by Jennie Adams
Cecilia lifted the delicate mask she held in one hand and placed it over her face.
Maybe it would hide her heartache.
* * *
Linc shifted from foot to foot where he stood at the edge of the dais area. He straightened his bow tie and hoped he would be able to carry this off when Cecilia arrived. It was difficult not to feel foolish wearing a mask that the woman in the shop had said made him look like—what was it?—some swashbuckling hero?
He just wanted to see Cecilia and to let her know that he loved her. He hoped with all his heart that she might be able to return those feelings, that he hadn’t messed things up so badly he couldn’t come back from it. But this night meant a lot to Cecilia, so he wanted to be sure that he looked the part.
Linc had told Cecilia about Alex. The guilt Linc had felt had been very real, but Alex had shown Linc that he’d been holding on to that past experience and blaming himself for being human. That he needed to let go of it and reach out for his own happiness. That he had to trust that he could be loved and accepted—just as Brent and Alex loved and accepted him and were themselves loved and accepted.
Behind Linc the string quartet finished tuning up and began to play a soft, haunting melody. He had asked them to come earlier, to be ready to start playing and keep playing once Cecilia arrived.
Rosa had given him a crash course in waltzing. She’d patted his face and hadn’t asked why. She was the closest thing to a mother that Linc could remember.
The rows upon rows of lights in the canopied cover above the dais came on, lending a soft glow to the fading twilight.
In that moment Cecilia stepped out of the maze and he saw her—and, oh, she looked so beautiful. A shimmering deep gold gown made her seem as one with her surroundings. Gold sandals covered her feet, and her hair was piled high on her head. Her mask of gold and blue highlighted her beautiful eyes.
She also looked fragile, as though the weight of this world sat on her shoulders.
Could she love him?
Linc’s chest expanded with all the love he felt for her.
She spotted him standing there and, for just a moment, her step faltered and surprise made her eyes round.
Linc stepped down from the dais and quickly walked to greet her.
Don’t leave. Don’t walk away before I’ve had a chance to tell you—
‘Cecilia. You look beautiful.’
She did. He wanted to see her in all her stages of beauty, all throughout their lives.
Her gaze searched his face. ‘Thank you. I didn’t think you’d be here.’
Along with the strain, did her gaze show pleasure that he was there? Or did Linc just long to see that?
‘I had to come.’
As he looked at her, he knew he wanted—no, he needed to wake up beside her every day, forever. He needed that as much as breathing. And he hoped with all his might that she would give him that chance.
‘Will you dance with me, Cecilia? Now? Before the guests start arriving?’
He held out his hand.
The string ensemble began the strains of a waltz.
Cecilia searched his face. He thought she would say no, but after a long moment she silently put her hand in his.
Linc released the breath he’d been holding and led her onto the dais. He drew Cecilia into his arms, and they circled the floor together. His arms had hurt from the lack of holding her, and now there was this symmetry, this beauty of touch and music and movement. She matched his steps perfectly, and it was effortless and so right.
He looked down into her upturned face, into the dark blue pools of her eyes, and knew that he could trust his heart in her care just as much as he wanted to care for her heart forever.
Cecilia gazed into Linc’s eyes as they moved around the dance floor. She heard the quartet playing, but she saw nothing but Linc, felt nothing but the touch of his hand holding hers, his other hand against her back.
The scent of flowers kissed by the cooling night air surrounded them. Everything was perfect. She wanted to cry and never stop crying, and still she hadn’t been able to deny herself this.
Oh, she had not expected to be held in Linc’s arms, to be whisked about the dais as though she and no one else meant the world to him.
Please don’t break my heart all over again, Linc. I don’t know why you’re doing this.
Why had Linc come here, asked her for this dance? She wanted to hope—and that was the most dangerous and heartbreaking thing she could do!
She’d prepared herself to leave him, to try and mend her heart away from him and, when this dance was over, that was still exactly what she had to do.
Eventually, the dance came to an end. Linc led her off the floor. ‘Will you walk with me in the maze for a minute? I need to talk to you.’
‘All—all right.’ His serious tone made her heart thump.
‘This is where I found you that first day of the review.’ Linc spoke the words quietly.
She looked around her and realised they were in front of the statue of the sun goddess. Her favourite part of the maze. All of a sudden the affinity she felt with this place, with the work she’d put in, her vision and seeing her dreams come true here all welled up, and that sorrow added itself to the sorrow of unrequited love.
She started to speak before she could stop herself. ‘I’ll miss—’
‘You remind me of her tonight.’
He spoke at the same time, and his gaze briefly rested on the statue before it returned to Cecilia.
‘It’s not just the colour of your dress.’ He seemed to search for words to express his thoughts. ‘It’s how you are inside yourself. You spread light. You warm people.’
The words weren’t flattery. They were far deeper than that.
She searched his gaze. ‘That’s a lovely thing for you to say.’
Linc had his chance now, and he didn’t want to blow it. He pulled the mask from his face and gently removed hers, dropping them both at the foot of the statue. There were some things that just couldn’t be said with barriers in place.
‘We’ve known each other for a long time...’
He started there, because that had been the start of their journey.
‘Back then, when we first met...’ She’d shown an interest in him and he’d rebuffed her. ‘I was convinced I didn’t deserve love and a happy-ever-after. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was using it as an excuse.’
Linc paused for a moment. He took her hand in his and cherished the connection, the simple sense of rightness the touch gave him.
‘I’ve realised that I wanted to blame myself.’
Her fingers tightened on his for an instant, and she frowned. ‘Why?’
‘Because it let me hold back from people other than my brothers.’ He’d been afraid of being hurt. The big, strong millionaire Linc MacKay hadn’t known how to protect his emotions, so he’d used that as an excuse to hold them at bay from the world. ‘I didn’t want to risk being given up on again, as my father gave up on me.’
‘How others behave towards us can have a profound impact.’ Cecilia’s words were open and honest, and she knew she had to go on. ‘Our mother telling us repeatedly that we were a burden on her not only harmed Stacey and helped her along the path of self-destruction that led her to where she is today, it also harmed me.’
It had. More than Cecilia had ever wanted to admit.
‘I had very little faith that a loving relationship could be built and could last. When I tried to form one with...with Hugh, and he disappeared out of my life the moment things got challenging, it not only damaged my faith in others but my belief in myself that I was worth sticking around for.’
‘And I added to that—both six years ago and recently.’
Linc’s words were low, fill
ed with remorse. Yet as he spoke, his expression became determined and his grip on her hands firmed.
‘I’m in love with you, Cecilia. I’m worried sick that I’ve left it too late to tell you, but I love you with all my heart and I want us to be together.’
Cecilia stared at Linc mutely. All her breath seemed to have escaped from her lungs. She dragged in air. ‘Wh-what did you say?’
‘I love you.’ The truth of it shone from his eyes. ‘I’m in love with you. Is there any chance, Cecilia? Any chance at all that you might come to return those feelings? I want to spend the rest of my life with you. When you said you were leaving, I felt as though my world was ending.’
‘Six years ago I was attracted to you...’ Cecilia said it slowly, remembering that time, the immaturity of her emotions. ‘But it took coming to know you closely for me to...to totally fall in love with you.’
Linc’s gaze searched her face. ‘I want to marry you—have children, God willing—and grow old together. I want to love you for the rest of our lives. Please tell me there’s hope for that.’
Cecilia might have hesitated on the brink of Linc’s proposal but, oh, she wouldn’t. She simply would not—because this was worth the risk. This was worth reaching out for.
Linc was worth it.
‘Yes.’ She broke into a smile that was full of love and relief and happiness. ‘Oh, yes, Linc. That is what I’m saying. I want all of those things, too. With you. It’s what I want more than anything.’
‘You’ve made me the happiest man in the world.’
The relief and acceptance in his voice showed his belief in those words. And the kiss they shared was filled with all the hope and relief and joy they both felt. Cecilia finally believed then—and, oh, it felt good to do so!
As they finally drew apart, Linc asked her, ‘Will you still go to work for the Silver Bells committee?’
She searched his gaze and thought for a moment. ‘Do you know, I think I will? But if you don’t mind too much, I might like to take that on part-time and work on my refurbishment projects the rest of the time.’
‘From our home?’
As she nodded, a smile spread over his face.
‘I already do a lot of my work from home.’ He looked a little sheepish. ‘I’m not all that keen on the idea of working out of an office full of staff. We could work from home together...take coffee breaks and do what we liked. The warehouse—’
‘Would make a perfect home for us.’
Happiness welled up inside Cecilia, and she couldn’t contain it. She reached out for him, and they hugged each other for long moments before they once more drew apart.
Linc reached into his pocket and brought out a small velvet box. He dropped to one knee. His fingers shook as he opened the box and held it out to her.
‘Will you marry me and accept this ring as a token of my love for you?’
Cecilia understood his vulnerability then. Knew that they could walk through life together and strengthen each other, that they truly could be stronger and greater together than either of them could ever have been on their own. Her heart opened up to all they could have and be, and she gently received the box from him.
Inside nestled a solitaire engagement ring. The band was white gold, its design cut low, to give all the attention to the glittering jewel it held.
‘Oh, Linc, it’s lovely.’
His quiet exhalation held both satisfaction and a hint of relief.
He got to his feet and clasped her left hand in his own. ‘I’m glad you like it. I bought it today. When I saw it, I thought it was the right one for you. I had to plan, to hope you’d say yes, that it wasn’t all too late. I had to put my faith on the line.’
She closed her eyes. ‘Oh, Linc. I love you so. I thought I would never have the chance to tell you, let alone to think about a future together.’
‘And I thought I’d lost any chance with you by being buried in fears from the past.’ He blew out a breath that seemed to let the last of his tension go.
And then he slipped the ring from the box and onto her finger, and she realised it was possible that she could adore him even more.
‘It fits perfectly, Linc. Like it was meant to be there. I will be proud to wear this, and every time I look at it I will remember this night and this moment.’
‘The start of our future together.’ Linc liked the thought a great deal.
Beyond them, they heard the murmur of the first guests entering into the beginning of the maze and knew that the masked ball was truly about to begin.
‘Shall we give everyone—and ourselves—a night to remember?’
Linc retrieved their masks from where they rested at the foot of the statue.
Cecilia donned her mask and smiled a little to herself as Linc donned his and immediately took on the persona of a man of mystery.
He was her man now, not at all a mystery to her any more, and she liked that fact just fine.
‘Yes, Linc. Let’s make this a night to remember.’
They made their way back to the dance floor and, as other people arrived, one after another, the first thing they saw was a couple obviously deeply in love with each other, circling the floor in each other’s arms to the strains of a beautiful waltz.
It was indeed a night to remember.
EPILOGUE
‘DO YOU, LINC MACKAY, take this woman, Cecilia Anna Tomson, to be your lawfully wedded wife?’
The celebrant’s words rang out in the beautiful country chapel. She went on, adding words of love and fidelity, commitment and forever.
Cecilia stood before Linc in her wedding gown and knew that her love for him was written all over her, and she didn’t care one bit that it was!
Linc’s words were low and heartfelt as he responded, ‘I do.’
It was Cecilia’s turn then, and she saw her sister’s hands shake where she stood to her left, holding Cecilia’s bouquet of perfect creamy roses and baby’s breath along with her own bouquet of deep red blooms. To have Stacey here, so happy herself, added to Cecilia’s joy.
When the celebrant had finished her words, Cecilia smiled and saw her love reflected back in Linc’s eyes, and she said, with all the conviction in her heart, ‘I do. I do take this man to my heart, and I will keep him there forever.’
They kissed, and the strains of the ‘Wedding March’ rose through the church and filled it.
The party made its procession outside onto the steps, facing a field of spring flowers. Linc and Cecilia, and behind them Brent and Fiona, Alex and Jayne, and then Stacey and a man by the name of Brendan Carroll, who seemed to have some special history with Alex. And, of course, Rosa—the family’s wonderful housekeeper, who was so much more.
There were other guests—friends and colleagues from the plant nursery and from elsewhere. The family sent them on to the wedding reception, but instead of staying at the church for hours of wedding photos, they took just a handful in front of the chapel and in that field of spring flowers.
At the end of it, Cecilia glanced about the group. ‘I couldn’t be happier—and especially to be sharing this day with all of you.’ She reached out her hand and clasped her sister’s in hers for a long moment. ‘I’m so glad you’re here, Stacey.’
It wasn’t just about the day, and they both knew that. It was about the fact that Stacey had stuck to her word and turned her life around. She’d even managed to be civil about their mother making an excuse for not being there when Cecilia had got her courage together and invited her. It really didn’t matter. Cecilia had her family, and deep in her heart she knew it.
Linc. Stacey. The others. And...
‘Oooh!’ Jayne rested her hand over her abdomen and a look of surprise came over her face. She turned to Alex. ‘The baby just moved. It was like butterfly wings! That’s the first
time I’ve felt it.’
Cecilia’s love and happiness expanded even further as she observed the quiet joy shared by the couple.
She saw Fiona glance into Brent’s eyes, and they both looked sheepish as they broke into smiles.
Cecilia gave a soft laugh. ‘Do you two have something you want to share?’
‘We’re pregnant, too.’ Fiona’s smile burst right across her face. ‘We weren’t going to say anything until after the wedding.’
At this, it wasn’t Cecilia who laughed but Linc, who unexpectedly threw his head back. But he quickly sobered and clasped Cecilia’s hand, and all his hope and love were in his eyes, too.
‘We were waiting for Stacey to be here for the wedding...’ he began.
‘To tell you all that we also may have pre-empted the baby part,’ Cecilia finished for him.
‘Oh, my God!’
‘That’s wonderful!’
‘That’s the best news!’
‘I’m going to be an uncle once more than I thought.’
Everyone broke into happy speech at once, and then Stacey spoke quietly into the midst of it.
‘I will guarantee you’re having twins.’
She said it with such conviction that Cecilia’s eyes widened.
‘So it’s just as well I’m around now, because you’re going to need me once they come along.’
Brendan Carroll, the man at Stacey’s side, gave a low laugh. ‘Double the trouble? I like the sound of that.’
Stacey looked startled and a little intrigued. ‘Are you planning to be in Sydney for a while?’
‘Actually, I just opened a gallery in the city.’
Cecilia looked at her sister’s glowing face, at all the happiness around her, and suspected that Stacey was going to be just fine.
And her sister was probably right about the possibility of twins, too. Cecilia had a feeling about that herself.
Whether one baby or two, Cecilia would indeed want her sister to be a big part of her life from now on.
‘Shall we go to this reception?’ Linc whispered the words into her ear. ‘The sooner we arrive, the sooner I can sneak you away so I can have you to myself. I want to discuss the possibility of twins...’ Love and warmth and desire mingled in his gaze. ‘Among other things.’
