A Fresh Start

Chapter 6

Now that Grace had made the decision, everything moved surprisingly quickly. Thinking back over the last few days made her head whirl a bit.

She had barely seen Alan. There was absolutely no need to worry about the groom seeing the bride before the ceremony.

Rachel, on the other hand, had been ever present, and Grace was very grateful for that. To begin with, Rachel had bought out her notice period at Keys, making a pointed request on behalf of Alan Barden that Grace be released from that particular obligation.

Apparently, a request from Alan Barden could do a lot of things. Grace could hardly wrap her head around it.

Right at the moment, Grace was standing in an exclusive bridal boutique, wearing a one-of-a-kind Vera Wang dress that was, the owner of the boutique told her, ‘elegant, simple enough for a small wedding and perfect for her curves’.

Getting an appointment at that boutique usually took about four months. It had taken Rachel one day. It was her final fitting, and that was another process that should’ve taken months. It had taken three days.

Grace looked at her reflection in the mirror and wondered if she could recognize the person looking back at her. The woman looked sleek, curvaceous, and her eyes held mysteries. There was a soft, secret smile curving those full lips.

Was that really her? Was that how she appeared to others – to Alan?

Was that why he had chosen her, from among the legions of women he could’ve chosen?

Grace smoothed the simple ivory gown with its fitted bodice, cowl neck, and very slight flair around her ankles. The cut was exquisite. The lines suited her. The seed pearls along the bodice and the neck were the only embellishments on the dress. The effect was stunning.

She didn’t want to wear a tiara. There would be a single, bright flower in her hair.

After all, it wasn’t a big wedding. The photos had to look nice for the press release, so a designer gown and some preparation was necessary.

Grace felt tears pricking the back of her eyelid and was about to let her mood slip when she heard Violet.

“Gracie, you’re still here, good. Oh my dear, you look so lovely. What a beautiful bride you are.”

Grace blinked back tears.

“Mama, you said you couldn’t come!”

“I rearranged things, and managed. By the skin of my eyeteeth, by the looks of it. The dress is perfect. Any man would be more than lucky to marry you, Gracie.”

Grace chuckled. Having Violet there just made such a difference. It was incredible.

“Now, let’s talk shoes, shall we? I say we let practicality go to hell and get you a pair of heels that make your ass look incredible.”

Grace chuckled.

“Mama, I need to be able to walk down the aisle. You’re giving me away,” said Grace firmly.

Violet opened her mouth to object, but Grace interrupted.

“Violet Hickory, you know very well that you have been both mother and father to me. There is no need for anybody to stand in as my father because my father is right here and happens to also be my mother. And that’s that, Mama.”

Violet beamed, trying not to cry. She had raised a wonderful young woman. She hoped, more than anything else, that she wouldn’t find herself hurt. There was nothing worse than seeing your child hurt. If Alan Barden hurt Grace, he wouldn’t know what hit him.

She watched as Grace took a photo of herself and sent it to Rachel, who sent her approval back immediately.

This wasn’t the wedding she had hoped for and dreamed of, for her baby girl. But Violet believed in fate. Life had strange ways of leading you to your fate. Maybe it would all turn out better than she hoped. She knew that her daughter was smitten by Alan Barden, and had been for a long time.

He’d better not hurt her, she thought again grimly, as she helped her daughter find the perfect shoes.

A week later, Grace stood outside a small but perfectly decorated room in a five-star hotel – the same one where she had met Alan. The wedding was to be very small. It was just her mother, and Rachel. They were to be the witnesses and the guests. There was nobody else.

Violet stood beside her.

“Gracie?”

Grace turned nervous eyes on Violet.

“Are you all right?”

“Mama, am I making a huge mistake?”

Violet smiled.

“You won’t know until you make it, sweetheart.”

That made Grace smile despite herself. She stepped inside and onto the very short aisle. She looked up and saw the intensity on Alan’s handsome face, and it made the knot in her stomach untwist just a little bit.

She kept her eyes on him as she walked down the aisle, and was given away by Violet.

It was over before she could hold on to the moment, thought Grace a few minutes later. She had said the words. She knew that. She had the ring on her finger. She had signed the register.

Alan had said the words, too.

Rachel sprang into action and directed the photos. They would have to look good. That took longer than the wedding itself.

Alan hated it, realized Grace. He hated the performance. But he hadn’t hated the wedding. She would’ve seen it.

An hour later, Grace had been whisked up to Alan’s very big suite. He had booked himself in for the wedding, and she was looking forward to finding out where he lived, finally, it was a closely guarded secret.

She had another surprise waiting for her there. She had a whole new wardrobe.

Grace gaped at the perfectly tailored cocktail dresses, linen suits, trousers and blouses – even jeans and lingerie!

She whirled around when she heard somebody walking in.

“Grace, you found it. I hope you don’t mind, I put the beginning of a wardrobe together for you. You’ve had enough to worry about, I didn’t want to dump this on you, as well. This should be enough to keep you going until you have the time and energy to go out and do some shopping, don’t you think?”

Grace chuckled weakly.

“More? You want me to get more? This should last me a few years, Rachel.”

Rachel grinned.

“It’s a business expense, you know. We write off Alan’s clothes as a business expense, too. He needs them for appearances. So do you. So you can buy more with absolutely no guilt. It’s part of your expenses. There is a cap on jewelry, but you’ll still be able to enjoy yourself before you hit the cap.”

Grace shrugged.

“If he suddenly starts doing a dozen events a week, it’ll look too odd. He’ll have to ease into the events and talks circuit. It’ll be a while before I go through all of these and need more, I think.”

Rachel nodded briskly.

“Of course. If you enjoy shopping, you can indulge yourself. It’s just an option. What would you like to do, Grace?”

Grace smiled.

“I’d like to go to a book shop and buy out half their stock! But I’m sure Alan is booked for signings at book shops, so I’ll have the chance.”

Rachel chuckled.

“You know, it’s odd. Alan decided that you were perfect within a few minutes of seeing you. In the last few days, I’ve begun to see why. Now, lovely as you look, Violet and Alan will be up in a few minutes and wouldn’t you like to change into something more practical?”