2 A Christmas Wedding To Die For (3 page)

She shook her head. "Only in Victoria."

"Maybe we can put a few ducks on."

"Bite your tongue."

"Actually I think the cake will be easier than the grooms' cake. I'm guessing most homeless people aren't up on the latest PlayStation or Xbox."

"Maybe just cut off the sides and make a square cake," she said frowning.

"Wouldn't work that well. Besides I've got a better idea. I'm having a gaming night at my apartment tomorrow so I'll take it off your hands and make something else for the party. If that's OK with you, of course."

"Perfect and the cake is big enough to feed five hundred. I think we'll be OK."

"Awesome," Heath said. "But then you have to let me put something else in."

"What?" she said.

He just shook his head. "Trust me, OK. I just have to make a few phone calls."

In the end she didn't have much choice. Although considering the mountains of food left from the wedding she really didn't think there was anything to add to the feast.

The church hall Kevin had managed to secure was huge. And judging from how it looked Kevin's crew had been working non-stop throughout the day to transform what would have been a drab and dowdy venue to one filled with warmth and Christmas cheer.

Garlands of pine with big red bows covered the walls. Tables had been set up in long rows with white table cloths. The same linen ones, she suspected, that she'd seen a day ago at the wedding itself. Each table had a small flower arrangement while in the corner a tree, easily twenty feet high had been decorated with Christmas bows in red and gold along with Christmas ornaments and lights. Underneath was a mountain of presents. At least they looked like presents. The smell of roasted turkey filled the air along with all manner of other good smells. Kevin approached her with a smile on his face.

"Not bad for a last minute change of plans is it?"

"You've outdone yourself," she cried. "Have you slept at all?"

He shrugged. "Sleep is over-rated. There'll be time enough for that when tonight is over."

She gestured towards the tree. "Don't tell me those are presents for everyone attending?"

"Mainly for the children," he said smiling. "Although we've tried to provide something for all the adults as well."

She shook her head. "I don't know how you managed to pull all this off at the last minute. And how did you find the guests?"

He shrugged. "Sadly that wasn't hard at all. Particularly with snow bringing more of the homeless indoors and out of the cold than usual. I simply asked the minister to find homeless people and others in need of help and he happily said he'd find people to attend. By noon we had a full house."

"Where do you want the cake?"

He pointed in the direction of the church kitchen. "There's a pantry area off to one side. That should keep it cool enough and stop anyone from running into it in their rush."

"OK, we'll get it set up. When are the guests expected to start arriving?"

"We've moved the dinner up to five o'clock." He shrugged. "It's not a problem for us and with the weather like this the sooner we open the doors the sooner guests can come in from the cold."

She smiled. "At least some good will come of this."

"I think that's why both Zeke and Amoury responded so positively to it. Although I didn't expect them to be down here helping out."

"They're getting along?"

"I'm doing my best to keep them separated," Kevin said. "Although I don't think either of them is in a mood to fight right now."

She spotted Zeke on the far side of the room putting flower arrangements together for the tables. Noticing he was alone she headed towards him.

He looked old beyond his years, easily having aged ten years in the last day. He gave her a grim smile when she approached. In his mid-forties with gray just beginning to show through his dark brown hair, he had grey green eyes that usually danced with happiness. Today she saw only sorrow and hurt.

"I'm so sorry for what happened, Mr. Grant. How is Julianna doing?"

"The doctors think she'll make a full recovery." He gave a deep sigh, shaking his head. "I just don't understand what happened. And if Julianna knows anything she's not saying."

He gave her a small smile. "I should be thanking you. Without your quick thinking she'd be dead." A shudder passed through him.

"I'm just happy I could help," she said modestly. "If I can do anything let me know."

He shook his head. "I don't want you getting involved in this. You could end up injured or worse."

"But-,"

"I know your reputation as an amateur sleuth but let the police do their jobs. I'm more than glad you were there last night to save the day. The police have the training and expertise to get the job done."

"I never even thought about it," Maxine said truthfully. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right. I -," she gestured at the huge hall being set up for a feast with entertainment to follow. "This is very generous on your part and I'm sure no one would fault you if you stayed with your daughter."

"My wife and Rohan are taking turns sitting by Julianna's bed waiting..." he broke off, unable to continue and Maxine placed her hand on his arm in a gesture of comfort.

"I understand. If there's anything we can do for you, anything at all..."

He gave a grim smile. "Right now it's a matter of waiting. And when Kevin asked about this it was a no-brainer. At least something good will come of this whole mess." He gestured toward Amoury, "although I didn't expect to see him here."

"I think he felt the same way you do," she said carefully.

"Yeah," Zeke said grimly. He gave another deep sigh. "We started out together you know, grew up in the same neighborhood, started a company together-," He gave a bitter laugh. "Until I came up with something he didn't believe in and I did. So I went out on my own and he's been calling me a thief ever since."

"You don't think..."

He gave her a look of honest surprise. "That he's involved in this." He shook his head. "He wasn't happy about the wedding. But he'd never do anything like this. And I..." he shook his head. "I was hoping this would bring our families together, that we could put the past behind us."

"Maybe it still will," she said. As she headed back towards the kitchen to work on her cake she wasn't so sure. No matter what he wanted, Amoury didn't seem nearly as ready for reconciliation. Whatever his personal feelings though, he, and all his family, as far as she knew, had been at the wedding.

She was wondering how to approach Amoury, when Kevin announced they were throwing the doors open early.

"Are you sure about this?" she whispered at his announcement.

"Minister wants to. This is turning into the worst winter storm Victoria has had in years. With the temperature going down we need to get these people off the streets."

She shivered at the thought of anyone outside in this weather. "Of course," she said.

At the same time she couldn't help wondering how Grandma Ellie was or Bernice and all her cronies over at the Bernice Kelly townhomes. There wasn't much time to worry about that though as people crowded through the doors and she found herself in an impromptu receiving line.

There were old people and young people, families and small groups of friends. Most she didn't recognize although she recognized one of them as a busker who played in front of her shop when the weather was warmer. And she'd seen another down in the inner harbor juggling during the summer.

"This days for you," she said smiling at an older women with missing front teeth.

"And I plan on enjoying it," the lady cackled. "Though I can't help wondering who died."

Maxine winced. "That's not why we're doing this."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," the lady said. She leaned forward whispering conspiratorially. "It's OK dearie. I know it sounds hard-hearted but I'm glad. We're going to have a bang-up time tonight and it just might keep one or two of MY friends from dying."

Maxine was momentarily rendered speechless until a little girl twirled in front of her. Dressed in an overcoat that had seen better days she opened it to show a pink dress with tulle skirt.

"Look at me! I look bea-u-tiful!" she said, her face lighting up in the biggest smile Maxine could remember seeing.

"You certainly are," she said bending down to talk to her. "Are you dressed up for the party?"

The little girl looked at her with big eye and nodded. "Mommy said this was going to be the biggest party ever!"

"It is," she whispered back. "And I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure it lives up to your expectations."

The little girl looked puzzled. "What are expectations?"

"Well," Maxine, thinking quickly. "You're expecting this party to be the best ever, right?"

She nodded.

"So it's my job to make sure it is."

"I like that!" the little girl crowed.

"I thought you would," Maxine said. "So I need to know what makes a party special to you."

"This," the little girl exclaimed. "Everything all pretty and everyone here to have fun with. And there's going to be a feast my mom said. And lots of cake. And maybe even a Present!" She clapped her hands together and Maxine felt a huge lump in her throat.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"It's Angelina," she said proudly. "But everyone just calls me Angel."

"Well, Angel," I want you to promise me that if you're not having a good time you let me know immediately and I'll make sure you do. Deal?"

"Deal," the little girl said. She turned to the woman next to her. "See Mom I told you tonight I get to be a princess."

The woman smiled gratefully at Maxine. "Thank you. You don't know how much this means for us."

"I'm just glad we could help," Maxine said, fighting tears.

And as the crowd surged forward she found herself meeting people that made her wonder at life's unfairness and resolve to do more to help. When the last person present had been greeted she turned her attention to where Amoury had been at the start of this and found the guests crowded around. She pushed to the front to see Amoury teaching a child how to play dance revolution.

"See, just like this," he said demonstrating some of the moves with a clumsy charm that put the small girl he was teaching at ease and made the other children laugh. "Come on, give it a try." And he had the small child dancing with him.

With his curly brown hair, chocolate brown eyes with gold flecks and a ready smile he had a charm about him that relaxed all those around him. So why had Rohan gone against his wishes? Worse, he'd gone over to his rival's side.

Kevin wasn't the only one who had hinted he was marrying Julianna to spite his father as much as anything else. Maxine found herself hoping someone would find the answers before Julianna was released from hospital.

She turned to see Heath leading her Grandma Ellie, Bernice Kelly and some of the other seniors from the Bernice Kelly townhomes through the crowd and over to her. They were laden down with gaily wrapped boxes.

"How, where did all this come from..." she said in shock.

He grinned from ear to ear. "I told you I had connections. I called my old high school. They've got a leadership program and I knew they used to have a project where they collected all kinds of soap and everything from the local hotels. They had a whole bunch of stuff already collected that they'd been planning on giving out to the homeless.

"I thought it would be nicer if we made everything look pretty," Bernice said. "Some of my neighbors are pretty good with a sewing machine if I do say so myself," she said proudly.

"We've been putting together care packages since early morning," Grandma Ellie said proudly. "There's soap, shampoo, hand lotions and shower gels to start with. Then we've got at least one pair of socks in every package along with scarves and gloves. From what the minister said when I talked to him there's presents for all the kids but not much for the grown-ups."

"That made me sad," Bernice Kelly said. "No one's so old they don't want presents."

Heath beamed with happiness and Maxine felt herself tearing up.

Amoury had come up to join the group. "More presents?" he said.

Maxine turned towards him. "When Kevin phoned us I talked to Heath and he told me he had a few things to arrange, I had no idea it was anything on this scale..."

Amoury shook his hand. "Good going!" He shook his head. "I had no idea Victoria had so many people in need." He helped arrange the presents beneath the tree and then found seating for Bernice Kelly and all her friends.

Maxine found herself standing next to him as the evening progressed, while they watched the younger ones play all manner of games and the grown-ups talked, with periodic gusts of laughter breaking out.

"I only wish tragedy hadn't been the only reason for this night."

He sighed. "I still can't believe it."

"I know you didn't want them to marry."

"I don't have anything against Juliana," he said brusquely. "It's her father I have a problem with."

"I'm surprised Rohan went to work for him in the first place."

"He wanted to prove he could make it on his own without any help from me," Amoury said harshly. "He assumed if Zeke hired him it would be purely on his merits." He gave a grim smile. "I'm not so sure about that but there wasn't anything I could do to stop it." He shrugged. "And once he met Julianna he was smitten."

"So it was true love?"

"My son, like most young men, finds it easy to love beautiful women. And Julianna is beautiful."

"Did you know anyone who'd want to harm her?"

He shrugged, giving her an appraising look. "None. Why do you ask? Have you decided to play detective?"

She flushed slightly at his words. "I'm only curious."

"As are many people. Yet none have asked me the questions you have."

The night had been declared a huge success with everyone vowing to do it again next year.

"Only this time there won't be such a sad event to start with."

"Has Julianna recovered?"

"Physically," Zeke said. "She still can't remember what happened."