‘But I’m thinking about Debs and Ian. Will they notice? How can I explain this to them?’
‘Yes, well, one way or another, toward the end of the pregnancy you’ll want to be away from here. And now do you understand why this wedding needs to be soon, or else put off until after Christmas?’
Again, I just nodded, and turned to Sam. He put his arm around my shoulders and leaned over and kissed my forehead. ‘It’s your call, sweetheart. You decide.’
Crystal smiled at us. ‘Why don’t you two think about it for a few days? If you decide to go ahead with the wedding now, we can have a small ceremony—perhaps in the gardens. Or, if you want to see if your mother will come, and wait for that, then yes, it would be best to wait until after Christmas.’
I felt lightheaded—like I was in a dream. But this wasn’t a dream. According to Crystal, this was for real. It was happening, and happening fast.
‘Yeah, okay, we’ll think about it,’ I said, turning to Sam for support, but he just smiled and shrugged his shoulders again. Then he turned to Crystal.
‘Come on, Crystal; make the poor girl some breakfast. She only had an ice-cream cone for dinner last night. We sort of got side tracked and I must admit I didn’t even think about feeding her.’
Sam stood, pulled me up, and led me into the kitchen where we sat at the little round table. Crystal followed us in, and quickly started making me some breakfast. She made a fresh pot of coffee, as well as toast with blackberry jam. I felt better as soon as I started eating, and by the time I’d finished, I’d resigned myself to the idea of having the wedding the following weekend.
Sam was happy with that decision, with one exception.
‘We’re going shopping to buy you an engagement ring—today. That way, when you tell Debs, she won’t think I’m some poor unworthy schmuck that just sells vegetables at a market.’
‘What? Debs? She’s the one that keeps calling you my charming young man. You don’t need to worry about trying to impress her.’
‘Ah, yes, she may like me. But Ian is her third husband, yes? And each one has been wealthier than the last, yes? You can’t tell me money is no concern of hers. Sorry, I think she’s going to want to see a rock. And I would suggest the bigger the better!’
I laughed, but the idea of wearing a diamond ring on my left hand wasn’t half bad. In fact, I already liked the idea.
‘Okay, you win. We’ll go shopping. But just to make you happy,’ I said, winking at Crystal.
~~***~~
I fell in love with a ring at the first jewellery store Sam took me to. I took one look at it and just knew it was the one. It was a heart shaped Ceylon sapphire, set in platinum, with three little princess cut diamonds on each side. The band was wide, so I wouldn’t wear another ring with it. This would be it—the one. And it fit perfectly.
‘How much is this one,’ I asked the salesman at the counter.
Sam stepped in front of me and shook his head, handing the man a credit card. ‘It doesn’t matter how much it is. If this is the one you want, it’s yours.’
‘Oh, it’s the one. Look how well it fits, and how nice it is on my hand,’ I said, turning my hand back and forth so that the stones sparkled under the store lights. I couldn’t pull my eyes away.
‘Yes, it’s beautiful, just like you,’ Sam answered, putting his arm around my shoulders and kissing my cheek.
‘You’ve chosen well, young lady,’ said the salesman, ‘that is one of the finest rings we have in stock.’
~~***~~
Debs and Ian were just sitting down to have a cup of tea when we arrived. Debs was very pleased to see Sam, and fussed over getting him a slice of cake—she wouldn’t take no for an answer. I waited until we were all seated, and the conversation had gone past finding out how everyone was, and then I simply laid my left hand down in the middle of the table, and sighed.
‘Lili? What’s that on your hand? Is that what I think it is?’ She looked at me, then at Sam, and back at me. When I nodded with a grin on my face Debs stood up, walked around the table, and threw her arms around me.
‘Oh, Lili, I’m so happy for you! For both of you. This is wonderful news. Ian, they’re engaged. Can you believe it? And so young, but what does that matter? Your mother was quite young too. Oh, it will be so much fun planning the wedding. I can’t wait to see the look on your mother’s face when she meets Sam. She’ll be as charmed as I was, no doubt.’
I didn’t think she’d ever stop talking, but finally there was an opening and I took it.
‘Debs, we’re just going to have a small ceremony, here, in the Flagstaff Gardens. That’s sort of our place, you see. It will just be you and Ian, and Tom and my friend Crystal, and her husband Michael, and maybe a few others.’
‘Okay, well, that will be lovely, if that’s what you want. But it still needs planning. You’ll need a cake, and flowers, and of course you’ll need a dress; a very special dress. Please tell me I can help you pick out a dress. Or better yet, can I have one made for you? Would you like that?’
‘Thank you, but there won’t be time to have one made. We’ve decided it will be next Saturday, so there is only one week to get things organised. I really do want to keep it simple.’
She shook her head, but Debs wasn’t one to be afraid of a challenge. ‘One week. And of course it’s a short week, with the Melbourne Cup right in the middle of it. But we’ll manage. Hmmm, the dress will have to be off the rack then, and I’m not sure where we will find a cake, but I’ll get on the phone to a few friends, and I’m sure that between us, we will get you something that you’ll be happy with. And a friend of mine has a daughter who’s a florist. Now, Monday morning, you’ll come with me. I know the perfect place to find you a dress. It’ll be fine.’
~~***~~
Forty-eight hours later everything was set. Crystal had located a celebrant who didn’t seem fazed by the rush, and the woman said she’d even organise the music—a small string quartet. The ceremony was to be in the gardens in the early afternoon. Tom said he’d set up the same tent he’d used for Crystal and Michael’s anniversary party. And Debs had successfully organised the cake and flowers. There was nothing left to do except find the dress.
Claire wasn’t as surprised as I thought she’d be when I rang to tell her. She sounded a bit miffed that it was happening so quickly, but her anger only lasted about twenty seconds before her excitement about getting to see Tom took over. I think she was beginning to find Gerald very boring. Although she made no promises, I knew she’d do her best to get here for the wedding.
Mom was both excited and disappointed. I knew one side of her would be relieved at how fast it was happening, as it took the pressure off her having to get on the plane to come over. There was no way she could get the time off work with such short notice, so it simply wasn’t an option. But she said she’d had a feeling something was up when I asked all those questions about how she and Dad had met. So, she agreed to forgive me if I promised to bring my husband over to meet her very soon. I said we’d try to come over just after New Year’s, and she was satisfied with that.
Everything would work out just fine. We’d have the wedding on Saturday. Then my glorious husband was going to take me away for an extended honeymoon all around Australia: Sydney, Cairns and the Kuranda Rainforest, and then across to Kakadu. After a few days in Kakadu, we’d go to Darwin, then down to Alice Springs and Uluru. After that we’d go across to Broome to swim with the dolphins and finally to Perth for a trip along the Margaret River. If it worked out, we might even take the train back across the Nullarbor, depending on availability. That was the story anyway. But what we were actually going to do was probably a lot less than all that. But we’d do what we could for as long as I was comfortable, and then we’d make our way to Mladen’s school for the birth.
But before we would do any of that, I had to meet with Mr Shaw’s lawyers. I’d nearly forgotten about the appointment with all the excitement of the wedding. I was to meet him Thurs
day morning.
~ Chapter Seven ~
Mr Cameron, the defence lawyer, was well dressed with grey hair and glasses—probably about the same age as Ian. He wasn’t nearly as intimidating as I’d feared he might be, but I was still nervous.
The room was sterile. A large table surrounded by six chairs took up most of the room, with a smaller side table at the back. There was one lonely print on the wall that I faced. In the middle of the table sat a pitcher of iced water and some glasses, and a bowl of mints. Mr Cameron poured himself a glass of water and offered me one. He thanked me for coming to see him, then waited until I’d taken a sip of water to ask his first question.
‘So, Ms McIntyre, tell me exactly what you saw—in this vision you had,’ he said, his voice calm. I was certain he was trying to make me feel relaxed, but it wasn’t really working.
‘Well, like I told the police, I saw this young girl being shot,’ I replied. The high pitch of my voice was a dead giveaway as to how nervous I felt.
‘It’s alright, Ms McIntyre. Try to relax. I just want to understand exactly what you saw. Shall we go on?’
I nodded in agreement, and clenched my teeth.
‘So, you saw this young girl being shot. And did you see who it was that shot her?’ he asked, his voice still very calm.
I thought hard about what I’d said to the police, not wanting to mix up my story. ‘No. I only saw her.’
He frowned, and rubbed his hand on his chin for a moment before asking the next question. ‘So, you didn’t actually see a man pointing a gun at her?’
I’d already answered that, hadn’t I? I returned his frown. ‘No, I saw her and I heard the gun go off.’
‘I see. And you said you saw the man burying the gun, is that right?’ His voice was no longer quite so calm. Now he sounded more like the lawyers I’d seen on television.
‘Yes.’ I remembered Claire’s advice about not admitting anything, but I couldn’t exactly change my story now. Maybe I should have taken her up on her offer to have her stepfather come with me, for moral support if nothing else.
‘And if you had to, do you think you could pick that man from a line-up?’
His question caught me by surprise, and I’m sure my eyes gave that away. The police hadn’t even suggested anything like that. They’d only asked if I could describe him, and I hadn’t been able to.
‘Well, maybe. No … I mean … I didn’t see him that clearly. He was bent over … and he was in the shade of the tree. So, I don’t think I could.’
He nodded again, thoughtfully. He made some notes on his pad and when he finished writing, he tapped his pencil on the pad as if undecided about how to continue. He put the pencil down and sighed. When he looked up at me again it was with a smile on his face.
‘Okay then. So, what about the girl you saw—what can you tell me about her?’
I described her as I’d seen her. That was easy. I could almost visualize her standing in front of me now—red shorts and white top, long dark hair and tanned skin. She would be out of place in this room.
‘And how did you know her name? Did she speak to you, in this vision?’
‘Yes. Well, no, I mean, not exactly. But somehow, I just knew her name. It was as if she shouted it to me, I suppose.’ I was certain the police hadn’t asked so many questions. They were more interested in the gun than in how I’d come to find it. But then again, they dealt with facts and evidence. Perhaps, to them at least, my vision was neither.
‘I see.’ He said the words slowly, then just sat looking thoughtful as he gazed out the window. Was he waiting for me to say something more? If so, he’d be waiting a while. I had no intention of saying any more than I had to. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm and mesmerising once again.
‘Would you agree to meet my client, Richard Shaw?’
‘Meet him?’ I’d started to relax, thinking this was nearly over, but his question sent a rush of adrenaline through my veins and my heart started pounding.
‘Yes. He has asked to see you, if you would be so kind. Of course, you’re under no obligation to do so, Ms McIntyre. And whether you will see him or not, we truly appreciate your co-operation thus far. Not everyone would come all this way to talk to us—that was very generous of you, taking the time to do so.’
‘Yes, well, that’s okay.’ I was glad for the change of subject. Maybe I could get out of here without actually answering that last question.
‘You do understand that he’s in jail, don’t you? That he’s been charged with murder?’
‘Murder?’
‘Yes. His fingerprints are on the gun—the unregistered gun that was used to kill the girl, her sister and their mother. And although your vision may not be admissible in court, it did point the police back to him for further questioning.’
‘Because of the fingerprints?’
‘Yes, because of the fingerprints. The fact that you knew the girl’s name and that you were able to describe her exactly as she was dressed the day she died, made it easier for the police to identify the case. But they’d have found him anyway, because of the fingerprints. That’s what really threw a spanner in the works—that and the fact that my client doesn’t deny burying it.’
~ Chapter Eight ~
The woman in the full-length mirror looked more like a fairy-tale princess than the girl who usually gazed back at me with tousled hair and running shoes. Could this really be me? Or were the lights in the bedroom playing some sort of trick on me?
The dress was simple, but it suited me perfectly. Made from heavy cream-coloured silk, it was form fitting down to my waist, with a large flowing skirt that just missed the ground by less than an inch. It had a square cut front and a deep V at the back. There were little bead-like buttons on the long tight sleeves, and a few down the back. My hair was also done simply. Left long, it hung down just below my elbows, but the front was pulled back away from my face into a single soft braid. I wore a flower garland on my head, made from tiny cream-coloured roses.
As I stared at my reflection, I couldn’t believe how fabulous I felt. I mean, weren’t brides meant to be nervous? In less than an hour I’d be standing next to Sam, and we’d become man and wife. Well, technically vampire and wife, but it wouldn’t be appropriate for the celebrant to say that now, would it? But surprisingly there were no butterflies today, none at all. And as for being pregnant, I’d never felt better. Maybe I was one of the lucky ones, because here I was one-sixth of the way through my pregnancy, and I felt wonderful.
Debs stood beside me, her eyes glistening as she admired what she’d helped to create.
‘I know that every bride is beautiful on her wedding day, but you, well, you are truly stunning. What luck to find a dress that suited you so perfectly—and with so little time? And your hair—wearing it any other way just wouldn’t be you. I must say, I’ve never seen such a beautiful bride. Here, let me take some photos of you, right now, before the wind has a chance to muss up your hair, and before you have smiled so much that your face looks unnatural. Your mother will want to see you just as I see you, right now.’
She sniffed back a tear, then grabbed a camera and started snapping photos—a few caught me as well as my reflection.
‘It’s time. Are you ready?’ she asked, when she finally stopped snapping photos.
‘Yes, but just one thing, Debs. In case I forget to say it later, thank you, for everything—for helping make this day so special; for being here for me; for taking Sam into your heart so quickly. And especially for agreeing to give me away, since my father can’t be here to do it. I really appreciate everything you’ve done. Now I’m ready. Let’s go.’
When the lift doors opened to the foyer, I could see a carriage waiting out front. It was drawn by two perfectly matched white horses with big bows tied onto their harnesses. Another big bow took up most of the back of the carriage. I looked at Debs, and she smiled and winked.
‘Well, we couldn’t have you arrive in anything other than style,
now could we? Come, Cinderella, it is time for you to meet your Prince Charming.’
I struggled to get into the carriage, so I hiked the dress up and climbed up the steps in a rather un-ladylike fashion, laughing the whole time. It was a good thing I wasn’t a celebrity as the paparazzi would have had a field day with this.
It was a short trip up the hill, along the same route that I’d run so many times before. But in the carriage, caught behind a bit of traffic, it seemed to take a very long time. When we finally arrived the carriage dropped us at the corner of King Street, and Debs walked beside me as we climbed the gentle slope up to the top of the hill.
The gardens were very different from when I’d first seen them. The trees which were bare throughout July and August were now in full leaf. The garden beds were full of fragrant roses, and birds were singing. As we approached the small crowd, the string quartet started playing the traditional bridal song, and everyone turned to watch us walk toward them.
My breath caught when I spotted Sam standing in front of the celebrant, waiting for me. His tuxedo was dark grey, with a silver vest and tie. He was so handsome, I couldn’t believe I was actually about to marry this man. Even from a distance I could see his gorgeous blue eyes twinkling.
As we approached I made an effort to take it all in. I wanted to remember this moment forever. The small group had formed a sort of avenue, and the first one I noticed was Claire, standing next to Tom. She’d made it after all. And she looked more beautiful than I’d ever seen her—clearly in heaven standing with Tom’s arm around her shoulders. Tom, standing beside her, beamed proudly. Erranase, looking quite the sophisticated gentleman, stood on the other side of Tom.
Crystal was across from Claire, and looked stunning as she always did. She wore a golden sari, perhaps the one she wore at her anniversary party. Michael held her hand and whispered something in her ear as we approached, and they both smiled at me. Ian stood on Crystal’s other side, and he too was very handsome in his suit and tie.
Sacrifice (Absent Shadows Trilogy Book 2) Page 7
