Heavenstone 02 - Secret Whispers

mother was not eager to challenge or even offer a counteropinion about anything.
    On the morning of my wedding day, Daddy did something he hadn’t done for some time. He came to my bedroom before I had risen. When I heard the knock, I assumed it was Ethan. As soon as Daddy entered, I sat up quickly. He smiled and sat on my bed to take my hand.
    “I’m more excited about your wedding than I was about mine and Lucille’s, even though it was an affair few will ever forget and we had a lot of big shots. When I first heard you were going with someone at school, I admit I was very nervous, but you selected a fine young man. I wanted you to know I couldn’t be happier for you, Semantha.”
    He leaned over to kiss my cheek and then patted my hand and stood. For a long moment, he stared at the picture of me and my mother.
    “She would have been quite pleased,” he said. “We’ll both be thinking about her when you take your vows.”
    He sounded so sad I nearly burst into tears. I sawCassie sitting by my desk, her head down. Daddy clapped his hands, the way he often did when he was going to make a definite decision.
    “But we won’t be sad for even a moment today. Today is a happy, happy day. I’m proud of you.”
    He nodded and headed out.
    “Proud of you? For what?” Cassie asked, looking up, her eyes cold, steely gray, and sharp. “For getting married?”
    “Probably for doing something normal,” I muttered. “After what has been done to me, that’s an accomplishment,” I added as sharply as I could.
    She looked away and then disappeared as quickly as she had appeared.
    I rose slowly to start my wedding day. A year ago, such a day had seemed more like an impossible dream. Certainly, my roommate, Ellie, would never have imagined it would come so quickly for me, and most certainly not before hers. I wondered what had become of her and how surprised she would be if she heard about me. All of those girls would be surprised. Look at what had become of the girl they had derided as Norma Bates.
    All day long, I kept telling myself I should be happier and more excited. There was so much going on around me, and all of it was because of me. I was the center of attention, not Cassie, not Daddy, and not Lucille, but Lucille remained at the forefront of everything. She had written out the schedule determining when we would leave Heaven-stone for the hotel, when we were to take the family photos, and when each step in the ceremony would occur. Ethanwent off early to spend his day with his family and friends. Lucille had booked a room for him to use. Was there anything she didn’t think of?
    Late in the morning, Uncle Perry stopped by to see me.
    “Knock knock,” he said, stepping into my open doorway. I was at my vanity table toying with some other way to wear my hair. “Hey, Sam.”
    “Hi, Uncle Perry.”
    “Preparations, preparations,” he said, looking at my dress spread out on my bed. “So? Excited?”
    “Yes, now that it’s really happening.”
    “Oh, it’s happening.” He winked. “I know you had a lot to do with my being Ethan’s best man,” he said. “I hope I live up to the privilege.”
    “For us, there was no other choice, Uncle Perry. You’ll always be the closest friend we have.”
    He, too, looked at my mother’s photo. “How happy she would be today,” he said. “I’m proud of you, too, Sam.” Then he laughed. “Your father’s about as nervous as I’ve seen him.”
    He wished me luck and went off to see Daddy. Lucille was at the hotel overseeing last-minute tasks and corrections.
    Just after lunch, I had a surprise phone call. Mrs. Dobson called me from London. She had read about my wedding and wanted to wish me good luck and happiness. Hearing her voice brought tears immediately. She told me she was doing just fine, having acquired another position in another posh house. “Not as posh as Heaven-stone, mind you, but pretty posh.”
    “I’m glad, Mrs. Dobson. I do miss you. I hope someday we’ll meet again.”
    “I had a strong feeling you and that young man would come to something. I’m sure sometime in the future, you’ll be traveling and set down in London. When you do, you can ring me up. I’ll send you my new number and address.”
    “I surely will,” I said.
    “You stay healthy and happy,” she said.
    It broke my heart to hear the line go dead and realize she wouldn’t be there at my wedding. When I had suggested finding out where she was and inviting her,