Chapter 20 ~ Isabella ~
I t was a perfect spring day. The sun shone from the sky, pleasantly warming my back. Today was the first time this year I'd gone outside without a coat. The purple dress I wore looked absolutely stunning. Hayley had lent it to me, along with the silver jewelry I wore on my ears and around my neck. Of course, I'd be careful not to mention that to Carter or any of the wedding guests.
I looked around in amazement. We were standing in the garden behind Carter's parents' estate on Long Island. Estate. I shook my head in disbelief. The property reminded me more of a castle. Two stories with large rectangular windows and light brown shutters. A high roof. Slate, typical for Long Island. I replayed the last few minutes in my mind. We had reached the house via a... driveway. Yes, I'd call it a driveway. A long, gravel path that led up to the door and formed a large circle in front. We had then entered the house - or rather, the estate - through a solid wood door with two wings, framed by two white columns supporting the porch roof.
I hadn't taken in much of the house's interior. Now we were standing in the garden, which looked more manicured than many parks in New York. Surely there was a gardener who came regularly and took care of everything that needed to be done. A gardener? Probably an entire team of gardeners and landscape architects.
This family certainly didn't lack for money. Of course, I knew Carter had more money than I could imagine. But looking at the scene before me now, I realized what it meant to grow up in a wealthy family. I thought about my own childhood. Joanna and I had grown up with a lot of love, but little money. Our family had to pinch every penny. Of course, I didn't begrudge Carter's family their wealth. But it was a bit unfair that some people were simply rich without ever having to do anything for it, while others worked themselves to the bone without ever getting a real chance.
I pushed that thought aside. The guests present all looked particularly rich. And very nice. I admired the elegant dresses and exquisite jewelry worn by the ladies present. My silver necklace seemed cheap in comparison.
"You look wonderful," Carter whispered in my ear at that moment. He seemed to sense how I was feeling and gave me the confidence I needed to start this important day well.
"Thank you," I smiled back, looking deep into his bright blue eyes, which seemed to shine more than usual today. For a moment I lost myself in them, and it was as if the world around us ceased to exist. The chatter of the other guests faded into the background.
I was still smiling when an unpleasant voice interrupted us.
"As always, in a suit and sneakers. Still not making enough money to buy yourself a decent pair of shoes?"
I turned around. In front of me stood a man who looked a bit like Carter. And yet he seemed completely different. The eye color was the same, but the other man's eyes were without any warmth, without any spark. The nose was similarly shaped, but the other face already showed the first signs of wrinkles. He obviously often wore a grumpy expression. This must be Carter's brother.
"Cameron." Carter's voice sounded neutral. As he had already told me, he didn't get along particularly well with his brother. To put it mildly. "You look good," Carter added. "Even if your shoes probably weren't as expensive as mine."
"Didn't you read the invitation? Elegant attire requested! That's exactly what it said!" Carter's brother was visibly outraged.
"What's good enough for the best charity dinner in New York, for all conferences, and for a meeting with our Secretary of Commerce should be good enough for your wedding." Carter didn't give an inch. The two brothers were about to get into a full-blown argument.
Time to slip into my role as fiancée.
Women were supposed to mediate in such cases, to prevent their men from unnecessary arguments, right? Without hesitation, I extended my hand to Cameron.
"Hi, I'm Isabella. It's so nice to finally meet you. Carter has told me a lot about you. You've really picked a wonderful day for the wedding, you and... your future wife."
Damn.
I had forgotten the bride's name.
Had Carter even told me?
Cameron stared at me in astonishment, seeming to consider whether or not to take my outstretched hand. I held it out to him unflinchingly and looked him straight in the eye. "It's a magnificent estate," I added.
Cameron visibly felt uncomfortable in his skin. Finally, he took my hand and shook it.
"Nice to meet you," I said again.
Cameron said nothing in return.
"It seems you've chosen an intelligent woman, Carter. I wouldn't have given you credit for that." This remark came from a woman behind me. I turned slowly and found myself facing an elderly lady wearing an elegant dark blue dress with simple, heavy gold jewelry. Her eyes were also bright blue, and in them I found again the sparkle, the vivacity I knew from Carter.
Unlike with Cameron, Carter laughed at this comment.
"Isabella, may I introduce you to my Grandma Ruth. Such a statement could only come from her." Carter leaned down to his grandmother and planted a kiss on her wrinkled cheek.
The grandmother.
She might look harmless, but in the end... she was the one on whom my success hinged. I had to convince her that I was indeed Carter's fiancée. Because she decided who would get the inheritance.
Cameron.
Or Cameron and Carter.
I laughed as well. "I take that remark as a compliment." Then I turned to Carter's grandmother. "It's also a pleasure to finally meet you. Carter has told me a lot about you."
"A lot?" asked Grandma Ruth.
"Well, maybe not a lot, but certainly some," I replied. Grandma Ruth seemed to be a tough nut to crack. I had to be careful. I couldn't just drop empty phrases here - Grandma Ruth would take them seriously and put me through the wringer.
"I wouldn't have expected Carter to choose a woman with wit and spirit," Grandma Ruth repeated, looking at me in surprise.
"Now it's my turn to ask: How do you know I have wit and spirit? You've only just met me. And knowing Carter, he probably hasn't told you much about me," I retorted.
Grandma Ruth now examined me approvingly. "You've just proven that you have wit and spirit with your answer, my dear. And that you know my grandson quite well, too."
"Yeah, yeah, you women who think you know men," Carter now chimed in. "May I ask why you didn't think I was capable of finding a witty woman?"
"I didn't say find, my dear. It was more about wanting. I would have thought you'd pick a quieter specimen. A bit like Hanny."
Hanny.
Now I remembered. That was the bride's name.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Cameron now protested. "Don't you like my wife? Haven't we done everything in the last few weeks to make your life as comfortable as possible?"
"Of course, my dear." Grandma Ruth seemed unfazed. "I didn't say there was anything wrong with Hanny. She's just a completely different type of person than Isabella."
"It sounds like you'd prefer Isabella." Cameron wasn't so easily placated.
"She'll be good for Carter. I think Isabella will bring a breath of fresh air to our family. Some unconventional views." Grandma Ruth nodded at me.
"And Hanny won't do that?" Cameron persisted.
"Hanny will bring constancy to our family. She wants to preserve, not renew." Grandma Ruth seemed to have scrutinized Cameron's bride quite thoroughly as well. She was clearly the head of the family. Earlier, when Carter and I had arrived, I had also met Carter's parents. They had greeted me politely and looked at me with interest, but hadn't further commented on their son's choice. However, they were also quite busy with wedding preparations. Perhaps there would be an opportunity to speak with them in more detail later.
Isabella! What are you thinking? You're here to play a role in front of Carter's family! Not to get to know them and secure a place in their hearts forever. You should appear credible and make an effort, but you don't need to take the initiative. Hold back!
"Cameron, look away!" Another female voice sounded behind us. "Or step aside for a moment. I need Grandma Ruth's advice on the bridal bouquet. Hanny accidentally sat on it." Carter's mother was standing behind Carter and Cameron. Catherine.
"You two go away. This is women's business." Grandma Ruth energetically waved her silver cane in the air and directed Cameron and Carter to the other end of the property. "You'd better check if everything's ready at the buffet. Later it's all about the food anyway."
I giggled quietly.
I liked Grandma Ruth at least as much as she liked me.
SHE definitely had wit and spirit and had managed to preserve it in this certainly not easy family.
"What is it, Catherine?" Grandma Ruth now asked.
Carter's mother held out a rather crushed and slightly tattered bridal bouquet. "Hanny is finally dressed and just wanted to sit down for a moment. Unfortunately, she forgot that she had put the bridal bouquet on the chair in front of the dressing table. I wanted to warn her in time, but it was already too late..." Carter's mother looked desperate. "I immediately called the florist, but of course no one's there today. No one answered the phone."
This mishap could have happened to me too. I didn't know Hanny yet, and from everything Grandma Ruth had said, she seemed a bit boring. But the fact that things weren't perfect for the bride either made her instantly likeable to me. At least I wouldn't be alone if I ever made a mistake in this family, was a bit scatterbrained, or ran late.
Isabella! What are you thinking! You'll never see this family again after today. Never! Tonight the contract with Carter ends.
This thought made me uncomfortable.
"Can't Hanny just take the bouquet as it is?" Grandma Ruth now inquired. "The guests are sitting so far back anyway, no one will see. There just won't be a bouquet in the photos then." Pragmatic. I liked Grandma Ruth. She could have worked well in a hotel. Maybe a job in a hotel wasn't so different from being the head of a large family after all. In the hotel, the guests were the family.
"But she can't go without flowers at the wedding! After all, you only get married once in your life! What would that look like!" Catherine looked desperately at Grandma Ruth.
"What else do you want to do?" asked Grandma Ruth.
I stared thoughtfully at the bridal bouquet.
Purple roses.
Hadn't I just...?
"There are purple roses growing at the driveway! I saw them when we drove in. Three bushes," I said excitedly. "We could just cut a few and use them to spruce up the bouquet," I now suggested.
"What? Just cut something from my bushes?" Carter's mother clearly didn't like the suggestion.
"Excellent idea," Grandma Ruth praised me.
"But what will the garden look like then?" Carter's mother lamented.
"That's really not so important now," Grandma Ruth decided. "That's what you have a gardener for. He'll fix it up. Or he'll just bring a few new bushes and plant them." Grandma Ruth shook her head. "Catherine, didn't you just say that you only get married once in your life and shouldn't go without flowers? Now you can do your part!" With these words, Grandma Ruth tapped her silver cane on the ground three times. She wouldn't tolerate any contradiction. I grinned to myself and tried not to show my amusement too much. What a woman.
"Come, child, let's go to the front and then you can fix up the bridal bouquet." These words were directed at me.
What?
I was supposed to fix up the bridal bouquet.
"Well... I don't know if I can do that," I replied, slightly panicked, thinking of all the dead plants I had on my conscience. My lack of a green thumb was one of the reasons Emmett had fired me. And now, just a few days later, I was supposed to arrange a bridal bouquet?
But Grandma Ruth wouldn't take no for an answer. She linked her arm with mine, tucked her silver cane under her other arm, and pulled me with surprising strength towards the driveway where the three rose bushes with purple blooms grew.
"This was your idea, so you can do it," she declared.
If only the old lady was right about that.
A little while later, I stood in front of the rose bushes with garden shears in hand.
"Be careful of your dress, my dear," Grandma Ruth warned me.
I nodded and looked at the plants, perplexed. Luckily, it was a variety without thorns. I had never seen anything like that before. Carter's parents really seemed to spare no expense to make their lives as comfortable as possible. Even the roses here had no thorns.
Should I cut higher or lower?
At an angle or straight?
After a second, I shrugged, grabbed the tattered bridal bouquet, took measure, and cut off five blooms of about the right length. Then I carefully untied the ribbon around the bouquet and replaced the crushed roses. Fortunately, not all the flowers in the bouquet were damaged.
I took my work in hand and examined it critically.
"That looks pretty good already, child. Much better."
"I think it's still missing something," I remarked, frowning. The bouquet looked a bit boring. How much money had the florist wanted for this?
I looked around searchingly until my gaze fell on the edge of the opposite flower bed. On the other side of the driveway grew light purple gerberas.
Perfect.
Decisively, I crossed the gravel path.
Snip.
Snip.
Shortly after, I had cut a few gerberas. Carter's mother certainly wouldn't be thrilled, but I didn't care now. I would never see her again anyway.
At this thought, that strange pang shot through me again. I quickly stuck the gerberas into the bridal bouquet to distract myself.
"Now it really looks good," I said, looking at my work with satisfaction.
"Congratulations, child. You really have a talent for this sort of thing." Carter's grandmother was also satisfied. "Do you work for a florist?"
I suppressed a grin. If only Emmett could have heard that.
"No, I..." I paused.
What should I say?
I didn't even have a job.
"You look beautiful," Carter whispered into my ear from behind at that moment. "The bouquet suits you perfectly and matches your dress wonderfully."
I closed my eyes. A pleasant shiver ran through my body.
When I opened my eyes again, I met Grandma Ruth's gaze. She smiled. "Carter is in good hands with you."
I nodded, dazed.
Contrary to expectations, I felt at home in this family.