“Yes,” Melissa replied confidently and stood, surveying the final effect in the floor-length mirror of her room. “I’m determined to do this properly now that it’s been decided.” She plastered a nervous smile on her lips. “How do I look?” She raised her arms on either side and spun.
“Absolutely stunning,” Daphne said, giving her daughter’s dress the final once over. “There’s just one more adjustment right here.” She bent over double and folded a piece of fabric on the skirt until it met her standards. “There, now everything is in place,” she said triumphantly and left the room.
“Some things will never change.” Avery laughed as she watched their mother leave the room.
“What do you think?” Melissa turned toward her sister.
“You look like a woman on the brink of making a very big life decision,” Avery said with a sigh.
“Thank you, I guess,” Melissa responded nervously, tucking a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.
“And you look as beautiful as ever.” Avery leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her sister’s forehead. “You are going to make an absolutely stunning bride, even if the two of you don’t get along.”
“Well…” Melissa let out a breath. “You did say you would like the two of us to try and get along.”
“This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.” Avery shook her head. “But it’s too late for all of that now. Come, your audience awaits.”
Daniel took a deep breath as his future bride descended the stairs. She looked lovelier than he’d ever seen her before. He wasn’t sure if it was the ale he had chugged to work up his courage, or the fact that she was about to become his betrothed, but his heart beat a little faster as she descended the stairs.
A hushed silence fell over the room as Darragh climbed the stairs and met Melissa halfway down, signaling for Daniel to join them both. Every eye in the room followed his path as he walked toward his fate. Some appeared judgmental while others seemed more curious than anything else.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Darragh began as he addressed all of the guests that had gathered to hear an explanation of what they had seen earlier in the evening. “I’m sure all of ye are curious to hear what happened earlier this evening.”
A low susurration erupted through the crowd as curious glances were thrown at Daniel.
Darragh waited for everyone to stop talking again before carrying on. “I’m sorry to say that we, as a family, have been keeping a great secret from ye all.”
Daniel wondered where his friend was going with his speech as he waited with bated breath along with the crowd.
“The truth is that Daniel an’ Melissa have been handfasted for quite some time now.”
The crowd erupted with great whoops of cheer and surprise as a ripple of relief swept over the room.
“What exactly is handfasting?” Daniel heard Melissa whispering to Darragh as the guests took their time exchanging merriment of the good news.
“I’ll explain in more detail later,” Darragh whispered back to her. “It’s basically an unofficial wedding agreement between two people that dinnae wish to wait.”
“Nice call,” Daniel whispered to him from the corner of his mouth.
“Thanks,” Darragh whispered back before smiling at his guests. “I personally apologize if anyone was offended by our secrecy. We wanted to give the couple as much time as they needed to change their minds.”
Another round of whispers accompanied by nods erupted from the crowd as people glanced at Daniel. A few words such as ‘rake’ and ‘surprised’ floated up to Daniel’s ears.
“I am pleased to announce that the couple is finally ready to have an official wedding, an’ yer all invited back here for the feast in five days’ time!”
“Five days?” Daniel whispered again in annoyance as the crowd erupted into a roaring round of applause that drowned everything else out.
“Dae ye want everyone to believe our story or nae?” Darragh hissed through his teeth before grabbing each of their hands and joining them together in front of his chest. “Let the Ceilidh continue with the happy couple having a dance!”
Daniel and Melissa both took a deep breath as they descended the stairs, hand in hand, his fingers twitched in hers, unaccustomed to the physical interaction. They both seemed apprehensive at the thought of having to spend the rest of their lives together. In no less than five days, they would become husband and wife.
5
The crisp summer breeze tousled his light brown hair as he lifted the bottle to his lips, taking a giant swig before gulping. The amber liquid burnt his throat as he stared at the words carved into the stone.
Here lies Malcolm Forrester, beloved father, husband, and friend.
“Beloved…” Daniel whispered into the wind with a derisive shake of his head. The only thing that had ever been beloved by his father was his own wealth and social standing.
