The Geary Series Boxed Set (43 page)

Lilly grinned along with the rest of the witnesses to the nuptials. All the guests had a view and were in earshot of the conversation. The doors closed again and Lilly gathered her thoughts, her teeth chattered with nerves, she couldn’t wait to marry Elijah, but she was still nervous. She wasn’t a fan of firsts. The door opened again, fracturing her thoughts, she had just about gained control and then Olivia, Angie and Cecily grinned with their hands behind their back.

“You’ve already had old, the pendant that Elijah rescued for you, so we thought we’d make up the rest,” Olivia said and dropped to her knees. She tapped Lilly’s ankle and once she had balanced on one foot, Olivia pulled up a blue garter over her jeans. She positioned the white bow at the back, sauntered around to see her handy work and slapped Lilly’s arse in approval.

Cecily untied Lilly’s hair and French braided her long hair with an entwined blue ribbon. “This is my ribbon, but you can borrow if for today.” She added and tugged her braid down and kissed her cheek.

Angie stepped forward, “You’re the best friend I wished for in a school and in my twenties, I’m so glad I found you when I came to the UK. Here is something new to complete the old fashioned rhyme.” She lifted the tiara from behind her back and placed it on Lilly’s head. This was with some difficulty at first because she couldn’t reach, Cecily helped and lifted her up by the waist so she could position it correctly.

“You look perfect, let’s go.” Angie kissed her cheek and the three women left her alone once more. They left the door open this time and Lilly took a peek at Elijah, he was sending her his most smouldering, enticing lure.

The three women linked arms and walked into the room in a slow march, calling for Lilly to follow, they escorted her to her seat next to Elijah. The semi-circle desk that sat behind the bride and groom could seat fifteen people, the leather chairs had low backs so that the guests sitting behind them could get a good view. More high-backed chairs lined the walls and should the need arise more than fifty people could fit into the room. In this case, everyone could sit at the central table.

Lilly and Elijah took their place, seated in two high backed leather armchairs. They held hands and looked ahead. Elijah stroked the back of Lilly’s hand as they listened to the registrar introduce the other lady in the room, officiating the wedding. She also sat in a high back leather chair and sat at an old oak writing desk. Lilly sneaked a look around the room and smiled back to everyone who looked on. The room filled with happiness raised a lump in Lilly’s throat. Her nerves kicked in and she started to shake. She couldn’t wait to be married but the fact that she didn’t want her parents present began to unnerve her. The pressure of that decision came full force and tears stung the back of her eyes. Swallowing away her tears, she overcame the loss of not having her family present and concentrated on what the registrar was saying. She held open her book and read out the traditional vows. Lilly and Elijah repeated her words and placed the plain platinum wedding bands on each other’s fingers. The ceremony didn’t take long, there were no readings or songs to be sang, plain and simple. Within ten minutes, they were pronounced man and wife.

Elijah indecently kissed his new wife in front of the assembled crowd with a resounding sound of applause and catcalls. Angie was the first to hug her best friend and call her Mrs Geary. Lilly showed off her the wedding ring Elijah had placed on her finger during the vows. The platinum plain band shone in the registry office lights.

Elijah hugged his parents and shook hands with his brother who bear-hugged him back.

“Congratulations Elijah, thanks for making my job as best man so easy,” Mickey said as he greeted his best mate and his new wife. “I never thought you would actually pull this off, you’re such a klutz,” Mickey said.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but to be honest it was all Jack’s doing, I didn’t have a clue really.” Elijah conceded.

Jack slapped his brother on the back and took Olivia’s hand and kissed her wrist. It wasn’t so long ago that he said his vows before his friends and family. Now both of the brothers were married, one with a baby on the way. Elijah’s parents looked on with pride, they witnessed a new generation in the making.

Elijah and Lilly made their way around to all the guests, kissing and hugging everyone and accepting their congratulations. 

Angie stood next to Mickey and kept quiet for a moment, thinking about what to say to him. He was a player by reputation and an outrageous flirt, she hadn’t worked out if he was boyfriend material. She hoped that he was, because she had taken a fancy to his smart mouth and twinkly blue eyes.

“Are you happy for them Mickey?” Angie asked.

“I couldn’t be happier, he is an amazing man and she is perfect for him.” Michael offered.

The registrar opened the side door of the wedding room, sunshine spilled in. The guests started to filter out of the room, one by one. Angie stuck to Mickey’s side, he had answered well on her last question so now it was time for a direct question.

“Why are you single Mickey?” Angie asked him once they had shuffled out into the sunlight. The room that they had the ceremony in had high windows and not much natural light. The wedding party exited out the side door and straight into the busy pedestrian street.

“I prefer it that way, I’d be no good for a woman, too much of a loner,” Mickey said, stuffing his hands in his trouser pockets and rocking back on his heels. He stared at his feet, half ashamed that he didn’t think he would make a good boyfriend. He had spent most of it on his own and then he joined the Navy. He never stayed anywhere long enough to fall in love. After many years, he assumed that his happiness lay following orders and solving everyone else’s problems. He was good at both and stayed in his comfort zone. Mickey wished that he could be more open with Angie, she was the kind of woman he wanted.

“I don’t believe that for a minute Mickey, you have a big heart. You don’t fool me, even though you have your heart surrounded by a brick wall.” She quipped.

Before Mickey could protest, the rest of the group joined them with confetti at the ready. Angie pulled out a box of confetti from her handbag and opened the top and offered it to Mickey. He smiled at her gesture and took a handful of the white, red and pink paper hearts.

The happy couple was about to emerge into the sunshine. As soon as they appeared in the outside, everyone threw confetti over them. Their hair littered with pretty pieces of paper, the floor swirled with handfuls around their feet.

Harry stayed to shake Elijah’s hand and hug Lilly and then waved his goodbye and let the group celebrate without him. He cited he was too old to keep up with the young ones. Cecily piped up from her place next to her best friend Olivia that it was time to leave. She lead the party to the pub that had the promised sausage and mash.

“Lilly,” Jane called from behind a pillar, she was propped up against the stone wall by the entrance, with a lit cigarette in her hand. Lilly turned around, she let go of Elijah’s hand and ran over to hug her aunt.

“I’m so glad you’re here Aunt Jane, why didn’t you come to the ceremony, you would have been welcome.” Lilly held Jane’s free hand and assessed her aunt. She was looking tired and worn out. Her hand was cold and clammy.

“Ah, I don’t think I would be an acceptable company at the moment. I’m not feeling too good.” Jane advised.

Lilly knew this to be a lie, her aunt had been an alcoholic for as long as she knew what the word meant.

Lilly stayed where she stood, but the smell of alcohol on Jane’s breath could have stopped a dragon. Jane hid her slur well as she spoke, concentrating hard on her pronunciation. Lilly hugged her hard and forgave her for turning up to her wedding drunk.

“I thought you had gone back to Brighton. I got married.” Lilly shouted and grabbed her shoulders and jumped up and down.

“He’s a real catch, I can’t wait to hear your mother’s reaction when she finds out who you’ve married. Please let me be there when you tell her, please?” She begged.

“She already knows, what is the drama with me marrying Elijah, she wouldn’t elaborate,” Lilly asked.

“Ha,” Jane snorted and continued, “I bet she wouldn’t, she has the superior knowledge and she will punish you by not telling you why she doesn’t approve. I bet she said that he would break your heart.” Jane asked and nodded as soon as she saw Lilly’s expression. “Told ya.” Jane slipped her hand into her bag and fished around for her cigarettes and lighter. She had just stubbed out her last cigarette thirty seconds beforehand. It took too long to find her lighter and Mickey came to her rescue. He held the lighter and shielded the flame from the breeze, aiding her to light her cigarette on her first drag.

“Hello, who are you?” Jane asked politely.

“I’m Mickey and you’re Jane I understand. Are you coming to the pub?” Mickey asked.

Jane looked at Lilly for permission.

“Of course she’s coming, I want to know about her life down in Brighton and all the naughtiness she gets up to,” Lilly said maintaining eye contact with Jane.

“Naughtiness, well, you’re going to be a great company. You can assist me in how I can woo Angie, my two best friends are married to great women and now I want one. I’ve found her but have no idea how to court her.” Mickey confessed.

“I’ll try my best, but, I’ve never been in love so I may fail,” Jane answered.

Both Lilly and Mickey looked shocked, they linked arms through hers and escorted her to the pub. They peppered her with questions about the nightlife in Brighton and when they could come and visit her.

Elijah has decided on very little formality. It didn’t occur to him that he would be given the marriage certificate. He didn’t have big enough pockets and didn’t know what to do with the folded piece of paper. Olivia held out her hand and took the envelope and stuffed it into her handbag so that it was safely tucked away. The remainder of the party strolled to the pub, arm in arm, chatting merrily about love and marriage.

The wedding party walked happily to the pub for a celebratory meal, the laughter rang through the narrow streets.

“We must look like we’re on a hen and stag do,” Lilly whispered to Elijah, she clung to his arm as they walked. Elijah looked over his shoulder to see a dozen people all dressed in white t-shirts and jeans. The only distinctive part of each individual had been their choice of footwear. The only exception was Jane, who walked with Mickey at the back. Jane was dressed all in black.

“I love it, it humbles me that everyone followed the dress code. I didn’t want any fuss for you, I tried to get Jack to organise as little fanfare as possible. To be honest there was no hardship, I did very little apart from stressing that you wouldn’t say yes.” Elijah said.

“I love it too, I couldn’t be happier Mr Geary,” Lilly answered and meant every word, she planned on growing old and grey with this man. Many years of laughter and hopefully children.

“That’s good to hear Mrs Geary because you’re stuck with me, until death do us part, sweetheart. Oh, we’re here.” He swiftly changed the subject, not happy that he had mentioned death so soon after they had been married, he didn’t plan on dying for quite some time.

The aquamarine painted pub was situated at the end of a quiet road, Jack had booked it exclusively for the next four hours. Their speciality were their sausages, they only served one dish, sausage and mash. The range of thirty different, homemade flavours, set them apart from any other pub food in the area. It was perfect for Lilly’s request, although she didn’t realise her flippant comment would come to life. The landlord stood at the doorway, waiting for his guests to arrive. He flipped the sign on the closed door which read wedding party, rather than the usual, open. A cheer went up through the group and Jack ushered everyone inside and told Lilly and Elijah to wait outside.

“Is sausage and mash ok for a wedding breakfast? We can go somewhere else if you’d like?” Elijah took Lilly in his arms while they waited for Jack to come and collect them.

“It’s perfect, sausage and mash is a favourite meal of mine, I will be careful what I say in front of Jack in the future as it might just come true.” Lilly thought back to the conversation she had with Jack when they were arguing over her helping Olivia with her wedding plans. Never did she think at that point saying she would want to go to a local pub for a wedding breakfast that it would come to fruition. “Now, stop fretting and kiss me.”Lilly pleaded.

Elijah kissed her lips and pushed her up against the wall gently. Their tongues danced as they kissed, Elijah pressed his firm body against hers, he could feel her breasts through his t-shirt. Slipping his hand between Lilly’s t-shirt and the base of her back, he drew circles with the pads of his fingers until he felt the telltale goose bumps, signally her excitement. The kiss took on a life of its own, passionate and intimate. The familiarity that they would know for the rest of their lives thrilled Lilly.

A quiet cough punctured their bubble of passion and they drew apart instantly. They were caught kissing in public.

“Come on love birds, we’re ready for you,” Jack said smirking and rubbing his chin. He was proud of his brother but also delighted he had found a wife he could trust.

Giggling like school kids being caught behind the bike sheds, they held hands and entered the pub. A chorus of cheers met them with a round of applause.

“May I present to you, Lilly and Elijah,” Jack announced to the assembled group, he passed a glass of champagne into each of their hands and raised a toast. “May you be happy forever, Elijah and Lilly.” He added.

The guests all raised their hands that had their glass of champagne, shouted their names and took a gulp of their drink. Jack took Olivia’s drink out of her hand and she pouted. “I can’t even have a full glass?” She asked.

“No, we made a deal at our wedding, no alcohol, this is an exception, and one sip is all we’re having,” Jack warned.

Olivia made a face at her husband and he kissed her in return, she was carrying his baby and he wouldn’t risk anything. Giving up alcohol to support his wife was the least he could do.

The square matching tables had been placed together in the centre of the room, just as they were about to sit down another guest arrived.

“Aunt Jane,” Lilly jumped up from her seat and hugged her aunt. “I’m so glad you came, please come and take a seat.”

Lilly thought she had disappeared away when Mickey had arrived alone. The bench seats that were placed by the tables could fit plenty of people, everyone shuffled along to let Jane sit down. She looked around sheepishly and her eyes settled on Michael and Ruth, Michael nodded once and returned to his conversation with Jack, who was sitting next to him.

Jane sat between Mickey and Lilly, not uttering a word. She wasn’t entirely sure if she should be here at all. The hot serving dishes of sausages and mash had been placed in front of all the guests and large jugs of gravy were scattered on the table. The noise levels grew quiet as everyone sampled their food. Removing the cloth napkin from her lap, Jane leant on the table, just about to stand when Mickey began talking to her.