by Agatha Frost
“To match your ring,” he interrupted. “They belong to you now.”
Julia removed the tiny diamond studs she had plucked from her messy jewellery box before accepting the velvet box with shaky fingers. She pulled the pearls out of their casing and fitted them into her ears. When she had the backs on, her father hooked his finger under her chin and pointed her face up to the light.
“You look so much like her,” he said softly. “She’d be so proud of you.”
“I wish she were here,” Julia found herself saying. “I miss her most on days like this.”
“She’s here.” He tapped his finger against Julia’s chest, right over her heart. “She’s always here.”
Julia had to clench her jaw to halt the tears threatening to overflow. After placing the red velvet box on the hallway table, she hugged her father tightly. For that intimate moment, she wasn’t a bride on her wedding morning, she was a girl who needed a cuddle from her daddy. No matter how old she grew or how many ups and downs their relationship had endured, no other gesture was able to ease her more.
Roxy, Jessie, and Sue gravitated to the hallway after they had added the finishing touches to their outfits. A pink bottle of sweet perfume made its way around before disappearing into Sue’s tiny handbag.
“The cars are cutting it fine,” Brian said, checking his watch as he wafted his arm through the fragrance cloud. “It’s almost noon.”
“They’re not coming,” Julia explained. “The roads are flooded in Riverswick.”
“Those damn roads flood every year!” Brian huffed. “When are the council going to pull their fingers out and fix those riverbanks for good?”
“A question for another day.” Julia glanced at the clock on the wall. “We need to set off. We’re taking the cars we have. Sue, you can drive Dad and me in my car, and Jessie and Roxy can head down in the Mini.”
After grabbing the car keys and all the umbrellas Julia owned, they made their way down the waterlogged garden path. Sue and Roxy scurried behind Julia, lifting her train so it wouldn’t drag in the muddy puddles. After Sue unlocked the car doors, Julia climbed onto the backseat, miraculously dry. Roxy stuffed the end of the dress inside before slamming the door shut and hurrying to Jessie’s yellow Mini. Sue settled behind the wheel, and their father joined Julia in the back. They sat in silence and looked ahead as the rain drummed against the car’s metal roof.
“Ready?” Sue asked as she turned the key in the ignition.
“As I’ll ever be.” Julia wrapped her hand around her father’s. “To the church, driver.”
Chapter Three
The journey to St. Peter’s was a short and silent one. They pulled up outside the church in the heart of the village a couple minutes past noon, and, to Julia’s relief, the downpour finally eased to a light drizzle—not that the dark clouds had yet to part.
Sue killed the engine and pulled a compact mirror from her bag. She gave her makeup a once over before passing it to Julia for final checks. Julia looked in the small mirror, but her eyes went straight to the veil instead of her makeup. Her stomach dropped, and for the first time since waking up, it hit her that she was actually about to get married. The string of bad luck had kept her distracted, but now that she was outside the church, she couldn’t escape what she was about to do.
“Last chance to change your mind.” Sue met Julia’s eyes in the rear-view mirror. “Say the word, and I drive us far away from here.”
Julia knew her sister was playing with her, but she didn’t consider the offer for a second. Nerves aside, she couldn’t have been surer that she was doing the right thing.
“Maybe next time.” Julia passed the mirror back before inhaling deeply. “I’m ready to become Mrs South-Brown.”
Under a canopy of giant umbrellas, they hastily made their way to the entrance of the church, where the front doors already stood open for them. Once safe and dry in the vestibule, the bridesmaids fussed around Julia, adjusting her dress and hair. When they were satisfied that she was perfect, Roxy slipped into the church to announce their arrival. The chatter from the guests died down instantly.
“Wait!” a familiar voice cried.
Julia spun around as her eighty-four-year-old gran, Dot, hurried into the church under the protection of an umbrella—not that she needed it, thanks to her bright yellow hat, twice the width of her slender frame.
“I lost track of time!” Dot panted as she caught her breath and collapsed the umbrella. “Oh, look at you, Julia! Perfection!”
“Thanks, Gran,” Julia replied with a smile as Dot kissed her on both cheeks. “Although, maybe you should go and join the choir for your big debut before they start without you.”
“Righty-oh!” Dot wagged her finger before scurrying to the doors that led to the nave. “Wish me luck!”
Seconds later, another elderly member of the Peridale Harmonics Choir, Percy Cropper, hurried into the church with a tea towel over his bald head. The comical, rotund man dabbed at his face as he smiled his apologies for his lateness before tossing the towel onto the table containing the church activities flyers.
“Very lovely,” he said quickly to Julia before following Dot into the church.
Sue glanced over her shoulder at Julia and the sisters shared a quick smile. They’d had their suspicions that an unlikely romance had been blossoming between their gran and Percy since she had joined the choir. The tea towel from Dot’s kitchen all but confirmed it.
Seconds later, the deep and lively notes of the organ filled the air. The doors into the church opened from within, revealing the rows of guests waiting patiently for a glimpse of the bride. They rose to their feet as the choir began to sing. Taking their signal, Sue, Roxy, and Jessie set off, walking down the aisle in a neat line.
“Ready?” Brian whispered after kissing her temple.
Julia nodded. He pulled the veil over her face and held out his arm. She gratefully looped hers through his; her knees were suddenly unable to fully support her weight in the heavy dress. Gulping down her fear, she clung tight to her father. Her feet moved forward, not that she had any control over them. She was sure it was the closest to an out-of-body experience she would ever experience.
The guests all turned to gaze at Julia, their faces all wearing the same doe-eyed expression. Cameras flashed, capturing her from every angle. Despite the weather, the turnout appeared strong.
Her old school friends, newspaper editor, Johnny Watson, and wedding planner, Leah Burns, were the first faces she saw. They held hands, showing how in love they had grown since they had started dating at the end of the summer. Their familiar smiles eased her nerves a little.
Her eyes danced over the faces of the Peridale residents she had invited. They all smiled at her, some of them dabbing their watery eyes. She hoped she was smiling back behind the veil because she couldn’t seem to control any part of her body as she drifted closer to the front of the church. Sue’s husband, Neil, held their twin baby girls, Pearl and Dottie, who were being remarkably quiet in their pretty pink dresses. Julia’s father’s wife, Katie, was in the front row of Julia’s side of the church, with Julia’s baby brother, Vinnie, wriggling in her arms. He looked adorable in his tiny tuxedo, grinning under his mop of dark curls.
Barker’s side was filled with people from his book publishing company and former colleagues from the police station. The only family member who had returned the RSVP—his eldest brother, Casper—stood next to Barker as his best man. Casper’s wife, Heather, proudly grinned from the front row.
Julia looked at the choir, who were harmonising with the organ, their ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ floating around the grand building. Julia’s gran and Jessie’s brother, Alfie, were stood in the back row, sharing the same delighted smile as they watched her walk.
Julia’s eyes finally landed on Barker’s back. He was looking straight ahead at the altar, his hands clasped behind him. Casper noticed Julia and patted Barker on the shoulder with his free hand; his other clutched the cane he needed to su
pport his prosthetic leg.
Barker spun around, a broad smile captivating her attention. She returned it, and the world melted away. It didn’t matter that the cake wasn’t perfect, or that the cars hadn’t arrived, or that the flowers were the wrong colour, or that it was raining; this was why she was here. This man. This moment.
When Julia reached the end of the aisle, her father let go and stepped to the side to join Katie. She felt like she was floating in a dream state behind her hazy veil as Barker’s gaze pulled her in to join him. Once she was in position, he lifted her veil, freeing her to take him in unobstructed.
“You look amazing,” he whispered, his smile beaming from ear-to-ear. “Nervous?”
“Not anymore,” she said, looking deep into his eyes.
They held hands and turned to Father David, who smiled down at them from a raised platform. Thunder rumbled outside. As Julia had requested, the choir began to sing ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’, mirroring the song the very same choir had sung for her mother and father on their special day over forty years ago.
The choirmaster, Gloria Gray, stepped forward to take the lead vocals of the hymn. Somewhere in her late sixties, Gloria was a tall and wide woman with a commanding presence. Short grey curls sprouted from her head in all directions, and even though her round face was soft and pale, her gaze carried the authority of a woman in charge. She had been Julia’s music teacher at St. Peter’s Primary School, and she had always caused an irrational fear deep within Julia. Even as a child, Julia hadn’t sensed any warmth within the woman.
Despite this, Julia was glad to have Gloria singing at her wedding. She was the longest-serving member of the choir; more than once, she had told Julia she had been part of the choir that had sung at Julia’s parents’ wedding all those years ago.
Julia glanced up at the cavernous ceiling. Was her mother up there looking down on them? Thunder signalled again. She wasn’t sure she believed in heaven, but she was happy to believe in it today.
Hand in hand, Julia and Barker watched the choir sing. Dot and Alfie provided backing vocals, but Gloria seemed to be the only member actually singing. It felt less like a choral performance and more like a singer with her back-up. Her vocals bellowed into every corner of the church without the aid of a microphone.
“You’re not wearing your wedding suit,” Julia whispered to Barker when she noticed that he was wearing a dark blue, pinstriped business jacket.
“It’s a long story,” he whispered back. “I’ll explain later. I’ve had a string of bad luck this morning.”
“I’m glad it wasn’t just me then.”
“You too?” He squeezed her hand. “The universe can do whatever it wants. Nothing is going to stop us marrying today.”
The choir reached the climax of the song, but to Julia’s surprise, Gloria fluffed the final high note. She choked and began to cough, much to the horror of the rest of the choir. Amy Clark abruptly stopped playing the organ, sending the church into silence. Gloria looked around, her eyes wide. She appeared as though she was about to apologise, but a short, impish woman with wiry grey hair pulled her back. Gloria shrugged the other woman off and sat with a huff.
The awkward silence that followed was interrupted when Gloria struggled back more coughing. She reached under the bench for a water bottle, which she took a deep swig from. Barker glanced at Julia, but all she could offer was a shrug.
“Wasn’t that lovely?” Father David offered an unsure smile as he stepped forward. “Thank you to the Peridale Harmonics Choir for another divine performance.”
He cleared his throat and tugged at his dog collar before opening his order of service. His lips parted, but before he could start, Gloria’s coughing cut him off.
“Dearly beloved,” Father David bellowed over the noise, “we are gathered here today in the sight of God to witness the union of Barker Fergus Brown and Julia Maria South in holy—”
Gloria spluttered as she drank more water, before breaking into an even louder coughing fit. All eyes turned to her, including Father David’s. Other members of the choir looked away, obviously embarrassed. Dot rolled her eyes, and it seemed only the impish lady Julia didn’t know cared about comforting Gloria.
“—in holy matrimony,” Father David continued, “which is an honourable estate, that is not to be entered into unadvisedly or—”
Gloria’s coughing interrupted him once again. Father David sighed and snapped the order of service shut before turning to the choir.
“Maybe you should excuse yourself, Gloria?” he whispered. “Get some fresh air?”
Gloria nodded and stood up, but more coughing made her stumble back and fall onto Dot and Alfie. They let out identical yelps as the weight of the heavy woman crashed down on them. A gasp echoed around the church, followed by disapproving chatter.
“She doesn’t look good,” Julia whispered to Barker as Gloria regained her balance. “Her face is turning purple.”
Gloria walked along the row, coughing the whole way. She staggered down a step and looked out at the congregation with pleading eyes. Sweat rolled down her flushed face. Julia clutched Barker’s hand as other members of the choir exited to surround her. A handful of guests stood up, but nobody seemed to know what to do. A collective cry boomed through the room when Gloria dropped to her knees.
“Somebody help her!” the impish woman cried desperately. “She can’t breathe!”
Father David hurried over and rested his hand on Gloria’s back before looking up helplessly and crying, “Is there a doctor in attendance?”
There was a moment of desperate silence as the guests looked amongst themselves, waiting for a medical professional to come forward; none did.
“I’m a nurse,” Sue called as she passed her flowers to Roxy. “Let me take a look.”
But Sue didn’t reach Gloria in time to do anything. Gloria slouched forward and clutched Father David’s white robes, coughing one last time before dropping to the ground on her front with a silencing thud. Everyone gulped, including Julia and Barker, when they saw the tiny red splatters of blood on the vicar’s robes.
Sue dropped down and dug two fingers into Gloria’s fleshy neck as Father David and the rest of the choir backed away. Sue stared at Julia, her expression grave.
“I think she’s dead.”
Chapter Four
The sun seemed to set extra early that night. Julia and Barker stood in their kitchen as the light disappeared around them. Still in their wedding outfits, they had been staring mutely at the wedding cake leaning against the counter for the past hour. Julia was too in shock to attempt to remove the dress on her own.
The house phone rang on the kitchen wall for the thirteenth time since they had returned to the cottage. They had ignored it each time, but Julia couldn’t stand to listen to it ring anymore. She left Barker’s side and snatched the phone line out of the wall before immediately retreating to his side. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in.
“The cake is missing a tier,” Barker finally said, breaking the silence that had been bubbling since they had left the police station.
“The fridge broke and ruined the original one,” she explained, her voice numb. “We made this one this morning. Quickly.”
Julia reached out and dug her fingers into the middle tier. She pulled out a fistful of the cake and took a large bite. It was the first thing she had eaten all day.
“Double chocolate fudge cake,” Julia explained after swallowing her first mouthful. “You might as well help yourself. No point wasting good cake.”
Barker looked unsure, but she gave him an encouraging nod. He broke off a chunk of the cake, and they resumed their position leaning against the counter and staring into space while they ate.
“It’s delicious,” Barker said between bites.
“I wanted to surprise you with your favourite.” Julia glanced at the clock. “Our reception would have been starting in ten minutes. We’d have been cutting the cake as h
usband and wife in a couple of hours.”
She sighed and finished her cake. When she was done, she licked her fingers instead of washing them; she didn’t have the energy for manners.
“That poor woman,” Barker said quietly. “I can’t believe she just keeled over and died like that.”
Julia couldn’t shake the image of Gloria lying dead on the church floor. She had remained there for an hour thanks to flooding rerouting the ambulance. Sue had spent a good chunk of that hour diligently trying to revive her with CPR. Father David had finally pulled Sue away, telling her it was in God’s hands now.
“Do you believe in omens?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
“I think I do after today.” Julia wiped the crumbs from her face with the back of her hand. “Someone or something out there didn’t want us to get married. They threw everything in our way to stop us. The fridge broke and ruined the wedding cake, my flowers weren’t the ones I ordered, the wedding cars were stuck in a flood.”
“And my suit.” Barker looked down at his pinstriped jacket. “I burned a hole in mine with the iron. Evelyn knocked on every door in the B&B until she found a guest who owned a suit. This was all they had.”
“Maybe we should have listened.” Julia rubbed between her eyes. “The signs were there.”
“It was just bad luck.”
“Bad luck is missing a bus. Today was something biblical. I’m surprised my dress didn’t burst into flames to really hammer the message home.”
Barker’s forehead creased as he offered Julia a sympathetic smile. She felt like she was on the verge of tears, but she didn’t have the energy to produce any, so she laughed. She laughed until Barker started laughing. They held each other and laughed away their pain in the middle of the kitchen, only breaking away when a key rattled in the front door.
“Mum?” Jessie’s voice bellowed down the hallway. “Barker?”
Soaked from the rain, Jessie ran into the kitchen. She immediately slapped the light switch, blinding Julia and Barker in the process.