly and gave me a soft smile. It was the kind of smile that lights up your eyes and comes from deep within. Only the corners of his mouth twitched but I could see from that one look that he was happy.

  Happy.

  Something I really didn’t think I would be today.

  Something I thought would take months and months for me to ever be able to say I was feeling.

  But here he was. He was right in front of me. Back from the dead so to speak. Happy was an understatement.

  “I’m so sorry Elise. I had no idea that Adam was your ex husband, really I didn’t. If I had known I would never have even approached him, let alone put the two of you in the same room.”

  “I know you wouldn’t Dominic. I’m sorry for saying that you did it on purpose.” This apology was one I didn’t think I would be able to offer and the words stuck in my throat as I spoke.

  “When I woke up and you weren’t with me I went mental...They sedated me every time so I wouldn’t leave.” He went on “They would only tell me that you were being looked after and you wanted nothing more to do with me.” He sighed, his shoulders visibly sagging.

  “Where were you?” I asked.

  “Some private clinic in Scotland. Fucking Scotland of all places.” He squeezed my hands.

  “Adam.” I said. “He moved you didn’t he?”

  Dominic nodded.

  Ellie gasped as she walked in and caught the tail end of our conversation.

  “Dad did this?” She shook her head. “Dad did this to you? How could he? How could he want to hurt you so much?” The tears streamed down her face as the realisation hit her that her father had caused all of our heartache.

  She sat down next to me and Dominic took us both in his arms.

  “I will never let him get to either of you again.” He kissed first my head then Ellie’s. “Nobody will ever hurt my girls again.”

  I looked up into his eyes and at that moment I knew.

  I was home.

  Epilogue

  I smoothed the fabric over my stomach and stepped back to look at myself in the mirror. The cream silk clung to every curve; the sweetheart neckline dipped just enough to show a hint of cleavage, and the brown taffeta sash cinched my waist perfectly. At the back the tiny silk covered buttons trailed all the way up my spine culminating in a choker effect collar that adorned my neck perfectly. How fitting that I should be wearing a white collar when I would stand beside the man of my dreams in church today.

  Ellie rushed in, her dress the opposite of mine, in chocolate coloured silk and cream taffeta at her waist, though hers sat off her shoulders showing off her collar bones. She looked grown up and elegant and I had never been more proud of her than I was at that moment.

  “Come on Mum, everyone is waiting.” She stopped dead in her tracks. “You look beautiful.”

  “As do you sweetheart.” I told her.

  We left the room and met Max pacing the hallway. He looked splendid in his jacquard frock coat, cream to match my dress, with a chocolate waistcoat and cravat. He really was a vision to die for.

  “Wow!” He exclaimed as he saw us. “Look at my Princesses.” He grinned from ear to ear. “You look stunning. Both of you.”

  “You don’t scrub up bad yourself.” I told him with a cheeky wink.

  “Come on you two, we are already late.” Ellie was pushing us both towards the stairs. “They will think we aren’t coming.”

  The front door was open and the chauffeur waiting for us already at the side of the Rolls and Ellie squealed as she saw it. The chauffeur grinned at her as she slid into the back seat, Max climbed in next to her and I followed. We just kept looking at each other and smiling, none of us could quite believe this was happening. We had come a long way since Christmas.

  Our arrival at the church was hurried as the vicar stood outside waiting for us with a stern look on his face.

  “Oops. I told you we were late.” Ellie whispered as he ushered us into the church.

  “SShhh!” The vicar scolded her, and we all giggled in response.

  As we waited in the Narthex the vicar scurried down the aisle and took his position at the front. All too suddenly the music started up and this was it. I sucked a huge breath of air in and took hold of the hand that Max offered to me as Ellie passed in front of us and started her walk down the aisle. As she entered the congregation stood and turned to look at her. I felt a moment of pride as I watched my beautiful daughter lead us into the church.

  Max coughed.

  “You ready?” he asked in a whisper.

  “Yep.” I replied. “Are you?”

  He nodded and hand in hand we took our first steps in time with the music down the long aisle ahead of us. I couldn’t help but see the grins on everyone’s faces as we walked past them, and to hear their whispers of how handsome and stunning we both looked. I was beaming, my smile radiant when I looked forward and saw him.

  There at the front of the church, in front of a still quite cross looking vicar, was our goal. Dominic and Ian side by side, their suits matching the one Max wore. As if they could feel our eyes on them they both turned their heads at the same time, and I’m not sure whose face lit up more. The two of them looked totally besotted.

  *****

  All too soon the ceremony was over, and after giving ourselves face ache with smiling for the official photographs we were ushered in to sit at the top table. After a moment or two of sitting there listening to the chatter of the guests, the toast master stood and dinged his glass to get everyone’s attention.

  “Ladies and gentleman please.” He spoke with a rather theatrical voice, booming loud across the room. “If you could all be upstanding, we will begin the speeches.”

  Everyone stood and raised their glasses, and the room fell silent as Dominic got to his feet. He looked down at me with a wink as he started speaking.

  “May I first of all start by saying thank you to each and every one of you for joining us on this very special day. I know many of you never thought you would get the chance to celebrate this with us and I speak for both my wife and I when I say we are thrilled to be sharing it with you.” He looked down again and grinned. “When I first met Elise, she brought a kind of sunshine into my world that I never
knew could exist, but she also brought something else in the form of her best friend Max.” He turned to Max and picked up his glass. “I’m so thrilled that has finally found his soul mate. Maybe he will stop trying to steal my wife for shopping trips now.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “But seriously. We are absolutely delighted for you both. So...if you would all be so kind as to raise your glasses for the Groom and Groom. To Max and Ian!”

  “TO MAX AND IAN!” The crowd all called in chorus and everyone cheered as my best friend and his husband stole a sneaky kiss at the table.

  My husband sat down next to me, and squeezed my hand under the table.

  “I adore you Mr Payne.” I said.

  “And you are my world Mrs Payne.” He replied.

  The End.