104
She smoothed her hand over her satin dress and the warmness of her stomach, feeling that usual surge of satisfaction and happiness as she admired the scene before her. She loved standing here looking at this view when the world was just waking up. It brought her so much peace and tranquility now. Something that this place had been lacking lately.
Hearing Rob’s voice from the doorway, she turned to smile at him fondly. He too was already dressed, knowing they had a lot to do before the ceremony and was best to get themselves organised first. His pale grey suit bringing out the soft grey in his eyes today; his eyes mostly stayed this soft light colour nowadays, a sign that he was more relaxed and very happy; except when they fought. Sometimes she felt like she started small squabbles just to see that darkening storm once more. Fascinated by it.
He was looking at her the same way he always did, that unreadable expression that made it that no one ever knew what he was thinking. But she knew. Unlike the days when she could never read him, she had finally mastered the inner workings of his head. He was thinking about getting her naked again and dragging her back into the bathtub like he had earlier this morning. He was as looking as devastatingly handsome as ever, moving towards her as he tapped his watch, gesturing that they needed to go. His hands slid around her waist and rested across the gentle curve of her abdomen. Smoothing down the same part of her dress she had previously touched.
‘You look beautiful.’ He nuzzled in against her, his face coming to the side of hers.
‘You look handsome.’ She replied, sliding her own hands over his and squirming a tiny little bit closer to him. She felt his mouth on her neck, his hand moving up to brush her hair aside and give him full access and began to laugh gently at his obvious amore.
‘Rob? if you start this again, we will never leave this room.’ She moved him back, allowing her space to turn and reached up to his mouth, accepting a slow tender kiss.
‘I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t mind.’ He had that familiar twinkle in his eye; Rose gently pushed his stomach playfully, aware that he was right and slid past him to walk past her desk and head to the door.
Her latest artwork was propped ceremoniously in view, she glanced at it, a warm feeling filling her with pride. It was the first of her illustrations that would be used in a book of stories written by Hamish Munro. He had surprised them all with a declaration some months ago he wanted to write, leave a legacy for his grandchildren. But he didn’t want to write just anything. He wanted to tell stories of the ‘Princess of the North’ who had travelled far and wide to break an evil curse, battled a serpent-like dragon and saved the sleepy castle from a crumbling spell. Awakening the hero from a horrible love potion to set him free. His humour always present and the irony not lost on them all. It had not surprised Rob that Rose’s painting of her ‘Princess’ had a halo of long dark brown hair and flowing gold gowns. Her steed a pink unicorn with a little white fluffball as her sidekick!
Hamish now resided back in the manor and a part of their busy life. A welcome presence every day, he was always around to help run things and take some of the manor duties off of Rose’s shoulders. He helped with the mundane, such as keeping the grounds organised and helped Rob when the business was causing him stress. Hamish had found new life once more and was loving being part of a busy family again. Just the addition of Rose and Muffin to this house had seen a transformation already, more staff, small changes to the house, more events at the weekends in the ballroom that brought the community here once more and he was lapping it all up and loving being the chairman of many community clubs. Rob glanced at her piece on the table, smiling and straightening it gently, proud of his wife and proud of his father.
Taking one last look around her bright studio, she closed the door behind him as he walked out, moving along the narrow hall into their bedroom. The soft, modern room, cosy and homely, where they spent a lot of their time nowadays, locked away together in the solace. Muffin was curled asleep on one of the long comfy couches in the sitting area, to the far side away from the bed, nestled in front of the low burning gas fire, set in the massive brick hearth which was warming the room to the perfect temperature. Cold days had begun to move away again but the air still held a tinge of frost and they kept this fire on most of the time to give the rooms a homely feel.
They finally descended the main stairs, taking in the chaos of the people running around, staff awaiting orders. The caterer was looking about ready to throttle her hired waiters for the day and a young girl approached Rose with a floral display, asking where it was to be placed in the main entrance. Rob left her to go perform her duties as ‘Lady of the Manor’. The house buzzing was with excitement and it didn’t take Rose long to tend to the questions and needs of the never-ending stream of people moving through the hall to the ball room and back. Basking in their congratulations and small hugs, she had begun to get used to this, the demands and the responsibilities. Being treated like a celebrity by everyone, lately, she could take it in her stride.
Rob disappeared into his office, pulling out his speech and sorting through some final business papers in the few minutes of calm before the storm. It wouldn’t be long before they had to be at the church and already this morning it had been jam packed with things needing to be done. The hours ticking away.
Rose tended to Abby amid a group of hairdressers, giggling girls and makeup artists and helped her get ready. Alice was mid-meltdown over the chaos and mucky feet on the marble floor and was running around with a dust buster trying to keep it all clean and sparkly. Barking orders at her new apprentice housekeepers and ordering them to smooth down their uniforms and aprons. Tommy brought round the car as Rob ordered and people were milling around with final touches and last-minute orders.
The house was always brimming nowadays, the new house keepers under Alice’s fretful command were being barked at and ordered to stop getting under her feet now, the air of panic at the approaching hour and there was a sense of urgency and simmering chaos in the air.
Rose felt calm in the middle of the tornado, cloaked in a bubble of happiness that was drowning out the noise to a bearable hum. Looking around now at the pulsing atmosphere and the eager faces, she felt the excitement rise. It was going to be an amazing day.
