by Donna Doyle
“No more than it would have cost to rent a big old ugly tent,” Dora assured her. “And I think you just might be starting a new wedding trend around here. By next week, we’ll have all the brides calling the agency and asking to switch their venues!”
“Thank you, really. With as close as it is to the ceremony, I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
“That’s exactly why you hired us,” Molly reminded her. “You don’t have to do anything, not even worry.”
Michelle seemed nervous at the thought of the big day, but such pre-wedding nerves were to be expected.
“Michelle, are you ready for your final fitting?” Gloria asked.
“As ready as I’m going to get, I think!”
“Cold feet?” Gloria asked as she picked up the dress and carried it toward the fitting room. Her usual smile was back now.
“Just damp ones. Honestly, it’s just so difficult to get this dress on and off. I think I’ve worked up a sweat every time.” Michelle followed her.
“Don’t worry. You’ll only have once more after this, and then it will all be done with. Then you’ll be wishing you could wear it again!” She chuckled as she went to help the bride get into her gown.
Meanwhile, Renee flopped down on the fluffy sofa in the viewing area. “How are you ladies faring in this downpour?”
“Well, the office ceiling is leaking, but other than that we’re managing.” Molly gave a small smile.
“Sounds glorious compared to everything I’ve been through this week.” Renee plucked a wet strand of hair off her face. “The boss has been riding us to meet our sales goals all month, and I can’t tell you how many rude customers I’ve had to encounter.” She rolled her eyes to drive her point home.
“Well, at least you’ve had a nice distraction helping Michelle get ready for her wedding. A woman’s best friend is extremely important at times like this,” Molly replied.
“Yeah, but what a waste of time and money! No offense, but why spend all that cash on a dress that she’s only going to wear for a few hours? She could take that money and invest it or put it towards a down payment on a bigger house. And don’t get me started on the caterer.”
It wasn’t the first time Molly Gertrude had heard someone complain about the expense of a wedding. She always tried to get the best prices for her clients, but there was no denying that weddings cost a lot of money. Still, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. “You’ll feel differently when you’re the one with a diamond on your finger.”
“Oh, no. Not me! I don’t need some man to make me happy. I’ve got my job and my pets, and I don’t need anybody else.” She widened her eyes and shook her hand in the air as if the notion of getting married was horrifying. “I’m happy for them. I’ve known Michelle and Brian forever. We go all the way back to high school, but marriage is just not for me.”
Fortunately, Michelle emerged from the fitting room just then, keeping Molly from trying to reply. She looked absolutely gorgeous as she stepped out into the center of the room. A small, round stage was constructed in front of the tri-fold mirror, which gave everyone a thorough view of the dress.
“You look like a princess, Michelle!” Dora resisted the urge to run forward and hug the bride. The skirt was made of voluminous tulle arranged into rosettes, and it frothed around Michelle’s hands where they hung at her sides. The bodice fit perfectly, sparkling with tiny crystals that had all been handsewn onto the fabric. The sweetheart neckline completed the look. The dress was truly unique.
“I’m impressed at how few alterations we have had to do for this gown,” Gloria said, her dark eyes sparkling. “It’s was made for you and you alone!”
Michelle turned to Renee, a nervous wrinkle in her forehead. “What do you think?”
For the first time, Renee’s face actually softened a little. She usually carried around a very hard countenance that matched her severely styled pantsuits a little too well. “You look great, girl. You really do.”
The bride turned to the mirror, swishing the skirt a little around her legs. “You really think so?”
“Of course. Brian is going to just cry when he sees you.” Secretly, that was one of Molly’s favorite things about a wedding. Men usually went through the planning process with a cavalier attitude, pretending that they didn’t care about any of it and were only doing it to make the women happy. But the majority of the time, they were the ones who ended up in tears before they even had the chance to say, “I do.”
Michelle herself began to tear up. Her face crumpled a little, and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down.
“Oh, look! She’s so happy,” Dora whispered.
“Is there anything else we need to do?” Michelle asked Gloria.
“Not at all.” The dressmaker spread her fingers in the air and smiled. “But you can stay in it as long as you like. I’m in no rush.”
The bride shook her head. “I think I’m done. I don’t want to cry all over it.” She skipped down off the little stage and headed toward the changing room with Gloria in tow.
Molly watched her go, enjoying the gentle movement of the tulle as it swayed around her. Fashion had changed so much since she was younger, but wedding gowns were still so glorious. She loved it.
She turned around to find Dora, ready to head back to the office, but the assistant was nowhere in sight. Renee grinned and pointed a finger. Molly followed it and found the young woman admiring a big white ballgown on a mannequin. The look was completed with long white gloves, a tiara, and a full-length veil. It wasn’t the sort of look that most modern women went for.
“There’s something nice about a classic look isn’t there?” Molly said, joining her. “I can’t imagine trying to keep the wrinkles out of that satin, but otherwise it’s fabulous.”
Dora almost seemed startled, as though she had been caught doing something naughty. “Y-yes. It’s very nice. I’m ready to go whenever you are. I know I still have some things to take care of.”
“Sounds good to me. I think the rain is getting to these old bones, and there’s nothing I’d like more than heading back for some nice hot tea.” Molly always made sure she was stocked with tea and Dora’s favorite cookies. “We’ll see you later, Renee. Tell Michelle to let us know if she needs anything.”
3
Leaky Friendships
The rain pounded on the windshield as they made their way back to the agency, reminding the two women that they couldn’t avoid the weather no matter how beautiful the dresses back at Gloria’s Gowns were. The wipers were working hard to keep up, but Dora still had to slow down and squint.
Once they had gotten onto the main road, Molly watched the drenched scenery go by. She smiled at a little boy in a bright yellow rain slicker, gleefully sailing toy boats in the puddle that used to be his front yard. “Don’t you think Renee’s behavior is strange?”
Dora slowed down at an intersection and waved for another car to go ahead of her. “What do you mean?”
“Well, she’s just not very supportive.” Molly crossed her arms in front of her chest and realized that she was a little offended by Renee’s behavior even though it technically had nothing to do with her.
“She’s has come along to everything,” Dora pointed out. “She was at the cake tasting, all the dress fittings, and she even gave her opinion about the invitations.”
“Her opinion was that Michelle should just send an email to everyone,” Molly replied. “She’s there physically but it’s her heart I’m referring to. I don’t know, she seems to have a problem with the whole idea of her friend getting married. She always has something to say about the cost or about how she would never want to get married herself. It’s like she’s trying to convince us that she would never be the one to walk down the aisle, and I worry that she’s going to rain on Michelle’s parade even more than the actual rain.” Weddings could be tense times, and brides needed to have the full support of all their loved ones.
“I can see your poi
nt. Whoa!” The little Kia hydroplaned slightly as they headed through a puddle that was much deeper than it looked. “But I think Renee is just jealous. She’s made it very clear that her work means more to her than anything, and she probably has a bit of a grudge against Michelle for bailing out of single life and finally getting married.”
“You think so?” Back in Molly’s day, it was the normal thing for young women to get married. Plenty of them even quit their jobs after the wedding, so they could take care of the house and raise children. She knew that things had changed, but it still seemed strange to her that anybody would be mad at their friend’s happiness.
“I do. I knew a girl in college who was like that. She got crazy mad at her best friend for getting married, even though it was what she truly wanted to do. When it came down to it, she was just angry that she didn’t have anyone trying to get her to put a ring on her finger.” Dora smiled. “And I guess I get it.”
“Are you jealous of Michelle, too?” Molly teased.
“No, but we’re all raised with the idea that our wedding day is the biggest moment of our lives. Every little girl dreams of it, even once she’s grown up and she knows there’s more to life than a knight in shining armor.”
“You always surprise me,” Molly Gertrude said. “You’re young, but you’re smart as a whip. Maybe your talent is wasted and you should be working for NASA or something.”
“I’m not that kind of smart, Miss Molly,” Dora argued as she swerved around a storm drain that was spewing water out onto the road. “Besides, I’d much rather be calling a bed and breakfast than radioing Houston.”
“How did you think of that, anyway? It was absolutely brilliant!” Molly was pleased all over again that the affair would be held at the Old Rose.
“Thank you, but it was simple, really. I just started thinking of pretty places in town, the sort of places that might be on the historical register or that have a particularly romantic feel about them. I knew we could probably get the community center or borrow someone’s barn, but I’ve always thought the Old Rose was just one of the nicest places in Calmhaven. I didn’t think it was big enough, but Stephanie said they just finished remodeling the sunroom that runs all along the back of the house. I admit I haven’t seen it yet, but if it’s anything like the rest of the house it’ll be quite lovely.”
Molly was intrigued. There were only so many wedding venues available in their small town, and having a new place to offer on the list would be a very good thing. The fact that it was a bed and breakfast made it even better, since the bride and groom could stay the night before taking off on their honeymoon. “Do you think Stephanie would mind if we went by for a quick look?”
Dora grinned. “I swear you read my mind sometimes, Miss Molly! She did say the rain was making things slow. It’s not too far, and the worst thing she could do is tell us no.”
“Well, let’s go, dear girl!”
Laughing like they were on a grand adventure, the two women headed for the other side of town.
Once they had spent some time at the bed and breakfast and told Stephanie how much they thoroughly approved of the new renovations, Dora and Molly pulled up outside the agency right behind the handyman. “Sorry it took me a day to get here,” he said as they all trotted up under the porch and Dora worked on unlocking the door. “I’ve been getting calls for leaks all over Calmhaven.”
“That’s all right. I’ve been able to keep it contained, mostly.”
They made their way inside, and Aaron ran a hand through his sandy-blonde hair to keep it from dripping. “What’s our situation?”
“The leak is right there,” Molly said, pointing. “I think it’s picking up, and another one started in the bathroom ceiling.”
Aaron Taylor was a local jack-of-all-trades. Molly liked using his services because he always showed up as soon as he possibly could, even if it was a weekend. “Okay, I’ll get my ladder out and see what I can do.”
About twenty minutes later, Aaron found Molly at her desk. He swiped at the raindrops dripping down the back of his neck. “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”
“Just pile it on me all at once. The good Lord won’t give me more than I can handle,” she said with a smile.
“Okay. The leaks are fairly small, and I think I can repair them easily. The bad part is that I have to wait until this rain quits. If I open up your roof right now, then I’m just going to flood everything else. For the moment, though, I can put some tarps down over the bad parts and keep it from getting any worse.”
“That’ll just have to be good enough, then. Dora will write you a check when you’re done.” Molly turned back to her work, just happy that they didn’t have to replace the entire roof.
4
Ruined!
Molly had Wednesday off, but she was having a hard time enjoying it. The rain continued to flood down the windowpanes, and it would have been the perfect day to dive into a novel by one of her favorite mystery authors. Molly Gertrude had quite a few bookshelves in her home, and they were each groaning with volumes by Agatha Christie, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Mary Higgins Clark along with numerous other classics. She even enjoyed reading the ones she had read before. Knowing who the killer was didn’t detract from the story when she could still go back and pick up on the subtle clues she hadn’t noticed the first time around.
Even Misty was only interested in laying around and napping, but Molly felt restless. She got up and cleaned the kitchen, attempted to write a letter to her sister in Pennsylvania, and even tried taking a nap, but nothing seemed quite right.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me today, Misty,” she said when she sat down in her favorite reading chair, giving up. The cat had immediately leaped onto her lap and stared at her with intense green eyes. “I usually enjoy my days off. It’s a wonderful time to catch up on my personal prayers, but of course the weather is too nasty to go anywhere. That normally wouldn’t stop me from at least finding a way to keep myself occupied. Whatever is the matter?”
Misty gave a tiny meow and began purring, kneading her paws into Molly Gertrude’s thighs as she looked for the comfiest spot on her lap.
“Some help you are,” Molly teased, smiling.
She had found the little cat right outside the door of the Cozy Bridal Agency many years before. Molly Gertrude hadn’t planned to get a cat, but she couldn’t resist the little ball of fluff. They had quickly become fast friends, and Misty was always either at the office or at home with Molly. She scratched the cat behind the ears and was rewarded with a slightly louder purr.
“But there’s no point in wasting a day off, no matter how dreary it is. Maybe I can convince my mind to focus on a few paragraphs, at least.” She picked up her leather-bound copy of Murder on the Orient Express, flipped to the right page, and plucked out the bookmark she had cross-stitched.
She was just getting into the story when the phone rang, startling her. She flailed her arms and sent the book crashing to the floor. Misty, perturbed, launched off her lap and went flying to the other side of the house. Molly’s old rotary phone, sat proudly on the small corner table, was fit for a museum. She did not like cell phones one bit. New fangled gadgets, Molly called them. She picked up the receiver. “Hello?”
“Molly, it’s Gloria.”
“Oh, hello dear. I didn’t expect to hear from you.” There were several more brides that had contracted Molly and were also getting their dresses from Gloria, but they didn’t have any fittings scheduled for that week. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m not sure if you can do anything at all,” Gloria admitted in a bitter tone. “I just stepped into my back room to look for a certain style of shoes that someone wanted, and I noticed that Michelle’s wedding dress has been ruined!”
“What?” Molly couldn’t quite understand what she was hearing. “How?”
“I don’t know! My best guess is that someone must have snuck in here during the night and completely trashed it.”
Molly’s heart fell into the pit of her stomach. “What about the rest of your inventory?”
“Unharmed, as far as I can tell. But I’ll have to stay late tonight to take stock and make sure nothing was stolen.”
Molly nodded even though the woman on the other end of the line couldn’t see her. “But why was the dress even there? Didn’t Michelle take it home after the fitting yesterday?”
“She didn’t want to risk getting it wet, and I told her I could drop it off at the bed and breakfast the day of the wedding. I mean, she spent plenty of money with me on that dress, and I figured a little trip across town was no big deal.”
“Have you contacted Michelle yet?” Molly’s heart had come leaping back up, but now it surged in her throat. As long as the brides went to their fittings and made the appropriate arrangements, there were never any disasters when it came to dresses purchased from Gloria’s. The woman was meticulous, and she had even made some of the dresses herself when a bride couldn’t find one off the rack that suited her tastes. There was a reason Molly highly recommended her to everyone she met. For this to have happened was entirely unexpected.
“No,” Gloria admitted. “I’m afraid to, but I know I have to. This is going to be awful.”
“It’ll be all right, dear, just stay calm. Have you contacted the police?”
“Yes. They said they’ll be over here as soon as they can, but I don’t think it’s very high on their list of priorities. Apparently there are some homes that have flooded down by the creek, and they’re working on evacuating everyone in that area.”
“Oh my! It’s certainly an adventurous day. Do you want to call Michelle, or do you want me to do it?” Molly had broken bad news to brides before, although it had never quite been like this.
“I’ll do it.”
“Okay. And I’ll be on my way to your shop in just a few minutes. I’m sure Michelle will want to come and see the damage, so I’d better be there as well.”