“Thank you, I’ll keep it in mind,” Charlie watched the woman leave and closed the door behind her.
Returning to the conservatory, she got to work helping with the decorating. They hung streamers down the windows and placed the large Happy Birthday banner across the back wall. All the furniture was being placed against the walls to allow for as much dance floor as possible. The room was plenty big enough to accommodate the expected thirty guests and now they had lots of room to move.
While they were trying to the keep the atmosphere light and fun, there was still a cloud hanging over the house. Charlie couldn’t help but feel like something was going to go wrong. She hoped it was just her nerves. Melanie’s warning about cancelling the party kept replaying in her mind, over and over again.
From the kitchen, they heard a scream. A knot of dread churned in Charlie’s stomach. She told Blair and Cate she would go and see what had happened. She hurried down the hallway and stood in the doorway to the kitchen. The three caterers were huddled together.
“Is everything alright?” Charlie asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
“Yeah, sorry. I tripped over and dropped a plate. It was my own stupid fault. Sorry,” the woman apologised. One of the men started to crouch down and clean up the broken pieces of ceramic. Charlie was relieved.
“No worries. We’re in the back conservatory if you need us for anything.” She returned back to the others.
They continued decorating for the next hour. The time passed by quickly and before they knew it, it was time for them to start getting dressed for the evening. Charlie was really looking forward to getting dressed. She and Cate had always loved fancy dress. They would play for hours in their mother’s wardrobe when they were little.
Blair had one last task before joining them. He went out to the backyard through the conservatory door and strung lights throughout the garden. He tested them to make sure they all worked before hurrying to where Charlie was waiting in the living room. She had packed all the beds away so no-one could tell they were all sleeping together in the one room. They walked upstairs together and down the hallway into the blue room.
Charlie took one look at the bed and knew something was wrong. The costumes they had chosen were from different eras. Blair’s had been a black pinstripe suit with a fedora. He was going to paint himself a thin moustache and be a gangster for the evening. Charlie, on the other hand, had chosen a ball gown from the 16th century. It had a huge skirt and a tight bodice that would emphasis even the tiniest of curves.
Now, as they stood looking at their costumes, Charlie was panicking. Her light blue dress was torn to shreds. Long knife slices ran through the bodice and right down the skirt. It was completely ruined. Blair’s costume, however, was unscathed even though it was right beside hers.
“It was perfect when I left it here,” Charlie moaned.
“What could have happened?” Blair was just as confused about the sight.
“Who knows? What am I going to wear now? How on earth do I explain this to the store?”
Blair placed an arm around her shoulders to comfort her. She was obviously and understandably upset about the incident. “Maybe Cate has something else you could wear.”
“She had to hire one because she couldn’t find the dress she was going to wear. She wouldn’t have a spare outfit.”
“There is one thing you could wear. Eve’s dress. It’s a fancy dress costume,” Blair suggested. Charlie didn’t really want to put that dress back on. Especially now she knew the previous owner of it was hanging around. On the other hand though, she didn’t have much of a choice.
“I guess I’ll have to. I have to fix the hem though,” she looked down at the ring still on her finger. “Give me ten minutes and I’ll be fine. Everything’s going to be fine tonight.”
Charlie hurried out of the bedroom and into the green room. She opened the chest and pulled out the dress. She found a needle and cotton in the living room and quickly repaired the hem. It only took a few stitches to replace the ones she had taken out previously.
She returned upstairs and changed. Even though the dress fit perfectly, it just didn’t feel right. It made her feel funny, like she wasn’t exactly her usual self. She shrugged away the feeling, trying to remember it was just for one night and she had bigger problems to contend with. Her mission tonight was to make sure all the guests were safe and no harm would come to them.
“See? Disaster averted,” Blair exclaimed when he saw her. He was dressed now too. It was obvious he relished the role of a 1920’s gangster. He sashayed over and planted a kiss on her lips. Charlie couldn’t help but smile at him.
“Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me,” she laughed.
“Hmm, you decide,” he joked. They went down the hallway and found Cate and Rahni. Cate was dressed in a flapper’s dress, exactly what she had wanted. It was made out of black sequins and she had a matching headband wrapped around her forehead. Rahni was wearing a pink tutu. She had insisted she be a prima ballerina for the evening, just like her figurine. It didn’t exactly fit the dress code for the party, but there had been no arguing with her.
“What happened to your ball gown?” Cate asked when she saw Charlie.
“It had an accident. I have to wear Eve’s dress for the night. Does it look okay?”
“It looks perfect. I’m so excited! Everyone’s going to be arriving any minute now,” Cate grabbed Rahni’s hand and hurried her down the stairs. Blair held back for a moment and took Charlie’s hand.
“Are you sure you’re okay? You look really pale.”
“I’m fine. Just worried about tonight. I’ll be fine, I promise,” she squeezed his hand and led him downstairs before he could fuss any further.
It wasn’t a long wait before the first knock was heard on the front door. As the guests arrived, they were ushered through the house to the conservatory. Blair started the music while Charlie distributed drinks and entrees. They waited for the remainder of the guests.
The party kicked into full gear by eight o’clock. The conservatory was full of people dancing, drinking, and just enjoying themselves. Even Rahni and her friends were on the dance floor. Charlie was acting the perfect host, making sure Cate didn’t need to be interrupted for anything. After circulating another plate of mini quiches, she was stopped by Nicole, Cate’s best friend in Pickerton.
“Charlie! Great party, Cate is really enjoying herself!” Nicole said after distributing two air kisses to Charlie. She was a tall woman with strawberry blonde hair. She and Cate had been instant friends the second they had met, something had just clicked between them.
“Thanks, it was the least I could do for her after letting us stay here all summer.”
“Which is why I wanted to talk to you. Do you have a minute?” Charlie nodded and Nicole continued. “You’ve been spending some time with Cate, how is she really? I know she keeps telling everyone she’s fine, but she just lost her husband for goodness sake. You can’t be fine all the time after going through that.”
“You’re right. Sometimes she has her little moments but she is so much better than a few months ago. I think she’s coping well, considering. I have no idea what’s supposed to be normal in this situation.”
“Me neither, touch wood. I guess as long as she’s moving on with her life and not going down the drain, then that’s got to be a good sign. She mentioned she was considering selling this place?”
“She’s seriously thinking about it. It’s a shame, but whatever she thinks will help, then so be it.”
“I hope she’s not planning on leaving Pickerton?”
“No, she wouldn’t do that. Not while Rahni’s still at school. Plus, I think it helps having all her friends around her. I wish I could see her more often, do more for her.”
“Well, you’ve got your studies,” Nicole patted her arm. “Anyway, if I need to know anything about Cate, just let me know. I want to help her as much as possible, especially
after you go back to University.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep it in mind. I’m sure I’ll be leaving her in good hands. I remember the eulogy you did at James’ funeral, it was beautiful.”
“I meant every word of it. Do you need a hand with anything?”
“No, I’ve got it covered. You just enjoy yourself.”
“I will, don’t you worry,” Nicole gave Charlie a hug before disappearing into the party. She would have killed for a best friend as good as Nicole. Cate was lucky to have such a great group of friends around her. If anything had gotten her through the first few days after James’ passing, it was them. They had been a constant stream to the house. Not just out of protocol either, they had really been there for her.
Charlie leant against the wall for a moment to catch her breath. She had been trying her best to disguise how horrible she felt all night. Waves of nausea would flood over and cause her to feel faint every so often. She didn’t know what was wrong with her so she tried to push it to the back of her mind. At times, it had overcome her though. Now was one of those times. She closed her eyes briefly, telling herself to breathe through it. As soon as she could compose herself, she excused herself from the party with the excuse of checking on the caterers. She picked up the tray she had been carrying and hurried down the hallway.
The caterers were fine, they had the kitchen completely under control. She didn’t trust herself with a fresh tray of food yet so she stood in the foyer for a few minutes. If only the nausea would stop, at least then she could hide the dizzy spells. She stood facing the front door, trying to be invisible. She felt a warm hand run across her back and spun around.
“Are you okay?” Blair looked worried. He kept his hand on her waist.
Charlie smiled, hoping he wouldn’t see through it. “I’m fine. I just came to check on the caterers, see if they needed anything. Are you having a good time?”
“Yeah, it’s a great party. Are you positive you’re okay? You haven’t looked well all night.”
“I’m fine, don’t worry about it. Really. Let’s get back to the party, people will wonder where we’ve got to.” She pushed Blair towards the hallway. He kept his arms around her for the whole walk back, only letting her go when he resumed his official party duties of drink distributions.
Charlie felt a small hand wind its way through hers. She looked down. Rahni was tugging on her arm to come and dance with her. She happily accepted and she let herself be pulled onto the dance floor. The music was lively and loud. Rahni giggled as she watched Charlie pull out all the disco moves. She copied her which made them both laugh even harder. They danced together for the whole song, nearly exhausting both of them.
The music changed to a slower song, ‘Iris’ by the Goo Goo Dolls. It was one of Charlie’s favourites. She felt a tap on her shoulder.
“Rahni, may I please interrupt?” Blair bowed to the little girl. She nodded and ran back to her friends. Blair took Charlie’s hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist. She put her head on his shoulder, grateful for the slower pace. They rocked back and forth, listening to the beautiful melody of the song.
“You’re burning up,” Blair whispered. Charlie knew she was hot, she was just hoping no-one else would notice.
“It’s hot in here, that’s all.”
“Do you want to go outside for a minute?”
“No, I’m fine. I’ll have a cool drink or something in a minute.”
The song finished and Blair let go of his girlfriend. As much as she was enjoying the dance, she just wanted to sit down for a minute. Her mind raced with how she could do that without anyone noticing. She headed for the edge of the room, but to her horror, Blair followed. She thought quickly.
“It’s probably speech time,” she said to him. “Do you want to get it started?”
He stopped in his tracks and looked at his watch. It was starting to get late, probably a good time to do the official things. He found a stool to stand on and clapped his hands loudly. The music was turned down and the chatter ceased.
“Excuse me everyone, I just thought we should say a few words. Thank you all for coming tonight and helping to celebrate Cate’s birthday. I’m sure it wouldn’t be the party it is without all of you here. There is nothing better than having friends around to knock back a few. Now, I’ll hand it over to the birthday girl herself.”
Cate made her way through the bodies to stand on the stool. “Thanks Blair. I just wanted to thank you too for all coming out here tonight. I also want to thank my sister Charlie and her boyfriend Blair for arranging everything. They’ve done such a good job. As some of you might know already, the party tonight is for two reasons. One is to remind me of how old I am getting, the other is to say goodbye to this house. Rahni and I have decided to put the place on the market and move somewhere more suitable. So if you know any buyers, point them my way,” she joked. “Seriously, thank you all for being here and helping me through the last few months. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
The guests all clapped as Cate stood down from the stool. The music was turned back up again and the dancing resumed. Charlie felt a little bit better after the moment’s pause. She found a tray of entrees and mingled with the party guests, trying to avoid Blair as much as possible. She didn’t need the third degree again. It was difficult, he seemed to be keeping a close eye on her.
Suddenly, the music stopped. Everyone stood still. Charlie’s stomach dropped. She had been expecting something to happen all night, there was something in the atmosphere she couldn’t shake. Blair hurried to the stereo and pressed a few buttons. It didn’t work. He found the plug on the wall and switched it off. He waited a few seconds and turned it back on again. The stereo lights all blinked but the music didn’t start. He tried pressing some more buttons but to no avail. He was crouched over it, trying to think what else he could do. It made it worse to have an audience watching. Without warning, the music started again as he was staring at it, almost deafening him. The guests cheered and continued their dancing.
The party went on for another hour without incident. When they reached 10:30 p.m., the head caterer entered the room carrying a huge birthday cake. The lights were dimmed as the guests starting to sing ‘Happy Birthday’. Cate stood next to the cake, blushing with the embarrassment. She blew out all the candles with two big breaths. A round of applause was started, followed by some ‘hooray’s’.
Cake was distributed to the guests, followed by some more champagne. Charlie refused both. Instead, she approached her sister and whispered in her ear.
“I’m not feeling that great, so I’m going to lie down for a bit. Is that okay with you?”
A worried look crossed Cate’s face. “Of course, do you want me to come with you?”
“No, of course not. I’m probably just tired, it’s been a long day. I’ll come back down shortly.”
Charlie hurried out of the conservatory and down the hall towards the stairs. Blair had witnessed Charlie’s departure and started to follow her. She slowly climbed the stairs, holding on tight to the banister. The dizziness was getting bad, she was worried she might slip and fall over with each step. She nervously glanced up at the chandelier, it was motionless for now. She made it to the top of the stairs and turned right. At the door of the blue room, she hesitated. That was the room she had planned on resting in but changed her mind. She took her hand off the doorknob and continued down the hallway. Behind her, she could hear footsteps but no longer cared.
Her head was spinning now, she could barely walk in a straight line. When she reached the door of the upstairs living room, it seemed like it had taken an eternity to walk a mere few metres. She pushed against the door, almost falling as it opened. She staggered over to the lounge suite and collapsed onto it. She closed her eyes and was lost in the darkness.
Blair caught up with Charlie and saw her lying motionless on the lounge. He hurried over and knelt beside her. He stroked her hair, talking to her to try and get her to wake up. She was no
n-responsive. He kept trying, his mind racing with what to do next.
“Charlie! Wake up! You need to wake up,” he said. She was silent, her eyes still closed. He stayed there beside her as several minutes passed by. Her condition wasn’t changing so he decided to get some help. He stood and stared at her, not wanting to leave her there on her own. She looked so pale and lifeless.
As he was staring, Charlie’s eyes flicked wide open. “GET AWAY FROM ME!” She screamed at the top of her lungs. The suddenness of the yelling surprised Blair and he stumbled backwards, away from the lounge. He felt a shiver run through him, an ice cold chill that filled his entire body. He started shaking as everything around him went black. He fell to the floor in a heap. Only minutes later, he was standing tall again. This time however, he wasn’t Blair.
Chapter 15
Charlie stood up from the lounge. It may have been her body, but she was no longer in control of it. She was a spectator in her own life now.
“How dare you do this to me!” She yelled at Blair. She didn’t recognise her own voice. It was tinged with a British accent and much younger than her own.
“How dare YOU,” came the response. Like hers, Blair’s voice also had an English accent. It was much more powerful than his own. She may have been looking at Blair, but it definitely wasn’t him inside the body. He was holding himself tall and proud, almost like a member of the army would stand at attention.
“I didn’t do anything wrong and you killed me. You killed me,” Charlie could feel her body getting stronger with each word that was muttered.
“You didn’t do anything wrong? Who are you kidding? You are just as guilty as I am.”
“I didn’t kill anyone. How can you say I’m guilty of my own murder?”
“Because it’s your own actions that brought forward your death. You had every opportunity and you did nothing!”
The two started circling each other, throwing words as if they were knives. From below, they could still hear the distant sound of the music playing in the conservatory. However, nothing was going to distract them from each other. Nothing else existed.
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