Beautiful

by Anita Waller

  Freda looked at her sister-in-law’s husband with interest.

  ‘You sound as if you approve of this marriage.’

  He put down his newspaper.

  ‘I’m part of this conversation whether I like it or not, aren’t I? Yes, I approve. If it keeps Amy off Bren’s back, I approve.’

  ‘Ken!’ Brenda looked at her husband, surprise etched on her face.

  ‘Sorry, love, but she’s been a burden for all the years I’ve known you. She’s a middle-aged woman now, Bren, and you should let go. Let Brian have her. Maybe John was wrong for her. Brian does seem very different – he’s older for a start. I think they’ll be fine. Now, can I read my paper?’

  Freda and Brenda looked at each other.

  ‘Shall we shut up?’ Brenda asked, and Freda nodded.

  ‘There’s not much point in our saying anything. Have they set a date for the wedding?’

  ‘She didn’t say but I got the impression it won’t be long. She seems to love him very much.’ Brenda spoke with a touch of awe in her voice. ‘Oh, I do hope that she’ll finally find some peace in her life.’

  Pat and David were witnesses at the marriage of Amy Thornton and Brian Lazenby. No one else was there.

  They had decided to keep it simple, quiet and had sworn Pat and David to secrecy.

  ‘If we didn’t need witnesses, you two wouldn’t be going either,’ Amy joked.

  ‘Well, I think it’s a bit naff,’ Pat had responded. ‘We thought we’d have a good old knees up and here you are not even telling your mum and Ken. Sure you can’t just get married over the phone?’

  ‘If we could, we would. No, just be there at eleven o’clock, on the 15th.’

  The sun had shone gloriously. Amy looked at Brian, immaculately dressed in a pale grey suit, his blonde streaked hair hanging low over his forehead feeling a surge of love for him. He had turned her life around and she knew that mixed in with the love was a sense of gratitude.

  Amy had never looked more beautiful. The years hadn’t detracted from her appearance. Her pale blue dress and her blonde hair sparkled. Brian felt true pride as he escorted her down the steps of the Registry Office.

  ‘Well, Mrs Lazenby,’ he said, kissing her for the second time as his wife, ‘how do you feel?’

  ‘Happy,’ she said. ‘Very, very happy.’ The confetti fell over them in a cascade.

  ‘Oy – pack it in! Didn’t I say I wanted a quiet affair?’

  ‘Confetti doesn’t make much noise,’ Pat said, smiling at her friend. She could hardly believe the difference; Amy had changed so much. It was ironic that it had happened when John was no longer around.

  ‘What are your plans now?’ Pat asked.

  ‘We’re going home.’

  ‘Oh no, you’re not.’ Pat was adamant. ’We’ve booked a table at the Marquis and it’s on us. Come on; don’t let the champagne get warm.’

  They climbed into the new BMW David had decided he couldn’t live without and drove to the restaurant.

  ‘Drink as much as you like, you three. David’s allowing me to drive. Good of him, isn’t it?’ she said drily.

  They were still laughing two hours later as they left the restaurant.

  Pat dropped them off at home. Finally they were left to themselves.

  ‘Mrs Lazenby, I love you.’

  ‘And I love you, Mr. Lazenby. Thank you for a wonderful day.’

  ‘You look beautiful,’ he was rewarded with a smile of such love he felt warmed by it. ‘Now, we have to tell people.’

  She nodded, reluctantly. ‘I know. I’ll ring Ken and Brenda. Will you go through into the study and tell Mark?’

  She lifted the receiver and dialled. Brenda answered. Amy hesitated briefly before speaking.

  ‘I’ve got something to tell you…Mum.’ Brenda felt the tears come into her eyes. It had been years since Amy had called her anything other than Brenda. ‘I’ve changed my name.’

  ‘You’ve… oh!’

  ‘We’re married. Very quietly, no fuss, with Pat and David as witnesses.’

  And now Brenda really did want to cry. ‘You’re wicked, Amy Thornton,’ she chided gently.

  ‘Amy Lazenby now.’

  ‘Are you happy?’

  Amy looked at Brian, now standing with Mark at his side.

  ‘Couldn’t be happier.’

  ‘Well, we’re absolutely delighted for you both but we can’t let today go unmarked. Will you come over for dinner?’

  ‘I’ll just check with Brian. Can you make it a light supper? We’ve just had a huge meal at the Marquis.’ Brian got the gist and nodded. ‘We’ll come over in a bit. What time are we eating?’

  ‘About seven. I’ll get out the champagne.’

  ‘Half a glass for me. My head hurts already. See you later then.’

  She replaced the receiver and turned to Brian and Mark. Mark spoke before she could say anything.

  ‘Many congratulations, Amy. And you, Brian. Now I’m going home. I’ll catch up tomorrow. You need time on your own.’

  He kissed Amy on the cheek and shook Brian’s hand before returning to the study. Once inside he leaned his back against the door and closed his eyes. He tried to stop the tear but it rolled down his cheek anyway.

  ‘Be happy, Amy, be happy,’ he whispered.

  Amy moved towards Brian. ‘We’re going over to Stonebrook later. What shall we do until then?’ She put her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest.

  ‘Oh no, you don’t, young lady. I’ve waited for my wedding night for all this time and it will be a wedding night, not a wedding afternoon.’

  ‘Don’t know if I’m sober enough anyway.’ She giggled. ’Shall I get changed and we can go for a walk? It’ll sober us up before we start drinking again at Mum’s.’

  ‘Good idea. We’ll go round by the woods and end up at Stonebrook. How does that sound?’

  ‘It sounds fine. We couldn’t have taken the car anyway – I’m not sure either of us could point it in a straight line.’

  The sun was glaringly hot as they followed the line of the stream. They behaved like teenagers sharing kisses behind trees.

  Brenda spotted them walking down the lane from the direction of the woods and went out to meet them, dragging Ken away from re-potting cabbage plants.

  ‘Many, many congratulations,’ she said and kissed them both.

  Ken held out his hand to Brian. ‘Hope you know what you’ve taken on, pal,’ he said. ‘She’s her mother’s daughter, you know.’

  They laughed and went into Stonebrook.

  ‘You don’t look much like a bride,’ Brenda said, casting a critical eye over her daughter’s grass-stained jeans.

  ‘She did this morning,’ Brian said, a smile on his face. ‘She looked beautiful. And still does now,’ he added.

  ‘Come and sit down,’ Brenda said leading them into the lounge. ‘Ken? The drinks?’

  ‘Coming up,’ he said and handed round the champagne.

  They told Ken and Brenda about the service and their walk in the woods – about their day, about their happiness.

  At eleven o’clock, the newlyweds left. It was a dark, moonless night. Amy shivered and moved closer to Brian.

  ‘You’re not cold, are you?’

  She shook her head. 'No, it’s just so dark. Hold me, Brian.’

  ‘Willingly,’ he laughed. ‘I think I’d better hold onto you tightly, you’re a bit wobbly.’

  ‘Too much champagne. This walk will sober me up.’

  ‘Think you can climb the wall?’

  ‘Why on earth would I want to climb the wall?’ Amy was surprised.

  ‘Humour me, Amy. I want to show you something.’

  ‘Kiss me first.’

  He bent his head and pressed his lips firmly against hers.

  ‘Wow!’ she said, coming up for air. ‘I think I can jump the wall now.’

  He helped her over the wall and they began to walk across the playing fields.

  ‘
What are you showing me?’

  ‘My wedding gift to you.’

  She thought for a moment.

  ‘You’ve bought some land…’

  He smiled at her.

  ‘No guessing. All will become clear.’

  She stumbled a little and blinked to clear her vision. She had drunk way too much champagne.

  The blow to her back knocked her to the ground, winding her. She gasped and then felt her jeans being savagely pulled away from her.

  ‘Brian!’ she screamed trying to fight him off. Her fingers locked into the hair falling forward on to his forehead and she briefly felt the scar of an old bullet wound. The silk panties cut into her as he ripped them away and she could feel his huge penis on her leg.

  ‘Brian, stop it,’ she moaned, ‘stop…’

  The penetration was swift and painful. He clamped a hand over her mouth and she tasted the rankness of cigarettes; she was six years old again.

  This time she fought back. The six-year-old little girl had grown up. She pulled on his hair and the pain of the punch to her face almost made her give up. She struggled to move away from him but he held her tightly, forcing her down and rendering her incapable of movement. She screamed as he gathered her hair in his hands and pulled her head to the ground once more. His hands went around her throat and he constricted and squeezed her perfect, beautiful neck until she felt the world darken then blacken. He bent his head and savagely bit her breasts but she knew nothing. He rammed into her so hard he felt her body move. Her lifeless body. Over and over again he took her. And he spoke…

  ‘Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful…’

  Brenda pushed home the bolt on the door and turned to Ken.

  ‘Well, I think she’s finally found the right man,’ she said with a smile. ‘They’re a beautiful couple, aren’t they?’

  Epilogue

  In the summer of 1992, Amy was buried with John; the name on the headstone was Amy Thornton.

  Ronald Treverick disappeared again. Again, the family was assured he wouldn’t come back. He had done what he came to do and they need not fear. Meanwhile they would keep looking for him until they found him.

  He had taken Amy. But not Lauren…

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  THE END

  A note from the author

  Dear Reader

  Thank you for reading my first novel, Beautiful; I hope you enjoyed following Amy’s journey through her life and that it touched you in some small way. It means a lot to me that others see my work, and I am truly grateful for your leap of faith in trying out the debut work of an author.

  As a follow up can I please ask you to leave a review? This feedback is invaluable not only to the author but to other readers and you can help with that. Reviews are so important.

  Writing is my world, always has been, but it is only at the age of seventy that I have found the courage to approach a publisher. Bloodhound Books gave me the promise of a new career and have totally changed my life. The readers are fulfilling it for me and I thank them all!

  If you enjoyed reading Beautiful then I hope you will continue to follow Lauren’s story as she tries to come to terms with a world with her mother’s killer still in it – Angel, my second novel, is to be published in May 2016 and is available for pre-order now.

  Thank you for sharing this exciting journey with me,

  Anita Waller x

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