They came to a stop at the men. Bibb patted Jane’s hand, then picked it up and placed it in Benji’s open, widespread palm. Benji placed his other warm hand on top of hers, and sighed. “Mine,” he whispered to her alone. Jane didn’t say a word with her mouth, but looked up into his eyes and gave a minimal nod in agreement, a smile of peace enhancing her already glowing beauty.
Jake cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. He held up a very small Bible for everyone to see. “We are gathered here today to join this man, Benjamin Ian Pomeroy MacKay, and this woman, Jane, a true lady who is so awesome that she didn’t even need a maiden name, in wedded matrimony, in the eyes of God, and all of these witnesses. The groom has let me use his family Bible here, and we’ll record this special date in it for their future generations to share. Now Benji, as your friends and family know you, do you take this woman, Janie, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to cherish and protect, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, in prosperity and poverty, from this day until forever and ever; death will not break you two apart?”
Benji took a deep breath and concentrated his whole being on making sure his words didn’t squeak out. “I. Do!” he said emphatically and with an artificially lowered voice. He had overdone his anti-squeaking effort and gone an octave too low. He snorted a quick giggle, then lifted his left shoulder in slight embarrassment, but didn’t say anything, not wanting to bring more attention to his overcorrection.
Jake nodded, and proceeded. “Jane, Janie to your closest friends and family, do you take this fine, young man, Benji, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to cherish and support, in good times and bad, in sickness and in health, in prosperity and poverty, from this day until forever and ever; death will not break you two apart?”
“I do,” Jane said, “and I’ll protect him, too, if he needs it.” She blushed at her own remark, then looked to Benji. “He asked if you’d protect me, but didn’t ask me to protect you. I’ll do it if you need me to,” she looked to Jake, then Bibb and Billy. “Really, I would, I will.”
“I’m sorry, Janie,” Jake said, “I should have put that in your vows, too. Thanks for the correction. Now, that being said, if anyone here sees any reason why these two should not be married, tough stuff: they’re married! The husband may now kiss his wife, Janie MacKay, the lovely lady who now has two names.”
Benji put one hand on each side of Jane’s face and bent forward to kiss her. She looked up at him and said, “You can have my smiles and everything else now.”
He paused before kissing her and said, “And you can have my name and everything else now, including my children.” He leaned forward and gave her his first kiss as her husband.
“The ring, the ring! Jake, you forgot about the ring!” Peter said as he rushed forward, pulling the slobbery ring box out of Mac’s mouth, wiping it on his shirt. Mac squealed with excitement as he wriggled in his papa’s arms, trying to make a getaway to Nanny Janie.
Benji pulled back and said, “Aye, Mrs. MacKay, I dinna have a chance to pick out a ring, but my dear Bibb said she had one that was jest right fer ye. It has a story behind it, so it’s even more special than if it was brand new. And it almost has yer initials in it: JIM. Either someone put in one too many letters fer yer name or not quite the right ones fer mine, but either way, it’s a gift from the Melbourne family to you, to us. Thank ye, Bibb, and to Marty, too, wherever he may be.”
Bibb nodded, looked down, and mumbled softly, “or whenever.”
45 The Reception
B enji placed the ring on Jane’s finger then bent forward, bringing her hand to his lips, kissing the iridescent opal gently. “I ken that I’m only supposed to have one kiss, but can I have another one, here?” Benji asked playfully, pointing to his pouty bottom lip.
Jane glanced from side to side and saw that everyone was rapt, waiting for her to give him that second kiss. “Anythin’ ye ask,” she said, then kissed him again, melting in the completeness that she felt as part of something bigger and better than she ever thought possible: a married couple.
Benji’s put his hand behind her head to pull her closer to him. “Yer hair!” he exclaimed as he pulled back from the kiss. “What happened to it? And when?”
“Um, it was like this when we were in Mac’s room. Don’t you like it?” she asked in momentary panic, remembering that Alisha had said that she didn’t know if she could return the now loosely curled hair back to its former wiry condition. She’d only had the long, soft hair for a couple of hours, but really didn’t want to go back to wearing it twisted, braided, and wrapped under a cloth bound around her head.
Benji saw her frown of uncertainty, then decided he’d better confess. “I’m sorry I dinna notice it earlier. I think I was a bit distracted with…” He saw her mouth twitch, trying to decide whether it was appropriate to smile or not at his embarrassment. “Aye, now that I remember seein’: yer smile. Yer eyes and yer smile are the same as before. Nae, they’re even brighter and prettier if that’s even possible. I’m sorry I dinna notice yer new hairstyle earlier. It seems to fit ye, if that makes any sense. How’d ye do it?”
“Oh,” Jane grinned broadly, then looked at Billy to make sure it was okay to let her hairdresser, Benji’s surprise guest, be known. Billy nodded, then stood aside and revealed Wee Michael. “I didn’t change my hair,” Jane said coyly. “I got a makeover from some verra nice people.”
“Michael?” Benji squeaked when he saw his longtime friend walk toward him. “Wee Michael and Alisha? Of course, yer Alisha. And is that Wee Beatrice? And who is this lovely little bit? Aye, she must be yers, Michael; she looks jest like ye.”
Jane stepped back to allow Wee Michael and his family access to Benji’s opened arms. Chandra wasn’t sure about the group hug and pulled away, seeking refuge behind the bride’s wide skirt. The three year old reached up, took one of Jane’s hands, and then raised her other arm, asking wordlessly to be held. Jane picked her up and whispered, “Do you want to meet the red-haired giant? He’s a very nice man and he’s my husband now.” Chandra pulled her head away from Jane’s hair, nodded her head, ‘yes,’ and then buried her face back into the downy coif. “Benji, this is Chandra. Chandra, this is my husband, Benji.”
“Weel, Chandra, it’s a pleasure to meet ye. Now, I have it on good authority that there’s lots of tasty food in the other room, jest waitin’ fer us to come eat it. There’s even a cake and probably some food that’s good fer ye, too. But,” he said, as he looked up at Jane, beaming with pride at his wife, “the cake is the most important part. It’s traditional fer the bride and groom to eat a bite or two, to signify a long and happy marriage.”
“Ahem,” Alisha cleared her throat and looked at Benji to get his attention. “The sharing of your first piece of cake is to show unity. The sweetness of it is to ensure a harmonious relationship. And the flour the cake is made of, the wheat, is symbolic of,” Alisha patted her very pregnant belly, “fertility. Come on everyone, Carlos has prepared a grand feast with a beautiful three-tiered white cake for dessert. And you men can catch up on old times after the honeymoon. I think these two belong together, not you two,” she said as she nudged Wee Michael away from Benji, then extracted Chandra from Jane’s arms. “Thanks for being here for him,” she said softly to Jane.
“Well,” Jane said meekly, “I’m sure glad he was there for me. I don’t know where I’d be without him.” She shook her head as she thought back to that time—only a week ago—when he had rescued her from the slaver and more flogging, when she had decided that she’d rather die than be beaten again for no reason. “I’m verra glad.”
46 Finally
“O kay, okay, thank you everyone for coming, getting everything set up, and then cleaned up so quickly. I think we’ll pass on the traditional partying until the wee hours and getting drunk, though. I don’t think anyone here cared that we substituted fresh juices for the fermented kind. Now, the ladies in waiting and young girls
waiting to be ladies,” Billy said with a wink at Beatrice and Chandra, “need their rest. And I’m sure the bride and groom are a bit tired, too. They came a long, long way to get here today.” Billy winked at Benji and Janie at his reference to the long time they had spanned.
“Aye,” Benji said as he faked a yawn and stretched his arms wide behind Jane, “I think I could do with a little shut eye.”
Jane gulped. She didn’t want to go to sleep, but certainly didn’t want to tell anyone what she did want to do. Billy looked at her and gave one more of his winks. “However, I think the groom has one more duty to perform before he can get his shut eye tonight.”
Benji blushed, then hung his head, trying to hide the red glow he knew was radiating. “It’s okay, Benji,” Wee Michael said. “I think everyone knows what comes next, and it’s okay because you’re married now. So, how long did you have to wait for her, I mean, how long were you engaged?”
“Weel, I’ve waited practically my whole life and—dependin’ on how ye figure it—it’s either been a long, long engagement or a verra short one. But, it doesna really matter. Whether it was two days, two weeks, or two centuries, she was worth waitin’ fer. Come on, Mrs. MacKay; let’s wish everyone a good night.”
Hearty handshakes, hugs, and kisses on cheeks were shared to such a great extent that almost no one noticed when Benji and Jane slipped away from the laughter and squeezes. Bibb, however, did. She caught up to the couple as they walked outside for a breath of fresh air before leaving the party area. “Janie, I went ahead and put Mac to bed. I hope you don’t mind and that you won’t get too uncomfortable,” she said then looked at Jane’s breasts.
“Oh, the milk. Will he be okay? I mean, did you give him a bottle?”
“Yes, he’s fine, and he sleeps through the night now, so don’t worry about him. I just thought I’d tell you so you wouldn’t be concerned. He’ll be happy to see you in the morning, I’m sure.”
Jane pressed her upper arms in close to her chest and felt the fullness of her breasts. “I’ll be happy to see him, too.” Jane bent down and gave Bibb a kiss on the cheek. “You’re such a wonderful person. I’ll always love and miss my mother, but you sure help fill the empty spot that I’ve had for so many years.”
“Oh, well, I’m glad I could be here for you,” Bibb said, blushing with pride. “You two go ahead and have a good evening. I left your new clothes in my bedroom, for tonight at least. The room is bigger and has an attached bathroom. If you need anything, well, I’m sure you have everything you need in each other.”
“Ye have that right!” Benji said. He grabbed Janie by the waist and gave her another kiss. “And there’s plenty more where that came from! Good night and thanks again, for everything,” he said, then gulped her name, “Bibb,” suddenly missing his mother.
Billy was right: he should have waited a few days and invited his parents to the wedding. He still missed both of them, nearly as much now as when he was a teenager. He had lived without them for most of his life. But, they were the ones who had been there for him since the beginning. They had nurtured, counseled, and tried to prepare him for life; their stubborn son who always believed he was right, no matter what the facts said. He thought he had done the right thing, letting them believe that he was dead, but maybe, just maybe, he was wrong. But, he couldn’t change the past. He snorted. Now wasn’t the time to reflect on what he should or should not have done. He looked down at his boots in shame; he had probably spoiled the mood. One foot in front of the other, Billy had said. He looked over at Janie. Her smile had faded. She could see his sadness and certainly didn’t know what it was from.
“I’m sorry, Janie. I jest had somethin’ botherin’ me and weel, it’ll wait.” He smiled as he looked at the bedroom door in front of him. “Now, earlier we had the traditional Scottish wedding song played fer our party, and now I need to—rather I want to—perform another Scottish rite. Ye did ken my family is from Scotland, aye?”
“No, I don’t know anything about Scotland. Is it near Africa?”
“Nae, but I’ll give ye a geography lesson later. I’ll show ye where we are now, North Carolina, and how far away Scotland and Africa are from here. But fer now, we have somethin’ more important to do.”
Benji squatted down and put his right hand under Jane’s knees, his left arm around her back and under her armpit. “This is where I carry ye over the threshold. Ye see, the old superstition said there were evil spirits livin’ in the threshold of a home, and the husband was to protect his wife by carryin’ her across it.”
Jane snuggled into his neck, then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “I remember, sort of, the first time you carried me this way. You were protecting me, for sure. They weren’t evil spirits, but evil men you were keeping me away from then. And, I like this much better than the way you carried me the first time.”
“What first time?” he asked as he cuddled her closer, rocking her side to side, not wanting to set her down.
“When the lightning struck that tree we were under. You tossed me over your shoulder, then threw me on the ground, and took off my dress and…”
Benji sighed. “Aye, but I was savin’ ye, or tryin’ to.”
Jane rubbed her nose into Benji’s ear then whispered, “You did. And it all turned out fine.”
“Aye, finer than fine. But, I’m gonna have to set ye down. I canna kiss ye and hold ye like this at the same time.”
Benji let her legs slip out of his arms, but kept her upper body close. “Now that we’re here in the room,” he whispered, then stopped. He was suddenly tongue-tied and embarrassed. The intimacy had been so much easier in the wilds. He felt constrained in Bibb’s bedroom, where she and Marty must have…
“Would you help me?” Jane asked, hoping to divert him from his brooding. She could see Benji was afraid of what came next. She’d seen him like this before. But, now he didn’t have the excuse that they weren’t married to keep from doing more than kissing and holding and stroking. He didn’t reply to her request for help, so she added, “please?”
“Aye.” His mood lifted as he remembered asking her ‘please’ that first day they met. Jane had turned around so he could help her undress. “Let’s see. Now why do ye think they put these zippers on the back of the dress? Dinna they ken that it’s nearly impossible fer the bride to get out of by herself?”
“I don’t think the bride is supposed to get out of it by herself.” Jane pulled her shoulders in, and let the dress drop to the floor.
“Wha, what’s that?” Benji squeaked.
Jane stepped out of the pile of wedding dress. “Bibb said that I needed proper undergarments. Don’t you like them.” She turned slowly in place, showing off the lacy panties and deep plunged bra.
“Good Lord, yes!” he said in a very American accent. He gulped and tried to compose himself. “I like them verra much,” he said, now sounding like himself, “but I like what’s in them even more.”
“Did you get new undergarments, too?” she asked, hoping that he’d start taking off his clothes.
“Uh, huh.” He untucked his shirt and pulled it off over his head. “But, I dinna get a bra, just…” He unzipped his pants, scooted them down, then realized that he still had his boots on. He sat down clumsily on the floor and pulled off one boot, the sock coming off with it. He tugged and pulled at the other boot, but it wouldn’t budge, his awkward pose with pants half on and half off restricting his effort.
“Here.” Jane turned around and bent over, presenting her lacy backside to his face. She grabbed the boot firmly and yanked, getting it off easily. “They’re new boots, aye?”
“Aye,” Benji said in embarrassment, then accepted her hand to stand up. He inhaled deeply and shoved the pants down further, stepping on the hems to pull them off all the way. “Peter said you’d like them.”
“They’re okay,” Janie said, commenting on the leopard print briefs, “but I like what’s in them better.” She walked up to her new husband and put he
r hand on the bulge that was trying to escape the elastic waistband. “They’re soft…”
“Aye, but what’s in them…”
“Is jest right,” Janie said seductively. “We don’t have to wait for anything else, do we?” she asked as she continued her briefs brushing.
“Weel, it would be better, I’m sure, if ye were out of these,” Benji said and gently moved the bra strap off her shoulder with one hand, reaching around her with the other, slipping it into the back of her panties, caressing her bottom, pulling her firmly to him.
“Would you help…?” Janie didn’t have to finish her request for assistance in removing the awkward breast container; his hands were already there. “Bibb said it’s what women wear, but it couldn’t have been a woman who designed this one. The closures are in the back and hard to reach.”
Benji began kissing his bride’s neck, then came up and kissed her mouth thoroughly, unhooking her bra with one hand, his disrobing skills from his old days as a young gigolo returning. He quickly swallowed that unwelcome hint of a memory and concentrated on the feel of her mouth, so right with his tongue inside, her body rubbing up against his. Gulp. Her hand was inside his skivvies now, her hand wrapped around his eager cock.
She pulled back from their wet kiss. “Mine?” she asked as she gave it a quick, firm squeeze.
“Mmm, hmm,” Benji grunted lustily, then lead her awkwardly to the bed. Suddenly, he didn’t care who had been in the bed and whether or not anyone or anything had ever made love in it. This was their bed tonight. Mr. and Mrs. Benji MacKay were going to consummate their marriage right now, whether there was a bed under their intertwined bodies or they were conjoined on a leaf littered forest floor.
He pushed his briefs down his hips and felt Jane’s hands take over, continuing the strip, pulling them down past his knees to his ankles. He stepped out of them then looked at her, clad only in lacy panties. He shook his head in amazement. She looked nothing like the woman who had arrived with him earlier today, even less like the onyx statue he had seen at the slaver’s sale. She had metamorphosed into a grand and glorious butterfly, too fantastic for words. “May I?” he asked as he put his hands on the outside of her panties.
The Great Big Fairy (The Fairies Saga Book 4) Page 38
