Soothsayer: Magic Is All Around Us (Soothsayer Series Book 1) (4 page)

I called Christy back real quick, hoping she wouldn’t answer, otherwise I’d never get her off the phone before Annabel got here. Luck was on my side as her phone went straight to voicemail. I left her a quick message with a few dates I’d be available for picture day in the next couple months.

No more messages or immediate business concerns to occupy the next few minutes, I pulled up a game of solitaire and waited. I barely cycled through the deck once when the studio door opened. I closed the game and stood up to meet Annabel.

“That was fast,” I said, giving her a quick hug. Stressed as she was, she always looked amazing. She wore her shoulder-length blonde hair with delicate curls pinned to perfection.

“I had to get out of there. You have no idea how frustrating they can be. That whole family is so stubborn,” she said with a laugh, shaking her head.

“Do you want something to drink?” I asked as we walked back to my desk.

“No, I’m good. Thanks.”

“So what changed this time?” I steepled my fingers on the desk as I sat down, offering Annabel a patient, understanding smile.

“Well, we finally have a best man.” She sat across from me, plopping her wedding binder down on the desk inches from my fingers.

“Cutting it kinda close aren’t you?” I cocked an eyebrow at the overflowing binder

“We weren't sure if he was going to be able to make it, but I think getting Aniela involved solved that problem.”

“She’s a force to be reckoned with,” I laughed. Aniela was Jake’s mother and the matriarch of the Maxwell family. From everything I’d heard, she was not a woman you said no to.

“I’m sure he wouldn’t have missed his own brother’s wedding but I don’t think he wanted to be the best man,” Annabel said with a shrug.

“Oh, the best man is Jake’s brother?” My eyebrows shot up on my forehead.

“Yep. Even though he doesn’t live here anymore, they’ve always stayed close.”

“Oh, where does he live?”

“In Europe, mostly the UK. He decided to stay out there after he graduated from school.”

“Okay, so what’s his name?” I asked, placing my hands on the keyboard.

“Robert Maxwell,” she replied.

My fingers froze over the ‘enter’ key. The man in the bookstore was also named Robert. He must be the mysterious Maxwell brother everyone’s been talking about.

“We’ve met actually, I think,” I said, fighting the lump in my throat.

“Really? He just got in last night.” Annabel smiled.

“Yeah, I believe I ran into him while I was picking up a few books this morning.” I bit my lips and began to type his name into the excel sheet.

“I know that look.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. “He can be quite the charmer, can’t he?”

“You could say that.” I shook my head and tried to hide the smile forming on my lips. As annoyed as I was that he paid for my things, I did have to admit that he was charming and his love for Walt Whitman, did win him at least one point.

“I promise he’ll be on best behavior at the wedding.” She touched my hand and gave me a sympathetic look.

I patted her hand in acknowledgement. “Alright, what else?” I asked changing the subject. I brushed a strand of hair out of my eyes and got back down to business.

“We need to change a few of the family group photos around. I guess Aniela wants to have a photo with each individual family and then larger family groups as well,” Annabel explained, opening her binder and flipping to the section she needed without skipping a beat.

“No problem. How do you want to rearrange everything?” I settled in for a long meeting.

We went through each group picture and split out the different families on Annabel’s side then went through the groom’s side as well. At the end of the list we re-grouped the families back together and made a few changes to the other group photos. When the list was finished, I hit ‘save’ and silently panicked. I didn’t know how I was going to organize five hundred people and get through that whole list during the cocktail hour. One thing I knew for sure: Annabel’s wedding was going to be a long day.

“So just one more week. Are you excited?” I asked, turning toward her and closing Excel.

“I can’t wait. I just want to start my life with Jake,” she said, beaming. “And it’ll be nice to be done with all of this.” She gestured toward her wedding binder. “I mean, it’s fun and all but if we weren’t getting married next week, I’d definitely be eloping. Both of our families are driving us crazy. They mean well, but you know how families can be.” She gave me a nervous smile, looking for confirmation.

I nodded and smiled back, even though I didn’t know how families could be. My family was gone and I would never experience what Annabel was going through.

“Thanks for being so patient with us. I know this isn’t what you signed up for. We’ll pay you more for all the trouble we’ve put you through,” Annabel offered.

“That’s not necessary. Let’s just try and not change the list again,” I said, half joking.

She laughed and rose from her chair. “I’ll try my best to keep it the way it is. I’ll see you Saturday, thanks again.” She picked up her giant, over-stuffed wedding binder and headed for the door.

“See you next week,” I called after her.

I watched her go, lost in thought about family. Even though she claimed her family was driving her over the edge she seemed so full of light and forgiveness. I wondered if I would have had the same grace dealing with my family as she did. I doubted it. As much as I loved them and missed them, even as a child I didn’t have the patience Annabel had.

I turned back to my desk to finish the dreaded accounts receivable. I double clicked on the program and waited for it to boot up, but my cell phone went off in my purse before the login screen came up. I rummaged through my overstuffed bag, trying to beat the last ring, and reached it just in the nick of time.

“Hello,” I answered, rushing to answer the phone before I could see the caller’s name.

“Hey, it’s Christy, just got your voicemail. I’ll pass along the info, you up for a girl’s night tonight?”

“Yeah, that sounds great.” I logged into the A/R program as Christy talked.

“Same place, same time.”

“Alright, see you there.” I clicked the ‘end’ button and tossed my phone on the desk.

I spent most Saturday nights with a few of my single girlfriends at the local watering hole. There were always at least a few of us who didn’t have any other plans for Saturday night and it had kind of become tradition. I always looked forward to our girl’s night out. It gave me a chance to unwind from the week and Christy was never short on gossip.

I input a pile of new invoices and recorded the payments I’d received over the last few weeks, including the Maxwell wedding check, which was going to get me through the next couple months without having to do another stitch of work. Of course I had a few things lined up, but this was probably the biggest check I’d ever received.

I locked up the studio around a quarter after six and hurried home on my bike. As I pulled up to my condo, I noticed a familiar looking guy snooping around the front of the complex. Before I could ask him what he was looking for, he took off down the street and disappeared around the corner. That was odd, I thought as I navigated my bike down the narrow pathway. I looked back toward the front gate before I unlocked the front door and a pang of nervous energy filled my chest. I really needed to get a grip and stop being so paranoid.

I propped my bike up on the front porch, grabbed my things from the basket and went inside. Warm stale air hit me like a brick wall the moment I stepped over the threshold. I peeled my shirt off as I padded down the hall to the bedroom and turned the shower on. If there were any pitfalls of living in Pismo, it was how warm and sticky the summers could be. I rinsed off with cool water and took my time getting ready for the evening.

The next week was fairly busy. Annabel of course changed the photo list one more time and I spent a good majority of my days taking some beautiful landscape photos. A new developer saw some of my work and wanted me to do a collection of landscapes for his new hotel in Santa Barbara. Even if I was excruciatingly busy, I was always thankful when a new job came in.

As the wedding drew closer, the whole town buzzed with an odd sort of excitement. It was a mixture of awe at the new faces showing up every day and what seemed to be respect.

Finally, the big day arrived. Becky and I pulled up to the Maxwell estate around eleven in the morning. It was rare that I asked Becky to assist me, but this wedding was going to take more than one person to get the job done. 

The Maxwell estate was one of the largest in Pismo Beach, with a wonderful view overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I had never seen the house up close before, but it more than lived up to its reputation. The house was two stories tall with large arched windows on each floor. Ivy covered the exterior of the stone house, adding to the perfectly manicured landscape. Large, sweeping trees had been planted all around the house, creating plenty of much-needed shade. White and blue flowers lined the large stone walkway to the front door, complementing the blue trim around the windows that were barely visible under the ivy.

I unloaded most of the gear onto the pavement and separated what I would use and what Becky would use. We went over the photo list one more time before making our way toward the house. The front door loomed large before us. It was made of a dark wood, almost black in color and had the most intricate Celtic carvings weaving in and out of each other creating a beautiful design across the entire surface of the door.

“Holy Seven Dwarfs!” Becky exclaimed, staring up at the house. “This place looks like it came right out of a fairy tale.”

I laughed and lifted the large, dark and rusted metal knocker hanging a little more than halfway up the door. When I let it fall it echoed with a heavy
clonk-clonk
that sounded less like I was knocking and more like I was hitting the wood with a battering ram. We heard people bustling around the house and within seconds someone opened the door.

“Can I help you?” a short, plump woman asked.

“Yeah, hi. I’m Violet, the photographer…” I began

“Yes, yes. They’re expecting you. Go straight upstairs, to the right, second door on the left.” The woman pointed to the nearby grand staircase and hurried away.

Becky and I stepped inside and closed the large door behind us. The interior of the house was incredible. The floors were a dark, polished wood and the grand staircase in front of us curved upwards along a blue carpet that would allow at least four people to walk up and down side by side with each other. A circular skylight cast bright, morning sun onto the staircase beneath it. More sunlight poured through the windows behind us, and little dust motes danced in the beams, giving the entryway a mystical quality. Despite the dark wood that seemed to flow throughout the entire house, everything seemed very light. There were large windows everywhere you looked and all the shades had been pulled back. To the left of the staircase, French doors lined the back of the house and opened up into the backyard. All of the doors had been pushed open and I spotted several people setting up chairs and hanging what looked like lanterns. One man stood in the middle of the yard giving orders to everyone around him.

“Could this place
be
any nicer?” Becky whispered, leaning into me.

“It sure beats a one bedroom condo.” I noted and started for the stairs.

Everything had been decorated for the wedding, including the staircase. White chiffon ran the length of the banisters with lilies and roses spaced evenly apart. Long strands of ribbon hung from every other post beneath the banister, all the way to the top of the staircase. The ribbons rustled like blades of grass swaying in a summer breeze as we made our way up the stairs. I reached the second level with Becky right behind me and turned to the right, making my way down the hall to the second door on the left. I knocked and readjusted the camera gear on my shoulder.

“Come in.” Annabel’s cheerful voice came through the door. “Hey Violet,” she said as I walked into the room. “We’re just starting to get ready.” She smiled the kind of smile you only ever saw on a bride: pure bliss.

“Perfect, this is my assistant Becky.” I motioned toward Becky who stretched out her hand to shake Annabel’s.

“Nice to meet you and congratulations,” Becky said with a big smile.

“Thank you.” Annabel beaming with excitement.

There were six bridesmaids in the room, still in their pajamas and bath robes, three hairdressers and two makeup artists.

“I think this room might be bigger than my entire condo,” I laughed.

The room really was one of the biggest bedrooms I’d ever seen. The four-poster king size bed sat on the far left side of the room. Along the walls, stations had been set up for each girl to get ready. Each vanity had its own giant mirror. Makeup and hair accessories were laid out on each of the vanity counters. The girls’ long red bridesmaid dresses hung from the top of each mirror. The silk of the dresses flowed smoothly like crimson water, pooling on the vanity counters. The cream carpet offset the ocean blue walls and the open doors to the balcony let fresh air and sunshine into the room.

Out on the balcony, a small breakfast buffet and iced champagne had been set up for the bridal party. The excitement in the bedroom was almost tangible. It filled the room with an overwhelming sense of happiness. Some of the bridesmaids sat on the balcony eating and chatting while another girl with curlers in her hair fished through an overnight bag. The bride was talking to one of the hairdressers and a couple girls were already at their stations, one plucking her eyebrows and another painting her nails.

I turned toward Becky and whispered, “Can you start taking candid’s of the girls while they get ready? I’m going to head downstairs and capture the setup.”

“Sure,” Becky said, setting the bulk of her gear down and preparing her camera.

“Oh, and don’t forget to get a few shots of the dress before it goes on the bride,” I instructed as I walked toward the door.

“Ok, no problem.” Becky raised her camera at the girls on the balcony, capturing their laughter as they relaxed and ate.

I walked out of the room and back down the hall to the staircase. As I started to descend the massive, carpeted path the front door flew open with a bang, startling me and stopping me in my tracks. Two guys carrying a wood box twice the size of either of them walked in.

“Need any help?” I asked as I skipped down the rest of the stairs, holding my camera to my chest as it bounced around my neck.

“Could you show us to the back yard?” One of the guys asked, huffing with effort.

“Yeah just head straight back. I’ll make sure you don’t hit anything.” I walked ahead and led them toward the French doors, then showed them over to an unoccupied piece of the patio. They stopped and slowly lowered the box.

“So, what do you have in there?” I asked when they stood up.

“It’s the gazebo the couple will stand under for the ceremony. We’re the lucky ones that get to put it together,” one of them said with a deep, sarcastic exhale.

“I’m Alex by the way,” he said, reaching for my hand and then pulling it back and wiping it on his pant leg, suddenly realizing his hands were covered in dust, dirt and sweat. “And that’s Eric.” He pointed to the other guy. He was just an inch or so shorter than his friend and had shoulder-length, wavy blond hair that was tied back into a messy ponytail.

“Hey.” Eric raised his hand and wiped the sweat from his brow. I had to suppress a laugh at his casual outfit: flip flops, board shorts and a t-shirt did not belong in the Maxwell estate.

“I’m the photographer for today, Violet Evans,” I said with a little nod toward my camera.

I couldn’t be sure, but it looked like Eric and Alex shared a nervous glance at the sound of my name.

“Right, the photographer. I guess we’ll be seeing you around then,” Alex said plastering a friendly smile across his face. “We’re both groomsmen.” He pointed between himself and Eric.

“Right, well you better get ready soon if you’re going to make it on time for pictures.” Everything needed to stay on schedule if I was going to get through the photo list and two late groomsmen were not a part of the schedule.

Alex grinned at me. “Oh don’t worry, we’ll be ready in plenty of time.”

“Good. I should get back to work.” I lifted my camera off of my chest. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, but there was definitely something odd about Alex and Eric.

“Alright, sounds good, see ya,” Alex said as I turned away.

The chairs for the guests had been set up in perfect little rows on the grass facing the ocean. The runner hadn’t been laid down yet, and the altar was missing from the gazebo. I snapped a couple pictures of all the chairs from different angles and then turned my sights on the dining area. Several tables had already been set up around the pool but only a few were covered with table cloths, the delicate material swaying in the breeze. They’d turned the pool into the dance floor by placing something that looked like bullet proof glass over the water. When Annabel told me about it weeks ago, I looked at her like she was crazy. She assured me it was perfectly safe and more than sturdy enough. As I eyed the dance floor, a very large man walked right across the pool without falling in. I still wasn’t sure if it was strong enough to hold all of the guests but it was impressive.

Long wires had been tethered above the pool in a crisscross pattern, with the lanterns I saw earlier hanging from them. I took a few pictures of the lanterns swinging in the Pacific breeze and a few more of the lanterns all grouped together on the grass. I looked up the length of the house opposite the pool and saw a balcony that would have a great view of everything happening below.

I stepped through the French doors into the house and went back up the staircase. Instead of turning right as before, I turned left. I knew the balcony I was looking for was on the south side of the house, facing the water. I knocked on the first door on my right side and when no one answered I walked in. This room was somewhat smaller than the bridal bedroom I had been in earlier, but it was still bigger than my bedroom at home. All the shades were shut and hardly any light made it through the cracks. There was something eerie about this room, so big and dark. It smelled musty and stale, like it had been in disuse for some time now and I suddenly had the oddest feeling I was being watched. I looked around the room, searching for a pair of suspicious eyes, when an opulent bed came into my line of sight. It was a large wooden four-poster bed with a dark duvet cover that made me think of those old vampire movies where the woman got seduced and killed. That thought was enough to quickly move me to the balcony doors to open the shades.

The sun burst through the windows and I squinted against the brightness. I looked over my shoulder, half expecting someone to be standing behind me, but of course there wasn’t. The room, however, looked a lot less menacing with the light shining through the windows. I turned to look at the bed again and with the morning glow grazing the wood and duvet cover, it looked more like it belonged to an ancient king. I laughed at myself and shook my head. What had gotten into me lately? I was never this easily spooked. In fact I liked scary movies and things that went bump in the night.

I looked back out the window and it took a second for my vision to adjust to the burning sunlight. I hoped I would find the balcony I’d been searching for on the first shot, so I wouldn’t have to venture into any other rooms, but unfortunately I didn’t. This room had a wonderful view of the ocean, but the top of the patio blocked the view below. Disappointed, I closed the blinds and hurried out of the room, closing the door behind me.

I was going to go into the next room I came across, but I had a feeling the view would still be partially blocked by the patio so I continued a little further down the hall. When I reached the third door on my right I knocked and waited for a response. After a couple of seconds with no answer, I walked in.

This room was completely different from the first. The double doors leading to the balcony were already open and lit up the room. The bed looked like a California king, with white sheets crumpled into a heap in the middle of the bed. At the foot of the bed was a large black suitcase sitting on an oversized wooden chest.
Hmm
, I thought. Maybe one of the bridesmaids had slept here last night. I felt a little intrusive walking into an occupied room but I figured if anyone came in I could easily explain what I was doing up here.

I stepped onto the balcony and sure enough it was the one I was looking for. I could see the tables set up around the pool/dance floor as well as all of the chairs for the ceremony. The back yard had seemed smaller downstairs with everyone bustling about and setting up, but from up here I could see how enormous the back yard really was.

Ten by ten rows of chairs had been set up on each side of the runner, which the people below were just now placing down. I took a couple quick pictures as they rolled it up to the altar. The two groomsmen still hammered away at the gazebo, but it was at least standing now. I took a few more pictures of them and then lowered my camera. Even though there were a large quantity of chairs on the perfectly manicured lawn, there was still at least another ten feet or so of grass behind the altar.