amberfocus | A Sky Without Zeppelins: Chapter Forty-Five

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A/N: A special thank you to Azriona, who pinch hit beta'd for this chapter and who had seamstressy things to say about the dresses that helped a lot. And to Amy who still managed to find a couple more errors that Az didn't when she finally got home. *grins* Photos of Rose's dress and Jackie's dress are at the end of the chapter. And I've added Jonathon's suit now, too.

Chapter Forty-Five

Rose tries not to grumble as she pulls on the silver high heels that Howard’s daughter Emma has picked out to go with the bridesmaids’ dresses for her mother’s wedding. They are ridiculously high and the spike is so narrow she’s afraid it won’t even support her weight. If she breaks an ankle as she walks up the aisle she is not going to be happy.

It’s been a crazy week so far for her, coming back from Scotland after visiting the graves of Jonathon’s family, having her graduation ceremony, and starting work full time at Illuminate. They’ve also been staying up later than they should each night to watch the strange light show that’s been going on on the moon for several nights running and has the astronomical community in an uproar. Not to mention that she’s slept at Jonathon’s flat every night this week, not wanting to leave him after the emotional upheaval that was their trip to Scotland, and far be it from Jonathon to ever kick her out of his flat.

As scattered as her mind has been she is incredibly excited for her mother’s wedding. Jackie has not seemed to mind Rose’s inability to help with the wedding plans, knowing what a busy time it’s been for her daughter. Rose slips the dress over her head and it settles into place. She smoothes it down over her hips then rearranges the bodice a bit. She has to admit that Emma has very good taste. She’s not sure her mother would have gone for a look that is so stylish if left to her own devices with either the wedding gown or the bridesmaids’ dresses.

Despite the uncomfortable shoes she has to admit they are gorgeous and complement the pretty dress she’s wearing. It is deep wine with a halter-style bodice that leaves her shoulders bare. The neckline plunges in a deep V that surprisingly doesn’t reveal all that much. Just beneath her breasts are a line of silver rhinestones that circle her ribcage and another line of them about four inches down just above her waist. The skirt is full and falls to just beneath her knee. She does a little turn and the full skirt flares out around her legs. She grins and spins again, then stumbles on the ridiculous shoes and grabs the handle of the door to steady herself.

“You okay, Rose?” Emma asks from outside the door.

“It’s the shoes,” Rose says. “I’m used to wearing sneakers and I never wear heals this high.” She wobbles out into the main room and adds, “It’ll take me a few minutes to get the hang of it.”

“Just walk on your toes if you need to.” Emma smiles as she emerges. “You are gorgeous. Now don’t you dare break your ankle before the ceremony. Practice walking while we’re waiting for your mother,” she orders.

“I will.” She moves across the room like an unwieldy toddler. Once she takes Emma’s advice to put her weight forward she manages a semblance of grace, but she still feels like she might pitch forward at any moment.

The wedding planner’s assistant hurries over to Rose once she stops practicing her walk, checks the fit of the gown against her body and tuts a few times. “You’ve lost an inch at your waist since the last fitting,” the woman grumbles. “I’ll need to take it in.” There is a formidable-looking series of pins on the small cushion she holds and she eyes Rose intently.

“No,” Rose says. “I don’t want it clinging to me during the reception and dancing. I intend to eat and I want the room.”

Emma giggles. “It is an impressive menu.”

“With your father who he is, it has to be,” Rose grins. She’s about to say more when Jackie emerges from the antechamber. “Ooooooh, Mum,” Rose says. “Wow. Just…wow.”

“Jackie, you’re beautiful!” Emma exclaims, eyes wide and shining as she looks at her future stepmother.

Jackie eyes herself nervously in the big mirror, her fingers sliding over the dress. Like the bridesmaids’ dresses, the ivory wedding gown has a halter-style bodice. Unlike the bridesmaids’ dresses there is a panel of fabric behind the deep V of the neckline that leaves much more to the imagination. A wine-colored satin ribbon fastens about the waist and drapes in two long lines all the way to the floor in the back. A delicate lace appliqué holds it in place in the front. From there, the fine ivory satin overskirt splits, revealing a long inverted V of lace on the underskirt. The dress doesn’t have a train.

Jackie’s hair is swept into a low knot at the base of her neck. A small tiara holds a veil onto her head that falls to her hips. The tulle is covered with fine seed pearls and the outer edge is lined with a half inch of the wine-colored ribbon that matches the one at her waist. Wine-colored shoes peak out from under the hem of the dress and at her throat is a thick choker of interlocking silver links. Hanging from the center is a large, round, filigreed silver setting with a fire opal suspended in the center. Tear drop shaped fire opals hang from silver studs in her ears. Rose has never seen her mother look so beautiful.

“I don’t know,” Jackie says a bit uncertainly. “I feel a bit like I’m mutton dressed up as lamb or something.”

“Don’t be silly,” she hastens to reassure her mother. Rose knows that it’s because Jackie has never worn anything as expensive as this dress in her life. For a woman who has spent most of her time in track suits or jeans, she is obviously very ill at ease in so much satin and lace. Rose knows Jackie had been very reluctant to spend Howard’s money on this dress, but he’d insisted that he’d wanted her in the very best. As it is, she still had spent only a fraction of what had been allotted to her by her fiancé, having found the designer gown at a discount retailer because of a minor, almost invisible flaw that had been easily repaired by the seamstress who’d done their dress fittings.

“You deserve it, Mum,” Rose says softly, her hand reaching out and taking her mother’s. “You just need to start believing it.”

“Besides, if you’re going to be, well, not exactly a society wife, but close to it, you’re going to need to get used to wearing a better quality of clothing,” Emma says. “Like those much nicer honeymoon clothes we bought for your cruise. Your old attire is quite inappropriate.” Rose’s eyes narrow at the implied insult to her mother’s current wardrobe, but her future stepsister continues blithely on.

“I’ll take you shopping after the honeymoon and we’ll find you clothing you feel comfortable in, but that will show your new standing as Daddy’s wife.” She turns to Rose suddenly. “Unless you want to take her, Rose? You’ve got decent taste in clothing. But then you would. Daddy says you worked as a shop girl at Temmel’s before Illuminate. And we’ll have a very large clothing allowance to work with.” Emma’s nose didn’t exactly wrinkle at the mention of the words shop girl, but her expression makes it clear that such a job is not something she would ever have held. Rose isn’t sure Emma’s ever worked a day in her life.

“I’m afraid I don’t have the time for a major shopping excursion,” Rose says a little too politely. “The new job is taking up all of my time.”

“The new boyfriend is taking up all of your time,” Jackie says dryly.

“Oh, are you seeing someone? Daddy didn’t say,” Emma says. “Is he scrumptious?”

“Oh, yes,” says Jackie happily before Rose can answer for herself. “He’s quite the looker. And he’s a doctor. They’re getting quite serious. I wouldn’t be surprised if we weren’t doing this for her by year’s end.”

“Mum!” Rose says blushing furiously.

Emma giggles. “Jacks, you’re embarrassing our poor Rose.”

Rose can’t help it. She wants to smack Emma. Rose has never particularly wanted a sibling and Emma is a prime example of why, even though she can’t quite put her finger on what about the woman bothers her. She gets along fine with Howard’s sons, but she’s spent more time around them.

“And you, Emma?” Rose asks sweetly, already knowing the answer to her question. “Do you have someone special in your life?”

For a moment Emma’s expression falters. “No,” she says flatly before her expression clears and her sunny smile is firmly back in place. “No, Jason and I broke up last month. He wasn’t really…suitable for me.”

“Ah. It must be hard finding someone…appropriate.” Rose tells herself to stop before she turns into a right bitch.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Jackie says kindly, shooting Rose a look that in no uncertain terms tells her daughter to retract her claws. “Someone lovely will come along for you soon enough.”

“Of course he will,” Emma says with a grin, her enthusiasm firmly back in place. “I’m a great catch.”

“Of course you are, dear.”

There is a knock on the door to the chamber. “Who is it?” Emma calls out. “That better not be Daddy. I told him he better not dare.” She headed for the door.

“It’s Jonathon Smith. I’m looking for Rose,” comes the muffled voice through the doorway.

Emma glances back at Rose with an eager expression on her face. “Your boyfriend?” she asks with raised eyebrows. She opens the door as Rose kicks off her shoes and hastily crosses the room. “Hi, I’m Emma Castile,” she tells him offering her hand. “I’ll be Rose’s new sister after today.”

“Jonathon,” he says again taking the hand she’s thrust at him, but he’s looking at Rose. “You’re beautiful,” he says in a reverent voice. Rose breaks into a huge smile. His eyes drift over to Jackie. “Jackie, aren’t you a vision?”

Jackie blushes, something that is a rarity for her. “Thank you.”

“I was wondering if I could steal Rose away for a few minutes?” he asks.

“Sure,” says Emma before Jackie has a chance to finish opening her mouth. “We don’t need her for anything.”

Jackie adds, “Just have her back in fifteen minutes. I don’t want to have to come looking. And don’t muss her lipstick.”

Rose takes that as her cue to escape, thumping the door firmly closed behind her. Jonathon’s hand finds hers and he threads their fingers together. The tension that has been growing in her over the last several minutes immediately dissolves. “You said to remind you to eat something before the ceremony,” he says holding up a small bag in his free hand.

“Thank you,” she says gratefully taking it from him. She can feel the low blood sugar already setting in. He ushers her over to a couple of chairs in a quiet alcove and she sits down, opening the bag and trying not to wolf down the half a sandwich and bottle of apple juice he’d brought her.

“Hope that’s enough,” he says. “You said you had nerves and I thought it better you not eat too much if that’s the case.”

“I’ll gorge myself at the reception,” Rose says. “The catering is fantastic.”

He laughs. “I know. I’ve been through the kitchen and made friends with the main chef, Stuart. He gave me sweets.” He sneaks a carefully wrapped chocolate out of the pocket of his suit. “It’s almost as good as the ones we had in Paris from that great little shop. It’s got curaçao liqueur in the center so be careful you don’t get it on your dress.” He unwraps it carefully and places it in her mouth.

Rose chews thoughtfully and swallows it down. “Oh, that was delicious.”

“How delicious?”

She grabs hold of his wine-colored silk tie and pulls him closer. “Come here and find out.”

He stops just millimeters from her lips. “Jackie said not to muss your lipstick.”

“I can reapply it.” She tugs him forward and his lips meet hers. Forgetting any reluctance he might have had, his tongue sweeps into her mouth to taste the sweet chocolate.

“Mmm,” he tells her a moment later when he breaks away. “Very nice.”

“The kiss or the chocolate?” she teases.

“Both. Want more?”

“Of the kiss or the chocolate?” she asks again.

He pulls another chocolate from his pocket but this time he puts it in his own mouth and eats it slowly. “Guess what flavor?” he asks when he’s done.

Rose kisses him thoroughly and then pulls back with a grin. “Cherry cordial?”

“Your powers of analysis are amazing, Miss Tyler,” he tells her.

“Hmm, I don’t know, Dr. Smith. I might need another taste.” They kiss again only to be interrupted by Emma.

“Rose! Honestly, snogging like a school girl. It’s been twenty minutes and I thought Jackie told you not to smear your lipstick. We so don’t have time for this.” She grabs hold of Rose’s arm and tugs her to her feet. Rose tosses the sack with the sandwich wrapper and plastic bottle at Jonathon and gives him a bemused good-bye as Emma pulls her off to the changing area.

“Go fix your makeup,” Emma orders, tossing Rose her makeup kit and pushing her towards the bathroom. “You were right, Jackie, she was off snogging him like there was no tomorrow.” Emma’s words are abruptly cut off as the door shuts behind Rose.

She quickly fixes the mess Jonathon has made of her lipstick, glances at her watch and quickly uses the loo. It will be her last chance for some time. She returns to her mother and Emma and puts on her shoes. A moment later the wedding coordinator sticks her head in the room and they hear the swelling of music playing. “It’s time.” She hands them each a bouquet of flowers as they emerge from the room.

Emma is the first one to walk down the aisle. Rose turns to her mother and gives her a big hug, careful to turn her face away so as not to get makeup on Jackie’s dress. “I’m so happy for you, Mum. I love you so much.”

“I love you, too. Now don’t make me cry, sweetheart.” Rose nods and pulls away from her. She makes her own way down the aisle and she smiles happily at Jonathon who is sitting in the seventh row on the bride’s side. The groom’s side has a lot more people on it, but Rose barely notices them at all. She gives Howard a huge smile and he grins back, winking broadly at her. She takes her place in front of Emma and turns around to watch her mother come up the aisle to the strains of the wedding march.

Rose has to fight back her tears as she watches her Mum coming towards her. Jackie looks so happy, so radiant. It is the first time in her life that she seems to have no tension or stress showing in the lines of her body or the expression on her face. Every worry in the world seems to have lifted from the woman in front of her. For the first time Rose realizes how very young her mother still is and how very old her life up until now has made her seem. Having this second chance at love with Howard has been an amazing thing and Rose is practically bursting with joy for the couple.

During the ceremony, when she isn’t watching the happy couple she sneaks looks at Jonathon who never seems to take his eyes off her. He’s beaming as he gazes at her and she flushes under the heat in his gaze. She ought to be embarrassed that she’s standing in a room full of people, at her mother’s wedding, and she’s being ridiculously aroused by a man sitting twenty feet from the altar. All he’s doing is watching her and yet it is enough. She steadies herself. She has a long day to get through before she can even think of leaving.

She wonders if she might find a place somewhere they could be alone for awhile between the ceremony and the reception then immediately scarpers that thought. She’s pretty sure having sex in a church on her mother’s wedding day would ensure her a place in hell. If she believed in that sort of thing. Better not to take the chance, no matter what the temptation. Too bad Jonathon looks like pure sin in his lovely Armani suit. And really, hell would be nothing compared to Jackie’s wrath if she found out her daughter was shagging in the coatroom. One of these days her attraction to the man had to die down a bit, didn’t it?

Rose forces her attention back to the wedding. She’ll never forgive herself if she misses the vows because she’s randy. Finally they are exchanged and then Jackie and Howard light the unity candle. All that’s left is for Emma to sing a song. Her beautiful alto voice fills the church and the words nearly bring Rose to tears. The song is about loss and finding love again and it so completely describes the relationship of her mother and her new stepfather that she can’t believe any song could be so perfect. As she ends it the minister announces that the music was written as a wedding gift by Howard’s eldest son George and the lyrics by his younger boy William. Rose smiles. She loves that it was a family affair, that the three of them would do something so thoughtful for the happy couple.

At last the minister pronounces Jackie and Howard as husband and wife. The bridal party sweeps out, Rose arm in arm with George and then as the guests file out they return to the sanctuary for an hour of rather tedious picture taking. William’s wife, George’s fiancé and at Jackie’s insistence, Jonathon, are called up for a family group shot and then they are at last released to the reception. That is followed by another tedious hour in the receiving line as they greet all the guests. Rose meets more members of her new extended family than she can ever hope to remember.

Jonathon waits patiently to one side, talking to various guests and waiting for her to fulfill her obligations and return to him. He chats amiably with a woman who had been introduced to her as Howard’s baby sister Vivienne. She’s about 30, very well put together, and nearly as pretty as Emma. When Jonathon’s laughter rings out above the din of the crowd at something the woman says to him she feels a slight twinge of jealousy twist in her guts. She knows it’s ridiculous, he only ever has eyes for her, but she also knows that many women seem to have eyes for him and when she’s not right by his side to tell them hands off, she doesn’t much like it.

The woman has a serious flirt going on with Jonathon and Rose tries not to seethe. It’s obvious he’s completely oblivious to it, but every time the woman touches his arm or giggles Rose wants to march right over there and make her claim. The only thing keeping her from behaving herself is that her mother would kill her if she made a scene and she will not ruin Jackie’s day by making a fool of herself over petty jealousy.

When the last guest has made their way through the line she goes to join her lover. She walks right up to Jonathon and Vivienne and slides her arm through his, their fingers lacing together. “Hello, love,” she says. “Miss me?”

Jonathon turns to her with a beaming smile. He kisses her on the cheek and Rose can’t help feeling a tremendous sense of satisfaction as Vivienne’s face falls. “Every single minute. Weddings can be so boring. I’m assuming you know Vivienne?”

“We met in the receiving line,” Vivienne says eyeing Rose’s grip on Jonathon with annoyance.

“Yes, we’re family now,” Rose says with a smile. “Thank you for keeping my boyfriend from getting too bored.”

“Boyfriend? You seem a bit old to be anyone’s boyfriend,” she says.

“Ah, well, I know it’s a silly word for a grown man but people tend to get snippy if we call each other lover in public,” Jonathon says guilelessly. “And I’m not that old. I’m only thirty-four.”

“That’s a bit of an age gap,” she says.

Jonathon’s eyes narrow. “I’m not exactly robbing the cradle here. Rose is twenty-two.”

“Age doesn’t matter when you’re fiercely in love,” Rose says.

“Or when you’ve snared yourself a sugar daddy,” the woman snaps.

Rose stares at the older woman in horror. “Jonathon is not my sugar daddy,” she says just as a lull in the buzz of conversation sweeps through the room. Every eye turns towards them and Rose wishes she could sink into the carpet.

“Like mother, like daughter,” Vivienne continues on oblivious to the hush that has fallen over the room. A moment later Emma is at their side. She removes the glass of champagne from her aunt’s hand.

“You’re drunk,” she says succinctly.

“I am not! I’ve only had one glass.”

“Then you’re being a bitch,” Emma says. Her hand tightens on her aunt’s arm and she steers her away from Jonathon and Rose and the conversation around them returns to normal.

Rose searches out her mother and Howard, but they are laughing together. She hopes they didn’t hear what Vivienne had said. Emma deposits her aunt with George and his fiancé and then returns.

“I am so sorry, Rose. Auntie Viv is a real piece of work. She thinks the world revolves around her and her opinions and I’m pretty sure she was trying to snag your Jonathon.” He shudders in horror beside her.

“She seemed so nice at first,” Jonathon says.

“Well, she’s like that. I didn’t even think to warn you, Rose. She’s desperate for a man right now. The big summer social season is coming up and she hates to do things unescorted. Snaring herself a doctor, and such a handsome one, too, well…” Emma shakes her head. “She’s far too concerned about social standing.”

Rose bites her lip to keep from commenting on Emma’s own preoccupation with such things but the other woman notices. “I care about appearances, Rose, but I’m not like that. I know I come off as flighty and self-absorbed, but I’m not. It’s a role. You’d be amazed at what you learn when people think you’re just the empty-headed daughter of Howard Castile. How the truth comes out. And the truth I’ve seen is that your mother loves my father so much it hurts. And another truth, Rose Tyler, is that I love your mother, too. I’m not going to let anyone put her down or try to run her off my daddy. She’s the best thing that ever happened to him, not the other way around, despite what some people might think.”

Rose nods. “Thank you,” she says.

“You’re my sister now,” Emma replies. “And George and Will and I will defend you just as fiercely as we will the rest of us.” Rose gave the girl a quick hug which Emma responded to with delight. “Just remember you are family,” she whispers in Rose’s ear. “No one messes with my family.”

As Emma pulls away, an announcement is made that the meals are about to be served. Emma’s mask of the bubbly ingénue slips back into place. She gives Rose a little wave and a wink and slips away to find her place at the main table. Jonathon’s hand curves back into Rose’s and they trail after her. Having siblings, Rose thinks, isn’t going to be so bad after all.

Ch. 46: http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/256571.html

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

catyuy.livejournal.com

Wonderful.
I like that Rose now has even more family to depend on.
Luckily Emma was there to save Aunt Viv, else Rose might have hurt her.

Edit, FIRST!!!!

Edited Date: 2009-06-07 02:02 am (UTC)

From:

ramblinsuze.livejournal.com

Dang it. Missed the first comment by thatmuch. ;)

Not Rose-Colored Glasses

A Sky Without Zeppelins: Chapter Forty-Five

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