Gypsy Wedding (7 page)

The Saturday of their friend Theresa’s wedding dawned warm and clear. The weather that they’d all enjoyed a couple of days earlier when Vicky had got her results had held, as promised, till the weekend. Vicky had worked long hours on the Friday to finish the outfits for her mother and sister and now the family were almost ready to set off, dressed in their new clothes, to the local Catholic church for the wedding mass and then the party after.

Shania was jigging with excitement at the thought that Mikey would almost certainly be at the wedding too. She smoothed the brilliant green fabric of her dress over her hips and turned left and right to see her reflection in the long mirror. She had to admit that Vicky had done a fantastic job. The extra sequins emphasised her slim waist and the green made her auburn hair look even more vivid. She knew she looked hot and as she admired herself she practised looking seductive and mysterious as well.

Vicky, brushing her hair in front of the other mirror that hung over the shelf that served as their dressing table, watched her sister in the reflection. It was so obvious what was going through her mind – she was rehearsing how she’d try to get noticed by Mikey and maybe get grabbed by him.

‘You just remember not to give in too easily,’ warned Vicky.

Shania blushed, giving her alabaster skin rare colour. ‘And just what sort of girl do you think I am? Of course I’ll fight … for a bit.’ Shania let out a naughty giggle. ‘Don’t want to overdo it and have him think I don’t fancy him, now do I?’

‘I don’t think, given the way you were making sheep’s eyes at Mikey on Thursday, he can be in much doubt.’

‘But he
is
buff, isn’t he. You have to admit that.’

‘Yes, he’s buff,’ she agreed. Although to Vicky’s taste he wasn’t as fit as Liam – or Jordan for that matter.
Now what
, she thought angrily,
has put that thought into my head?
Jordan had no business there. Her irritation with herself transferred to her sister.

‘Quit jabbering about Mikey and do my eyeliner for me.’

Shania took the pencil from her sister and drew a neat line around both of Vicky’s eyes, making them look even more exotic than they usually did.

‘And will you do mine?’

‘Of course. If we’re going to make sure you get grabbed you need to look your best.’

The tip of Vicky’s tongue stuck out between her lips as she concentrated on helping her sister make the most of her already pretty looks. She finished with the eyeliner and picked up the mascara wand from the shelf.

‘The trouble with being ginger,’ moaned Shania, ‘is that you get rubbish eyelashes. Look at them.’

‘Your eyelashes are just fine. Okay, they’re pale but they’re long and thick. There’s nothing a good coat of mascara can’t sort.’

‘But I can’t wear mascara in bed.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘When Mikey and I marry, he’ll see me without it. What can I do, Vick, I look well rough without it.’

Vicky stopped coating her sister’s eyelashes with glossy black mascara and stared straight into Shania’s eyes. ‘Don’t be daft. When you’re married he’ll be so mad for you he’ll never notice a thing.’

‘Do you think?’

Vicky tutted. ‘He’ll think himself the luckiest man alive – and why shouldn’t he?’

‘Is that how Liam thinks of you?’

‘Of course.’ Vicky was utterly confident about this.

‘And that’s how you feel about him?’

‘And why wouldn’t I?’ Except as she said that it was Jordan’s face in her mind, not Liam’s.

It was gone two by the time Johnnie got his three daughters and their mother all piled into the white saloon. Billy and Jon-Boy had gone ahead to the church on their bikes as, being boys, it didn’t matter if they were out in public unescorted, but there was no way that a good gypsy family would let two unmarried daughters out in public without a chaperone. In any case, the church was across town and too far for the girls to walk in their heels.

Shania wriggled with excitement on the back seat. ‘Do we know for certain Mikey is going to be there?’ she whispered to her sister.

‘I would think so. Why not?’

‘I don’t know. It’d be just my bad luck that he mightn’t make it.’

‘You’ll find out soon enough. And if he’s not, there’ll be other occasions.’

‘I know but what’ll I do if he doesn’t show?’

‘I don’t know. Try and get grabbed by someone else?’ Vicky suggested.

‘No! I only want Mikey.’

‘Then you’d best hope he doesn’t let you down.’ Shania looked crestfallen so Vicky gave her a hug. ‘But I’m sure he’ll be there.’

They approached the church and could see that there was some degree of chaos outside it. The bride had already arrived and was busy posing for pictures with her entourage of bridesmaids. Theresa looked lovely in her huge puffball of a dress that was in the palest pink. The bodice was covered in little crystals that sparkled like diamonds in the bright summer sun. Her attendants were in deep cerise – a lovely contrast, thought Vicky.

Waving at Theresa and her bridesmaids the O’Rourke family made their way into the church, stopping to cross themselves with holy water and genuflect to the altar as they made their way to an empty pew. The boys, who had already arrived, joined them. Ahead she could see the groom standing nervously and self-consciously at the front of the nave, his best man by his side. The poor lad looked scared witless. Staring at Seamus wasn’t going to help his nerves so she turned her attention to the other traveller families in all their finery. It made her feel proud to think of the effort everyone had made to look their best to celebrate Theresa’s wedding. Across the aisle sat Liam and his family. She gave him a warm smile. Vicky noticed with approval that he scrubbed up well in a shirt and tie. And there behind him was Mikey. Vicky nudged Shania.

‘You’re all right. He’s here.’

‘I know.’ Her voice came out in a squeak she was so excited. Vicky couldn’t help but smile.

A minute or so later the organ began to belt out the wedding march. The congregation stopped chatting and laughing and rose to watch Theresa and her bridesmaids make their grand entrance, their magnificent dresses filling the aisle with net and chiffon and the church with colour.

‘It’ll be you next,’ Shania whispered to Vicky as Theresa reached the altar.

Vicky nodded, not wanting to speak. Was she really ready for this step?

The party afterwards was at a local hotel. The bride and groom set off ahead of their guests in a gaily decorated pony and trap while the rest of the traveller families got themselves sorted into cars and taxis. Billy and Jon-Boy careered after the carriage on their bikes, determined to get to the reception before their family, which, given the amount of time it took Johnnie and Mary-Rose to greet all their many friends as they came out of the church, wasn’t going to be much of a challenge.

Finally Johnnie and his womenfolk were back in the car and ten minutes later they pulled up in the big car park of the local hotel. More photographs were being taken of the bride, the groom, the best man and the bridesmaids. Their parents and siblings were being rounded up to join in the group shots and the scene was one of cheerful chaos. Eventually, the photographer seemed to think he had enough pictures and the guests trooped into the banqueting suite ready for the party.

While the girls all began to dance to the music the DJ was playing, the mothers took the weight off their feet and the men and boys headed for the bar. The noise was immense as travellers who hadn’t seen each other for months met and caught up with news of families and friends. Around the room disco lights flashed and sparkled and bounced off the glitter ball revolving from the ceiling and the sequins and crystals on the girls’ dresses.

Suddenly the music was silenced and the DJ announced the entrance of the bride.

In walked Theresa, looking radiant and stunning. Everyone in the room got to their feet and applauded her as she made her way to the dance floor where her father, pink with pride, led her in the first dance before handing her over to her new husband.

Vicky noticed several of the mums around the room were dabbing their eyes and even she felt a small lump of emotion form in her throat. Theresa looked so utterly happy in Seamus’s arms; surely this was a match that was meant to be.

Vicky glanced over to her Liam. Would she look just as ecstatic on her own wedding day? She knew she ought to but she couldn’t help thinking that she wasn’t ready to settle down just yet. Maybe in a year’s time she’d feel differently, after all a year was a long time.

‘Penny for them,’ said her mother, who had moved to stand behind her daughter. ‘I bet you’re wishing that was you there already.’

Oh God no
, thought Vicky. That had not been what she’d been thinking at all but there was simply no way she could admit that to her mother.

‘I was admiring Theresa’s dress.’

‘It’s a beauty and no mistake. Would it be something like that you’d be after for yourself?’

‘Maybe. I haven’t really thought yet.’

‘It’s about time you did, my girl. It’ll be your turn before we know it. A girl can’t start planning her wedding too early. I’d have thought your head would be filled with ideas for your own dress.’

‘I’ve got loads of ideas for my bridesmaids’ dresses,’ admitted Vicky.

‘And not your own?’ Mary-Rose sounded horror-struck. ‘When I was your age I’d known for years exactly how I wanted my big day. I’d been planning my wedding since I was about ten.’

Bully for you
, thought Vicky rebelliously. She did want to marry Liam, she really did, but did it have to happen quite so soon? Would the earth stop revolving if she waited a few more years? She wasn’t going to turn into an old woman on the day she hit eighteen. Blimey, there were gorgios who didn’t get married and have kids till they were nearly thirty – or even later. She wouldn’t wait
that
long but couldn’t she have just a bit longer before she had to settle down?

But instead of voicing her thoughts to her mother she smiled and said that she’d been sketching ideas, which she’d take to a dressmaker soon.

‘That’s grand, darlin’. And then when you’re safely wed we can start planning Shania’s.’

Which was going to be a doddle. Judging by the way Shania was throwing her slim body around the dance floor, swinging her hips and sticking out her bust, she was doing her level best to catch Mikey’s eye. This was a girl who couldn’t wait to get grabbed, engaged and married.
In fact
, thought Vicky,
if Shania could have the whole process all wrapped up in just a few days she’d be one happy kid
.

She sighed. So what was so wrong with her that she didn’t hold the same ambition as every other unwed traveller girl in the room? It wasn’t as if she had a problem with her fiancé – quite the reverse. Liam ticked all the boxes: handsome, kind, hardworking, thoughtful, funny, not a big drinker, talented … Oh God, what was wrong with her that she wasn’t twisting his arm up his back and marching him up the aisle right this minute?

She was hauled out of her reverie by a shriek behind her. Shania was over Mikey’s shoulder in a fireman’s lift and was being rushed out of the room. Oh my God, her little sister’s dream had come true and Mikey was carrying her off to steal a kiss. Vicky just hoped that it wasn’t a big disappointment, although Shania didn’t have anything to judge it by.

Vicky remembered the first time she’d been grabbed by Liam. Not that it had been a proper grabbing. It had been a slightly less physical affair as he’d caught her by the arm at a big travellers’ party at Stow Horse Fair and just dragged her outside the tent. She had made a bit of a show of resisting – well, a girl couldn’t look too easy, now could she? But Liam hadn’t hurt her till she gave in, like she’d heard that some boys did; twisting arms or giving Chinese burns. Instead he’d just told her he thought she was beautiful, that he thought he loved her and would she do him the very great honour of letting him kiss her? With a chat-up like that what was a girl to say?

Vicky recalled how, as their lips had touched, the tingle that had shot down her back all the way to her toes, making them curl up in her shoes. Her insides had gone all squishy and a new and unknown feeling had left a pool of heat deep in her stomach. Dear God, it had been a powerful moment. And it had been similar on the other times they’d kissed. The trouble was their kisses always had to be snatched affairs, laden with guilt and keeping half an eye open for anyone catching them. Being with a boy unchaperoned, even when he was your fiancé, was frowned upon and so they couldn’t revel in such moments of illicit intimacy like the heroines that she read about in steamy novels. If the descriptions of those fictional snogs were to be believed she was in for something else but in the meantime she and Liam would have had to make do with a few stolen kisses. Real, proper snogging would have to wait until she was married.

And now it was her little sister’s turn. Well, not such a little sister now. Shania was fifteen, the same age as Vicky had been when she got engaged. But if Mikey asked Shania to marry him it would mean even more pressure on herself to get on with her own wedding. She was almost certain she could hold out for a year but there’d be no chance of pushing the date back beyond that once Shania got engaged.