Part Time Marriage (9 page)

`We're extremely busy at the office just now,' Elexa inserted. `And since Lois is staying overnight too, she'll pick me up tomorrow on her way.' Then, feeling a need to change the subject, she turned swiftly to the man she was going to marry. `Did you manage to arrange your stag night?' she asked, and felt foolish, and wondered where in the Dickens that question had come from-she certainly hadn't given thought to it.

Noah gave her what might have been termed an intimate smile-if you didn't look into the grey depths of his eyes to see that they weren't smiling, intimately or otherwise, but looked more as if to say that he hardly thought it worthwhile to celebrate his last night of freedom, since he had no intention of being bound by marriage for long. But, keeping up the pretence, he answered, `Marcus said something about coming over.'

A short while later both sets of parents felt that, as they had a bit of a drive, they ought to be on their way. `You have a lovely daughter, Kaye,' Ruth Peverelle said sincerely as they were leaving.

`And I couldn't ask for a better husband for her than your son,' Kaye Aston replied.

Oh, grief! Elexa refused to study the carpet but, looking up and away from the all but purring mothers, she found she was gazing straight into the eyes of Noah Peverelle-and she was sure from that light in his eyes that he was inwardly laughing.

`We'll take you back to your place first, Elexa,' her mother decided. But just as Elexa was about to acquiesce, Kaye Aston lightly laughed.`Sorry, Noah. I'm going to have to get out of the habit of being responsible for Elexa's welfare. I was forgettingit's ages since you and Elexa have seen each other. You two will have a lot to talk about, and I'm certain you'll want to be sure Elexa gets home safely.'

For Heaven's sake! She was twenty-five, notfifteen ! Elexa didn't want anybody being reshonsible for her welfare. Though she supposed it was something of a habit her mother had got into.

Elexa stood with Noah and waited as they watched the two sets of parents drive away. 'I'll get a taxi,' she said, coast clear, no need to pretend any more.

`My car's here,' he informed her, and before she could protest that it was no trouble for her to take a taxi, Noah was taking a light hold of her arm and was guiding her to where his car stood.

'I'm sorry to have to put you through all this,' she apologised, once they were seated in his car, realising that he wouldn't give a hoot who knew the true reason why they were marrying.

`It seems a small price to pay to get what I want,' he answered. `This way you have your peace, in which to concentrate on your job and let your employers know that nobody could do that junior manager's job better than you, and I.."

`Will have your son,' she ended for him oh, she did so hope she didn't land him with a daughter.

`Exactly,' he agreed, and was pulling up outside her apartment block before she knew it.

Noah got out of the car to walk her to the outside door. She got out her key, and he took it from her, opened the door and handed it back to her. `I'll see you on Saturday,' he said, by way of parting, and was about to go when Elexa, feeling a touch panicky alll of a sudden, halted him.

`We'll have to leave the reception together.In your car. Mine won't be there,' she said in a rush, her words falling over each other.

`It would look a bit odd if we departed for our honeymoon in separate directions,' he replied lightly.

But no matter how light his reply, it bothered her. She was used in her work to making everything clear, no room for error. She saw no reason to change that tenet now.

`We're not having a honeymoon!' she told him bluntly.

`I never for a moment thought we were,' he answered equally bluntly, his tone short. She turned away and would have gone quickly through the open door. But suddenly Noah caught a hold of her shoulders and turned her to face him. `You're strung up about something?' he accused.

`I...' she said about to deny it.But then remembered their conversation about being completely honest with each other. `I'm uptight, yes,' she admitted. `I know everything will be all right. It's just th-that-I've never done anything remotely like this before, and-and I suppose there's a part of me that can't believe I'm doing it now.'

Noah Peverelle stared down at her long and hard. `Do you want to do it?' he questionedii shade toughly, she rather thought. And to let her know just how desperate he was not, added, `There's time to change your mind if you wish.'

She looked up at him, this slightly arrogant roan whom she had approached and more or less asked to marry her. She knew, as her heart gave a little flutter, that once her panic had subsided and she was back to being the logical-thinking female she knew herself to be, she would kick herself if she gave up this chance.This chance of time to herself.

`I've never reneged on a contract in my life,' she answered, and didn't wait to see what he made of that, but went swiftly indoors.

Her wedding day dawned bright and beautiful, and Elexa awoke in her old room in her parents' home feeling very much as she imagined any other bride would. She felt nervous, anxious, and more than a little apprehensive. The only difference being that, while other brides might feel all those emotions, they would also feel excited and look forward to being made `as one' with the man they were engaged to.

Not that she regretted the decision she had made. Life, barring the occasional problem thrown up in the rush of wedding preparations, had been little short of bliss. Her mother, soon to have her heart's desire and see her daughter `settled', was at her sweetest. It was so good to be able to answer the telephone and not dread the moment her mother would bring up the subject of some nice man.Such a relief not to pick up the phone to hear how wonderful Jim, Joe or Jeremy was, not to mention Tom, Dick and Harry.

Consequently she and her mother were better friends than they had ever been. If Elexa feIt great pangs of guilt every so often that her mother was dewy-eyed about her daughter's marriage, then Elexa realised she would just have to endure that guilt.

Her bedroom door opened and her mother, hearing a breakfast tray, came beaming into the room. `Here you are, darling! Happy the bride the sun shines on.'

`Mum, you shouldn't have!' Elexa protested as her mother placed the tray over her knees.

`It's a mother's privilege on a day like today.' Kaye Aston gurgled. `How are you feeling?'

`A bit churned up,' Elexa admitted truthfully.

'You'll be all right when you see Noah,' her mother soothed. `Now, eat up your breakfast, and don't worry about a thing. Everything's under control. Does Lois eat breakfast these days? She didn't used to.' The wedding reception was to be held in Elexa's parents' home, and her administrative powers exceptional, Kaye Aston refused to let Elexa `lift so much as a finger' and left Elexa to go and check lists, cakes and caterers.

The weather held, and at ten minutes to two Elexa looked at her reflection in her bedroom mirror and could not help but know that, in such a beautiful dress, it was impossible not to look good. Though for more than the hundredth time she paused to wonder what she thought she was doing.

It was a bit late in the day to have doubts now. She knew that. There were all her relatives waiting at the church, all Noah's relatives; she would have to go through with it. Not that Noah Peverelle would give a hoot if she didn't show up, but...

Elexa stopped her thoughts right there. She did not know very much about him, this man she was due to marry, this man who was already at the church waiting for her. But what she did know of him, or had gleaned of him, was that he was a proud man. She could not, she realised, not turn up. That would be unforgivable of her.

`Ready, Elexa?' her father coming into the room broke through her last-minute panicky nerves. `I don't want to get you there early, hut your mother would never forgive the rudeness if we arrived late. We should go now, my dear." The drive to the church took only a few minutes, but during that time Elexa's feeling of panic took her charging down another avenue. What if Noah had changed his mind? What if he wasn't there at the church waiting for her? What if he was the one to decide not to turn up?

They reached the church gates, but there was no Marcus Dean, Noah's best man, waiting to impart the news that her groom had gone missing. Elexa was still feeling the stress of the situation, however, when, with Joanna and Lois following, she made her way into the church on her father's arm.

The church organ swelled and as they turned to go down the aisle she saw Noah. He had his back to her but stood tall and straight in his morning suit-and proud. Suddenly she wasn't panicking any more. As she and her Father walked on, something-she knew not what-seemed to be telling her that to marry Noah was the right thing to do.

Noah turned to glance at her as she reached him. She smiled, and, although he was as sparing as ever with his smiles, he gave her an encouraging look-and the service began.

He did not kiss her after the ceremony, but then tradition had never said that he should. After signing the register they made their way outside, and posed with family and friends for photographs. Then she and Noah were chauffeured back to her old home.

Once there, Elexa stood with Noah in the wide hall ready to greet their guests. It was the first time they had been alone together since the vicar had pronounced them man and wife.

Elexa felt tongue-tied all at once, and turned to Noah, wanting to say something but hardly knowing what it was she wanted to say, only to see that Noah was looking at her, a strangely-dare she believe it?-gentle look in his eyes.

`I-um...' she said nervously, and suddenly he smiled-and her heart fluttered.

`I knew you were beautiful,' Noah, never the flatterer, remarked quietly. `But today you look absolutely sensational.'

Her heart didn't merely flutter, it thundered. She wanted to say something light- thewords, You don't think I'm a bit over-dressed?sprang to her lips. But what she did actually say, was, `You look a bit dashing yourself,' and, looking at him, saw that she had amused him. Then his parents and her parents arrived, followed in no t i me by the rest of the guests, and the reception began. All in all, it was a very pleasant afternoon, with everyone being nice to everyone else. Everyone ate and drank, her father made a speech about letting go his lovely daughter, and Noah made a speech thanking her parents for having such a lovely daughter. Marcus also made a speech-and her mother tried not to notice his three children climbing all over her antique furniture.

Then it was time for Elexa to go up to her room to change into the `going away' outfit her mother had insisted she purchase, even though everyone knew that, because of Noah's work commitments, they were not going to go away, but would honeymoon later.

Joanna was occupied with baby Betsy, so Lois was delegated to go upstairs with Elexa to help her change. Though, in actual fact, Lois sat on the bed once Elexa was out of her wedding gown, and beamed as she exclaimed, `What a truly perfect day l'

`I enjoyed it.'

`Were you nervous?" 'Panicking like mad to start with,' Elexa admitted.

`So was I-on my wedding day, I mean. Sorry,' she immediately apologised, `shouldn't have brought that up-mine ended in divorce.'

Strangely, when she knew full well that her marriage was scheduled to end in divorcetoo, Elexa experienced the oddest pang-almost as if she did not want it to.

`Do I look all right?' she asked quickly, smoothing down the jacket of her new blue suit.

`How does fantastic sound?' Almost as good as sensational, Elexa thought; wasn't that what Noah had said, that she looked absolutely sensational? `You've gone alll dreamy-eyed,' Lois teased. `Comeon, let me get you back to your man.'

Noah had changed out of morning dress into a well-cut suit he'd had in his car. `Shall we say our goodbyes to the parents?' he suggested, which took about a half- hour, because there were aunts, uncles and others who wished to be included.

They left the house to cheers and wellwishes, but Elexa almost dropped when she saw what had been done to Noah's Jaguar balloons, streamers, tin cans, everything but the kitchen sink had been attached to it.

`I can't ride in that!' she gasped, seeing her cousin Rory's hand in all this.

`You won't have to,' said the man who thought of everything, and holding up a car key, he announced, `I've swapped cars with Marcus.' She laughed-she quite liked this husband of hers.

On the way back to London, however, she decided not to think of him as her husband. To do so might make him a permanent fixture in her life, and he was anything but that.

Once they drew up outside her flat, it seemed not quite the done thing just to say a brief goodbye and leave him-her wedding ring was still new on her finger. But, then again, there didn't seem to be any point in inviting him up for a coffee or something. Married they might be, but they didn't have that sort of a relationship.

She searched for something in between. `Thank you for today,' she said, thinking that just about covered it. Then all at once she realised that Noah had that day completed his part of their bargain, but that still left her side of the bargain to be completed. `Er- I' ll -er work something out and be in touch,' she murmured, turning her suddenly-burning face away from him as she sought the car door handle.

'I'll wait to hear from you,' Noah answered easily-and she was still fumbling with the door handle when he came round and opened it for her.

She stepped out onto the pavement, diving into her bag for her door key. He opened that door for her too, handing her back the key. She looked at him. Not too many hours ago she had married him; he was her husband. 'Ergoodbye,' she mumbled.

He looked down at her and she knew he was aware of her feeling of awkwardness when, for a moment, she thought she saw a hint of devilment in his eyes before, bending, he placed his warm mouth against her cheek and kissed her. `Goodbye,' he said, then added, 'er dear,' and as they drew apart they both burst out laughing.

It was a wonderful moment.A kind of treasured moment of mutual laughter that totally whised away her feeling of awkwardness. Then she became aware that Noah was no longer Iaughing but was staring down at her solemn eyed. An instant later he had turned from her and was striding back to his car.