Then he held her.
Then, for the first time in his life, at peace with himself, at peace with his past, Nate slept.
He woke before dawn and carefully pulled away so as not to wake her but she rolled into him and wrapped her arms around him.
She lifted sleep-filled eyes to his, “Where are you going?”
He kissed her softly and murmured, “I have to go to Tash. Go back to sleep, darling.”
She nodded, gave him a sleepy smile and let him go. The minute he exited the bed, she clutched his pillow to her.
Nate dressed, sat on the edge of the bed and tucked her hair behind her ear.
“You’ve seen me on our wedding day,” she muttered into the pillow, not opening her eyes.
Nate bent down and touched his mouth to the skin at the back of her ear.
“I think we’ve had all the bad luck there is to have,” Nate assured her.
Her lips came up in a half-grin before she fell back to sleep.
Nate allowed himself a moment to watch her, a moment to feel the joy that had replaced the tightness in his chest, to come to terms with his newfound sense of contentment, security, belonging.
Then he left his soon-to-be wife and went to their daughter.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Everyone
Lily
“Lily, the limousine is here!” Maxine called up the steps.
Lily stood looking at herself in the mirror thinking maybe, just maybe, Nate hadn’t been bewitched by Fazire’s magic, maybe she was beautiful.
Her dress was simple ivory silk, strapless, form-fitting, cut at just above the knee. At her waist there was a thin belt of the same ivory material with a small, silk-wrapped, square buckle. She had on a pair of pointed-toed, stiletto-heeled, ivory, sling-backed pumps. The only jewellery she wore was a one strand pearl necklace and matching bracelet with pearl studs in her ears, a set that Laura had given her that morning stating it was her engagement present from Laura and Victor. Her hair was swept back softly in a satin ivory ribbon tied in a bow at the nape of her neck.
“You look fab,” Susan said from behind her.
Lily’s eyes moved to the three girls in her bedroom with her. Susan, Emily and Lorna were her shopgirls from Flash and Dazzle. The shop was closed for the day so the girls could attend the wedding and be involved in the preparations.
Susan was great with hair and thus, she did Lily’s for her wedding day. Emily was great with makeup so ditto Emily’s reason for being there. Lorna had no special skill but Lily was not about to leave one of her girls out and Lorna was the type of girl who wouldn’t have allowed that anyway.
Lily could have, considering the fact that she had a little less than seven million pounds in her bank account, had the best stylists and makeup artists in the United Kingdom tending to her wedding preparations but what would be special about that?
Maxine hustled into the room, all business.
“Come on girls, you better get going or you’ll never make it to Bath on time and –” she stopped dead when her eyes fell on Lily. Then her mouth dropped open. Then, seconds later, she burst into loud tears.
Lily, Susan, Emily and Lorna all rushed toward Maxie and Lily wrapped an arm around her friend.
“Maxie, what on earth’s the matter?”
Maxine’s tear-brightened eyes never left Lily. “You…” she started then sighed, “oh Lily.” And Maxine threw her arms around Lily and gave her a tight hug. When she pulled back, she looked in Lily’s eyes and whispered, “You’re the most beautiful bride in the world.”
Lily smiled thinking that, of course, Maxine would say that.
“Hear hear!” Lorna shouted so loud and with such conviction that Lily jumped and Lorna downed the last sip out of her champagne glass.
“I’ll say!” Emily followed suit with her champagne.
“Me too!” Susan chimed in, not drinking as Susan was driving all the girls to Bath.
“What’s going on?” Laura bustled in, looking around the room which bore the evidence of not only wedding preparations but of a hen morning that had started the minute Lily staggered, tired from a sleep-disturbed night, but still elated at the events of that night, into the kitchen to see a concerned Maxine and Laura sitting at the kitchen table. Once their eyes hit Lily’s happy, shining face, their concern melted, hugs were exchanged, tears of joy fell and the first of several bottles of champagne was popped open.
Lily felt on top of the world, on top of the universe, gliding along in heaven.
She had Nate, finally, completely, he was hers. She wanted to climb to the roof and shout it to the entire town (this, she did not do, as her dress would be ruined).
Laura’s eyes alighted on Lily and she, too, stopped dead and stared.
“Oh, dear Lord,” she breathed.
Lily moved to Laura and stood in front of her.
Putting her arms out to her sides, her heart thundering in her chest, she asked her soon-to-be mother-in-law quietly, “Will I do for your son?”
It was Laura’s turn to burst into tears and she reached out and clutched Lily to her.
“You’ll do, you’ll more than do.” Laura leaned away from Lily but didn’t let her go. “I couldn’t have made a better bride for my son if I had it in my power. Lily, you’re perfect.”
Lily felt tears fill her eyes at Laura’s sweet words and Emily shouted, “No! Don’t cry! Oh no!” She snapped at Lorna, “Get me my makeup bag, quick!”
Susan, Lorna and Emily swiftly repaired makeup damage on Lily, Maxine and Laura and then Emily shoved lipstick, mascara, blusher and a powder-blue, lacy handkerchief, the one her mother held on her own wedding day which was also the one her grandmother held on hers, in Lily’s small, exquisite, ivory handbag (another gift that morning, this from Maxine) and they all ran down the stairs.
Lily stood on the pavement and waved off her girls as they were shouted encouraging and somewhat raunchy words out their open windows as they drove away. Lily was giggling and smiling and thinking nothing, nothing could ever make her sad again.
However, she did not see the three people alighting from the car down the street as she had her back to it.
But Laura did and her face paled at the sight.
Tash
Natasha Roberts McAllister Jacobs was thankful that Mummy had sent Fazire with them to Bath.
Daddy, Tash found, was not very good at doing a seven year old girl’s hair and making it ultra, super beautiful for a very special day.
This, Tash thought, was okay considering her Daddy was good at everything else. No one, she allowed, could be good at absolutely everything.
And anyway, Fazire had magic. He just snapped his fingers and Tash’s hair had all sorts of fun, bouncy curls and was pulled back at the sides with pretty, sparkly clips. When he did this Daddy stared at Fazire in a funny way that looked both exasperated (Tash liked this word and knew what it meant) and amused. It was a look that made Natasha giggle.
Daddy, Tash found out, now knew that Fazire was their special genie and he didn’t mind. Tash knew he wouldn’t and thought they should have told him ages ago. He was the best Daddy ever and since Fazire was one of the family even though he was a little strange, Tash always knew her Daddy wouldn’t mind.
Mummy was making her wear pale blue, like the colour Daddy had used in Mummy’s new, now old bedroom. Tash had not been happy about the blue, she wanted pink. Until she’d seen her pretty, frilly blue dress. Once she’d seen the dress, she didn’t mind at all.