The Wedding Planner, page 10
“I’ll be here when they do it,” she said firmly, and Faith walked away to the window, to give them some privacy. She could see how much her mother cared about him from the look on her face when she got there. She loved him, and was terrified that she might lose him.
The cardiologist came back to check on him again before they left. Jean-Pierre told him he was getting married in a month when they asked what was happening in his life at the moment, and the doctor explained that good stress, like something exciting happening, can be as disturbing to the body sometimes as bad stress. But he said that after the procedure, he should be fine. If he had recurring episodes, they could start him on medication. In the long term, one day he might need a pacemaker if this was a chronic problem. But they were a long way from there at the moment.
Marianne and Faith left half an hour later, and Faith offered to go to the hospital with her the next morning, and she insisted it wasn’t necessary. They said it would only take a short time. They were going to keep him for another day after that, for observation, and then he could come home. He didn’t have to change his lifestyle or his diet, and the procedure should take care of it. If not, they would address it. It reminded Faith of the fragility of life, and that her mother marrying a man who was ten years older might not have a happy ending. One day, it wouldn’t for one or the other of them. But she hoped they would have a long time together.
“I know what you’re thinking,” she said to Faith, she had thought the same thing. “I love him, and I’ll settle for as little or as much time as we get. It’s worth it to be with him.”
“I understand, Mom,” Faith said. She really seemed to have found her soulmate. She just wished that she had found him earlier. But Marianne seemed to have her eyes wide open, and wasn’t going to let the uncertainty of life stop her, or cheat her of the happiness she had found for as long as they had it.
Faith talked to Hope about it when she got home, and she was shocked. Their mother hadn’t called her, probably because they were so far out of the city. In a dire emergency, she would have eventually.
“She really loves him,” Faith said, in a sober tone.
“I’m glad. And he loves her too,” Hope answered.
“Let’s just hope they have a long time together,” Faith said. “I’m happy they’re getting married. It means a lot to both of them.”
“It’s nice that we’re doing it here, at the farm, and we’ll all be together,” Hope said and Faith agreed.
For the merest instant, she envied the strong, simple, sure love her mother felt for Jean-Pierre. She had never loved any man with that certainty and doubted she ever would.
The procedure went well the next morning, and appeared to solve the problem. After another twenty-four hours of observation, they let Jean-Pierre go home to Marianne’s apartment, and he said he felt much better. But it had been a reminder of their mortality, and how precious, fleeting, and fragile life was. It made them more grateful than ever that they had found each other, no matter how late in the day it was.
Chapter 8
Violet came back from her honeymoon looking relaxed, blissful, and glowing. They’d had their few days at the inn in the Berkshires, and spent the rest of the time at home, relaxing and doing projects together. Faith had given her two weeks instead of one. Jordan had taken two weeks off too. Violet said that being married did make a difference. They felt more settled, and more sure of each other. She compared it to the difference between owning a house and renting one. If the roof leaked, you fixed it in a house you owned, as a renter, you complained to your landlord and if it remained a problem you moved out.
“Good point,” Faith said, smiling at her.
She had brought the wedding dress and gave it back to Faith in a box lined in tissue paper, carefully folded, with the veil. It had been an honor to wear it, and suited her so well.
“You keep it,” Faith said gently. “It’s yours now. You wore it at your wedding. It’s a piece of your history.”
“It’s your dress, Faith. It’s too valuable, I can’t keep it,” Violet insisted.
“I’m not taking it back. I want you to have it,” Faith said again, and Violet could see that she meant it.
“You did so much for us for the wedding. The flowers, which were gorgeous, the cake, the music. You made the wedding.”
“You and Jordan made the wedding, by how happy you were. It was a blessing for the rest of us just to be there. And the food was delicious. I have to take my mother and her fiancé there. I think he would love it. It’s real French cuisine.”
“And it wasn’t insanely expensive. You found that too,” Violet reminded her. “You should go into wedding planning, you’re so good at it,” she teased her.
“Nah…too crazy…too stressful,” Faith answered, and headed for her office. She left the box with the dress in Violet’s office for her to take home. Faith was never going to wear it, and she never had. It was Violet’s now, and belonged with her.
* * *
—
As Doug and Phoebe’s wedding approached, he called Faith with some new detail to attend to every day. Phoebe never called her, but Faith reached out to her. She offered her the binder full of vows, in case she was working on hers.
“No, we’re just going to go traditional,” Phoebe said breezily. “Love, honor, and obey.” Faith stopped for a beat when she heard her say it. She had predicted it to Violet, but it hit Faith hard when she heard Phoebe say it.
“ ‘Obey’ is pretty much out of the wedding vocabulary now, and has been for a while,” Faith said quietly. “That’s a little strong for most women today. Don’t you think? How about ‘love, honor, and cherish’?” She tried to suggest it gently.
“Doug likes ‘obey,’ he said his parents said it, so he wants us to say it too. I don’t mind.” Faith wanted to scream “But you should mind!” But she couldn’t say it to her.
Phoebe came in with a check from Doug a few days later. It was for some of the extra things he’d ordered recently, like a video of the wedding, which Faith had arranged.
Faith offered Phoebe a cup of tea and they sat down in the living room. She wanted to make sure she was okay. She normally had a good relationship with her brides, but Phoebe was a special case, and she wanted to keep a close eye on her for signs of Doug’s control and abuse.
“How’s everything going?” Faith asked her, as they chatted. “You’re getting down to the wire, a few more weeks.” Phoebe didn’t look worried as she relaxed on the couch. She was back in her job at his office, after he had deprived her of several weeks’ salary, to make his point, in his fury about the waiter she swore she hadn’t flirted with, but he said she did.
“It’s all fine now. Doug has calmed down. He’s really excited too.” She smiled at Faith.
“How are you feeling about the dress? You know, since you didn’t need any alterations, we could always take it back and we can switch it for the one you loved.” Phoebe looked panicked when Faith said it.
“I can’t do that. Doug would be so upset. He loved the one he bought, and he hated that one I liked.” Faith remembered it all too vividly, and how lovely she had looked in it.
“I want you to feel like the most beautiful bride in the world on your wedding day,” she said warmly, and she could see worry in Phoebe’s eyes.
“I don’t want to do anything to upset Doug. Everything is back to normal now.” But Faith could sense that normal for him was not normal for anyone else.
“You know, Phoebe, you can decide right up until the last minute if this is what you want to do. You have free choice here. Marriage is a very big step.” She was speaking to her like a mother or an aunt. “It doesn’t matter how far you’ve come, if something in your gut tells you not to do it, you can listen to that. You have to really.”
Phoebe shook her head and avoided Faith’s eyes. “I’m sure,” she said quietly. “Doug is the man I want to be married to. I know he’s right for me.” Faith wished she didn’t feel that way, but she could see that there was no getting through to her. She was going to marry him no matter what. She was too afraid not to, and to lose him, and maybe to be alone. She wouldn’t have been for long. She was a very pretty woman. But there was no way to rescue her if she didn’t reach out, and try to save herself. She seemed nervous after Faith questioned her, and a few minutes later, she left. Faith walked into Violet’s office, frowning.
“I think I just blew it. I tried to talk to Phoebe, and inquired if she has any doubts. She looked terrified as soon as I asked. She wants this marriage desperately. I don’t know why.”
“Maybe she doesn’t even know she’s being abused. She may think it’s like this for everyone,” Violet said wisely.
“I think he terrified her when he canceled the engagement, and she’s afraid he’ll do it again and she’ll lose him. It would be the best thing that could happen to her. I’ve never had a wedding I felt so uncomfortable about. I feel like I’m leading a lamb to slaughter.”
Violet shuddered. “I hope not.”
“Me too,” Faith said, and went back to her desk. She had tried and gotten nowhere. Phoebe was so much in Doug’s control, she was unreachable.
* * *
—
Marianne and Jean-Pierre got married on a perfect June day on Hope and Angus’s farm. The sun was warm, there was a gentle breeze. They got married in the local church after the morning service, and then they went back to the house for caviar and champagne before lunch.
Faith had arranged for flowers at the tiny local church. Hope had ordered beautiful bouquets to put around the house. Marianne wore her new ivory silk suit, and the girls had dressed for the occasion. Faith wore a pink Chanel suit, and Hope wore a long beige pleated skirt and a silk V-neck sweater to match. They wore high heels, and both men wore coats and ties. Jean-Pierre was somewhat formal and very French, and had worn a dark blue suit for his wedding, white shirt, light blue Hermès tie, and beautifully polished shoes. He’d had a haircut the day before, and Hope had her hairdresser come out to do her mother’s hair the morning of the wedding. Jean-Pierre surprised Marianne with a beautiful diamond wedding ring, since she didn’t want an engagement ring. She expected a simple gold band, and was surprised when she saw the diamond Cartier band.
She was glowing the morning of the wedding, and was nervous on the way to the church, but as she stood next to him and said her vows, and then he said his, they both looked peaceful, and as though they were completely sure of what they were doing. And she used the vow that Faith loved, and had shared with her: “…with my body, I thee worship.” Faith’s eyes filled with tears as she listened to them, and she and Hope held hands. They were there to support their mother, and they trusted her decision and the man she’d chosen to marry. This time it was right.
Jean-Pierre’s health had improved since the minor procedure he’d had to regulate his heart. It had corrected what was necessary, and he hadn’t had a problem since, which was a huge relief to Marianne, and the best wedding gift of all.
* * *
—
The lunch was as delicious as the caterer had promised. Faith had ordered the best caviar. They had oysters to start, and lobster for the main course with salad and excellent cheeses to follow. There was a beautiful little wedding cake with snow-white icing and chocolate inside. Hope had bought a bride and groom to put on top, which made the bride and groom smile.
They sat in the sun afterward and the men took off their jackets and ties. Hope had put all three boys in little white suits, and they played near them, before the two younger ones went for their naps, and Seamus went to watch a video with the babysitter while his brothers slept.
It was an absolutely perfect day for Marianne, with the people she loved most. Their wedding day had a peaceful feeling to it, as though they both felt they had come home at last.
They were leaving for Paris in three days, they were going to spend a week there, and then were going to the South of France for ten days at his house there, before the summer invasion of tourists. They were planning to spend the final weekend in Venice, which was one of their favorite cities, and then back to New York. They would be away for three weeks in all, and after their honeymoon, they had been invited to visit friends in Palm Beach and Newport and others in the Hamptons. They were going to have a busy summer, visiting friends and enjoying their new married life. In France, Jean-Pierre’s mother had said she was eager to meet his bride. It made Marianne feel young when he said it. Everything felt bright and new. Even at their age, it was a fresh start.
* * *
—
The caterers had just left, and Marianne and Jean-Pierre had gone for a walk. They had changed into country clothes, and they wandered off on the paths where Hope liked to ride.
“It was a sweet wedding,” Faith said to Hope, smiling as she thought about it. “Thank you for doing it here. It’s more personal than if we’d done it at a restaurant in New York. I think she loved it.”
“I did too, and I think he’s really a good guy. I hope his health holds up. That would be terrible for Mom if he gets sick and she has to nurse him.”
“He seems okay now,” Faith said thoughtfully. “It was scary when he wound up in the hospital. Poor Mom was a wreck.”
“It’s bound to happen someday, he’s ten years older than she is,” Hope said. “Let’s just hope not for a long time,” and then she smiled at her twin. “I’ve got some news,” she announced proudly.
“What’s that?”
“I’m pregnant again. A Christmas baby. A girl, I hope, this time.”
“Already?” Faith looked surprised, and as though she wasn’t convinced it was good news. Hope was disappointed by her reaction. “Oliver is only one. That’s a lot of kids, Hopie. Four? What does Angus think about it?”
“He’s thrilled.” She smiled at her sister. “We can handle it, and we can afford it. It wasn’t an accident.”
“Can you manage four?”
“I think so. It won’t be that different from three, and Angus and I will pitch in more. Other people do it.” Faith nodded. It was true, they did. She got up to kiss her sister then and gave her a hug.
“Actually, this makes sense. You can have my share too. Do you think you’ll have more after this?”
“I don’t know. I’ll be forty-three when it’s born. Maybe we’ll be done. Angus always said he wanted six. I thought he was kidding.”
“I sure wouldn’t want a baby now,” Faith said with a shudder, “or at any age. I made the right decision for me. So, I’ll be an aunt again. Have you told Mom yet?”
Hope shook her head. “She’ll probably get all wound up and think it’s too many. It’ll be fun when they’re a little older, and we can travel with them, and do more than we can now. They’re still babies.”
“And you’ll have another one by Christmas.” She grinned at the idea. “It always seems so mysterious to me. Presto magic, there’s another person in the room.”
“It feels like a miracle every time,” Hope said, smiling. And Faith sensed that they actually might have one or two more babies.
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Fine. I’ve never had any problems with any of them. I’m going to wait a while before I tell everyone. If you tell people too early, it feels so long.”
They chatted for a long time, until their mother and Jean-Pierre came back from their walk. And after the sun went down, they went inside, and relaxed and chatted until dinner. Angus lit a fire, and the men huddled in a corner, talking business and sports, while Marianne and the girls talked about everything from fashion to politics. It was nice sharing Marianne and Jean-Pierre’s wedding weekend with them.
They had leftovers from lunch to eat for dinner, and Angus cooked steaks on the barbecue. They each had another piece of wedding cake, which they all agreed was delicious.
“I’m glad you didn’t want a big wedding, Mom,” Hope said, as they put the dishes in the kitchen sink for now, to be dealt with later. “It’s so cozy, being here with you.”
“That’s how I wanted it,” Marianne said, smiling broadly. “Thank you for letting us do it here, and making it so nice for us.” Jean-Pierre had told her, which he had said repeatedly before, how lovely her children were. He loved the warm family atmosphere between them, and how well they got along.
When they finally all went to their bedrooms that night, they were all coasting on the warm memories of the day, Marianne and Jean-Pierre saying their vows in the tiny church, and the elegant family luncheon afterward. And there was enough caviar left for all of them for breakfast. Everything had gone off without a hitch, using Faith’s usual suppliers. None of which was surprising, since it was a Faith Ferguson wedding. Hope teased her about it, as they stopped and said good night on the landing, and then went in opposite directions to their bedrooms.
* * *
—
The next day Faith and Angus went riding. Marianne still rode occasionally, but she didn’t want to leave Jean-Pierre on his own, and she didn’t think he should do strenuous exercise so soon after his fainting episode.
They finished the caviar at lunch, and in the late afternoon, a car and driver came to pick up Faith, and Marianne drove back with Jean-Pierre in the passenger seat, chatting with her and enjoying the scenery. They were both in great spirits and looking forward to their honeymoon. And when they got to her apartment on Park Avenue, he commented that it felt like home, now that they were married.
“It’s funny. I didn’t think it would make a difference but it does. Everything between us feels more real now. I wish I had met you sooner,” he said.
