boutonniere for Nigel. They kept everything simple and low-key, in deference to Coco’s feelings about her parents not being there, and Nigel agreed.
* * *
—
Despite the careful planning, and the simple ceremony, their wedding day was hard for Coco. She cried from the moment she woke up, thinking of her parents and how heartbroken she was that they couldn’t share the moment with her. Nigel tried to console her and couldn’t. She spoke to Sam four or five times before the ceremony at eleven, although it was the middle of the night for him. He thought she was moving much too quickly, and it was a mistake, but it was too late for that now. She was doing it, so all Sam could do was support her. His father had had the surgery two days earlier and wasn’t well, and there was no way he could have come. But he felt terrible not to be there. He kept telling her that everything was going to be okay, but he didn’t believe it himself. She was marrying a man she barely knew, whose financial stability was nonexistent. He was a pauper compared to her and had made no attempt to hide it, to his credit.
The disparity between them worried Sam, and the short time she had known him. And what would his future be? Parties forever and an insignificant career? Or no job at all? Sam would have liked to see her marry someone more solid. But Coco was dazzled, and felt rudderless without her parents. She was looking for a secure base, and Sam couldn’t see Nigel providing it. At least he felt sure she had gotten a good prenup, thanks to Ed. Sam was surprised that Nigel had signed it. So her money was protected, as was everything she owned. In a crazy moment, he wondered if the marriage might actually work. Stranger things had happened. Sometimes people jumped into marriages hastily, and they lasted forty or fifty years. He hoped it would for her. Maybe Nigel would turn out to be the right man after all, in spite of Sam’s concerns. He hoped so. And Coco was sure of it.
“I’ll come over when my dad gets back to work,” he promised, and by the time Coco left for the church with Leslie in her car, she had run out of tears. She was quiet, thinking about her parents. She had never missed them as much as she did on that day.
“It’s going to be wonderful,” Leslie said confidently, as she walked her into the small church. When Coco saw Nigel standing at the altar, waiting for her, she smiled, and she slowly relaxed and believed it too. She was sure it was going to be perfect, because they loved each other. She could feel her parents watching over her and sharing the day with her.
Nigel beamed when she walked in. She had never looked more beautiful. The ceremony only took half an hour, and then they walked out of the church as man and wife, with their three witnesses. Nigel had bought a narrow gold band for her at Tiffany, and they had gotten one for him too.
Then the five of them went to lunch. Nigel ordered Cristal champagne, and they all had a superb lunch. Coco had paid for it, as the bride, since her father wasn’t there to do it, and Nigel couldn’t. But he had selected exquisite French wines of the finest vintages, and the menu, with caviar for the first course. When they got back to her house at five o’clock, they were both more than a little drunk. They made love and fell asleep immediately.
They were leaving for Courchevel in the morning, and she was his wife now, Coco thought as she fell asleep next to him. His wife. She loved the sound of the word. She knew that nothing could go wrong. She had a family now. She had a husband, and for the first time in eighteen months, she felt safe again. And she knew Nigel would protect her forever. He had vowed he would.
Chapter 7
Their week in Courchevel was perfect. The snow was crisp, the sun warm on their faces. The friends they stayed with, and their other guests, celebrated the newlyweds constantly. It was a fantastic vacation, and there were parties for them every night. Several of their acquaintances had houses there, and were there at the same time, so their honeymoon was a weeklong celebration