Elizabeth was just behind Crystal, standing next to Henry who appeared to be crying. I hadn’t realised ghosts could cry, but Elizabeth had said they pretty much did whatever they did when they were alive, so I suppose he must have always been sentimental.
As we stopped in front of the celebrant Debs handed me over to Sam, and I saw her wipe a few tears from her eyes as she went to stand beside Ian.
The ceremony was short and sweet—a rather non-traditional one that the celebrant had suggested when we said we didn’t want anything religious or conventional. There was no obeying required in this marriage, although we did promise to love each other and be true to each other ‘throughout eternity’. I liked the idea of being his until time stood still. But this was something we’d sort out later, not today.
Fifteen minutes after it began, the formal part of the wedding was over and I was Mrs Samuel Benjamin Todd.
Claire ran up to me and gave me a big hug. ‘I can’t believe you kept this a secret from me. I mean, I knew you and Sam had something sort of special going on, but this?’
‘Oh, Claire, I’m so glad you made it. I’m sorry for the short notice. It was … unavoidable.’
‘Unavoidable? What an odd way of saying that you’re knocked up and wanted to have the wedding before you started to show. I mean, really. All that stuff about having to come back to talk to the police. I did think that all sounded pretty far-fetched,’ she said with a teasing tone in her voice, but I wondered if she had any idea how right she actually was. ‘I wasn’t going to ask my father for the money, but in the end I figured I didn’t want to miss your wedding because of pride, so I rang him, and I started to cry … so he had his secretary book me a ticket on the next plane. I got to fly business class. How’s that eh?’
The sound of Claire’s laughter drew Tom’s attention, and he walked up and leaned over to kiss my cheek. ‘I’d do better than that if I thought I could get away with it, but Sam over there is watching you like a hawk. Don’t want to go making him jealous now, do we?’
Tom, in a dark suit similar to Sam’s tuxedo, was something to look at alright, and just might make Sam jealous at that. I’d always thought he looked a bit like a model, but today he was particularly handsome. Standing next to Claire they were like Helen of Troy and Paris, and I could see a war being fought over them. Hey, maybe I’d actually learned something in my mythology class after all.
Erranase also watched from where he stood at Sam’s side. He nodded when I caught his eye, and I could see him mouth the word’s ‘would you care to dance?’ as he held his arms out in an inviting gesture. I smiled and nodded agreement, not caring that the first dance was meant to be the married couple. Erranase walked up and gracefully led me onto our makeshift dance floor, and we danced a waltz. I had no idea what to do, but he was a strong leader so I simply followed and it was actually reasonably successful. Sam stood beside his tree, next to Elizabeth, and watched with a very proud look on his face.
Soon Tom and Claire were beside us, then Ian and Debs, followed by Crystal and Michael. When the song changed, Erranase happily allowed my husband to cut in, and we danced the next ones. My husband; I liked the sound of that.
Just before sunset, the musicians said their farewells, and Michael and Tom began to clear away the tables and tent. Debs mentioned her feet were killing her so Ian took her by the hand and they said goodbye and made their way down to King Street. A few moments later Erranase faded into the distance as well. Crystal kissed my cheek and excused herself to start tidying up, leaving me standing with Claire and Sam. When I sighed, Sam took my hand.
‘Are you okay?’ he asked, concern darkening his blue eyes.
‘I couldn’t be more okay. I couldn’t even image having a more wonderful day. Thank you, for everything. And Claire, I’m so glad you were able to be here. This has been the best day of my life.’
‘It has been good, but you know, you forgot one important thing,’ said Claire, her mouth scrunching up into a theatrical pout.
‘Did I? What have I missed? We cut the cake together, and we drank a toast. Oh, I suppose Tom should have done a speech, but he seemed a bit shy about it.’
‘No, that’s all good, but you were meant to carry a bouquet, and throw it. That way, all the single girls,’ she threw her hands out, palms up, and looked around as if to indicate this could only be her, ‘could queue up to catch it. The one that catches it is meant to be the next to be married!’
‘Oh, I’m sorry—I didn’t even think of that.’
‘That’s okay—you’re forgiven. Anyway, Tom might have run for the hills if I’d caught the bouquet.’ Her eyes searched for Tom, and when she found him, she smiled.
‘You think? I’m not so sure about that,’ I said, winking as I grinned at her.
‘Who knows what the future may bring,’ she giggled in reply. ‘But for now, I think your husband looks like he would like to take you home so you can start your honeymoon.’
‘You’re a mind reader, Claire. Shall we?’ Sam said, offering me his arm.
We left the others to clean up and walked home from the gardens—to our home. The evening air was just beginning to cool down, so Sam put his arm around my shoulders. I felt enormous pride as we walked, passing a few people along the way. I couldn’t help but think that they would be envious of me, obviously married to the most awesome man in the universe. I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face at the thought.
When we got to his front door Sam carried me over the threshold and up the stairs to our bedroom. When he walked through the door he turned so I could see the bed. It was covered with little cream roses, and there were candles burning on the bedside tables. Soft classical music played in the background and there was a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket, with two glasses beside it.
‘Crystal,’ we both said at the same time, and then we began laughing. And that night, my husband made love to me all night, very gently, and very thoroughly, and it was the most wonderful night of my life.
~ Chapter Nine ~
Being a married woman wasn’t going to change me; running had always been, and would always be, part of my make-up. So the following morning I raced across to the gardens and after three fast laps I slowed down hoping to spot Elizabeth.
‘Henry and I loved your wedding,’ said Elizabeth when she appeared a few minutes later. ‘It was so nice of you to hold the wedding here so that we could come.’
‘It wouldn’t have been the same without you,’ I replied genuinely.
She smiled. ‘Sam was so handsome, wasn’t he? And you … you were so beautiful. I wish I could have been a bride, or at least a debutant. You looked magical in that dress. I would love to be able to wear a dress like that,’ she said, looking down at the ground, pouting.
‘I’m sorry, Elizabeth. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.’
She looked up at me, and was all smiles once again.
‘Yes, you’re right. Not meant to be. Anyway, that’s not why you’re here—to talk about the wedding. I can tell there is something else you want to talk about. It’s something that you keep trying to push out of your mind. Is it something to do with a ghost?’
‘Yes, a ghost. I thought you might be able to help me understand what happened, and how to act next time. If there is a next time, that is.’
I went through the details of what had happened that day in the gardens when the young ghost had asked me to help her find the gun. Elizabeth’s expression darkened the longer the story went. And when I told her the girl’s father wanted to see me, she frowned.
‘I wish you’d told me about this before. You should have come to me for help, when she first approached you.’
‘I know that, now. But at the time, everyone was so busy with their plans … it happened just before the encounter with Zunios. I didn’t want to be a burden. And besides, she seemed so innocent. I just thought I was helping. But now, well, now I’m not so sure.’
‘Neither am I. And I’m not sure meeting t
his man—this Mr Shaw—is such a good idea either. Oh, Lili, this could get quite tricky.’
The tone in her voice frightened me, and I drew in my breath.
She shook her head, and reached out as if to put her hand on my arm. ‘Oh, oh, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t mean to scare you or anything. Don’t worry about it now—you’re going on your honeymoon. We’ll talk about it when you get back—you’re not planning to meet with him before then, are you?’
‘No, I said it would have to be after—and I didn’t promise to meet him, just that I’d think about it.’
‘Good. I’ll speak to Henry and some of the others in the meantime to see if anyone knows of her. Everything will be fine. Really, it will.’
‘Thank you. I’m sorry to leave this with you—and to run off like this.’
‘Don’t be. Remember, you’ve just made my brother the happiest man in the world. And that makes me happy. You enjoy your honeymoon, and the baby. How exciting—I’m going to be an Aunty!’
‘You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that.’
‘Neither had I, until now. I must say it’s not something I ever expected to happen.’
‘Well, I don’t think Sam did either,’ I said, then started to giggle.
That set Elizabeth off and the two of us sat there giggling away. What a sight I must have made to anyone passing by—sitting on that bench, laughing my head off for no apparent reason.
~~***~~
Tom took off with Erranase that afternoon, giving us the house to ourselves for the first week. He’d offered to move out altogether, but I wouldn’t hear of it. After all, it was his house before it was mine. Besides, the layout gave us privacy and we did have our own bathroom. And it wasn’t like he expected me to cook for him or anything. He wouldn’t even be home most nights. Like Sam, he rarely slept. But he did need a place to shower, keep his clothes, and park his truck. Not to mention the fact that the large flat screen TV in the living room seemed to get a fair amount of his attention. But all in all, I was pretty sure it would work out just fine.
I felt good—unexpectedly good. I seemed to have more energy than ever, and my face was glowing. I’d been a bit concerned about how fast this baby was going to grow, and what that might do to my skin, but Crystal had given me a jar of emu oil cream and another jar of some herbal cream that smelled like lavender, and together they were to help with any stretching that my skin would undergo. I rubbed them all over my stomach and hips every night, and I certainly felt no discomfort. Everything would be fine. Or at least, that’s what I kept telling myself.
At the end of the week we left on our honeymoon. Our first stop was Cairns in the far north and from there we hired a four-wheel-drive and drove up to Kuranda where we stayed in some lovely cabins that backed right up to the rainforest. The sounds at night were nearly deafening—frogs and birds mostly I supposed, but who knew what else lurked in those woods.
On the second night, Sam was gone when I woke in the middle of the night, but at sunrise when I opened my eyes he was beside me, looking relaxed and gorgeous. There was no need to speak about where he’d been.
Later that morning, we took a ride on a very old train, and then a short boat trip to Green Island to see the crocodiles. Sam didn’t think it was funny when I compared him to the crocodiles—they too couldn’t help what they were. I actually thought the babies were really cute, and I got excited when I was able to hold one.
Kakadu was the next stop. It was a magical place. The rock art intrigued me, and I think I could have spent hours studying it. But the humidity overwhelmed me, making it difficult for me to take long walks or be outside for long periods, so I made Sam promise to bring me back another time, perhaps in winter—their dry season. We did what we could, and we celebrated my twentieth birthday at the Mirrai Lookout at sunset.
The next stop was Darwin, where it was even more humid than Kakadu. I found it nearly unbearable. But we managed to see a few of the tourist things—the most memorable being the day we took a boat trip down the Adelaide River where we watched as crocodiles jumped up out of the water to snatch bits of meat from sticks held out by the guides. These prehistoric creatures fascinated me. Their simplicity and power intrigued me so much so I had to fight back the urge to reach down and touch them as they swam alongside the boat. And I found it interesting that unlike some dogs I’d seen recoil from Sam in the gardens one night, these creatures didn’t seem the least bit worried about Sam’s presence.
We were near the end of the third week of our honeymoon when we arrived in Alice Springs. I felt like I’d had enough, mostly from the heat, but I also suspected the rapid changes my body was going through were partially to blame. It was now only just a little over a week until I’d give birth. It was still so hard to comprehend. Almost as hard as it was to comprehend how this gorgeous man, my husband, could look at me with so much love in his deep blue eyes, even when I now definitely felt and looked pregnant.
Sam pulled two chairs under the shade of a big umbrella, and we sat by the pool at our hotel holding hands. I felt so much love for him that I thought I’d explode. It really shouldn’t be possible to be this happy, should it?
‘I spoke to Mladen, this morning,’ he said, smiling at me. ‘Everything is ready for us. He’s beside himself at the thought of a new student at the school—he said it’s been a while since they’ve had one.’
‘Is he? Well, I hope they know what they’re doing,’ I said, suddenly remembering that I was about to hand over my baby to a man I’d never even met. We would stay for only two weeks after the birth.
‘I don’t think there’s anything to worry about … he’s been doing this for hundreds of years. I’d say he knows what he’s doing. And after all, he raised Michael, and look how good he’s turned out.’
‘I know, and I’m sure you’re right. It’s just … I mean … it’s all happening so fast, I can’t get my head around it. I’m going to be a mother. Me. Can you believe it?’
‘Yes, looking at you now, with that bump sticking up from the middle of you, I can believe it,’ he said, winking at me with a grin on his face.
I pulled at my shirt until it loosened, hiding the outline of my stomach as best I could, and then frowned for his benefit. Then we both laughed.
We sat there in the shade for a long time, listening to the sounds of the world going on around us. I think I must have dozed but when I opened my eyes Sam was still sitting exactly as he’d been—looking completely relaxed. We had the pool to ourselves now—the few people that had been here earlier must have gone while I slept. And although it was hot in the direct sun, the temperature here in the shade was bearable. And it was just so incredibly peaceful.
I sat there thinking, still finding the whole thing so hard to believe. And the funny thing was that by the time it sunk in, it would be over. We’d be back in Melbourne, and life would simply continue.
Sam looked over at me, and squeezed my hand. ‘It’ll be fine. I promise. It’ll be over quickly, and you’ll get to hold your young son. And did I mention that Crystal offered to meet us there if you would like? She’s assisted with quite a few births—helping the mothers with the separation afterwards. She’d be really happy to come, if you want. In fact, I think she’ll be disappointed if she doesn’t get to come.’
‘Oh, that would be awesome. I’d feel so much better if she was with me during the birth. I mean, I don’t know that I want you to see me like that.’
‘Done. She’s actually looking forward to seeing Mladen again. She misses him and the others at the school. After all, Mladen’s the closest thing to a father she’s ever known.’
~~***~~
The flight from Alice Springs to Perth wasn’t long but with all the fiddling around at the airport it seemed to take most of the day. When we arrived in Perth Sam wondered if we should spend the night, but I wasn’t tired. I just wanted to get to the school and get settled.
We hired a car for the drive, which Sam said woul
d be about two hours. At first, the scenery was similar to Melbourne—lots of houses and small shopping centres. Then we reached a reasonable sized town called Northam. But not long after that we left civilisation behind us as we travelled north, then headed east along dirt roads that were deserted with the exception of us.
I hadn’t seen anything to suggest we had arrived anywhere, but suddenly Sam made a right turn and within a few minutes we pulled up in front of a large set of gates. The property reminded me of an English country estate from a period movie. I halfway expected a young girl wearing a long dress to come running toward us to open the gate, but then I spotted Crystal. She’d obviously arrived before us.
By the time the car stopped in front of the school building, Crystal was there to help me out of the car. She put her arm around my shoulders protectively as she led me inside to make the introductions. Sam disappeared and I could only assume it was to park the car.
Mladen was nothing like I’d expected. They kept referring to how old he was, so I expected him to look ancient and scholarly. But he actually looked a lot like Michael—dark hair and eyes, tall, and very handsome. He appeared to be in his mid-twenties. The only things that gave away his age were his careful speech and his polite manner; characteristics of someone who’d been brought up in a different time.
He smiled when Crystal introduced us, and extended his hand to shake mine. His grip was firm but gentle, and his smile was friendly. A moment later, Sam came in from parking the car, and Crystal introduced him to Mladen. I realised then that this must have been the first time they’d met in person. Their greeting was quite formal and reserved, neither extending their hands, but both bowing their heads slightly.
With the introductions complete, Crystal showed us upstairs to the room we would share. She explained that Mladen wasn’t accustomed to having couples stay, given that the vampire fathers had never before accompanied their human mistresses. But we were given the largest room at the school, and it would be cosy—just fine for the short time we’d be here.
Sacrifice (Absent Shadows Trilogy Book 2) Page 8
