by Andrea Kane
Four overwrought voices began explaining at once.
"Wait." Bryce waved his arms to silence everyone. "You all watched and listened as Gaby and I took our vows. As you saw, there was nothing to it."
"You're a barrister," Wilson muttered. "You're good at talkin'. I'm a gardener. I'm not."
"Wilson, the words come from your heart, just as the feelings do," Gaby said softly. "I assure you that anyone can say them." Seeing his skeptical expression, she shot a pleading look in Chaunce's direction.
The butler rose from his card game. "I'm not a barrister, Wilson. Will it reassure you if I show you how it's done?"
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Wilson looked as if he wanted to kiss Chaunce, who was unofficially but undeniably the male head of the family. "You'd do that for me?"
"Certainly." Clearing his throat, Chaunce walked solemnly down the aisle, positioning himself in front of Vicar Kent.
"Now what?" Goodsmith called out. "Now I await the bride."
Marion let out a whimper. "How do I know how fast to walk? Or how slow? How do I take the proper steps?"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I shall demonstrate." She glanced at Thane. "Since Chaunce is acting the part of the bridegroom and can't fill his role as escort, would you mind ushering me down the aisle?"
A chuckle. "My pleasure."
"Now watch-Marion, Ruth." Taking Thane's arm, Hermione walked sedately down the aisle, placing one foot in front of the other as she made her way toward Chaunce. "Just look straight ahead and take measured steps. That way you won't trip or fall. All right?"
"All right." Marion's brow furrowed as she watched Thane turn Hermione over to Chaunce. "And now?"
"Now comes my part," Vicar Kent advised her. "I read as follows . . ." He recited the ceremony, substituting Chaunce's and Hermione's names for those of the brides and grooms.
"Reginald?" Lily piped up in surprise. "I didn't know Chaunce's name was Reginald."
"I didn't know Chaunce had a name," Henry whispered loudly.
"Of course he has a name," Peter explained. "Everyone has a name. Reginald is his given name, Chaunce his surname."
"Shhh," Jane hissed. "This is the good part. I remember from Gaby and Bryce's wedding." They all fell silent, listening as Hermione and
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Chaunce exchanged vows, demonstrating to the others how it was done. The vicar dug in his pocket, producing a spare ring he evidently kept for emergencies like this one.
Chaunce slipped the ring on Hermione's finger.
There was a brief moment of quiet.
Then Hermione turned to face the room. "So you see? There's really nothing-"
"I now pronounce you man and wife," Vicar Kent trumpeted proudly. He waited for one long, patient moment, then gave Chaunce a gentle nudge. "You may kiss your bride," he said with a meaningful glance at Hermione.
"Pardon me?" Chaunce inquired.
"I said, you may kiss your bride." A broad grin. "I'm sure she'll enjoy it."
"Vicar . . ." Hermione inclined her head in his direction. "What on earth are you-"
"I'm marrying you two," he replied, "as I've wanted to do for years. Correction: I've just married you. Now you must kiss and greet your well-wishers."
Both Hermione and Chaunce stared, stupefied, from the vicar to each other, to the roomful of people all gazing expectantly at them.
"Go ahead, Chaunce," Thane urged. "We've awaited this day with bated breath-nearly as eagerly as the two of you have."
"And a good deal more impatiently," Gaby chided good-naturedly. "Honestly, at least Bryce and I had the good sense to realize we'd fallen in love. How long did you intend to ignore the obvious?"
"On the other hand, your dawdling did give us the opportunity to concoct this splendid plan," Bryce pointed out. "We accomplished two great feats in one: uniting two people who were made for each other and affording ourselves the pleasure of outdoing the masters." His lips twitched. "Surrender, you two. You've been bested. Our match is as well-devised as yours, and as cleverly and secretly arranged. But we accom
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plished it without feigning a need for medicationrather, lemon water-or inventing guardianships. We found something more effective than either: our family." He made a grand sweep with his arm, indicating all the scheming conspirators now beaming at the gaping bride and groom. "A remarkable group of actors, wouldn't you say?" Bryce's teeth gleamed.
Hermione's dazed glance darted from Wilson and Goodsmith to Marion and Ruth. "You mean you didn't ... you weren't ... you aren't . . ." She never finished her sentence.
Everyone understood nonetheless, and a rumble of laughter reverberated through the room.
Marion answered for the four of them. "Quite the contrary. Yesterday, during our real practice ceremony, Ruth and Wilson spoke their vows with not a single stammer, George flourished my wedding ring in one smooth motion, and I walked down the aisle without so much as a wobble. So, no, ma'am, we didn't want your help. What we wanted was your happiness."
Hermione's lips trembled as the reality of what was happening slowly began to sink in. Her misty gaze drifted over the group, settling on Bryce and Gaby. "You knew about the medicine, about the guardianship-about everything?"
A broad grin split Bryce's face. "Aren't you the one who insists that I have a brilliant legal mind? What kind of barrister would I be if I couldn't recognize manipulation and deduce its objective?" He wrapped an arm about Gaby's waist. "An incomparably flawless objective, I might add. As for my wife here, she's not only insightful, she never sleeps. Put the two together and you have a keen mind that's perpetually in motion."
Gaby laughed, enjoying the expression of utter incredulity on Aunt Hermione's face and, more astoundingly, on Chaunce's. "Once Bryce and I combined our suspicions, we unraveled your scheme like a
ball of wool. Of course, we needed to be sure, because we were eager to return the favor. So we did the only practical thing. We went to see Dr. Briers. We explained our intentions to him, and he was more than willing to help, since he also happens to think you two make an ideal couple. He divulged the truth about your supposed illness. That was all we needed. The rest was easy, thanks to our family." Gaby cast a tender look about her. "We all know how much you two love each other, how right it is that you become husband and wife. But we also know you never consider your own needs. You're too busy worrying about ours. Well, it's time you understood that your joy is ours." Tears glistened on Gaby's lashes, and she gestured for Chaunce to seal his marriage as the vicar had advised. "Enough chatter. Kiss your bride, Chaunce. We're all waiting. It's up to you to make our family complete."
Chaunce swallowed, his eyes damp. Then, rife with emotion, he gave a brief nod and turned to face Hermione.
The two of them smiled at each other, a sense of rightness hovering between them, and Chaunce lowered his head, brushed Hermione's lips with his.
A jubilant cheer erupted in the chapel and the entire family surged forward, surrounding the bride and groom in a sea of good wishes and love.
"I'm beginning to relish these weddings I conduct at Nevon Manor," Vicar Kent declared to Gaby and Bryce, after offering his congratulations to the bride and groom. "One could become accustomed to these delightful, unorthodox displays of emotion."
"Then isn't it fortunate you'll be back here tomorrow when Marion and Goodsmith, Ruth and Wilson, truly do wed," Gaby laughed.
"And don't forget Thane," Bryce added blandly, keeping a perfectly straight face. "I'm sure his day of reckoning won't be far off if Hermione has her way. Why, I'm sure she's already begun concocting entic
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ing plans for his future-with the help of her ingenious new husband, of course."
"Didn't we plan an extended wedding trip for those two?" Thane demanded. "If not, I think we should."
"No, thank you, Thane." Hermione appeared at his side, patting his arm reassuringly. "Thanks to all of you, I have everything I want right h
ere at Nevon Manor. Chaunce and I will be remaining at home, won't we?" She turned glowing eyes up to her new husband, who'd come to stand beside her.
"Absolutely." Chaunce's lips twitched. "Now that our lemon water has been unmasked, we'll have to be even more resourceful in our next venture." Abruptly, his amusement vanished, and he gazed solemnly at Thane, Bryce, and Gaby. "Thank you. I'm not a man of words, but I want you to know. .."
Gaby stood on tiptoe, kissed his cheek. "We love you, too," she whispered. With that, she moved to her aunt, hugged her fiercely. "Be as happy as we are. I can wish you nothing more miraculous than that."
Stepping back, she clapped her hands to get the crowd's attention. "Everyone, Cook has prepared a mouthwatering feast-"
"In secret again," Cook called out good-naturedly. "I'm glad tomorrow's wedding breakfast can finally be prepared out in the open."
More laughter.
"Let's escort the bride and groom to the manor and begin the festivities," Gaby concluded.
"There's no music for them to exit with," Marion murmured in dismay. "We didn't have time to arrange for-"
"Ah, but there is." Eagerly, Gaby dug into Bryce's coat pocket, extracting her music box and opening it to release the silvery strains of "Fur Elise." "What better way to begin a marriage than with a music box that now holds nothing but joy?"
"Joy and Beethoven-I can't think of a more perfect combination," Bryce replied, drawing Gaby to
his side, "other than the breathtaking woman who brought them into my life and the lucky man she married." Tenderly, he kissed her.
On that note, the chapel doors were flung wide, and everyone poured outside, running, stumbling, even limping toward the manor-a family bound by something more profound than the eye could see. Limitations ceased to exist, supplanted by the deeper knowledge that life's truest blessings were indeed theirs.
played on.
And Wonderland reigned at Nevon Manor.
When I used to read fairy tales, I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one.
-Lewis Carroll,
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
