“Finally, you look presentable,” her mother said, as she looked her elder daughter up and down. Rory knew that this was as close to a compliment as she was going to get.
“Thanks, Mother.”
“Now you know what to do, right? I don’t suppose you go to too many weddings on that island of yours.” Her mother raised a brow.
“Yes, Mother. I’ll just stand there quietly. You don’t have to worry about me ruining it.”
“Don’t be sarcastic. It’s all about Tara today and I want it to go as perfectly for her as possible.” Is it ever not about Tara? Rory wanted to ask.
“And Rory, Mr. Carroll’s son, who works in New York, is in town, so I invited him as well. He’s a good boy with a good job and I think you’ll like him.”
Here it comes. The unavoidable matchmaking.
“Mother. It’s okay. I can...”
“No, you can’t. It is high time you had a family of your own. Isn’t it embarrassing enough that your younger sister is getting married before you? People are beginning to ask questions.” Her mother had a dark look on her face. She’s nine minutes younger, Rory wanted to protest.
“You aren’t capable of finding the right man for yourself and that’s why even in my old age, I have to do all the work. All I ask is please be nice to that boy. Don’t make a fool of yourself and I will pray that it works out. You cannot be alone all your life. Are you gonna die a spinster? See what happened to your Aunt Melissa? The wretched woman died with nothing but cats surrounding her.”
Rory stood silently. If it were any other day her anger would’ve reached its peak, but not today. Just one more day and I will be back home.
Rory decided to go through the whole ceremony and the party as silently as possible. She had decided long before that she would stick to the shadows and not interact much with people. It wasn’t a difficult task to lie low considering how many people were invited to the event.
She put on a smile as Tara walked down the aisle, clapping as her new husband Paul kissed her. Rory even stood in the crowd of women when Tara threw the bouquet, but made no effort to catch it.
Just a wedding party to get through and you will be done with this. Just a little more time, she reminded herself as yet another relative of hers asked her about her own wedding plans. You don’t see these people ever. Doesn’t matter what they say or what they think.
Rory was content and she liked this feeling. She didn’t need a big wedding or the spotlight like her sister did to feel happy. Small things in life, like not worrying about the future and being able to fend for herself, were good enough for her.
Rory pulled out her phone and smiled. The sales were still increasing. She was so happy she could cry, but she did not want to spoil the amazing makeup job that Lizzy had done.
Chapter 25
At the lavish party, Rory found a quiet corner to sit in. Her feet ached in the tall heels and she drank more champagne than she should have. As she watched her sister and her new husband in the middle of their first dance, she looked at their glowing faces and wondered if they were truly happy or whether this was all part of the show.
Her parents seemed the happiest they had ever been. Is marriage the road to eternal happiness? She hadn’t thought about her own wedding since she was a teen, but in that moment Rory wondered if there was a Prince Charming for her too somewhere.
Jeez. What’s wrong with me? Why am I thinking of love and romance? Rory knew that in her case, it would not be a grand wedding like this or a Disney love story like Tara’s. For her that kind of thing was not genuine. This tradition of inviting hundreds of people and spending tons of money to “celebrate love” was a facade. She’d rather get married in a small ceremony in her grandmother’s house.
But first I need a groom to get married, she smiled to herself. If there was a Mr. Right for her, she was going to wait for him. She wasn’t going to rush into anything and she wouldn’t let other people’s opinions mess with her head. Rory had been fooled by Arsen, but there was no chance in hell that she was going to make the same mistake again.
A random thought of Arsen appeared in her head. His voice, his touch, that smile. Goddammit, that smile. Damn, this champagne is making me think stupid things. Lizzy seemed confident that Arsen wasn’t like those other celebrities, but she was too naive. Arsen would marry Tanya Cox. They would have great celebrity babies and be a famous couple like Brad and Angelina.
What a fool I was to think that Arsen Ford would give a damn about me. Rory almost blamed herself as much as she blamed Arsen. Regret simmered inside her. She could not deny that Arsen had ignited something deep in her, something much more important than a sensation of desire. But she also knew that she would get over him soon enough. Or will I?
“You’re Rory, right?” A man’s voice startled her out of her thoughts.
“Yes. And you are?” She did not recognize the man.
“Tim Carroll. Mr. Carroll’s son. We’ve met a couple of times before, I think.”
“Yes. I believe so. Hi,” Rory replied, cursing her mother in her head.
“Your mother sent me to look around for you. She tells me that you have a house up in Montcove.”
“Yes I do,” Rory replied.