"The I Do's of
March"
by M. Mitchell Marmel & E.O. Costello
© 2007-9 by M. Mitchell Marmel and E.O. Costello
Willow Fawnsworthy, Reggie Buckhorn, Franklin Stagg, Orrin Brush,
Leslie duCleds,
Kara Karoksdottir, Charles Foster Crane, Inocenta du Cleds (nee de
Ciervos),
Carlos de Ciervos, Senora de Ciervos © Eric Costello
Rosie Baumgartner, © M. Mitchell Marmel
Marryin’ Sam and Lulubelle Mae Brunswick © E.O Costello and M.
Mitchell Marmel
Brenda and Covina Johnson © Walter D. Reimer
Part Thirteen
Willow:
Oh, my . . .
Inocenta’s father came in, arm in
arm with his daughter. Over his morning suit he wore a white
mantle with a stylized red cross on the left chest.
I found out later that he was a
knight of the Order of Saint James, and the mantle was one of the few
things he had been able to take with him when he and his family left
Spain.
But Inocenta . . .
Her dress was a tidal wave of
pure white silk and lace, cascading out to a hoop skirt so it looked
like she was floating instead of walking down the aisle. Her long
black headfur had been styled just so, supporting a silver and pearl
mantilla that anchored her veil.
(She’s beautiful.)
No argument.
***
Les:
She’s beautiful.
And I’m getting married to her.
I love her.
She’s carrying my child.
So why do I feel the sudden urge
to run like hell?
***
Rosie:
The music stopped and the service
began. Daddy Deer gave the bride away and joined his wife as
Father Merino began to celebrate Mass.
Now, I don’t know much Latin
outside the pig variety, but I caught the gist of it when Merino
switched to English and asked, “Leslie Donnedieu duCleds, do you take
this woman for your lawfully wedded wife?”
***
Les:
Up to this point I hadn’t been
expected to think, let alone say anything.
But in the tiny pause after the
question I looked at Inocenta, and found my voice.
“I do.”
***
“And do you, Inocenta Isabella
Maria de Ciervos y Comamenta, take this man – “
“Si.”
“ – for your lawfully wedded
husband?”
“I said ‘Si.’ You are maybe
the hard of hearing?”
***
Les:
The ring was on my finger, and
Inocenta had hers.
There remained one thing more.
“You may kiss the bride.”
I turned to my wife (!) and
gently lifted the veil from her face. Tears were in her eyes, and
the kiss we shared seemed to last a month.
When we finally broke the kiss,
Merino had us face the audience.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am
honored to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Leslie duCleds.”
And arm in arm, to the strains of
Mendelssohn, we led the wedding party out of the church.
***
Reggie:
It had been a jolly good service,
and one that would have had the lads in Hollywood scowling and smacking
their yes-furs in jealousy.
I hope mine and Willow’s goes off
just as well. Was Lodge taking notes?
I did notice that Lodge had put
Po’na and Sergeant Brush on the opposite sides of the church, and had
placed himself in the centre.
Would that the League of Nations
was blessed with such foresight.
The church bells were ringing as
we left, and a small crowd of locals had gathered to watch. One
little Spontoonie kitten (who looked somewhat familiar) suddenly
laughed, pointed at Inocenta and yelled, “Creature with horns outlander
female CHUBBY is!”
The smack on the head this earned
him, and the resulting piercing yowl of protest, detracted in no way
from the festive mood.
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