Chapter 19
NINETEEN
Keely was generous enough to allow me a few hours a day to plan for my upcoming wedding to Bradley Baker.
Ayra and Jai had been equally generous in their offer of their home, Moon Manor, for the double ceremony and reception.
As I prepared to try on the wedding dress I’d chosen, a knock at the door stopped me.
“Susan, are you there?”
I opened the door to Holly.
“I just had to show you my dress,” she blurted out. A large garment bag was draped over her arm.
I smiled. “I was just about to try on mine.”
“Great. Let’s try them together.”
I fully expected her to have found an over the top, fully crystallized and lacy dress with an endless train. That was simply who she was. I, in comparison, would surely look plain and ordinary... boring even. Then again, that was who I was.
She went off into the bathroom to change while I changed in my room.
“Okay,” she called through the door. “On three.”
The child still resided in her.
“One, two... three.” She came out and we faced one another.
To my surprise, her dress was simple and classic. Only a few crystals adorned the bustline and a fine, fine lace trimmed the edge of the modest train.
In many ways it was similar to mine. I had just a touch of crystals at the neckline, and a shorter train. While hers was sleeveless, mine had delicate cap sleeves.
“I can’t believe it,” she said. “Oh, won’t we be so beautiful.”
“I have to agree.”
“Oh, Susan,” she cried out as she grabbed my hands. “Let’s go show Mum.”
“Okay,” I said with a nod.
We headed out and reached Mother’s door. Even before knocking we could hear odd sounds coming from her room.
“Mother?” I said.
“Hang on!” she shouted. More odd sounds.
I knocked. “Mother, what’s going on?”
The door opened and Gordon stood there looking at us.
“Wow,” he said as he looked us up and down, his eyes wide with surprise.
“Where’s my mother?” Holly quickly shot at him.
He smiled, nodded and headed out. “I’ll leave you to her.”
Holly shot daggers at him with her eyes, such was her anger, then turned to boldly enter Mother’s room.
“Mum, what is going on here?” she said, so quick to take on the role of the scolding parent.
“Oh, look at you two. You girls look so beautiful. Your respective grooms will fall in love with you all over again.”
“Stop changing the subject,” Holly scolded. “I want to know what’s going on between you and that man. Susan told me she’s seen him here before. Are you planning to replace Father? Are you looking to make this double wedding a triple?”
“Oh, heavens no, Holly.”
“The wedding is in three days, Mother,” I said, hoping to put an end to Holly’s line of questions. “Have you decided what you’ll be wearing?”
“I pulled my long lavender silk skirt out of the closet. It’s still very elegant and chic. Timeless, really. I thought I would pair it with my white silk blouse. Do you think that will do for the mother of the brides?”
“You’ll look lovely, Mother,” Holly said.
“I was wondering, have you girls considered who’ll be walking you down the aisle?”
Holly and I looked at one another then shrugged.
“No,” I said looking once again at my mother. “I hadn’t really thought of that.”
“Maybe we could ask Jai,” Holly suggested.
“Isn’t he supposed to be Major Cooper’s best man?”
She nodded. “Right.”
“Maybe we could ask Keely’s husband, Hugh,” I said.
“I have a better idea,” Mother said. “Maybe it’s a little unusual, but....”
We both looked at her, waiting.
“What would you say if I, well... what if I rolled along with you girls down the aisle?”
Holly and I looked at one another again.
“Do you think the aisle would be wide enough to accommodate my wheelchair?” Mother added.
“I’m sure it will, Mother,” I said. “And I think that having you walk us down the aisle is a wonderful idea. I would have never thought to ask, but I’d be so honored.”
“Me, too,” Holly said.
“Good. Good. I really want to do this.”
*****
SENSE AND SENSIBILITY had wrapped up the day before, leaving the cast and crew free to attend our wedding.
The garden was all set up with dozens of chairs, a simple altar and a paved walk to serve as the aisle. With Mother in a wheelchair, we couldn’t imagine her rolling through the grass.
“You both look exquisite,” Keely said just before leaving us.
We were in the drawing room closest to the door that led out to the garden. Holly and I were in our wedding dresses, Mother in her lavender silk skirt and jacket.
“Abbie said her husband, Gabriel Tillsbury, might be a little late,” I said.
Keely shook her head. “He has already arrived, and he is ready to officiate both your weddings. The grooms are ready and waiting. Everything is set.”
Holly and I looked at one another.
“Ready?” I said.
She nodded.
“Okay, then,” Keely said as she opened the door to leave us. “I’ll tell them to get the music started.”
I turned to my mother. “Ready to go?”
“Yes,” she said. “But I thought I would now share with you my little surprise.”
I frowned. “I don’t really know if this is the time, Mother. Everyone is waiting for us.”
She nodded. “Yes. Yes. They’ll wait a moment more.”
“All right,” I said, my nerves pushing me to sound a little impatient.
“Come, my girls,” she said, reaching out to grasp our hands.
She shifted up to the edge of her wheelchair.
“Mum,” Holly said, instantly alarmed. “What are you doing?”
She set her feet on the floor, tightened her hold on our hands, and stood.
“I may be a little unsteady, and I may be very, very slow, but I will walk... walk you two down the aisle.”
“Mother,” I whispered. “How did you...?”
“Surprised?” She looked at me with a playful grin.
“Shocked. Stunned. Amazed. And yes, surprised.”
“Ayra set me up with a physical therapist.”
“Gordon?”
Smiling, she nodded.
The music started and she held onto us as we made our way to the door. Indeed, our progress was slow, but it was a gift in and of itself to have her standing, to have her walking.
Having seen Mother in her wheelchair all these weeks, the guests, crew and cast were equally surprised to see the three of us walking down the aisle.
As we reached our respective grooms, Mother handed us off.
“You two take good care of my girls,” she said.
Major Cooper and Brad nodded.
Gordon, standing nearby, reached out to keep Mother steady and guided her to a chair in the first row. Holly and I looked at each other, tears in our eyes.
What had started as something bleak and overwhelming had steadied into love and healing.
My mind drifted to a verse, 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, “Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. "
Holly, my mother, and I had learned this lesson well, and God had prepared us to enter into a new stage of our lives with Major and Bradley where we will continue to remember what love is. I looked over at the cross in front of us as Gabriel Tillsbury started the ceremony.
How amazing that we also learned this lesson through Jane Austen, whose father was a pastor, and Jane’s heroines continued to choose the right men for them, men with strong character, integrity, a sense of responsibility, and great respect for the women they love.
As I looked around me and Pastor Tillsbury, I realized how special all of this was, how this film, this place, this set of amazing people around us were not coincidence, but meant to be.
Everything made sense now, and all is well with our sensibilities.