Chapter One
“I should have heard from Matt by now, Sadie. I am going to be so embarrassed if he doesn't show up at the rehearsal dinner. How's that going to look? Just tell me how that's going to look? Are you sure he didn't call? Damn, I hate voice mail. I liked the machine with the little blinking red light.”
“It's going to look like . . . he's on the way and is late. It's a long drive, Lily. Don't forget, he has to stop and walk his dog, buy coffee, get off the Interstate, and get back on. It's called delays. Think of it as just another dinner. Ten people, twelve counting you and me, all business associates of Matt's. There's no reason for you to be embarrassed if he doesn't make it on time. Things like this happen all the time in this high-tech world we now live in.”
Lily stared at her friend Sadie and smiled. She always knew the right thing to say at just the right time to make her feel better. Sadie was her best friend in the whole world, going way back to grammar school and then college and finally Ozzie Conklin's Survival Camp, where they both worked as survival specialists. Sadie wasn't movie-star beautiful but she was pretty with gorgeous blue eyes, a light dusting of freckles across her nose, and incredible dimples. Her silky, curly hair had been the envy of every female at Ozzie's camp. Sadie hated the curls, said it made her look like Orphan Annie.
Lily hugged her. “You always say just the right thing. We should get going. Won't it be great, Sadie, if Madeline, the ghost at King's Tavern acts up for our guests this evening? That would certainly be a memory for them to take home. Matt is positive it's going to happen.” She loved the stories of the documented ghostly apparitions of King's Tavern, the oldest building in Natchez. On rare occasions, Yvonne Scott permitted a disbeliever to inhabit the room on the third floor for a night, and always with the same result. Guests checked in but didn't check out, preferring to leave in the middle of the night. “You know what, I'm not going to miss this apartment at all, nice as it is. I can't wait to move into that great old house you sold me.”
“I hope you're still saying that a year from now when you see all those ghosts at the foot of your bed. I swear, sometimes I think every old building in this town is haunted. Did you change your mind about living here all year round? Maybe you should start thinking about Natchez as a home base, so you and Matt can put down roots. If you go from one of his houses to another to another, you'll be transient, and that's no way to start a new married life. This would be the best place, Lily. Natchez is a small town, the people are wonderful and friendly, and it's a great place to bring up kids. Eventually you'll get to know practically everyone in town. The first thing you have to do is join the Pilgrimage Garden Club. Betty Lou Hicks will take you under her wing. We met her last year around Christmastime, remember? She told us to call her Blue. She's one of the Hicks Chicks. There was something in the paper a few days ago about the club. Just give me a minute, and I can tell you what it was. They have 615 active members. You would make 616. They have,” Sadie said, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to recall what she'd read, “55 emeriti, 18 associates, 39 honorary, and 212 out-of-town-members. And, they own a bunch of plantations: Stanton Hall, Longwood, and they lease King's Tavern to Yvonne Scott. How's that for total recall? What's wrong? I can tell by your expression something is bothering you. It's just a dinner, Lily. Don't go down that old road, my friend. That was then, this is now.”
“I guess I was thinking about the last time Matt left me at the altar. And before you can say it, I'm aware of my part in that fiasco. You're wrong, though, Sadie. It's more than a dinner. I had to call off the rehearsal. The minister said we'd just enter from the chancery and take it from there. A phone call would have been nice. Did you check the messages when we came in? This just isn't like Matt. I know he's been on the road for a month, and we've been playing telephone tag for so long I'm starting to forget what he looks like. Even though I accepted it, I'm still smarting over the fact that he didn't show up for Christmas. Calling and talking for hours is not the same thing. Christmas is special. I was really looking forward to opening all these wedding gifts with Matt this evening,” Lily said, pointing to the mountain-high pile of exquisitely wrapped packages in the dining room. “I'm ready, let's go. You drive. I'm too jittery. It's been raining for two solid days. I hope it isn't an omen of some kind. Are there any messages?” Lily asked hopefully.
Sadie grinned. “Listen for yourself.”
Lily brought the receiver to her ear to listen to her voice mail. She smiled at Sadie. “He's on his way, but he's going to be too late to make the rehearsal and dinner. There was a big pileup on the Interstate and he lost two hours, and then there was a detour somewhere, and he lost more time. I feel so much better. Actually, I feel a whole lot better. Wonderful in fact. Absolutely wonderful!”
Fifteen minutes later they were headed down Jefferson Street on their way to King's Tavern. “Look at that shepherd those people have. Matt has a dog like that,” Lily said, turning to crane her neck so she could see out the back window. “She's so cute and lovable. Kind of like Buzz. I sure hope they get along once we move in together. There's always one who wants to be top dog.”
“Okay, Lily, we're here. Put a smile on your face and don't act concerned because Matt isn't here. Prospective brides are supposed to be all smiles. So, smile, Lily. That's a damn order.”
Lily worked a smile onto her face as she climbed out of the car. “Sadie.”
“Yes.”
“I don't really like those Digitech people. They look right through you. It's very hard to hold a conversation with any of them. They make me uncomfortable. I especially don't like Marcus or his wife. I always feel like both of them are trying to take my measure, and I'm coming up short. Dennis is nice, but he's shy. He's sort of like Matt in a lot of ways. If you see me floundering, step in, okay?”
“You got it. Just be yourself. It's one night, Lily. You can handle it. By this time tomorrow they'll all be gone.”
Lily looked around. “I guess I'm feeling inferior this evening. They're all so wealthy. They're going to think this is all very tacky. I love King's Tavern, and so does Matt. Yvonne said we could spend our wedding night in the third-floor suite. I can't tell you how excited Matt was with her offer. And, it was his idea to have our dinner here. I'm angry with myself for feeling this way. It's almost as though I have to justify myself to these people. Why am I doing this, Sadie?”
“We said we weren't going down that road. We're going to go inside, we're going to sit down, we're going to smile and smile until our faces start to hurt. The tavern is known for its prime rib, and we are going to gorge ourselves. The wines you chose are excellent. Trust me, no one will be able to find fault with the dinner. Let's go now. By the way, you look stunning. Blue is definitely your color. Just remember to smile and look happy.”
“Thanks, Sadie. This is Matt's favorite dress.”
The restaurant was small, cozy and intimate with bright red tablecloths that complemented the Christmas tree and the poinsettias nestled along the wall and in the corners. A fragrant garland decorated with red-velvet bows curled around the white staircase leading to the third floor. A cheery fire crackled in the fireplace. Waiters hovered but were in no way intrusive. Yvonne stood to the side, her eyes sharp and alert for any and all mistakes on the part of her staff.
“Hi, everyone. Matt sends his apologies. He got held up on the Interstate because of a bad accident and a detour, so he won't be joining us this evening,” Lily said as she took her seat at the head of the table, Sadie on her left.
“It's so nice to see all of you here in Natchez. I hope you had some time today to do a little sight-seeing. I know Matt is going to give you all a quiz later on.” The soft murmurings around the table unnerved Lily. She honed in on Dennis. Dennis was Matt's best friend, and now a friend of hers. He looked befuddled. No help there. She turned her attention to Marcus Collins. “How do you like our city, Marcus?”
“For some reason I thought Natchez would be larger. It's
quaint.”
Quaint
. Lily could feel the fine hairs on the back of her neck move. Her backbone stiffened. “I'd hardly call it quaint. It's a lovely city. The buildings are beautiful. The people smile at you and say good morning. I'm taking umbrage here, Marcus.”
Matt doesn't like you, you stuffed shirt
,
and that means I don't like you either
.
“You asked for my opinion, Lily. I prefer New York City, as does my wife. I guess it's all in what you get used to. Are we having a toast?”
“Of course. Matt ordered the champagne himself. I hope you don't find fault with it, Marcus.”
“Matt's wine choices are about the same as his choice of clothing, terrible,” Marcus said as he watched the waiter pour the bubbly into his glass.
“I'll be sure to tell him you said that,” Dennis said.
Lily's eyeballs snapped to attention.
What have we here?
she wondered. A minute later, Dennis was on his feet, his glass poised high in the air. “To Matt, the best friend a guy could have, and to Lily, the lady of his choice. Mine, too, now that I've had a chance to get to know her. May all your days be filled with wondrous things.”
Lily smiled as she sipped the champagne.
Small talk continued throughout the rest of the dinner, mostly talk of Natchez, the climate, the mansions, and, finally, a description of Lily's wedding gown. She was ready to jump out of her skin by the time dessert and coffee were served.
It was hard not to notice that the elegant, lacquered Betsy Collins barely touched her food. Lily looked pointedly at her plate, and said, “The prime rib here is the best in the state. Didn't you care for it, Betsy?”
“I'm a vegetarian,” Betsy responded curtly. Her husband looked surprised at her announcement. Lily shrugged as she poured cream into her coffee.
Lily looked up and down the long table. “Did you all enjoy your dinner? Matt will want to know.”
Again, soft murmurings of agreement rushed up and down the table. The atmosphere was so chilly, Lily longed for her coat. She knew in her heart the dinner would have been more festive if Matt were there. Were the others intimidated by Dennis and Marcus? Possibly Marcus, but not Dennis, she decided. She wished she knew what was going on. There were undercurrents here that she didn't like. She hoped Matt would be able to explain it to her.
Lily sighed with relief when the waiters arrived to take away the dessert plates. The others looked at her. She knew they were wondering if they should get up to leave. Suddenly her backbone stiffened for the second time. “This is not a wake. It's supposed to be my rehearsal dinner. That means we're all supposed to be happy and smiling. The only people smiling here are Sadie and me, and my face is starting to hurt with the effort. I'm sorry if this was such a chore for all of you. As I said earlier, this dinner was Matt's idea, and I agreed with him because I viewed it as a happy event. There has been nothing happy about this evening at all. And, by the way, I am just as concerned about Matt's absence as you are. Things happen. Unfortunately, this is one of those times when he has no control over the situation. Having said that, why don't we just finish our coffee and go our respective ways. I'll leave it up to all of you to explain your attitude to your boss tomorrow.” She winced at Sadie's hard kick to her ankles.
Marcus stopped stirring his coffee and placed the spoon on the saucer. “I apologize, Lily. Dennis and I
are
concerned about Matt's absence. You're absolutely right about this evening. Our manners are deplorable. If it's all the same to you, I think Betsy and I will head back to the hotel and make some phone calls to the State Police to see what the road conditions are. If I find out anything, I'll give you a call. I'm sorry, Lily.”
Lily nodded miserably. It didn't help at all that Marcus's wife looked at her with such pity she cringed. Dennis's date, on the other hand, looked everywhere but at her. She did mumble something, but Lily couldn't make out the words.
“Don't say it, Sadie,” Lily said, tossing her napkin on the table. “I know exactly what you're thinking, but please don't voice those thoughts. I'm going to pay the bill, then we're going home.”
“That sounds like a plan, Lily. I say we sit around in our pajamas and have ourselves a rip-snorting girls' night.”
“Yeah, a plan,” Lily said, handing over her credit card to the waiter.
The ride back to Lily's apartment was made in virtual silence.
“Deep in my heart, I have this fear that Matt is not going to show up for the wedding,” Lily said, a catch in her voice.
“Of course he's going to show up. Stop thinking like that. He called and said he was delayed. Delayed, Lily, does not mean he won't show up. This is New Year's Eve. I guess his people would rather be home with their families. I can't fault them for that; nor should you.”