Chapter Twenty-Three

Caroline fought back the nausea as long as she could but finally got out of bed and made a run for the bathroom. She didn’t think she was actually sick, unless being sick with misery counted, but she decided to sit and wait out the queasiness. A couple of minutes later, she heard a quiet tap on the closed door.

“Caroline,” Allie whispered, “are you okay? I heard you get up…”

Allie opened the door a crack and peeked in. Caroline was sitting on the floor near the toilet, a wet wash cloth draped over her forehead.

“Are you sick?” Allie went to Caroline, felt her forehead, and helped her stand.

Caroline shook her head, hung the wet cloth on the towel rack and ambled back to her bedroom, Allie trailing behind. Caroline sank onto her bed and leaned against the pillows. “It’s just nerves.”

Allie scrutinized her. “Nerves? I don’t know, Car, you don’t look good.”

Caroline closed her eyes. “It feels like a bad case of dread.”

Allie thought for a moment while she eased herself down on the bed next to Caroline. “Then maybe you should skip Richard’s wedding today. I’m sure Emily and Sara would understand. Especially if you’re not feeling well.”

Caroline slowly shook her head. “No, I’ll be okay. I just need to rest.”

“But that’s a lot of pressure you don’t need.”

Caroline lifted herself onto one elbow and faced Allie. “I’ve thought about it, and I think if I actually see Richard marry Misty, then I can quit fantasizing about a life with him and move on.”

“Well,” Allie said, “if you’re sure, but I say you should stay home if you don’t think you can stomach that whole circus Sharlene has cooked up.”

****

Sharlene arrived late in the morning to check on the final preparations for the wedding at the Peterson estate. After last night’s dinner fiasco, she was determined that nothing would go wrong today. She was barking orders at everyone, including the wedding planner who was nearly in tears. The caterer, florist, and hired wait staff had been there since nine a.m., setting up for the six o’clock wedding, and staying out of Sharlene’s way as much as possible. The wedding planner may have thought she was directing the activities, but Sharlene set her straight on that, including where to position the arbor in order to deflect the late afternoon sun from the guests.

Sharlene didn’t like how the chairs in the tent where the ceremony was to be held were arranged, so the wedding planner had to rearrange to make a wider aisle between the bride’s and groom’s sides. A wet bar was originally set up under a shade tree and stocked with only the most expensive brands of alcohol, but Sharlene ordered it moved to the patio under the awning. There was a separate tent for the reception, with an area designated for the musicians to play, adjacent to the dance floor. But the floor was a laminate material and Sharlene insisted on polished hardwoods, so it had to be swapped out. And Sharlene didn’t think the area inside the tent where the guests would enjoy their meal looked festive enough, either, so the staff bustled around rearranging chairs, ribbons, flowers, china and crystal, silverware, linen napkins and serving dishes to Sharlene’s satisfaction, all to accommodate approximately two hundred and fifty guests.

After hours of hard work, Sharlene looked around the grounds and decided it looked like the wedding wonderland she’d envisioned. She called out to the wedding planner, “The gazebo still needs to be decorated! And where are the Petersons? They should be here, too!”

The wedding planner timidly approached Sharlene. “Mrs. Meadows-Benedict, Mrs. Peterson’s maid said she’s taking a bubble bath and gave instructions not to be disturbed, and Mr. Peterson is holed up in his study. Miss Peterson hasn’t come out of her bedroom all day.”

Sharlene shook her head. “Find them! They need to come out and at the least, sign off on all this.” The woman stood there motionless as Sharlene clapped her hands. “Go!”

****

Caroline parked her car in the Peterson’s circular drive. She and Megan got out, walked to the front door, and rang the bell. Megan had her bridesmaid’s dress in a plastic bag on a hanger, and another tote bag with accessories in the other hand. A maid answered the door.

“Hi, this is Megan Benedict,” Caroline said, indicating her sister, “and she’s one of the bridesmaids.”

“Yes, ma’am, please come in. I’ll show you the room where the bridesmaids will be dressing.” The maid led them into the house and up the winding staircase to a large bedroom suite with its own bathroom. “Please make yourselves comfortable. Would you like anything to drink, Miss?” she asked Megan, ignoring Caroline.

“Diet Coke?” The maid nodded and left the room. “Wow! This room’s as big as our whole house!” Megan exclaimed, doing a full circle to take it all in.

Caroline looked around. “You’re right, it’s a nice room, but I don’t think it’s quite that big.” It had two full-size beds piled high with tastefully chosen green decorative pillows and coordinating pink duvets. The off-white dresser and nightstands each held a large onyx vase of freshly-cut pink roses, to coordinate with Misty’s chosen wedding colors of pink and black. What Caroline assumed was a genuine Monet hanging over a desk in one corner, and in the other corner stood a full-length swivel mirror framed in white. The bathroom next to the closet had a shower as well as a large soaking bathtub, floor-to-ceiling mirrors and a chandelier! The walk-in closet door was open, all racks empty, inviting the bridesmaids to hang their belongings.

“Am I early?” Megan asked. “Sharlene said to be here at two for the hair and makeup people.”

Caroline checked the time on her phone. “Right on time. I guess all the other girls are late. Probably too much celebrating last night.” Caroline got a pang in her stomach, remembering her glimpse of the wedding party at the rehearsal dinner and how excited Misty’s friends seemed to be.

Megan rolled her eyes. “Maybe, but Richard and Misty…”

“Stop, Megan. I don’t want to know.” Caroline went to the closet to hang Megan’s dress, opening the bag with her sister’s shoes and undergarments, and removing the earrings and matching necklace she was to wear, taking more time than necessary so she wouldn’t have to listen to Megan’s rendition of the previous evening one more time.

“Hi, Megan.” Krystal walked into the room and threw her things on one of the beds.

Caroline stuck her head out of the closet to see who had arrived. From what little Caroline knew of Krystal, aka Misty’s co-conspirator in the proposal entrapment, she didn’t like. Krystal was married but didn’t seem to have any more direction in life than Misty.

The housemaid returned with Megan’s soda, opened it for her, and poured it into a crystal goblet.

“Oh, good,” Krystal said to the maid, “as long as you’re here, I’ll have a Perrier, and I’m sure the other girls will want the same when they get here.”

“Certainly, Mrs. McAlister.” The maid hurried out again.

Krystal turned her attention to Caroline. “We met last summer. You’re Richard’s secretary, huh?”

Caroline bit her lip. “Executive Assistant.”

Krystal shrugged her indifference. “So I guess you know him pretty well?”

Caroline thought about that. She almost blurted out that she knew Richard better than Krystal and any of these second cousins in the bridal party. She even thought she knew Richard better than Misty. But what she said was, “Yes, I’ve worked with him a couple of years now.”

“Hmmm.” Krystal rummaged through her satchel. “Well, maybe you can explain why Richard seemed so, I don’t know, out of sorts last night.”

“Um, maybe he had some business thing on his mind,” was all Caroline could come up with.

Megan took a gulp of her soda. “It was really weird last night.”

Krystal looked askance at Megan. “Weird how?”

Megan shrugged. “I don’t know, just weird, because Richard and Misty don’t seem all that much in love and it wasn’t much of a party.” Caroline picked up her purse off the bed and looked for her car keys. “Can’t you stay awhile, Car?” Megan pleaded.

Caroline didn’t know how much more of this wedding chit-chat she could take, but for Megan’s sake she hesitated. “Well, I…”

“You can’t go, Caroline,” Megan whined. “There’s no way I can get into that dress and stuff by myself.”

The look Megan gave Caroline said Please don’t leave me alone with her. Caroline glanced over at Krystal, who was ignoring both of them and texting. “Well, I guess for a little while, Megs, but then I need to go home and get dressed myself.”

Caroline was definitely uncomfortable. Krystal certainly hadn’t made her feel welcome, and she couldn’t help Megan get into her bridesmaid dress until her hair and makeup were done. So she sat down quietly on the edge of the bed where Megan was sipping her diet soda. Megan offered her sister a sip and Caroline gladly took one.

“Finally!” Krystal said, waving her phone in the air. “Only a half hour late.”

Jessica, Natalie, and Sierra stormed into the room carrying their bridesmaids’ dresses and bags of accessories. They nodded to Megan, ignored Caroline, and wordlessly began claiming spots for their belongings in the closet and on the beds.

Megan watched all this quiet busyness and whispered to Caroline, “Shouldn’t everyone be excited or something?” Caroline put her fingers to her lips and shook her head, so Megan asked them, “How was the bachelorette party last night?”

“It never happened,” Krystal said, not looking at her.

Jessica threw her handbag on a chair. “Boy, that made me mad! Hanging around Jazz Corner for over two hours waiting for Misty to show up, and she never did.”

“We called her cell about a million times and sent dozens of texts,” Sierra added.

Caroline was stunned. Misty never showed up for her own bachelorette party? And didn’t even bother letting the others know? Something was definitely up, and the tension in the room was palpable.

“Do you think she and Richard had some kind of fight? Misty didn’t even stay for dinner,” Natalie said in a poorly-concealed whisper.

“Richard’s got cold feet, that’s my guess,” Krystal said. “Because I know Misty’s determined to get married today, since her father…” she broke off, glancing over at Megan and Caroline.

“…since her father what?” Caroline asked.

“My lips are sealed.” Krystal did the fake zipping motion and pretended to throw away the invisible key.

Yup, something’s really fishy about this wedding, Caroline thought.

“Well, has anybody talked to Misty today?” Jessica asked.

There was a chorus of not me from everyone, followed by another awkward silence. The door opened, and the maid came in again with the bottles of Perrier in an ice bucket, along with more crystal goblets. She began pouring the water.

“Um, do you know if Miss Peterson is around?” Krystal asked the maid.

“No, ma’am, she hasn’t been out of her room, but she did order a breakfast tray midmorning.”

“Well, at least she’s still alive,” Sierra muttered.

“When are the hair and makeup people supposed to be here?” Natalie stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror. “My hair’s a disaster, and it’s going to take hours on me alone.”

“I believe they’ve just arrived, ma’am. I’ll show them up.”

Caroline couldn’t have been more relieved. As soon as Megan was dressed, she was outta here. This whole thing was really odd. The bridesmaids mad at the bride? The groom with cold feet? The bride herself refusing to come out of her room? Yet the grounds were all set for an elaborate wedding. Caroline had no explanation for any of it.

An hour later Krystal tossed her cell phone down on an end table. “Okay, I’ve had it. She won’t answer my texts.” In her bathrobe, with curlers in her hair, she strolled down the hall and banged loudly on Misty’s bedroom door. Caroline, Megan, and the other three bridesmaids listened and watched with eyes wide.

“Misty, it’s me! Open up—we need to talk!”

“I’m busy, Krystal!” Misty shouted through the door. “I’ll see you later.” The volume on the music in Misty’s room suddenly got louder, so Krystal tossed her hands up in disgust and went back down the hall to finish dressing.

“Megs, I think I’ll be going,” Caroline said. She picked up her handbag and hurried out the door and out of the house.

****

“Two hours until the wedding!” Sharlene surveyed the grounds with approval. Everything was beautifully decorated and the weather was clear and warm. The bar was stocked, and a bartender stood nearby, ready for early arrivals. Valets were stationed out front of the house in the circle drive, ready to park cars in the nearby church parking lot that had been rented for the occasion.

Sharlene smiled at her accomplishments and started walking toward the house. She’d been wearing capris and a designer t-shirt all morning, and now she was drenched in sweat, certainly not an attractive look. It was time to take a bubble bath and get into the pale pink couture silk suit she’d spent days shopping for. She was on her way in through the back patio when she saw Daniel from a distance.

She waved her arms in the air, signaling his attention. “Daniel, darling, I’m just about to go inside and get changed.”

Daniel waved to her and headed toward the bar. “Daniel,” she called out again, but he either didn’t hear or was ignoring her. She shook her head, hoping her husband wouldn’t embarrass her on this of all days.

She opened the slider and stepped into the refreshingly cool living area. There sat Adele in an overstuffed chair, two hours early. Sharlene braced herself.

“Good afternoon, Grandmother.” Sharlene walked over and kissed her on the cheek, shuddering when she saw the deep lavender summer pantsuit and large red garden hat Adele was wearing. Sharlene tried to overlook her grandmother’s obvious eccentricities and smiled sweetly. “Are you feeling better today? You must have been dreadfully ill last night to leave so abruptly.” As Adele eyed her warily, Sharlene added in a less pleasant tone, “And please tell me you haven’t invited The Red Hat Society.”

Adele sat up straight and faced her granddaughter. “I feel fine, thank you, dear. And, yes, two of my fellow Red Hatters will be here. This day’s going to be painful enough as it is, so I need my friends to bolster my spirits.”

“Grandmother, surely you didn’t arbitrarily add people to the guest list!”

Adele patted Sharlene’s hand. “I assured them you could squeeze them in.”

Sharlene bit her tongue. She decided to just let it go and inform the caterer about the extra guests. She took a deep breath and tried again to be civil. “Why are you here so early, Grandmother?”

“I need to speak to Richard. It’s too hot outside right now, so I’m waiting in the air conditioning until I see him.”

Sharlene inhaled a calming breath. “Grandmother, please don’t put any undue stress on Richard. I know you don’t approve of this wedding, but he’s made his wishes clear.” She paused and nearly added more, but decided this day was too important to be spoiled with an argument.

Adele gave her granddaughter a stern look. “No one ever kept me from speaking my mind before, so don’t you try now.”

Sharlene shook her head. All the hard work and planning that had gone into this wedding and she had no intention of letting Grandmother’s opinions of the bride ruin everything, so Sharlene decided it would be prudent to head off Richard before Grandmother got her hooks in. She pulled out her phone to send him a text, but got distracted when she saw an incoming one from the reporter covering what he referred to as “this important society event.”

She regained her composure and pointed to her phone. “Grandmother, it’s from The Indianapolis Star, and they’ll be here today to cover this wedding. So everything has to be perfect.”

“Hrmph,” muttered Adele.

Sharlene walked off, envisioning her picture in the Society section, her name captioned underneath, along with quotes about how hard she’d worked to make this a memorable day for her brother. Sharlene Meadows-Benedict, wife of Truitt Wellness Corporation’s CEO, sister of the groom. It had a nice ring to it.

Richard walked in from the main entry at that moment. Sharlene stepped over, kissed Richard’s cheek, and planted herself between him and Adele. He was already dressed in his wedding tux, complete with a white boutonnière in his lapel.

“Richard, dear, where have you been?” Adele asked, craning her neck around Sharlene.

“What do you mean? I’m not late.” He pulled out his cell phone and checked the time display. “Actually I’m early.”

“No, you’re late—almost too late. This is important, dear. Sit down here and listen to me. Sharlene, move.” Adele patted the oversized ottoman facing her. “You can still call off this wedding, you know.”

“Grandmother!” Sharlene exclaimed, a lump rising to her throat as she nonetheless stepped aside.

Richard sighed as he sat down. “Grandmother, I gave my word. I agreed to marry Misty, maybe in a weak moment, but it’s done, and one thing my mother taught me was to honor my commitments.”

“See?” Sharlene said to Adele. “He’s going to do the honorable thing.”

“Your mother was a fine woman,” Adele said, ignoring Sharlene, “but she died way too young. She had no way of knowing…” She sighed as she broke off.

Richard took her hand between both of his. “Grandmother, I know you’re concerned, and I’ve been giving it some serious thought, I really have.”

Sharlene tapped her foot. “Given what serious thought?”

Richard waved his arms around. “All these preparations, gifts sent, food prepared, and the guests will be arriving soon. It’s too late to call it off.”

Sharlene smiled to herself. Okay, so maybe Richard and Misty weren’t passionately in love like her and Daniel, but they were friends and could fall in love later. They had a whole lifetime ahead of them. As soon as this wedding was accomplished, that is.

Adele shook her head. “It’s easier to call off a wedding than a marriage, Richard. You’re marrying the wrong woman.”

Richard sighed. “We’ve already had this conversation, Grandmother.”

“End of discussion,” Sharlene added.

Adele withdrew her hand from Richard’s. “I’ve seen how you look at Caroline Benedict, Richard. That’s why I planned that little surprise dinner. Didn’t you see which woman you really want?”

Sharlene’s jaw dropped. “What? You sent Richard on a date with another woman? Grandmother, really!”

Richard rubbed his forehead, looking from Sharlene to Adele and back again. “Good cop, bad cop, huh?” He smiled, but it soon drained away. “I guess I need to speak to Misty. Do you know where she is?”

“She hasn’t been out of her room today,” Sharlene said, chagrinned. “Bridezilla” didn’t begin to describe Misty’s behavior.

“Well, if you put off the discussion any longer, you’ll be bound in wedded bliss to the wrong woman.” Adele stood and adjusted her hat. “Now please do the right thing and go speak with your fiancée.”

Richard nodded thoughtfully as he stood. “If you’ll excuse me, Grandmother.”

He walked out of the room, up the stairs to Misty’s closed bedroom door, and knocked. “Misty? Misty, it’s Richard. Can you open the door?”

Sharlene stepped to the bottom of the stairwell and stared up at her brother. “Well? Any luck?” she called.

Richard shook his head and knocked again, shouting louder this time. “Misty, turn down that music and at least talk to me through the door.”

Sharlene went all the way up the stairs. “Misty, dear, your fiancé is concerned about you.”

“Fine,” Misty called from her side of the door. “Okay, I’m here but I’m not opening the door. What do you want?” she snapped.

Sharlene was a bit surprised at Misty’s tone, but hoped it was just wedding jitters. “Misty, I know it’s bad luck to see the groom before the wedding, but may I come in?”

“No!” Misty shouted.

She and Richard heard muffled whispers, and they exchanged puzzled glances. Then the volume on the music increased to a deafening level. “I can’t hear you. Go downstairs and let me finish getting ready.”

Richard stared at the door and hesitated a minute, letting go of the knob. He turned to Sharlene, opened his mouth to say something, closed it, and ran down the stairs and out to the lawn.

****

The doorbell rang, and Susan went to answer it. It was Patrick, carrying his coat and smiling as he tugged at his collar to loosen the tie. Susan invited him in.

“Whew! It’s a scorcher out there.” He looked at her with approval. “You look gorgeous!”

Susan blushed. She had on a blue flowered sundress with a matching solid-colored shrug and low-heeled white sandals. “Everyone’s about ready.”

“How’s Caroline doing?” Patrick asked.

“Not too well,” Susan said. “This is hard on her. Anyway, Emily and Sara are here from Chicago, so hopefully we have enough troops rallied around her.” Patrick gave a low whistle, and Susan turned to look as Allie walked into the room.

Allie had chosen a crisp pale yellow linen pantsuit with black strappy sandals, the spike heels adding to her already statuesque height. Her dark hair was pulled back with an elegant clip, tiny diamond stud earrings shone brightly, and she was carrying a small black clutch bag.

“Wow!” Patrick exclaimed.

“Do you think Brandon will like it?” Allie asked, turning around to display the entire effect.

“What man in his right mind wouldn’t?” Patrick grinned broadly. “The bride had better watch out.” There was a knock on the door, and Brandon let himself in. Patrick elbowed him. “Are your ears burning, old man?”

“What?” Brandon asked, and then he saw Allie.

“Kind of takes your breath away, huh, Phillips?”

Emily and Sara walked into the family room from the kitchen. Sara was dressed in her usual dark blue, conservative business suit, and Emily had chosen a sleeveless little black dress, understated in its simplicity. They looked at Allie and gasped.

“Who’s the star of the show today—you or Misty?” Emily joked.

“Is it too much? I can change.”

“Don’t you dare,” Susan said.

“And Emily,” Allie said, looking chagrinned, “I owe you an apology. For last month. You, too, Sara.”

Emily folded Allie into a bear hug. “You owe us no such thing. You didn’t get sick on purpose.”

“But I used visiting Brittany as an excuse to go see Mark, and then I moped for days, all while getting sicker and sicker. I should have spoken up sooner.”

Emily released Allie from the hug. “We’re both just glad you’re okay now. Did you talk to Brittany?”

Allie nodded. “We video-chatted We’re getting together at Christmas. But I just feel so bad…”

“Nonsense, Allie,” Emily said as she winked at Sara. “Love makes women do nutty things. Besides, look who you’re with now!” Emily slapped a blushing Brandon on the back. “Say, where’s Caroline? Is she ready?”

Susan frowned. “Ready to watch the man she loves marry another woman?”

“I’m giving it a good try.” They all turned to see Caroline standing in the doorway, nervously tucking a stray hair behind her ear. Her sleeveless lime-green garden dress accentuated her slender waist and strawberry-blonde hair.

“What are we waiting for?” she said with a forced smile. “Let’s do this.”

They sorted themselves into two cars and the seven of them arrived in tandem at the Peterson estate. They had to wait in a short line of cars ahead of them. “This is going to be a big wedding,” Susan commented as she looked at all the cars waiting to be parked.

The valet opened the front passenger door and handed Susan out. Brandon helped Allie out of the back seat, while Patrick turned over his car keys in exchange for a claim ticket. The valet hopped into Patrick’s sedan and drove it to the church parking lot across the street.

“Shall we?” Brandon asked Allie, offering his arm.

“Yes, we shall,” she giggled in response.

Susan put her hand up to shade her face, since the sun was beating down and causing a glare. She pointed to the far side of the parking area. “Emily’s van had to go way over there.”

“They’ll catch up,” Patrick said as he offered Susan his arm. Likewise, Brandon escorted Allie toward the wedding festivities.

“It’s breathtaking,” Allie said as she took in the decorations. “There must be two hundred people here already.”

Susan followed Allie’s gaze around the grounds. Some guests sat in the white plastic chairs awaiting the ceremony, some loitered at the bar, and some just milled around the grounds. “Too bad the wrong people are getting married.”

Patrick nodded and squeezed her arm reassuringly. “Do you want something to drink?”

“Not just yet,” Susan said. “Let’s wait for Emily, Sara, and Caroline.”

“Look at the gazebo,” Allie said, pointing off in the distance. “It’s gorgeous over there.” She again linked her arm through Brandon’s as the four of them chatted happily, admiring the decorations and keeping an eye out for the rest of their party. Suddenly Allie gasped. “Ohmigod!”

“Allie, what’s wrong?” Susan looked to see where Allie was pointing, grasped Patrick’s arm tighter and whispered, “What’s Mark Townsend doing here?” Of all the times for her daughter to run into the man who’d broken her heart…

Mark walked over to join them, never taking his eyes off Allie. He seemed to fumble for words, but finally said, “You look good, Allie.”

“Mark, what are you doing here?” Allie demanded. Brandon glared at Mark who shifted from one foot to the other.

“I’m… uh… I’m a guest of the bride.”

“You’re a guest?” Susan asked. Mark was underdressed for a wedding, to say the least, wearing khaki shorts, a golf shirt, and loafers. His whole appearance made her suspicious.

“Uh, Allie, can I talk to you a minute?” Mark asked. “In private?”

“Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of my family and friends,” Allie told him.

Mark scratched his head and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I guess I just wanted to say I’m sorry for the way I treated you in Chicago.”

“Apology accepted.” Allie coolly turned on her heel, tightened her grip on Brandon’s arm, and the two of them started to walk away. But then she stopped, let go of Brandon, and turned back around. “That’s it? Just ‘sorry’? You really hurt me, Mark.”

Mark looked down at the ground. “I know. And when I heard you were sick…” He was silent for a moment. “If it makes any difference now, I did have feelings for you. But there were things going on in my family…”

“There were things going on in my family, too.”

A look of anguish spread over Mark’s face. “What are you doing with Brandon?”

“I’m right here, man,” Brandon said, scowling.

Susan saw Emily, Sara, and Caroline approaching and was about to suggest they all go find their seats. The wedding couldn’t be any more uncomfortable than this.

Allie tilted her head in Brandon’s direction. “He’s been a good friend, both to me and my family. And by the way, I’m starting at Bradley University next week, thanks to him.”

“Bradley?” Mark lifted an eyebrow. “But I thought you were going to Ball State.”

“Things changed. Lots of things. I’m not that naïve little girl anymore that you rescued at the symphony.”

“Allie, I’m, uh…” He shrugged. “Just be happy, okay?” Mark shoved his hands in his shorts pockets and slowly walked away.

Susan asked, “You okay?” at the same time Brandon asked Allie the same thing.

Allie stood up straight, pushed a stray hair out of her face, and nodded. “Mark caused me a lot of pain and disappointment, but I don’t have any feelings for him anymore.” She shrugged. “Maybe I never did.”

“I’d still like to know what he’s doing here,” Susan said as the four of them watched Mark disappear into the crowd.

Caroline walked over with Emily and Sara, and put her hand on Allie’s shoulder. “Was that Mark Townsend? Surely you’re not…”

Allie firmly shook her head. “No way, Car. Besides,” Allie smiled at Brandon, “I have new friends.”

Brandon blushed.

“Hi, Dad.” Caroline greeted her father and Sharlene as they sauntered over arm-in-arm.

Now it was Susan’s turn to squirm. She’d like to just pay her respects to the hosts as quickly as possible and go to their seats. But Daniel was hugging both Allie and Caroline, so she stood aside with Patrick.

That’s when it struck her: Sharlene was the perfect wife for Daniel. Susan had never felt she fit in with his social crowd, and Daniel frequently seemed embarrassed by her down-to-earth approach to life. Sharlene was dressed in an expensive polished linen suit with pearls at her neck and a diamond tennis bracelet on her wrist, which accentuated the large five-carat diamond in her wedding ring. Her young, curvy figure, all the bling, the whole package, were exactly what Daniel needed to make himself stand out among his peers.

“Caroline, Allie, you both look very pretty,” Daniel said.

Sharlene looked down her nose at the group. “Hello, Benedicts and friends. Who do we have here?”

Susan made introductions. “This is Patrick Williams, a professor at Bradley University, Allie’s friend Brandon Phillips, also a music professor there, and I believe you know Emily Martin and Sara Whetstone from Chicago.”

“Oh, yes, I remember seeing your names on the guest list.” Sharlene dismissed them all with a wave of her hand. “It’s lovely to see you all.”

“Lovely day for a wedding,” Emily said.

“It certainly is,” Sharlene muttered as she scanned through the crowd.

Susan assumed Sharlene was looking for someone better to talk to. She sighed and said politely, “The decorations look beautiful, Sharlene. Patrick, shall we…?”

“Well, of course they do, Susan, after all my hard work. Don’t you agree, darling?” Sharlene dug her nails into Daniel’s arm and he winced.

Sara casually reached into her handbag, pulled out one of her business cards, and offered it to Sharlene. “I handle divorce cases, Mrs. Meadows-Benedict, if you should know of anyone needing my services.”

Sharlene gasped in indignation, stomped her foot, and dragged Daniel away.

****

The chamber orchestra started playing and those guests not already seated moved toward the tent where the ceremony would be held. Richard’s groomsmen, Eric, Scott, Greg and Gary, also doubling as ushers, offered their arms to escort women to their seats on either the bride’s side or the groom’s. Susan, Allie, Caroline, Emily and Sara were each deposited on the groom’s side, with Patrick and Brandon following behind.

Once seated, Allie whispered to Caroline, “Do you see Mark anywhere? Why isn’t he seated on the bride’s side?”

“Shh. It’s starting.” Caroline felt that familiar wave of nausea as the musicians began playing Pachebel’s Canon in D Major. All the guests were now seated and awaiting the arrival of the families of the bride and groom. Eric escorted Adele Meadows to her front-row seat. Caroline almost laughed aloud when she saw Adele festively adorned for a meeting of the Red Hat Society, and knew Sharlene must have been beside herself over that. But then Caroline noticed Mrs. Meadows’ grim expression and remembered how hard Adele had tried to get her and Richard together. She let out a slow, defeated breath. She couldn’t see Merrill Peterson from where she sat, but that was probably because he was preparing to walk his daughter down the aisle. Sharlene was escorted by Greg to her place next to Adele, followed by Daniel who sat down next to his wife. Lastly, Tildie Peterson was ushered down the aisle by Gary, clinging tightly to his arm as if she might stumble. As soon as the mother of the bride was seated, Eric, Greg, and Gary rejoined the wedding party at the top of the aisle.

The groomsmen and bridesmaids came down the aisle two by two. First came Megan on Gary’s arm, each peeling off to opposite ends of the makeshift altar inside the wedding tent. Megan caught sight of her mother and sisters and winked at them on the way to her place. Megan was followed in even-paced succession by three more pairs of attendants, and lastly by the matron of honor Krystal and best man Jack. Once the bridal party was in position on either side of the altar, the minister, dressed in a black suit with clerical collar, entered discreetly from the left, followed by a nervous-looking Richard. Caroline thought he looked as nauseous as she felt, and her heart went out to him. Please let him be happy she prayed.

The orchestra paused once the wedding party was in place, and transitioned to the traditional wedding march. Reverend Roberts said in a booming voice, “Ladies and gentlemen, please rise and greet the bride.”

Here comes—my lunch. Caroline turned with all the other guests to watch for Misty. The wedding march played through, started over, played again…

“Has anyone seen my daughter?” Mr. Peterson poked his head in and did a visual search of the tent. A murmur went through the crowd when the guests realized something was wrong. “Where’s Misty?” Caroline whispered to her mom. Susan lifted her shoulders imperceptibly.

Reverend Roberts leaned over and quietly said something to Richard, who nodded. “Ladies and gentlemen, I believe the bride has been delayed. If you’ll take your seats for a moment, I’ll go check on her.” Richard ran off toward the house.

What had been quiet whispering among the guests turned into loud conversations and speculations, and a few people even stood up to leave. Richard had been gone for several minutes when Sharlene stormed over to the musicians. “Play something, you fools! Anything!” They quickly took up their instruments and began playing a lively aria.

Allie hugged Caroline. “Could we be so lucky?”

Because her throat was choked and tears of hope were coming to her eyes, Caroline just nodded and breathed deeply.