* * *
Fiona and Rufus waited outside of Latimer’s doorway when we arrived and, a few minutes later, Melinda and Gavin came up behind us in the hallway. I turned just in time to see the look on my sister’s face as she gazed up into Gavin’s eyes with a combination of shyness and expectation. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she had already changed her mind about joining us. Was it Gavin? Would she fall in love with him or only ask him to turn her? Her sudden blank expression removed all these suppositions from my mind and I wondered if she was deliberately trying to hide her real feelings from me. A moment later Amrita and Larkin came around the corner in a whirlwind.
“Are we late?” Amrita called.
“Just in time, my sister,” Emrys said, nodding.
Emrys smiled at me, and then I knew what he had whispered to Rufus earlier: to be sure to find the rest of their little family before our ceremony. When I looked around at all the happy faces, I realized that all of these people would be my family as well, if or when, my sister took the plunge.
I studied Lindy’s face, hoping it was just a matter of time before she would realize how badly she wanted this life, and then, suddenly recalling my vision of her and Gavin, my heart overflowed with joy and thankfulness. If I allowed myself to believe the vision - she would not be left behind. As I grinned at her, she reached for me.
“Lizzy, you look beautiful,” she said, giving me a warm careful hug. Then moving back and standing next to Gavin, she added, “I have a surprise for you. But I’ll save it for later. I don’t want to make us late. Oh, but here,” she added, wide eyed, stifling a laugh. She placed a white orchid in my hair above my right ear, and whispered “I took if off the table down in the ball room.”
“Thanks, sis. Now I’m officially ready.”
Latimer was ready for us when we all filed into the room.
“My my, we have a large group today!” His voice croaked like an old frog. He surveyed the eight of us above his round glasses, “Alright, who is first? How about you, Gavin, and your beautiful young bride here?” he asked, winking and looking directly at Lindy. Then sweeping his eyes back to me he said, “Or Emrys, and your beautiful...”
Latimer did a double take; his eyes bounced back and forth between Lindy and me. Gavin leaned down and whispered into Lindy’s ear just before Emrys stepped forward. Her face turned a lovely shade of pink, her eyes widened and she let a short nervous laugh escape. When she realized Emrys had started to speak, she glanced at me with wide eyes and turned back to Gavin, putting a finger to her mouth to shush him. After that, she stared straight ahead like a statue. I had seen her do that before: whatever Gavin had said made her uneasy.
“This ceremony is for me and Elizabeth Rose,” Emrys started to say, stepping forward. He turned to me and reached for my hand drawing me closer. I stood to his left, and everyone else took their places, Melinda at my side and Gavin at Emrys’ side, everyone else behind us. The old man cleared his throat, and within a moment or two, a hush fell over the entire group.