Murder at the Wedding

by M A Comley

  Geraldine placed a hand on top of Ruth’s. “I don’t think Mum meant it like that.”

  “Oh, didn’t I?” her mother snapped unnecessarily. “Men think with that thing dangling between their legs far more often than women perceive.”

  “Mother, will you please give it a rest? Ruth and James have a solid relationship. It’s entirely up to them how they handle it going forward.”

  “I was just saying.”

  “Well don’t. Why don’t you go and make sure Dad doesn’t drink the bar dry before the other guests arrive?”

  Her mother’s back went rigid. “Well, that’s a nice way to talk about your father. Okay, I know where I’m not wanted. I’ll see you downstairs—that is if I don’t get a better offer in the meantime.” Her mother stomped out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

  Ruth took a step towards Geraldine who had tears welling up. “She’ll calm down soon, she always does.”

  “I’m dreading what will happen during the wedding. If Dad makes a show of me on my big day, I’ll never be able to forgive him. His drinking has got a lot worse lately since he lost his job. You’d think he’d be hanging on to his money; instead, he’s spending it as if it were water, on anything but water. Makes me so sad. I have a sneaky suspicion he’s hit Mum once or twice in recent weeks, too, all because of the dreaded drink.”

  Ruth gasped. “You’re kidding! How can your mother sit back and defend him like that?”

  “I asked her the same question. Her response is always that she lurves him. Gosh, am I really doing the right thing? What if Bradley gets comfortable with our relationship and starts taking me for granted the way Dad does to Mum?”

  “He won’t. Your parents’ relationship will have no bearing on what lies ahead of you and Bradley in the future. If he ever steps out of line, he knows he’ll have me to deal with.”

  “Gosh, I think he’d run for the hills if that were the case.”

  In the far corner of the room, Carol, who had been keeping herself busy, gasped.

  “What’s wrong, Carol?” Geraldine flew across the room, concerned.

  Carol’s cheeks were flushed when she turned to face them. “Oh nothing, just me being silly. I thought I saw one of my exes arrive with one of my best friends.”

  “Who? Jeff?” Geraldine asked.

  “Yeah, was he invited?” Carol inclined her head.

  “Sorry, yes. He’s a friend of Bradley’s. I couldn’t say no when he suggested he wanted him to come. I didn’t think of the implications. Do you want me to have a word? Tell him to go home?”

  Carol rubbed Geraldine’s arm. “Don’t be daft. It’s just me being me. I’ll be all right by the time we go downstairs. Not long to go now. We should be running through our countdown list, make sure we haven’t forgotten anything.”

  Ruth smiled, admiring Carol’s courage in the situation, not sure if she’d be able to put up with an ex showing up with his new bit of stuff on his arm who just happened to be her best friend. But then, none of Ruth’s friends would ever do such an atrocious thing to her, would they? “Do you want me to leave you to it?”

  “There’s no need for you to go. I need you here to help keep my nerves at bay. I can’t believe there’s only half an hour to go before I say ‘I do’.”

  “How are your nerves? You seem pretty calm to me.”

  Geraldine held her hand out in front of her. It was as steady as a rock. “So far so good, in spite of my falling out with mother.”

  “It was hardly a falling out. A few home truths maybe. I’m sure she’ll be fine when you breeze down the grand staircase and up the aisle.” Ruth smiled reassuringly. “Why don’t I get us all a nice cup of coffee?”

  “That would be great,” Carol was the first to reply, nodding appreciatively.

  “I’ll be back in a tick.” Ruth left the room and stood at the top of the staircase, surveying all the townsfolk who’d been lucky enough to receive an invite, milling into the hallway below. The inhabitants of the town had done her friend proud, all of them dressed up for the occasion in their finer clothes, suits for the men and a mixture of dresses and trouser suits for the ladies. She let out a relieved sigh, knowing she wouldn’t be the only woman wearing trousers today. However, she hit herself in the thigh when she realised she’d forgotten to purchase a hat for the occasion. Numpty, why didn’t I think of getting a hat? She had a good excuse for that, at least that was what she told herself. She’d been snowed under with work for the past few weeks. Work that had seen her putting in fourteen- and fifteen-hour days, hardly giving her time to sleep, let alone go hat shopping.

  She was still annoyed the thought had slipped her mind.

  A wolf whistle sounded below her. She scanned the crowd through narrowed eyes, hating it when she passed by builders in the street who dared to do that within range of her. She smiled when she realised James was standing at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for her. She glided down the staircase towards him, feeling like Krystle Carrington out of Dynasty in her salubrious surroundings.

  James greeted her with a proud grin and leaned forward to peck her on the cheek. “I’m the envy of most men in this room. You look stunning, my love.”

  Never one to take compliments when they were offered, she swiped the top of his arm and whispered, “You’re biased.”

  He laughed and tucked her arm through his. “Maybe a little. How’s the bride?”

  “Fair to middling.” She unhitched herself. “I’ve only come down for a few coffees. Where am I likely to get some, do you think?”

  “My guess would be the marquee. I’ll go and chase some down for you, if you like?”

  “Would you mind?”

  “Where are you? I’ll bring them up when I’ve managed to locate some.”

  “The first door at the top of the stairs. Can we have three cups, all white?”

  “I’ll bring them up in a second.” James rushed through the throng of guests and out into the garden, acting like a puppy eager to please.

  Another stab of guilt jabbed her in the stomach. She turned and walked back up the stairs and into the room. “James came to my rescue. He’s gone to track some down, he shouldn’t be long.” She wagged her finger when Geraldine opened her mouth to speak. “Don’t go there. I know that look. Leave things well alone if you value our friendship.”

  “That’s a tad harsh. My lips are sealed. Except to say, what an absolute treasure you have on your hands in James.”

  “Right, what’s left to do, Carol?” Ruth quickly changed the subject, not for the first time that day.

  “The bouquet, I need to chase that up. It should have been delivered by now. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

  When Carol left the room, Geraldine was quick to point out, “You would’ve had that organised first thing this morning, wouldn’t you?”

  “More than likely. She’s still done an amazing job keeping you in check. Sorry you fell out with your mum, love. Try not to let that spoil your day.”

  Geraldine wafted a hand in front of her. “It’s forgotten about. I just hope Dad behaves himself. The odds are against me on that one. He’s really been an utter swine recently. You know he refused to pay towards the wedding, don’t you? Bradley and I had to get a loan to pay for all this. I was so grateful to Lady Falkirk for giving us the opportunity to use this place for the venue. She’s refusing to take any money for the privilege.”

  Ruth’s mouth hung open for a second or two. “I had no idea. Why didn’t you confide in me? I would have helped out where I could, you know that.”

  “I didn’t want to burden you with the truth. That’s why it’s been such a stressful time for me the last few months. Up until the time Dad was still in work, my parents said they were going to foot the bill for everything. When Dad dropped the bombshell, I either had to get the loan or cancel the wedding altogether.”

  “Oh, sweetheart, that must’ve been tough for you to deal with. I hope Bradley has helped in some way?”

&
nbsp; “He agreed to go halves on the loan. He needn’t have, but he has.”

  “Why didn’t you just elope? No one would have blamed you. Now you’re saddled with debt before your married life has begun. Is it truly worth it?”

  Geraldine sighed. “I think so. This is what I’ve always dreamed of, Ruth. I know how excessive you think all of this is, but it’s been my dream since I was a little girl, to have a full-scale, over-the-top wedding.”

  “I don’t blame you if you’ve had that dream for the last thirty years, love. Hey, is your father giving you away?”

  “Yes, he’s supposed to be, which is why I went off on one earlier. What if he shows me up? How the hell is it going to look on the wedding photos if he’s drunk?”

  “Do you want me to have a word with him, ensure that doesn’t happen?”

  “No, don’t you dare. It’ll probably make him worse.”

  “All right. I’ll keep an eye on him. Maybe I can have a word with the barman, tell him to water down his drinks somehow. My friend used to have a problem with her husband being an alcoholic and making a show of her. She used to run vodka around the rim of the glass and fill it up with tonic. It fooled him for a while. It might work on your father, too.”

  “It’s worth a try.”

  Carol entered the room with the bride’s bouquet in her hand, a visual display of perfect pinks and lilacs interspersed with white, matching Carol’s bridesmaid’s dress to perfection.

  Geraldine teared up.

  “Don’t cry. You’re going to spoil your mascara,” Ruth warned, whipping out a tissue from her clutch bag sitting on the luxurious chair close to the bed.

  “It’s beautiful. Thanks, Carol. What about the other two bridesmaids, are they here yet? Donna said she would get them ready at home. She thought it would be less hassle that way.”

  “They’ve just arrived. Donna was busy chasing them around downstairs. She said she’d round them up and be with us in a few minutes.”

  “That’s a relief. I was wondering where they were. I hope they keep their dresses clean, at least until after the ceremony.”

  “I think that’s Donna’s intention.” Carol sniggered.

  There was a knock on the door. Ruth shot across the room and eased it open a little to see who the caller was. She opened it fully. James stood there with three cups and saucers sitting on a silver tray. “Just in time, thanks for this, love.”

  He glanced over Ruth’s shoulder and let out a low whistle. “Wow, wow, wow. Geraldine, you look absolutely beautiful. Simply stunning.”

  Geraldine curtsied. “Why thank you, kind sir. I hope Bradley approves.”

  “Are you nuts? Of course he will. There’d have to be something seriously wrong with him if he didn’t. Right, I’ll get off then and leave you to it. Holler if you need anything else.”

  Ruth stepped into the hallway and kissed him full on the lips.

  “Wow. I’ll have to bring you coffee more often if that’s how you’re going to show your appreciation.”

  “I just wanted to let you know how much I love you. Maybe it’s wedding fever. Don’t go getting any ideas, though, for now.”

  He tilted his head. “So there still is hope for us walking down the aisle?”

  “Of course there is. Enough about our futile dilemma, I need you to do me a favour. Ask the barman to play around with Geraldine’s father’s drinks, if you would. He’s been hitting the bottle lately; I’ll fill you in with all the details after the wedding. He’s giving her away, and she’s concerned he’ll be blotto during the wedding photos. Let’s see if we can avoid that.”

  “Leave it with me. Can I get another one of those kisses?”

  She kissed him long and hard. “There, now shoo, you have an important job to do.”

  “Anything for you.”

  Ruth smiled and pushed him on his way. Parched, she returned to the room and headed for the tray of drinks. She raised her cup. “To Geraldine and Bradley, may this day be like no other.”

  Geraldine tittered and touched Ruth’s forehead. “That’s pretty profound for you. Are you feeling all right?”

  “Ha, and you wonder why I refused to be your bridesmaid.” She winked at Carol, and they all laughed.

  “Thank you for being here with us and for all your valuable friendship over the years. I would have been lost without you by my side on numerous occasions. So what if you turned me down on my special day, I’ll never hold that against you. I might fling it in your face now and again if we have a tiff though.”

  “That sounds about right. Let’s sup up and make the final moments of your single life full of laughter and cheer, because it’s going to be all downhill from here, lady.”

  “You never give up. I’ll make you eat your words.”

  Ruth took her cup over to the window and gazed out at the crowd gathering below.

  “I have to admit that I’m getting a little nervous now,” Geraldine said, joining her.

  “You’ll be fine. The ceremony will be over before you know it, not like the one I attended in France.”

  Geraldine frowned. “Why? How long was that?”

  “Four long hours. My bum was numb after a couple of hours, and my legs tingled with pins and needles. To crown it all, I couldn’t understand a damn word that was being said.”

  “Oh my. That would be pure torture for me, not speaking the lingo. You poor thing.”

  “Much prefer a celebrant’s wedding, far less formal. You did the right thing, love.”

  “I hope so.” Geraldine sighed heavily.

  After they’d finished their drinks, they spent the next five minutes ensuring everything was in place. “Right, I’m going to do some organising downstairs now. Wishing you luck. I’ll speak to you after the ceremony. Try and keep the nerves to a minimum. Love you lots.”

  “Thank you, Ruth. For everything, but most of all for being the best friend a girl could have. Even if your sarcastic wit took an eternity to get used to.”

  Ruth laughed and hugged her lightly. “Take care of her, Carol. I’ll send the little munchkins up.”

  “She’s in safe hands, don’t worry.”

  Ruth left the room, an anxious knot lying in the pit of her stomach for some reason. From her observation point at the top of the grand staircase, she spotted the two bridesmaids causing havoc among the other guests, and their mother failing miserably to keep them under control.

  She swept down the stairs and straight towards them. “Hello, Donna. Are these two adorable creatures causing mischief as usual?”

  “Hi, Ruth. You could say that. I was hoping to lessen their enthusiasm for the day by keeping them at home longer. I guess that didn’t work out too well.”

  “Want me to round them up? Geraldine would like a word with them about their roles before the ceremony begins.”

  “We’ll do it together.”

  Ruth set off in one direction while Donna circulated the crowd from the other. Within seconds they were working like a sheepdog and its master, rounding up his flock. “Tilly and Milly, I’ve got you.”

  The five-year-olds tried their hardest to free themselves from Ruth’s tight grip. She had no intention of letting them go. Donna arrived and chastised her children.

  “You’ve let me down, girls. You promised me you’d behave today. Have you forgotten this is a special occasion? It’s not all about you. Now, go with Ruth. She’ll take you upstairs to where Auntie Geraldine is getting ready. This is serious stuff now. Any messing about from this moment on, and I will start dishing out punishment. No TV for a week, and that’s just for starters. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes, Mummy. We’re sorry, Mummy. We pwomise to be good from now on,” one of the twins said, although Ruth wasn’t sure which one.

  “Come on, you two. Upstairs with you. Time’s marching on, and the wedding is about to start.”

  The twins grinned broadly, and they both slipped a hand into Ruth’s outstretched ones. Ruth led them slowly up the stairs, bo
th of them lifting their skirts during the journey.

  “We’ve never been bwidesmaids before. What do we have to do, Ruth?”

  “Geraldine will run through what’s expected of you in a moment. Just be yourselves, cute, and most of all, have fun.”

  “We can do that, can’t we, Milly?”

  “We can, Tilly. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m weally looking forward to it.”

  “Good. It should be a day you never forget. Hey, if you show all the guests how well you can behave, maybe, just maybe, they’ll be lining up to have you at their weddings as bridesmaids. How about that?” Ruth said, resisting the urge to replace the R in bridesmaid like Tilly had.

  The girls were exhausted after their exploits and the steep climb up the staircase. They made a beeline for the bed the second Ruth opened the door.

  Geraldine gasped. “Oh, my goodness. Girls, come here, you look adorable. Give me a twirl.”

  Reluctantly, the girls slipped off the bed again and circled slowly, one going left to right and the other twin choosing to rotate in the opposite direction.

  “Don’t they look beautiful, Ruth and Carol?” Geraldine gushed.

  “They do indeed. Like fairy princesses,” Carol replied, reaching forward and fluffing out the girls’ dresses after they’d crushed them sitting on the bed.

  “Okay. I’m going to wish you good luck for the second time and love you and leave you. Knock them dead, gorgeous. I’m so proud of what you’ve achieved in such a short time. It’s going to be the best and most memorable wedding this town has ever seen.”

  “Thank you, Ruth. That means a lot. See you later.”

  Ruth left the room and shuddered, not liking the sudden chill that swept through her. She rubbed at the goose bumps springing to life on her arms as she surveyed the crowd from the top of the staircase once more. She spotted James talking to Geraldine’s parents and wondered if he’d been successful in his mission. Then she cast her gaze around the room searching for the groom. She hadn’t had the privilege of seeing him yet. Ah, there he was, standing at the main entrance, looking as if he didn’t have a care in the world, chatting with a bunch of his friends, a pint in his hand as usual.