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Authors: June Mayes

Swindled (25 page)

BOOK: Swindled
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Epilogue

Five weeks later, it was a sunny and brisk November day. Beth was in the study doubled over in laughter. She couldn’t get her breath with the tightly clinched dress and the hysterics going on in front of her. Stationed in front of Beth were three disgruntled friends and a frustrated neurotic wedding planner. Charlotte, Bee and Karin were standing in elegant royal blue silk designer suits with pencil skirts and high heels with tiny pink bows sewn on. Under their suit jackets they were wearing nothing but bright silk fuchsia bras.

“Why not?” Charlotte asked stamping her foot with her hands on her hips.

“You can’t seriously walk her up the aisle with your breasts hanging out,” the wedding planner wailed practically pulling her tightly upswept hair out. Beside her the make-up girl was quietly laughing as she tried to get Beth to sit upright long enough to put on the finishing touches.

“But they sell lingerie, it makes sense to show off some of their pieces,” Karin tried to explain while the wedding organiser frantically attempted to pull Charlotte’s jacket closed. Given that the jacket was slightly smaller then it should have been and buttoned with only one button at the front, it proved an impossible task. The wedding planner looked at the other two and back at Beth who was still having a hard time stopping the laughter.

“What do you think Beth?” Bee, ever the pacifier, asked with a grin. Beth had to admit once she had had a chance to catch her breath that the three of them looked striking. She turned to look at her sister. Vickie had tucked herself into one of the over stuffed chairs by the fireplace. In her fuchsia suit, the royal blue bra she was wearing would be equally remarkable. At the moment of course it was tucked to the side as she fed her veraciously hungry daughter before the ceremony. Said daughter was wearing a matching fuchsia dress with royal blue shoes and bow in her hair. Beth turned and looked back at her dear friends.

“I like it,” Beth decided. “It really is appropriate,” she said with a grin at her friends. Gently she patted the hand of the wedding planner who was leaning against the table. The woman looked like she was about to expire on the spot. Beth laughed and stood up. This was going to be a wedding the neighbourhood would never forget.

Beth looked in the mirror positioned by her desk. Her dress was simple and elegant and perfect she decided. They had chosen an ivory heavy brocade silk material patterned with a stylish motif that caught the light just so. The dress was a form of wrap and the design was simplicity itself. The cut allowed the skirt to fall in a wide A line cut to the floor, her bodice was strategically tied allowing the intricate multi facetted beading of her bra to add a touch of colour. With her hair falling in waves down her back the veil helped to set off her creamy skin, vibrant blue eyes and auburn hair. She looked perfect. With a touch of a smile at her friends and a nod, Beth was ushered into the hallway.

Waiting for them were the groomsmen who were to escort the exquisitely dressed bridal party. Joseph Serrate stood glowing with health as he offered his arm to Karin. David had asked him to be a groomsman because he, in David’s mind, was credited with starting the whole escapade. Without Joseph and Brian, they might never have met the first or second time.

Karin was more than pleased to have Joseph there and he looked remarkably more then just pleased to see Karin. In his morning suit he even looked like a normal everyday kind of guy.

Thomas, David’s best man, wound up escorting Charlotte and couldn’t take his eyes off her. Having met her once before it seemed only to have struck him in that moment just how alluring she was. The fuchsia bra alone seemed to mesmerise him. Beth wondered if he was going to be able to string two words together when the time came for the best man’s speech. She tried to stifle a giggle and leaned down to smell her bouquet to distract herself.

Bee and her husband, having arrived back from honeymoon the day before, stood to the side, fairly glowing with happiness. They looked to the world like a couple who had had their every wish fulfilled. Beth didn’t doubt it for a minute.

As Beth walked outside she couldn’t help feel that this was the start to a wonderful future. The bridesmaids walked through the garden with their escorts and Vickie followed with Mary in her arms. Together they walked down the garden to the sound of gentle music and the occasional chirp of the resident birds who had not yet flown to warmer climates. As the bridal party arrived, everyone stood and turning watched as Beth, escorted by Scott, walked down the garden path. She smiled, glowing with happiness.

At the end of the path standing under the autumn leaves of the trees was David. The garden around them was filled with the season’s flowering plants and in every corner there was a riot of colour. Packed amid the flowers and outdoor gas heaters were friends, neighbours, ex-team mates, colleagues and family. They had gathered to celebrate two very special people finally tie the knot.

No one there missed Brian.

***

BOOK: Swindled
13.24Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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