Blair looked around. The room that had been teeming with children and adults just a few minutes ago was now empty.
And then it wasn’t.
Peripherally, Blair could see people drifting in on all sides of her, standing on the outskirts, quietly observing her reaction.
But her attention wasn’t on them. It was directed straight in front of her.
Blair caught her breath as she saw herself walking in beside Devin. Except that it wasn’t her. And it wasn’t even Devin. He was walking behind the two people. The two people who looked exactly like them.
Blair blinked, stunned.
“What—?” She couldn’t even form a sentence.
He wished he had a camera with him so he could capture the look on her face. And then there was a flash behind him.
Devin didn’t have to turn around to see who was responsible. Good old Uncle John had preserved the moment for him. He was really going to like being part of this family.
Devin moved to Blair’s side, taking her hand. It was ice—cold. “Blair, I’d like you to meet your sister, Claire Walker, and my brother, Evan. Her fiancé.”
Blair’s mouth had dropped open. Alice in Wonderland, she thought, had nothing on her.
“When?” she whispered.
This was a dream. It had to be a dream.
She couldn’t take her eyes off the pair in front of her.
Devin knew what she was asking. “Yesterday. I didn’t want to tell you anything until I saw her myself.” He hadn’t wanted to get her hopes up until he was absolutely sure he was right. It would have been cruel otherwise. “I tracked down where your birth mother had lived and asked people in the neighborhood if they remembered the woman in the photograph you gave me. One of them did. It turned out to be a friend of hers. The woman remembered the name of the people who adopted your sister. The rest is history,” he said with a flourish. “We flew in early this morning.”
Blair only heard part of what he was saying. There was a buzzing sound in her ears. She moved forward on shaky legs, looking at her exact double with uncertain eyes.
“I have a photograph of us,” Blair whispered.
“I know, I saw it.” Claire didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
And then the two sisters fell into each other’s arms and did both.
Epilogue
Blair stood very still, looking into the wood—framed, full—length oval mirror that had thoughtfully been provided in the church vestibule. A wide—eyed bride was looking back at her.
Oh, God, it was actually happening. She was getting married.
There were butterflies taking off in Concorde jets within her stomach. She rested her hand against her abdomen as if the pressure could somehow make them stop. Or at the very least slow down their takeoffs. Right now, they were leaving the hangar at the rate of one every two and a half seconds.
The door to the tiny room opened behind her after a short, perfunctory knock.
“Wow, is that what I’m going to look like when it’s my turn?” Claire’s eyes were wide with admiration as she slipped in behind Blair.
Wetting her lips, lips that felt as dry as parchment left out in the Arizona desert’s sun, Blair turned around. “Do I look all right?”
How could Blair even ask? Couldn’t she see how beautiful she looked? The floor—length gown was high—necked and long—sleeved, with just enough material scooped out at the shoulders to whisper “sexy” in case anyone looking at the nipped—in waist and sensually lace—wrapped hips missed the message.
“Any more ‘all right’ and Devin is going to have to beat off the male population sitting in the pews with a baseball bat.” Claire took a half step closer, scrutinizing Blair’s face. “It would help, though, if you didn’t look quite as pale as your gown.”
Blair swung around, narrowly avoiding presenting Claire with a mouthful of veil. She stared into the mirror, her hand to her face.
“I look pale?” She didn’t want to look pale, she wanted to look radiant for Devin. She felt radiant…and a little bit frightened.
“Well, maybe not compared to the Friendly Ghost,” Claire allowed, “but pretty close.” She smiled as she placed her hand on Blair’s arm, then swiftly rubbed it to loosen her up. Blair was as stiff as a board. “Relax. Devin’s a wonderful guy.”
“I know that.” Blair blew out a breath slowly, trying to regain control of nerves that insisted on jumping madly over one another like frogs in a competition. “I’m just…well…”
Somehow, it seemed disloyal to say it, even to Claire, although in the few months since they had found each other, she and her twin had shared and exchanged every single thought, feeling, and experience that had happened over the past twenty—two years.
“Nervous?” Claire guessed. “They tell me we all are just before we get married. That’s why they refer to it in some circles as ‘taking the plunge.’” Standing behind her, Claire lined her face up with Blair’s and looked into the mirror. It still amazed her just how alike they really looked. Like two takes on the same face. “Just as you dive off that board, there is that terrifying surge when you fly through the air.”
The simile didn’t help. “I always liked diving off the high board.” And this was nothing like that.
Claire grinned, giving her shoulders a squeeze for luck. “Then this should be a snap for you.” Her eyes swept over Blair’s cheeks. “Just dust on a little powder—or picture everybody in the church sitting there naked. That’ll get the color rising in your cheeks.” Blair laughed in response to the thought and Claire smiled, satisfied. “There, wonderful.” She gestured toward the mirror so that Blair could see for herself. “You look positively alive again.”
Just then, there was another knock on the door. Blair exchanged a quick look with Claire before saying a shaky, “Come in.” When the door opened, she saw Uncle John peek in.
Claire was directly in his line of vision. He frowned, surprised. “Blair, why aren’t you wearing your wedding gown? Oh, sorry.” He laughed at his own mistake then shook his head in wonder. “Lord, but you two do look alike, even this close.” He searched for differences and saw none. “It’s like taking in a roll of film and coming out with two sets of prints.”
And then he focused his attention on Blair. The grin turned into a deep, appreciative smile. He remembered playing with her when she was a little girl, remembered teasing her as she tottered in her first pair of high heels. Remembered jokingly offering to be her date for the senior prom until Tommy somebodyor—other finally got up the nerve to ask her.
A shaft of bittersweetness pierced his heart. John took Blair’s hands in his and just stood there gazing at her.
“My, oh, my, but you do look gorgeous, kiddo.” And then he remembered. “Your aunts sent me to tell you we’re ready any time you are.”
Claire looked at her twin. The momentary flash of panic had settled into place and apparently worked itself out. Blair looked a great deal better.
“Ready?” Claire prodded.
Blair placed her hand on her stomach one last time, willing the butterflies to come to a standstill. The best she could manage was to have them taxi down the runway before zooming off. Better than nothing, she thought.
“Ready,” she whispered.
Angling his way to her side within the limited space, John presented his elbow to Blair. She slipped her hand through it. As Claire fixed Blair’s train, John looked at the two of them again.
“Like two sets of prints,” he repeated, still marveling at the likeness of the two women. “Two for the price of one.” He’d always had a weakness for bargains. John leaned over and kissed Blair’s cheek, then kissed Claire’s as well. “It’s going to be great having you in the family, Claire.”
Just like that, Claire thought, her eyes threatening to well up. Acceptance. Something she had wanted all of her life. Something she’d never truly felt she had before, even when she’d believed herself to be Joyce and Doug Walker’s natural child.
She couldn’t resist giving Blair one more hug before picking up the two bouquets from the tiny table nestled beside the mirror. She handed the larger one to Blair. “Thanks again for letting Libby be one of your flower girls.”
There was no need to thank her. “Had to bond with my newest niece somehow. Besides, she looks absolutely adorable in her long dress.”
“Speaking of which,” John cut in, “let’s get this show on the road. There’s a total of three flower girls and two ring—bearers out front. Between all those available flower petals and pillows, your Aunt Stephanie is afraid a free-for-all is going to erupt any second. You know what those kids are like.”
She knew and she wasn’t worried about that If it did happen, it might even help ease some of the tension she was feeling, Blair thought. “They’re all on their best behavior, Uncle John.”
John could only laugh, the sound enveloping her, linking her to the past. Her past, she thought in satisfaction and pride.
He looked at her. “You say that as if you actually believe it”
“I do,” she whispered.
John nodded, patting the hand resting on his arm. “Keep that answer handy, kiddo. You’re going to be needing it soon.”
The strains of the wedding march floated through the air. Like an old warhorse who’d heard the bugle blow, John straightened.
“This is us, ladies.” He looked over Blair’s head at her sister. “Claire?”
“Way ahead of you.” Holding on to her bouquet Claire stepped before them. With a nod of her head, she preceded Blair and her uncle—their uncle—she amended happily, down the narrow corridor to the entrance of the rear of the church.
The other bridesmaids as well as the ushers were all assembled there, waiting for them. A flurry of comments greeted their arrival.
“Wow,” Hal cried appreciatively. “I didn’t know you could be gorgeous, Blair.”
Her mouth quirked at the backhanded compliment. “Thanks.”
It was happening, she thought again. It was really happening. She was getting married, to a man who was her soul mate in every way.
Taking a deep breath, she looked at the others. “All right, let’s do it.”
“Sounds more like the invasion of Normandy than the beginning of a wedding,” Hal murmured, as Lisa laughed.
“It might well be,” his cousin told him.
Two of Blair’s teenage cousins, one on each side, simultaneously pulled the closed doors apart. The organ music swelled as all eyes in the packed church turned to the rear.
Two by two, the five sets of bridesmaids and ushers walked down the aisle, preceding them. Claire looked over her shoulder at Blair, raising one questioning eyebrow. The color, she noted with pleasure, had returned to her sister’s cheek.
Her sister.
After a lifetime as a solitary child, it seemed so incredible to actually be able to call someone that. It was like having a wonderful dream. And if it was a dream, Claire fervently hoped that none of them would ever wake up.
Blair nodded in response to the silent question. She was as ready now as she would ever be. Very slowly, she began to march down the aisle on the flowerstrewn path to the altar that had already been taken by ten sets of feet. She saw Devin standing to the left of the priest. With her heart overflowing with happiness, Blair walked to meet her destiny.
* * * * *
If you love happy endings, you won’t want to miss Claire and Evan’s storyTHE BABY CAME C.O.D., available this month only from Silhouette Romance!
eISBN 978-14592-7413-6
DESPERATELY SEEKING TWIN—
Copyright © 1997 by Mane Rydzynski-Ferrarella
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All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention
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Desperately Seeking Twin... Page 14
