by Donna Doyle
“Do you think he’ll send Deputy Digby here?” Dora asked nervously, touching her hair with one hand.
Molly tried to hide her smile. “It’s always possible.”
The phone rang. Molly turned away to keep Dora from feeling too embarrassed and answered it. “Hi, Molly. It’s Gloria. I just wanted to let you guys know that I should have Michelle’s dress finished tonight. It’s taking a lot more alterations than the first one did, so I’ve got a pot of coffee brewing.”
“Bless you, dear! I always know I can count on you. I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through all this trouble, though.”
“No, it’s my fault. Somehow, I managed to leave that window unlocked. If I hadn’t, then none of this might have happened.” She already sounded tired, leaving Molly to wonder just how much extra work she had already done.
“Really, don’t blame yourself. I take it you got everything worked out with Renee?”
“Yes. She told me to just go for it and do what I needed to do. And I’ll personally bring the dress to the bed and breakfast tomorrow morning. I just hope Michelle agrees.”
“Thank you. You’re a wonder, Gloria. Don’t forget it!” When she hung up, Molly wondered if she should have mentioned something about the mud on the dress to Gloria. Then again, Gloria had enough on her plate just with getting the new dress completed. They could talk about it another time.
She turned back to find that Dora had cut some of the clean fabric into strips, knotted them together at one and, and braided them together. She had gotten over her little disconcerting moment over the deputy and held up her work with pride. “Look! These would go perfectly around the tops of the vases for the centerpieces.”
“Great work, Dora.” Even when things were disastrous, it was nice to know that she had such wonderful people around her.
9
A Wedding Daze
Ironically, Saturday morning dawned bright and clear. If it hadn’t been raining all week and the ground hadn’t been completely soaked, it might have still been a nice day for an outdoor wedding. As it was, the sunroom along the back of the Old Rose Bed and Breakfast was shaping up into a gorgeous venue for the Harris-Jones wedding.
Molly and Dora arrived early, just before the rest of the people they had contracted for the wedding arrived. They scrambled to help the florists put up the archway near the altar and arrange the centerpieces in the dining room for the reception. The rental company arrived with a truck full of folding chairs, and Molly worked up a sweat as she helped align them in the sunroom for the guests. Henry and Harriet, who owned a small café in Calmhaven, arrived shortly afterwards and began filling the place with the delicious smells of the food for the reception. Molly held the door open wide for them as they brought in a beautiful, three-tiered cake.
“Dora, it looks like guests are starting to arrive,” Molly said when she noticed a few people milling about that were definitely not workers. “Make sure they sign the guest book and find their seats, and I’ll slip upstairs to check on Michelle and see how she’s doing.”
“Sounds good!” Dora gave her a thumbs up and went to guide an elderly couple to their seats.
Molly climbed the staircase to the second story. The Old Rose Bed and Breakfast was a beautiful American Tudor style home from the twenties, with gorgeous timber and stucco decorating the two main front gables. Bay windows protruded from each of these, and in the center resided a grand oak door with its own portico. Even the chimney pots had been decorated. The main structure of the outside was stone, and the mixture of building materials gave the place a cozy, old-world feel.
Inside the building was no different. Stone and dark wood reigned, brightened with creamy paint where it turned to drywall. Most of the ceilings were timbered, reflecting the outside of the house, and the floors were all in flagstone or wood. Molly admired it all over again as she climbed the beautiful staircase with its carved balustrade. If she had been married when she was younger, she would have been thrilled to do it in a place like this.
The second story was where most of the available rooms were, and Molly made her way down the long hall to the door at the very end. She knocked gently and heard Renee’s voice weakly call, “Come in!”
She opened the door to find Michelle in front of an oval mirror, dressed in the new gown that Gloria had brought over that morning. If Molly hadn’t already known it was a different dress, she might never have guessed. Her golden locks had been piled on the back of her head and secured in place with tiny pearl-ended pins, and the hairdresser was carefully inserting the comb of her veil in place. A photographer was lurking around the edges of the room, taking random snaps of shoes, dresses, and hairpins.
“You look absolutely gorgeous,” Molly Gertrude breathed.
The bride turned uncertain eyes to her. “I appreciate it, but I don’t think I can agree.”
“Why not?” Molly’s quick eyes scanned the girl from top to bottom and couldn’t find a single fault. There wasn’t a hair out of place, and of course Gloria had tailored the new dress to perfection.
“My shoes are uncomfortable, and this dress is just not the same as the other. It’s not as big, and it’s going to completely change the look of the wedding. Ow!” Michelle ducked her head away from the hairdresser, who had just been inserting another bobby pin into her updo.
“Sorry,” murmured the stylist. “But it’s difficult when you keep moving.”
“I didn’t mean to cause any trouble,” Molly said before the exchange could turn into an argument. “I just wanted to see how things were going and if you needed me for anything.”
“We’re fine,” Renee answered as she dodged around the hairdresser to place pearl dangles in Michelle’s earrings. “Is everything going smoothly downstairs? I’ve heard quite a few vehicles arrive. I have a few more things to do up here, but I can come down and direct traffic in a minute.”
“No need,” Molly assured her. “We’ve got it all under control.” There was always a lot to do on the big day, but Molly prided herself in not only scheduling well but following up with everyone she had contracted. It also helped that she knew most of the people in Calmhaven, and there was never any doubt in her mind that the florist or the caterers would arrive on time.
“I’m sure there’s something I can do. Let me come with you.” Renee gave Michelle a quick pat on the arm, told her she would be back shortly, and practically ran out of the room, dragging Molly behind her.
“I really don’t want to drag you away from what you’re doing. I’m sure Michelle needs you,” Molly said quietly, not wanting the bride to overhear through the closed door.
“I need to get out of there for a little while! Michelle’s been a nutcase all morning!” Renee leaned against the balustrade where the second story looked down into the main living area below, showcasing a gorgeous stone fireplace.
“Is there something the matter? Maybe I should go and talk to her.” Molly didn’t like the notion that one of her brides might be unhappy in the least. Yes, things had certainly changed. Neither the dress nor the weather could be helped, but she was convinced that the new venue was only for the better. The bed and breakfast not only provided a beautiful place for the ceremony that didn’t require umbrellas, but the bride now had a nice place to get ready. Michelle and Renee had spent the night at the Old Rose so they could get started right after breakfast.
“No, don’t bother.” Renee’s knuckles were white as they gripped the railing. “There’s nothing really wrong at all. The shoes that she says are uncomfortable are the same ones that she picked out simply because they were more comfortable than anything else she tried on. She’s told me numerous times that she doesn’t like her hairdo, but she’s already done two trial runs with Rachel and couldn’t stop talking about how beautiful it was. And don’t even get me started on the dress!”
“Is she still upset over it?” Molly already knew the answer. Any bride would be miffed at having to change dresses at the last minute, and especial
ly because the original one had met such a grisly demise. But Molly truly wanted Michelle to be happy, because that was the only way to start a marriage.
“She is, but I don’t see that she has any reason to be. Yeah, it’s not the same one. But if you ask me, the only difference is the tag.” Renee puffed out her cheeks and let out a big sigh.
“Well, it’s not a surprise that this time is stressful for her. She’ll be all right, and once she comes down the aisle, she’ll forget about everything else that has happened.” Cold feet was a terrible disease that ran high among brides, but in Molly’s experience it was usually cured by just stepping out and getting it all over with.
Just then, the door at the other end of the hall opened, and Brian Jones emerged. He looked handsome in his tuxedo, but Molly thought it was a good look for just about any man. He had a pale pink rose tucked into his buttonhole, and his shoes clicked softly on the hard floor. Brian nodded as he came to join them. “Hello, ladies. Renee, you look very pretty today.”
She touched her jewelry self-consciously, her look going from one of coy surprise and then swiftly changing to anger. “Yeah, well you’d better not be talking like that after you go downstairs and put a ring on Michelle’s finger.”
Brian took a step back. “I was just trying to be nice. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Right. Well, I’m watching you. If you do anything to hurt her, I swear I’ll track you down and get revenge!” With her cheeks as bright of a shade of red as her hair, Renee turned and carefully picked her way down the stairs in her heels.
“What was that all about?”
Molly watched the maid of honor go with an arched eyebrow, another piece of the puzzle falling into place in her mind. “I think it’s just been a long day.” Making her excuses that she had to get back to her job as coordinator, Miss Molly went back downstairs, mulling over the mystery that was now beginning to fall into place.
The dining room had been all laid out with linens, plates, and glasses. A table near the doorway had been erected for guests to place their gifts and cards, and it was steadily being filled. Molly leaned over the guestbook stand, pleased to see that the attendees were dutifully filling in the lines. She skimmed down the column of names and noticed several that she recognized.
She found Dora in the sunroom, showing people to their seats, and pulled her aside. “It looks like all the seats are filling up quickly.”
“Oh, yes! I think everyone in Calmhaven must know either the bride or the groom. Even Sheriff Barnes and Deputy Digby are here.” Dora’s cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink.
Molly didn’t have time to worry about that at the moment.
Dora’s puzzled over who might have invited some of the guests. She didn’t recall JJ Barnes and Digby being on the original guest list. “Who invited them? The bride or the groom?” She asked Molly.
“Neither,” Molly answered with a wink.
“Can you tell me which one of these guests is Victoria Watson?” By now, the other young men that Michelle and Brian had asked to be ushers had arrived and were doing their job, so there was always a chance that Dora didn’t know.
“Oh, um, I think she’s the one over there.” Dora pointed to a woman on the bride’s side. Her dark hair had been swept back into a low ponytail, and she had a large gift bag at her feet. “I tried to take the bag from her and put it on the table, but she wouldn’t let me. She insisted it wasn’t just a regular gift. I saw the tag, and it had her name on it. I suppose it could always be a different Victoria, though.”
“No, you’re probably right. Thank you.”
Dora went on to her duties, and so did Molly. But there was something in the air that kept her on her toes and gave her a tingling feeling that told her something was about to happen. It wasn’t the same sort of anxious excitement she usually felt before a wedding; this was something different. Very different.
Molly stepped into the kitchen area to check on the caterers. Henry and Harriet were among those that she knew she could count on, but Molly had the need to do something productive. The husband and wife team were putting trays of dinner rolls in the oven. “Everything going smoothly?”
“As long as we can keep the groom and his friends out of the food!” Harriet said with a smile as she shut the oven door. In her late forties, Harriet was a woman of simple tastes. She and her husband had a nice café in the center of Calmhaven where they always tried to come up with something new without pushing it toward exotic.
“I can go upstairs and talk to them,” Molly offered.
“We got it taken care of.” Henry, a few years older that his wife and with streaks of silver icing his dark blonde hair, stirred a large pot of green beans. “I managed to chase them out of here.”
“I’m sorry they were trouble for you. They’ve all be very cooperative up until this point, as far as I know.” The groomsmen had all shown up at Gloria’s to get their measurements for their tuxes when they were supposed to. Michelle had even mentioned at one point that they’d gotten their hair cut and had cleaned their nails, which was about all you could expect out of most groomsmen. And Brian had been personally involved in many of the decisions about the wedding.
“It wasn’t Brian, really,” Harriet explained. “He was the first one down here, before he’d gotten dressed. His stomach was upset, and I gave him a roll off the first tray. I think he was just nervous.”
“Did he say anything out of the ordinary?”
Henry shrugged and wiped down the counter. “Nothing much. Just that this was it and the big day had finally arrived, that he thought it might never happen. The normal stuff at weddings.”
“Well, if you need me, just yell.” Molly emerged from the kitchen and moved through the lower level of the bed and breakfast, continuing to check that everything was in place. A couple was just coming in the front door, and she showed them to the guestbook and then to their seats. It was then that she noticed Veronica Watson was no longer in her chair. She had disappeared along with her oversized gift bag.
Soft music had begun to play, the cue that the ceremony would begin shortly. Molly trotted back up the stairs as fast as her old legs would carry her. She would give notice to the bride, gather up the men, and get the wedding party on the ground floor before Michelle’s entrance music started. But when she reached the top of the stairs, she found that the bride’s half of the wedding party was already standing outside the door, and they didn’t look pleased. Molly’s stomach gave a threatening lurch, and she wished she had snagged one of the dinner rolls as well.
“What’s the matter?” Molly asked immediately, her sensible shoes rooted in place on the landing.
Renee left the door and came to her side to explain. “She said she needed a minute to herself before the ceremony, so we all came out for a bit. When we tried to get back in, she’d locked the door. She says she’s not coming out.”
“She’s in there all alone?”
“Like I said, she kicked us all out.”
“Did anyone come to visit her?”
Renee blinked. “Well, yeah, actually.”
“Who?” Molly knew she was onto something now.
“I don’t know who she was, and Michelle didn’t introduce her.” For the first time since Renee had come with Michelle to the Cozy Bridal Agency and began the planning, Renee looked flustered.
Molly, however, found that she felt calmer than she had in the past week. “Just describe her for me.”
“She was pretty, with dark hair, and she had a big bag. She dropped it off with Michelle and then left.”
The timing was odd, which made Molly wonder about her suspicions, but this was definitely more than just a case of cold feet. Molly waved the women aside and knocked on the door herself. “Michelle, it’s Molly Grey. It’s time to go downstairs and get started.”
“I’m not coming!”
“I know you might not be happy with the way everything turned out, dear, but really it’s going to be just fine.�
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“It’s not fine, and I’m not coming. I’m not getting married.” She sounded like a petulant child pouting in her bedroom.
“Why don’t you let me in so we can at least talk face-to-face. I won’t try to make you do anything you don’t want to do.”
There was a long moment of silence and then the click of the lock.
Molly found Michelle sitting on the edge of the bed, the ruffled skirt of her dress poufing out around her. She had taken off her shoes and left them lying at an odd angle on the floor, and tears had streaked her mascara down her cheeks. The giant gift bag that Victoria Watson had brought was on the floor near the mirror. Molly noted that the tissue paper had been disturbed, but it still concealed a large object.
Molly nestled down onto the bed next to Michelle. It wasn’t a comfortable position for her back, but she would just have to deal with it. “Would you like to tell me why you don’t want to go on with the wedding?”
“I thought you weren’t going to make me do it,” Michelle quickly retorted, darting angry eyes toward Molly.
“And I’m not. But it’s good to talk about these things and get them out in the open. You can use me as a sounding board to organize your thoughts. That might make it a little easier when you tell Brian.”
This time, Michelle’s eyes were wide and fearful. “I can’t do that!”
“You have to, dear. He’s part of this wedding, too.” Molly patted the bride’s hand.
Michelle shook her head. “I’m not…I just can’t…I’m not doing this.”
“So the wedding is off? For sure?”
“For sure.” Tears streamed down Michelle’s cheeks.
Molly nodded and left the room, ignoring the curious faces that watched her in the hall. The bridesmaids had been joined by the groomsmen, and Brian charged toward her. “What’s going on?”