Judith Stacy – Married By Midnight (страница 6)

“Cecilia,” Constance said, “please, calm down.”

“What happened?” Nick asked.

“It’s off! The wedding! Aaron—Aaron never really loved me at all!” Cecilia collapsed into racking sobs against Nick.

He gathered her into his arms and turned to their mother. “What the hell happened?”

“I have no idea. I found her this way in her room a few minutes ago,” Constance said, her eyes wide. She touched her daughter’s shoulder. “Cecilia, dear, you must tell us what happened. Why do you think Aaron doesn’t love you?”

“Because he doesn’t,” Cecilia wailed, lifting her head from Nick’s shoulder. “Cancel the wedding. The flowers, the food, the reception—cancel it all!”

Nick saw his mother sway as over a year’s worth of planning and preparing evaporated before their eyes. He reached out and steadied her. She clamped her hand onto his arm.

“Let’s just all calm down,” Nick said. “First—”

“No, there’s nothing to discuss!” Cecilia said.

“Cecilia, you don’t mean that,” Constance insisted.

“Yes, I do!”

“Nick, do something!”

“Look, both of you—”

“Stop!” Aunt Winnie blasted into the room wearing a ruby-red dressing gown, her hair so neatly styled it looked as if she’d sat up in a chair all night. “I could have predicted this would happen! Cecilia, what did you dream last night?”

Cecilia wailed anew and buried her face in Nick’s shoulder. Constance clutched him tighter.

Winnifred marched over to them. “Someone’s dream predicted this. Nick, what did you dream last night?”

“I—I dreamed I was flying,” he said.

Winnifred’s eyes squinted together. “Were you flying over broken objects?”

“No.” He peered down at his sister, trying to see her face. “Cecilia, you have to tell us what happened.”

“Were you flying with black wings?” Winnifred persisted.

“No.”

“White wings?”

“No. Listen, Cecilia, Aaron loves you. Just last night—”

“He doesn’t!” she insisted.

“Were you shot at while flying?” Winnifred asked.

“No.”

“Were you flying naked?”

“Aunt Winnie!” Nick eased Cecilia away from him and tilted her face up. “Tell me what happened.”

“Yes, dear, tell us everything,” Constance said, finally pulling herself together.

Cecilia sniffed and dragged her hand across her cheeks, wiping away her tears. “Last night when Aaron was here he—he said something. I thought nothing of it at the time, but when I woke this morning I realized what it really meant.”

“Did it come to you in a dream?” Aunt Winnie demanded.

“No,” Cecilia said.

“What did he say?” Nick asked.

“He said he—he wanted to cut our honeymoon short.” She collapsed into tears again. “Because of business.”

“Aha!” Constance declared, as if everything were clear to her now.

Nick stared at the two of them. “What the hell’s wrong with that?”

“Oh, Nick, really.” Constance shot him a look and gathered her daughter into her arms.

Cecilia gave Nick a whack on the chest. “Oh, I should have known you wouldn’t understand!”

He plowed his fingers through his hair. “I could understand it if you could explain it.”

“He wants to come back early because of business,” Cecilia said, swiping at her tears again. “That means he cares more about his business than he cares about me. If he really loved me he would want to be with me as much as possible. But he doesn’t.”

“That’s not what it means,” Nick insisted.

“Yes, it is! I won’t marry a man who cares more about his business than he cares about me!” Cecilia clenched her hands into fists. “You don’t understand! Nobody understands!”

“Cecilia—”

“Dear—”

“What did Aaron dream last night?”

“I understand.”

Nick looked up as yet another woman wearing a dressing gown walked into his bedchamber. This one he didn’t know. But Cecilia obviously did because she rushed to her.

And, Lord, this woman was pretty. Tall, with thick brown hair that curled to her waist. She looked vaguely familiar, but Nick was certain he would have remembered her if they’d met.

“I couldn’t help but overhearing as I was going down the hall,” she said, gesturing toward the door and casting an apologetic look at Constance.

“That’s fine,” Constance replied, seeming relieved to have her here. “Go ahead, Amanda.”

“Amanda?” Nick stared harder at her.

She ignored him and took both of Cecilia’s hands. “I just went through this same thing with both my cousins, only weeks ago when they married.”

“Amanda Van Patton?” Nick asked, as a foggy memory crept into his mind.

“It’s last-minute jitters, that’s all,” Amanda said. “Things seem worse than they really are.”

“Amanda Van Patton? From San Francisco?”

“Hush, Nick,” Constance hissed.

“No,” Cecilia protested. “That’s not the case here. It’s not just jitters.”

“Yes, it is,” Amanda told her. “Now, listen to me, Cecilia, and listen well. Aaron loves you. You know that. His asking if he could cut the honeymoon short means just that. Nothing more. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you, or that he thinks more about his business than he does you. And he did ask you, didn’t he? He didn’t tell you.”

“Well, yes,” Cecilia said, and sniffed.

“You’ll be his wife,” Amanda said. “His business responsibilities will be your responsibilities, too. Aaron is a smart man. If he really thinks he needs to come home sooner, then you should consider that he has a valid reason.”

A heavy silence fell over the room while the wedding of the season hung in the balance. Cecilia chewed her bottom lip. Nick was certain his mother held her breath. He was having a little trouble breathing himself, but for an entirely different reason.

This woman was Amanda Van Patton? Recollections surfaced in his memory, vaguely matching the beautiful woman who stood in front of him now.

Finally, Cecilia sniffed and said, “Yes, I suppose you’re right. I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

“Talk to Aaron. Listen to what he says. Tell him how you feel,” Amanda said. “You two need to do what’s best for the both of you.”

“All right,” Cecilia promised, sniffing again and drawing in a breath. “I will.”