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Chapter 21
Mason had Elena’s funeral arranged; the Indian was identified, too, and the
investigation was being carried out. It was revealed Elena had been behind a lot
of legal claims against the Capwells. Fortunately, there was no sign of CC’s heart
getting any worse.
Strange as it might seem, the shock, or was it the Indian’s arrest, seemed to have
cancelled Mason’s nightmares; never more did he see the Indian in his dreams.
He felt as if he were slowly reinstalled in his own normal life, and Julia was of
great help. Now he knew he did want to marry her and live with her – ‘happily
ever after.’
Some time passed, and soon the new wedding day came.
*
“I feel like an elephant,” Julia said. “But what’s worse, I look like an elephant, too.”
Eden laughed. “Nonsense. You do not: you look beautiful.”
The dress fitted still; at least this Julia had to admit.
“You’ve gained little weight but for this charming belly,” Eden went on. “Just look
at your wrists, at your collarbones. Very delicate and elegant.”
“My face is all swollen,” Julia complained. “I think I look like a cake with whipped
cream, with all this lace, and as to my face it looks plain whipped.”
“Very appetizing,” said Eden rearranging the lace.
Julia’s hair was down. She liked her hair up more, but this way the swell would
have been more noticeable. “So – you think it’s ok?” she asked again, assessing
her reflection in the mirror.
“More than ok. My brother’s lucky to have gotten him such a gal.”
Julia turned to Eden and kissed her impulsively on the cheek. “Thank you, Eden, I
needed to hear this.”
“I’m really glad that Mason, despite his self-destructive instincts, has chosen the
right woman,” Eden said earnestly. “And I’m very glad to become your sister-in-
law!” She kissed Julia back.
Julia landed in a big, soft armchair. “Ohhh,” she sighed. “I feel awful. My feet hurt,
my legs ache, my hips ache, my back aches, everything does. I’m just shaking
with fear something can go wrong.”
“Nothing will,” Eden assured her. “You know Mason; you do him good. And he’s
not that bad himself, believe me. He takes family very seriously.”
“I know,” Julia said.
*
It was CC Mason had asked to be his best man; it made CC quite happy and even
got him misty-eyed.
So, when waiting for the wedding ceremony to start, Mason was pacing the room
in nervous agitation, CC was there for him. Matthew was with Sophia.
“It feels like digging my own grave,” Mason complained.
“What?”
“Marrying. On the whole. I know I’m doing the right thing marrying Julia; but still,
the idea this is for life scares me.”
“It’ll be ok, son. You and Julia know each other quite well,” CC said. “And I – don’t
quote me on this, - I think she’ll be a good wife and a good mother to both your
kids.”
“I don’t doubt her – though – I do, too,” Mason mused. “What if one day she
suddenly doesn’t love me any more? What if I succeed in destroying what’s good
between us?”
“Don’t cross the bridge until you’ve reached it,” CC said. “Son, you’ve probably
grown wiser if you ask yourself such questions; but don’t be too smart for your
own good. I don’t know if I have the right to give you advice--”
Mason smiled to himself: it was so uncharacteristic of CC to give advice not
commands; to doubt his right to, was unfathomable. “Please do, dad.”
“Just live it, one day at a time. You can be happy with Julia if you allow yourself
to.”
“Exactly,” said Mason to himself. “Thank you, dad!”
He hugged his father.
*
When the music started playing and the bridesmaids entered the church hall,
everybody held their breath. The bride was about to appear; one of the most
exciting moments in a whole wedding ceremony.
Julia knew everybody’d be watching her, and she felt insecure. To add to this,
there was Mason, Mason Capwell waiting for her at the altar; enough to drive a
woman crazy!
But when she did step in and saw her bridegroom’s elegant figure, when she met
his eye she forgot everything else. The look in Mason’s eyes told her all she
needed to know: she looked stunning, he couldn’t wait to marry her.
Julia did not remember how she covered the distance; the next thing she knew
was she was standing at the altar hand in hand with Mason. His eyes smiled,
reassuring her.
“Dearly beloved,” the minister started.
The pains Julia had felt all morning were getting worse. ‘I wonder if I can keep
standing through the ceremony,’ Julia thought, and then suddenly for a while she
could neither think nor breathe.
She must have squeezed Mason’s hand painfully, for when she regained the
ability to breathe he was watching her with concern and fear.
Julia gave him a smile and turned to face the minister. His words hardly
registered, though. The spasm being over, she felt weak and would have
preferred to sit down.
Mason turned aside. “Ted. Ambulance,” he commanded curtly.
Ted ran out; Mason got back to the wedding procedure.
“Julia, you may now speak your vows to Mason.”
It was hard for her to concentrate; she looked into Mason’s eyes and tried to hold
onto his gaze.
“I vow to love you forever, and I vow to try to understand you rather than judge
you,” she said. “I – I’m very grateful you came my way, you’ve made my life
complete.” She put her hand onto her belly. “I – I vow – ohhh – to do my best to
create a real family for us.”
“Mason?” the minister prompted.
Mason saw another spasm had hit Julia. He knew he needed to rush through this
and help Julia, but he still wanted to tell her his vows before everybody.
“Julia,” he said and waited a bit.
Mason thought he’d rather be going through the pains himself; to be a bystander,
with all his fears, was almost unbearable.
“Julia,” he said again.
There was a murmur in the audience.
“Julia,” Mason said again, and she smiled at him, feebly, her lips white. The
spasm was over; he could speak. “I’m blessed to have you in my life.”
The audience went still.
“It happens so with me that children and love come together – or love and
children, I do not know. I’m sorry I have waited so long to tell you this: I love you,
Julia. And I vow to love you forever; I swear it before God and people.”
She nodded, but Mason was not sure she understood. He could have kicked
himself for having waited so long.
“I vow to love and cherish you, in sickness and in health,” he said in desperation.
“You may now exchange the rings,” the minister hurried. “Julia, do you take this
man to be your husband in accordance with the vows you’ve just spoken?”
“I do,” which came as a groan.
“Mason, do you take this woman to be your wife in accordance with the vows you’
ve just spoken?” the minister said not taking his eyes off the bride.
“I do.”
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the minister sighed with relief. “You
may kiss the bride.”
Mason threw Julia’s arms round his neck for support, brushed her lips with his
and then took her into his arms. Hastily, he carried her up the aisle out to the
ambulance.
Mason had Elena’s funeral arranged; the Indian was identified, too, and the
investigation was being carried out. It was revealed Elena had been behind a lot
of legal claims against the Capwells. Fortunately, there was no sign of CC’s heart
getting any worse.
Strange as it might seem, the shock, or was it the Indian’s arrest, seemed to have
cancelled Mason’s nightmares; never more did he see the Indian in his dreams.
He felt as if he were slowly reinstalled in his own normal life, and Julia was of
great help. Now he knew he did want to marry her and live with her – ‘happily
ever after.’
Some time passed, and soon the new wedding day came.
*
“I feel like an elephant,” Julia said. “But what’s worse, I look like an elephant, too.”
Eden laughed. “Nonsense. You do not: you look beautiful.”
The dress fitted still; at least this Julia had to admit.
“You’ve gained little weight but for this charming belly,” Eden went on. “Just look
at your wrists, at your collarbones. Very delicate and elegant.”
“My face is all swollen,” Julia complained. “I think I look like a cake with whipped
cream, with all this lace, and as to my face it looks plain whipped.”
“Very appetizing,” said Eden rearranging the lace.
Julia’s hair was down. She liked her hair up more, but this way the swell would
have been more noticeable. “So – you think it’s ok?” she asked again, assessing
her reflection in the mirror.
“More than ok. My brother’s lucky to have gotten him such a gal.”
Julia turned to Eden and kissed her impulsively on the cheek. “Thank you, Eden, I
needed to hear this.”
“I’m really glad that Mason, despite his self-destructive instincts, has chosen the
right woman,” Eden said earnestly. “And I’m very glad to become your sister-in-
law!” She kissed Julia back.
Julia landed in a big, soft armchair. “Ohhh,” she sighed. “I feel awful. My feet hurt,
my legs ache, my hips ache, my back aches, everything does. I’m just shaking
with fear something can go wrong.”
“Nothing will,” Eden assured her. “You know Mason; you do him good. And he’s
not that bad himself, believe me. He takes family very seriously.”
“I know,” Julia said.
*
It was CC Mason had asked to be his best man; it made CC quite happy and even
got him misty-eyed.
So, when waiting for the wedding ceremony to start, Mason was pacing the room
in nervous agitation, CC was there for him. Matthew was with Sophia.
“It feels like digging my own grave,” Mason complained.
“What?”
“Marrying. On the whole. I know I’m doing the right thing marrying Julia; but still,
the idea this is for life scares me.”
“It’ll be ok, son. You and Julia know each other quite well,” CC said. “And I – don’t
quote me on this, - I think she’ll be a good wife and a good mother to both your
kids.”
“I don’t doubt her – though – I do, too,” Mason mused. “What if one day she
suddenly doesn’t love me any more? What if I succeed in destroying what’s good
between us?”
“Don’t cross the bridge until you’ve reached it,” CC said. “Son, you’ve probably
grown wiser if you ask yourself such questions; but don’t be too smart for your
own good. I don’t know if I have the right to give you advice--”
Mason smiled to himself: it was so uncharacteristic of CC to give advice not
commands; to doubt his right to, was unfathomable. “Please do, dad.”
“Just live it, one day at a time. You can be happy with Julia if you allow yourself
to.”
“Exactly,” said Mason to himself. “Thank you, dad!”
He hugged his father.
*
When the music started playing and the bridesmaids entered the church hall,
everybody held their breath. The bride was about to appear; one of the most
exciting moments in a whole wedding ceremony.
Julia knew everybody’d be watching her, and she felt insecure. To add to this,
there was Mason, Mason Capwell waiting for her at the altar; enough to drive a
woman crazy!
But when she did step in and saw her bridegroom’s elegant figure, when she met
his eye she forgot everything else. The look in Mason’s eyes told her all she
needed to know: she looked stunning, he couldn’t wait to marry her.
Julia did not remember how she covered the distance; the next thing she knew
was she was standing at the altar hand in hand with Mason. His eyes smiled,
reassuring her.
“Dearly beloved,” the minister started.
The pains Julia had felt all morning were getting worse. ‘I wonder if I can keep
standing through the ceremony,’ Julia thought, and then suddenly for a while she
could neither think nor breathe.
She must have squeezed Mason’s hand painfully, for when she regained the
ability to breathe he was watching her with concern and fear.
Julia gave him a smile and turned to face the minister. His words hardly
registered, though. The spasm being over, she felt weak and would have
preferred to sit down.
Mason turned aside. “Ted. Ambulance,” he commanded curtly.
Ted ran out; Mason got back to the wedding procedure.
“Julia, you may now speak your vows to Mason.”
It was hard for her to concentrate; she looked into Mason’s eyes and tried to hold
onto his gaze.
“I vow to love you forever, and I vow to try to understand you rather than judge
you,” she said. “I – I’m very grateful you came my way, you’ve made my life
complete.” She put her hand onto her belly. “I – I vow – ohhh – to do my best to
create a real family for us.”
“Mason?” the minister prompted.
Mason saw another spasm had hit Julia. He knew he needed to rush through this
and help Julia, but he still wanted to tell her his vows before everybody.
“Julia,” he said and waited a bit.
Mason thought he’d rather be going through the pains himself; to be a bystander,
with all his fears, was almost unbearable.
“Julia,” he said again.
There was a murmur in the audience.
“Julia,” Mason said again, and she smiled at him, feebly, her lips white. The
spasm was over; he could speak. “I’m blessed to have you in my life.”
The audience went still.
“It happens so with me that children and love come together – or love and
children, I do not know. I’m sorry I have waited so long to tell you this: I love you,
Julia. And I vow to love you forever; I swear it before God and people.”
She nodded, but Mason was not sure she understood. He could have kicked
himself for having waited so long.
“I vow to love and cherish you, in sickness and in health,” he said in desperation.
“You may now exchange the rings,” the minister hurried. “Julia, do you take this
man to be your husband in accordance with the vows you’ve just spoken?”
“I do,” which came as a groan.
“Mason, do you take this woman to be your wife in accordance with the vows you’
ve just spoken?” the minister said not taking his eyes off the bride.
“I do.”
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the minister sighed with relief. “You
may kiss the bride.”
Mason threw Julia’s arms round his neck for support, brushed her lips with his
and then took her into his arms. Hastily, he carried her up the aisle out to the
ambulance.
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