"What do they say, a marriage made in heaven? There's one," Carl Stevens declared.
They took their places at the dais and Samuel rose immediately, tapping his glass with his fork.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to propose a toast, the first toast of the evening."
Everyone stood up with their glasses of champagne and Samuel turned to Nelson and Louise.
"To Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Childs. May they be as happy as Olivia and I are."
I heard someone snicker behind me but there was a loud "Hear, hear," and everyone sipped their champagne. The music began again and so did the feast.
"Where are you going on your honeymoon?" Janet asked Nelson. He gazed at Samuel and me.
"Well, unlike the happily married Logans, we're not heading out to sea. We're going to the mountains, to Aspen. Louise is fond of hiking and she means to wear me out one way or the other."
He winked at me and then we all began to eat. Afterward, when Samuel had gotten up to speak to someone at the end of the dais, Nelson leaned over and whispered.
"Was he right, Olivia? Should I hope to be as happy as you two are?" he asked.
"I would hope you would always try to improve on things, Nelson," I said.
He chuckled silently and then turned to join some friends in a toast.
"Wait," he said reaching over to pour some more champagne in my glass. "Won't you join us?"
I did and then I drank another. In fact, I drank more at Nelson Childs' wedding than I had ever drunk anywhere, anytime, and I suddenly began to feel woozy. It got so I wasn't secure on my feet and stopped dancing. Samuel thought it was funny, but I hated the feeling that I could fall off the world.
"I think we'd better go soon," I told him in a whisper too loud. Nelson heard it, too.
"Not before you dance once with the groom, Mrs. Logan," he said. "It's customary for the best man's wife to do so, isn't it, Samuel?"
"Absolutely," he said.
"I don't think I can," I murmured, but Nelson was up and taking my hand. I felt the eyes of the other women at the dais as we walked down to the dance floor.
"I'm sorry if I cling to you too hard, Nelson, but if you let go, I'll probably fold up like someone's old umbrella."
"Hold on as tightly as you like," he said and held me snugly against him. I closed my eyes and let the side of my head rest on his shoulder.
"So now we're all happily married," Nelson said. "Not all," I said thinking of Belinda.
"She'll settle down one of these days."
"It's where and on whom that worries me," I said. Nelson laughed. I felt so good in his arms and with my eyes closed, the music in my ears, the laughter and talk drifting back, it was really possible to think of this as my own wedding. What would Nelson's first honeymoon night be like with his new wife? I wondered. Samuel implied that they had already had it many times over.
I was disappointed when the music ended. Nearly tripping as we rounded the dais, I steadied myself on Carl Stevens' shoulder, which brought laughter.
"I really do think we should go home, Samuel," I said as I sat, embarrassment turning my face crimson.
He agreed and we rose and bid our good-byes to Nelson and Louise.
"I hope we'll all become such good friends," she told me as she hugged me.
"So do I," I said.
Daddy appeared to be having a fine time with the Colonel and his other friends. I was happy for him. It pu
t me in a light mood on top of my dizzy spell and all the way home, I giggled. Samuel was very amused.