Читать книгу The One Winter Collection - Rebecca Winters - Страница 26

EPILOGUE

Two months later

AS A CHILD, Christmas had not been Lizzie’s favourite time of year—her family Christmas Days had always seen the sad cliché of every bitterness and conflict getting a good airing over the roast turkey and plum pudding.

As an adult, she had embraced Christmas as a joyous celebration, growing to love festive traditions whether celebrated in the winter of Europe or the Australian summer.

But this year’s Christmas was going to be the most magical and memorable of all—because this year Lizzie was celebrating Christmas as a bride.

On Christmas Eve—a perfect sunny south coast morning—Lizzie let Sandy fuss around fixing her hair, which had been braided into a thick plait interwoven with white ribbons and creamy frangipani flowers. In her ears were the exquisite diamond studs Jesse had given her as an early Christmas present.

The sisters were getting ready in a location van parked on the approach to Silver Gull beach. As the most significant moments of their courtship had taken place on beaches, she and Jesse had decided Silver Gull would be the perfect venue for their exchange of vows.

The location van had been Sandy’s idea; she was familiar with such luxuries from her days working on advertising shoots. Lizzie marvelled at the set-up—the interior was like a dressing room complete with mirrors and even a small bathroom. It was the ideal place to prepare for a wedding at a beach.

‘Now, let me check the dress,’ said Sandy, who was taking her duties as Lizzie’s bridesmaid very seriously.

Lizzie was so happy to be getting married to Jesse she hadn’t imagined she’d be plagued by any wedding day nerves. Not so. She wasn’t worried about the details of the ceremony; they had all been organised by Kate Lancaster, who had done such a marvellous job as wedding planner for Sandy and Ben’s wedding. Or about the reception—a small informal affair which was to be held back at Bay Bites. Lizzie’s team had all that under control.

No. Lizzie’s concern was that she wanted to look beautiful for Jesse.

She did a twirl as best she could in the confines of the van. ‘Do you think Jesse will like it?’ she asked Sandy, unable to suppress the tremor in her voice. She loved the ankle-length dress for its elegant simplicity: a V-neck tunic in soft off-white tulle lace layered over a silk under-dress and caught in with a flat bow in the small of her back.

‘Jesse won’t be able to keep his eyes off you,’ said Sandy. ‘I’ve never seen a lovelier bride, and I’m not saying that because you’re my baby sister. That dress is divine—simple, elegant, discreetly sexy. Just like you.’

Lizzie hugged her. ‘You’re okay about me marrying Jesse, aren’t you?’ she asked. ‘You warned me off him so many times. But he isn’t what people said, you know. He makes me happier than I ever could have imagined.’

She was taken aback by Sandy’s burst of laughter. ‘Ben and I couldn’t be more delighted you two are getting married. You and Jesse are perfect for each other. But you’re so stubborn you would have run the other way if I’d told you that. You had to find each other in your own way.’

Lizzie’s first reaction was to huff indignantly. But instead she smiled. ‘You did me a favour and I’m grateful.’ She paused. ‘Sisters married to brothers. It’s worked out so well for us, hasn’t it? Our guys from Dolphin Bay.’

‘Yes,’ said Sandy. Her hand went protectively to the slight swell of her belly. She and Ben were expecting a baby in six months’ time—an event anticipated with much joy by the Morgan clan. ‘We’re both getting our happily-ever-after endings.’

Then Sandy bustled Lizzie towards the door of the van. ‘Come on, bride, your gorgeous groom is waiting for you.’

Lizzie waited at the start of the ‘aisle’ formed by double rows of seashells that led to a white wooden wedding arch adorned with filmy white fabric and sprays of the small red flowers of the New South Wales Christmas bush. The aquamarine waters of the ocean with the white waves rolling in formed the most glorious backdrop for her wedding ceremony. When she drew in some deep calming breaths, the salt smell of the sea mingled with the sweet scent of the frangipani in her hair.

Both Sandy and Amy, her only attendants, had preceded her down the aisle. They both wore pretty knee-length dresses in a shade of palest coffee. Barista coffee, Lizzie had joked. They were all barefoot, with their toenails painted Christmas red in honour of the festive season.

There was one more thing to do before Lizzie took her journey down the aisle. She laid aside her bouquet of Christmas bush. Then slipped off her diamond engagement ring from the third finger of her left hand and transferred it to her right hand. Jesse had surprised her with the superb solitaire in a starkly simple platinum setting just days after he had proposed to her on this very beach.

She watched as Sandy reached the wedding arch and took her place beside Ben, Jesse’s best man. On her other side, Amy held her aunt’s hand. Then it was Lizzie’s turn to walk down the aisle to get married to Jesse.

The sand either side of the aisle was lined with well-wishers but they were just a blur to Lizzie. She recognised Maura standing by with Amy’s adored Alfie and Ben’s golden retriever Hobo firmly secured by leashes. But the only face she wanted to see was Jesse’s.

And then she was beside him; he was clean-shaven, his black hair tamed, heart-achingly handsome in a stone-coloured linen suit and an open-neck white silk shirt. Any doubts she might have had about him finding her beautiful on her wedding day were dispersed by the look of adoration in his deep blue eyes as he took her hand in his and drew her to his side.

‘I love you,’ he murmured.

‘I love you too,’ she whispered.

‘That’s three thousand and sixty-three times we’ve said it,’ he said.

‘And we have a lifetime ahead of us to keep on saying it,’ she said, tightening her clasp on his hand.

The celebrant called the guests to order. Before she knew it, they’d exchanged vows and Jesse was slipping the platinum wedding ring on her finger and then her diamond ring on top. ‘I declare you man and wife,’ said the celebrant.

‘Now I can kiss my bride,’ said Jesse, gathering her into his arms. ‘Mrs Lizzie Morgan.’

Their kiss should have been the cue for classical wedding music to play through the speakers placed strategically near the wedding arch.

But, as Jesse claimed his first kiss as her husband, Lizzie was stunned to hear instead the distinctive notes of Jesse’s signature tune rearranged for violin and piano.

‘Where did that music come from?’ she asked Jesse.

Jesse laughed. ‘No idea. But I like it. Now you truly are Jesse’s girl.’ He kissed her again to the accompaniment of clapping and cheering from their friends and family. ‘My wife—the best Christmas present ever.’

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