The Cold Light of Mourning - By Elizabeth J. Duncan Page 0,12
late—you can still change your mind.”
“Why on earth would you say that?” Emyr asked irritably, glaring at him. “Of course I want to go through with it and I’ve never been more sure of anything. I know what I’m doing. I’m not stupid. And it’s her I’m marrying, not the parents. When this is over, they won’t be coming back. They’re only here now because of her mother.”
David shrugged and dropping his cigarette, ground it into the gravel with the polished toe of a Gucci evening shoe.
“Of course not. Well, I just thought I should say something,” he said smoothly.
“David, for God’s sake, if it was the money she was after, she’d have picked you.”
David touched his friend on his shoulder and gave him a loose, easy smile.
“In that case, I’m here to support you in every way I can. You’ve only to tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it.”
“Well, I’m glad of that,” replied Emyr. “Because there’s a lot to be done in the morning. We’re going to be really busy.”
As the exchange hung in the air between them, with its awkward, unpleasant undertones of thoughts unspoken, they silently turned to go back into the house. Emyr paused for a moment on the doorstep and turned back to look at the cloudless sky. Later, a full moon would rise over the valley, drizzling it with a pale honey light.
The van made its way into town, dropping off a few guests along the way before pulling up in front of the Red Dragon.
The two bridesmaids, Jennifer and Anne, delicately pinching the skirts of their evening dresses to lift them up, got out first, followed by Meg Wynne, who helped her mother disembark. Her father was the last one off, but no one waited for him or spoke to him. The little group of women went on ahead and entered the small lobby.
Subdued good nights were said as they made their way up the blue-carpeted stairs to their rooms. The bridesmaids waited as Meg Wynne said good night to her mother at her door, bending down to kiss her on both cheeks, and then the three continued on down the corridor.
“Shall we come in for a bit to help you get settled?” Jennifer asked when they reached Meg’s room.
“Mm, I could use some help with the zipper,” Meg Wynne replied.
Her father’s drinking had spoiled what should have been a charmed evening, and Meg Wynne was glad of the girls’ company as they entered her comfortably furnished room.
With the door firmly closed behind them, Meg Wynne turned to face her friends and released the pent-up emotion of the past hours.
“Bloody typical,” she exploded as she threw her beaded evening bag on the bed. “Leave it to him to ruin everything. I wish to God he were dead!”
Behind her, the two bridesmaids exchanged worried glances.
“Look, Meg Wynne,” Jennifer began. “I know this is really difficult for you, but I wonder if you should have a word with your dad in the morning and ask him again if he could just try, for one day, to leave off the drinking. Tell him it’s ruining your wedding and maybe even let him know that if he starts drinking in the morning that you won’t let him attend, let alone walk you down the aisle. That might get his attention.”
Jennifer handed Meg Wynne the burgundy leather case for her earrings.
“Stand still,” she said to Meg Wynne as she moved around behind her. “I’ll undo your dress for you.”
Anne, seated in the wing chair beside the window, got up from the chair to close the curtains.
The room overlooked the street, and, glancing down, she saw a shadowy silhouette across the street looking up at the window. She felt a small frisson of anxiety, but shrugging off the feeling, pulled the curtains closed, shutting out the night and the light from the street.
“I’ll sleep on it, Jennifer, and do what I think best in the morning. You’re right about one thing, though. If I don’t do something, he will ruin this wedding, and I’m not going to let him do that. He’s only here because of my mother. And I’ve promised Emyr that this is the one and only time he’ll ever be invited here. I don’t want him anywhere near me, ever again.”
She moved into the bathroom to change into an oyster-coloured satin nightgown and emerged a few minutes later.
“Well, thank you both very much for everything you did this evening. I