True Love Read online

“Toby,” Alix said, “it’s all incredibly beautiful. Thank you.”

  “No tears!” Lexie ordered again. “Now come through here and wait until we return to get you. Jilly should be here by now.”

  A little tent had been set up beside the large one. The only thing in it were two chairs and Alix carefully sat down, spreading her skirt out so she wouldn’t crease it. She could hear people outside, but so far there’d been no shouting. Obviously, they hadn’t been told yet. The truth was that she dreaded being married in the midst of anger. There would be the guests’ disappointment and her mother’s hurt. Not a good way to begin a marriage! She truly hoped the guests would be understanding.

  When the tent flap moved, Alix expected to see Jilly, but there her mother stood in an emerald green silk suit and a little pillbox hat with a short veil. Alix didn’t think she’d ever looked more beautiful. A light about her face made her glow.

  “Mom,” Alix said, sounding like a lost five-year-old. She stood up and flung her arms around her mother’s neck—and the tears came from both of them. “How did you know? I thought I wouldn’t see you. I waited—”

  “Ssssh,” Victoria said, pulling out of her daughter’s embrace. “Now look what we’ve done to our faces. It’s a good thing I brought a repair kit. Now sit down and let me fix you.”

  Obediently—and very, very happily—Alix sat back down. Her mother took the other chair, pulled a full makeup kit out of her bag, and began to work on her daughter’s face.

  “How?” Alix whispered.

  “Oh, my goodness, Alix! You and your father are so much alike. Did you really think you could pull off something like this and I wouldn’t know about it? All that whispering, all that sneaking around. So where’s the ring?”

  Alix proudly held up her left hand.

  “Not bad.” She paused with the makeup sponge in her hand. “Who do you think told Jared your ring size?”

  “You?”

  “Of course it was me.” She smiled at her daughter. “When I got here and saw that you and Jared had already settled into what, by all accounts, was a married life, I knew I had to break up that overly comfortable arrangement.”

  “Why on earth would you do that?”

  “Darling,” Victoria said, “what’s on your finger right now? What dress are you wearing? Sometimes men need a nudge to get them going. Look up.”

  Alix was trying not to blink as her mother reapplied mascara, and thought about what she was hearing. “No cathedral? No fourteen-foot train?”

  “Really, dearest, give me credit for having some taste.”

  “Mom, I didn’t want to leave you out. I mean …”

  “No more tears,” Victoria said, smiling. “Now, aren’t you glad I made you design a larger cake and choose better flowers and invite more people?”

  “I am, actually. But Izzy—”

  “Is happy. I talked to her in Bermuda this morning, and she’s calm and peaceful, and the baby is no longer under stress. Later, after the baby is born, she and Glenn are going to have another ceremony and all the relatives will be there. You’ll be her matron of honor. It’s all going to work out. You’ll see.”

  Alix was looking at her mother. “You seem extraordinarily happy and I’m glad, but is there something else?”

  It didn’t seem possible, but Victoria’s face got even brighter, even more lovely. “Well, dear, I know you’re a virgin until tonight, but—”

  Alix laughed.

  “I had a rather interesting night.”

  “How so?”

  “Oh no, it’s not something I can tell you about. At least not now. This is your day.” Victoria was redoing her own makeup and she looked at her watch. “I’m going to have to leave you. Your father has the job of telling everyone of the bridal switch and I know he’s going to make a mess of it. I can hardly wait to see it!”

  “Mother, be nice.”

  “I’m being extraordinarily nice to your father. I haven’t said anything but sweet words to him all day. He’s beginning to look downright terrified.”

  Alix knew she shouldn’t laugh, but she did.

  “I have to go meet Caleb,” Victoria said as she stood up.

  “What?!” Alix said.

  “You and Addy and your ghost! It’s not Captain Caleb, it’s Freddy, you know, Dr. Huntley. And I can assure you that his body is quite solid.” She paused a moment to smile. “Anyway, this morning he told me that from now on he wanted to be called by his middle name, Caleb.”

  “That’s odd,” Alix said.

  “What’s odd is the energy of that man.” Victoria held up her hand. “But you’re still a virgin so I can’t tell you about that.”

  “Later, I want to hear every word about what’s been going on.”

  Victoria looked outside. “I will. I promise. Jilly is coming, and I’m going to sit in the church with Caleb and watch your father make a fool of himself. What a divine day this is!” She threw a kiss to Alix and left the tent.

  “There he is!” Lexie whispered to Toby. They were hidden inside a tent in their pretty jewel-toned dresses, and peeping out at the chapel. The ballerina-length gowns were alike, with form-fitting sleeveless tops, tight waists, and full skirts. The silk of the skirts was overlaid with tulle of a matching color. The only ornament was the little silver belt at the waist. Outside, the small building was packed with people and the two bridesmaids were waiting to be given the word to go in. Alix was secreted away with Jilly in another tent.

  Last night the three young women had gone out for a bachelorette party at the island’s liveliest nightspot. But they hadn’t stayed long because the whole place seemed to have been taken over by one man.

  As soon as Lexie saw him, she said, “He’s a Kingsley.”

  “I think in this case he’s a Montgomery,” Alix said. “Jilly told me a man was flying in for Toby.”

  Lexie looked surprised.

  “To walk me down the aisle,” Toby said. “Roger is for you, but I need someone.”

  “Plymouth?!” Lexie exclaimed. “You got my boss to fly in just to walk me down the aisle?”

  “Yes,” Toby said, “I did.”

  “Why didn’t you ask me?” Lexie said.

  “Because you would have said no.”

  “Yes, I would have. That man—”

  “Come on, guys,” Alix said. “This is my night. No fighting.”

  Reluctantly, Lexie had stopped arguing, but she didn’t smile.

  The three of them had ordered drinks, but the place was so loud that they couldn’t talk. The Kingsley-Montgomery man and the people around him were causing too much commotion. Great howls of laughter, both male and female, filled the place.

  “He certainly does love to party,” Lexie said. “I got the impression from Jared that the Montgomerys were paragons of virtue.”

  “There’s always a black sheep.”

  “Uh-oh, he’s spotted us,” Lexie said and looked away.

  The man removed the young woman from his lap and sauntered over to their table. He did look like Jared, but he was younger and there was a devil-may-care look in his eyes that Jared had never worn.

  “And what are you lovely ladies doing here all alone?”

  Lexie started to speak. After all, he was probably a distant relative, but without a word, Toby got up, left the table, and went outside.

  “Looks like we’re leaving,” Alix said as she finished her drink in one gulp, got her purse, and left.

  “See you tomorrow,” Lexie said and followed the other two outside.

  Now they were at the chapel and there he was, dressed in a tux, standing at the door and ushering people in.

  “That’s not him,” Toby said.

  “Are you kidding?” Lexie said. “That’s the man we saw last night. He’s doing well at covering up his hangover.”

  Toby didn’t say anything more as she stepped back inside the tent.

  Lexie had never been one to let a challenge go by. “Pssst,” she said to the man. Wh