Page 35 of Soul

“Anything for mywife.”

“I like the sound of that,husband.” I grin and he uncharacteristically swings me around like he did at the church.

“As do I. Are you hungry?” He sets me back on my feet.

“Famished.”

Chase leads me over to the lovely table. There’s a bucket of champagne in a standing unit. Two bottles are nestled there. He opens one and the cork goes flying out of the tent. We both laugh as he pours the sparkling pink champagne. I hope it’s the same kind from the plane. That one was a burst of dry berry notes on the tongue. We hold up our glasses and Chase looks deep into my eyes.

“To our forever,” he says.

“To our forever.” I agree and clink his glass. We both take a sip and I moan in delight at the crisp, wonderful taste.

Chase stands and walks over to a small table where a stereo has been set up. He presses a button and the tent fills with the sound of a lilting woman’s voice. It’s an opera singer I’ve heard before. Just as Chase makes his way back to the table, a man in a suit with a white towel over his arm comes in. “Sir, I do believe you said to enter once the music plays.”

“Yes, thank you, Colin. I’d like to introduce you to the lady of the manor, my wife, Gillian.”

“Good to meet you, Mrs. Davis.”

I smile at the red-haired older gentleman who’s probably in his late forties if not early fifties. “You can call me Gillian.”

“Yes ma’am,” he says before approaching our table.

“Gillian, Colin is our house handler. He will be taking care of everything that is the Bantry home. He lives with his wife in the guest house off the side of the property, down the path.”

Colin smiles and removes the two metal covers over our plates. “Sir, Ma’am, for this evening we have a special filet mignon, with a garlic buttered potato, fresh vegetables from your garden, in a special sauce me better half prepares on special occasions.”

“Your wife cooked this meal?”

The man beams with pride, his chest puffing out. “Yes Ma’am. My Rebecca is a master chef. She will make all your meals while you’re in Bantry. She looks forward to meeting you.”

“As I do her, thank you, Colin. Please give her my compliments.”

He nods and leans back. “Will there be anything else, sir?” he asks Chase.

“You’ve set the dessert and utensils over there,” Chase points to a side of the tent I hadn’t seen.

Colin nods. “Yes, Sir. And I hope you don’t mind, my wife found a lovely topper. Please consider it as our gift to you. We look forward to getting to know your family through many years to come.”

Chase stands and puts out a hand and shakes it. Then he claps Colin on the shoulder and squeezes. “Thank you, my good man. That will be all until tomorrow’s breakfast. Please have Rebecca prepare it in the sun room but not too early.” He grins and smiles wide. I blush. So does Colin before he clears his throat and holds back a smirk.

He bows toward me. “I hope your first night as man and wife is everything you hope. We shall see you in the morning. I will take my leave.”

“Thank you Colin, everything is perfect. Please share my thanks with the missus.”

He nods and walks out.

Instead of eating, I hop up and rush over to the table with a cake on it. Chase laughs at my enthusiasm but comes up to hold me from behind. A small, two-tiered cake sits on the table. It’s white with intricate swirls and Celtic symbols weaving through it. At the very top sits a ceramic heart with two hands holding it with a crown on top.

“It’s a Claddagh.” I touch the cool ceramic.

Chase holds me close. “What does it mean?”

I grip his arms around my waist pressing into his front. “It’s a traditional Irish symbol. It represents love, loyalty, and friendship. The hands are meant to represent our friendship, the heart our love, and the crown represents our unending loyalty to one another.

“Then it’s perfect.”

I turn in his arms and hug him close. “It is. Everything about today is perfect. Thank you for giving me my dream wedding. And all of this, I couldn’t imagine better.”

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