Chapter 20
Next morning, Mason appeared at his father’s doorstep.
He had to make a choice as to whom to visit first, his own father, Pamela or Dr. Nicholas. He felt he had to pay visits to all the three.
He could imagine his mother’s reaction, and he felt bad enough already. Mason was genuinely sorry for Dr. Nicholas too, as, most probably, Alex Nicholas would be the only person who’d mourn Elena sincerely and whole-heartedly. Mason just did not know what he could say to relieve the pain; still he felt obliged to go and talk to Elena’s adoptive father.
Both Pamela and Alex Nicholas must have heard it in the news that Elena had been killed; so there was no hurry. But CC – CC was different. He could have heard it, but he had no idea it was his daughter; Mason preferred to be the one to tell him.
Hardly had Mason stepped over the threshold when his father’s voice boomed, “MASON! What the hell…”
‘Oh no,’ Mason thought wearily. He was suffering from a terrible headache after the night events and the drinking-bout that followed; not only was he hung-over, but also torn apart by conflicting emotions about Elena and her death and what he could or should have done; his father’s familiar vehemence was a bit too much for him now.
“What the hell WHAT?!?” he interrupted.
“I hear Mason Capwell was fished out from the ocean yesterday night just taking a swim by a yacht that exploded; and the yacht’d been rented for a romantic getaway, and…”
“Was there ever a time,” Mason interrupted again, pretending to be meditating aloud, “when you’d just hear me out first before attacking me with endless accusations--”
“Mason.”
It was spoken in a much gentler manner; only too familiar, too. Mason turned round. “Good morning Sophia.”
“Can I have a word with Mason?” Sophia said placing her hand on Mason’s sleeve.
“Sophia,” CC rolled his eyes, “can’t you see we’re TALKING, and could it wait!”
“No I can’t see you’re TALKING, CC, and it cannot wait. I don’t ask for this too often, just once in ten years,” Sophia said and turned her big imploring eyes to her stepson. “Mason. Please.”
Mason was always glad to vex his father a little more. “Of course Sophia; you will excuse me, dad.”
He followed her out. “What is it?” Sophia looked a bit pale. It alarmed Mason. “Sophia – is anything the matter?”
“Mason,” she said. “No; not really. First of all let me say how happy we are, both of us, to have you back safe and sound.”
“Both – you mean you and…? – who else, I just can’t see.”
“Mason,” she said with a hint at reproach. “You don’t know what it was like for your father when he was told Kelly and you both could have been killed. It was such a shock – such a stress--”
“Ok, Sophia. What is it you want from me?”
Sophia sighed and looked away. “Mason,” she said gently. “Your father—Please when you come back to fight, before you strike out, look at him carefully. And see just how much you like his complexion, his looks--”
“What’s up, Sophia? Heart trouble?” said Mason, immediately concerned and repentant.
“Yes. Not too serious but still. You remember I asked you once, when you were about to tell CC Channing was gay... Mason—You use your own judgment, of course; but please just [i]look[/i] at your father first.”
Mason dropped his eyes. For some reason, he saw a grown-up Matt standing there and Julia pleading with him while Mason himself, old and fuming, was waiting to lash out at his firstborn. ‘No – please God – it will never happen this way,’ he thought.
“Okay, Sophia,” he said, tamed; “but I – I need to tell him something, and I’m afraid there’s no pleasant or gentle way of breaking this kind of news.”
Sophia put her hand on Mason’s arm again, her eyes shining at him with emotion that looked like tenderness. “I trust you, Mason,” she said softly. “You’ll do what you have to do. You’ve never been the one to kick him who’s down.”
Mason shut his eyes for a short moment. “Thank you Sophia,” he said, and then he kissed her hand.
“Thank you Mason,” she whispered.
He walked back to the lounge then.
CC was sitting, bent down wearily. He didn’t hear his son’s light step this time, and Mason paused watching his father.
CC did not look too well, Sophia was right. Was it the time to stop seeing him as immortal and infallible, Mason wondered. The idea was not new to him, but every time CC’s powerful ego just made Mason run along the road he’d just been paving with good intentions. ‘Just how many children of my own, and how many nights like this do I need to become an adult – as far as dad is concerned,’ Mason said to himself bitterly.
He walked up to the wicker table and sat across CC. “Dad,” he said in a reconciliatory tone, “I’m sorry. I feel awful this morning; I shouldn’t have lashed out at you, and you shouldn’t—Forget it. I want to explain to you what I was doing ‘taking a swim’ out in the ocean, and dad, there’s something about it you--”
Damn it, where was his famous eloquence this morning.
“I’m listening to you Mason,” said his father with dry sarcasm. Mason managed to ignore it.
“The yacht was rented by Jeffrey for Kelly, - that’s the romantic getaway you were referring to,” he said. CC raised his eyebrows, but Mason put up his hand, “- please let me finish. So; I got a tip the yacht was not safe and I told Jeffrey to stay home. I went to check it. On board the boat there was Elena – Elena Nicholas. You might have met her.”
“A few times. She worked for Cruz.”
“Right. And we needed to talk.”
“Stop. There’s something I don’t understand,” CC said with the same sarcastic note. “Why should you need to talk to a strange woman on the eve of your wedding?”
“This is the hard part, Dad.”
“Oh, now you call it ‘hard.’”
Mason bit his lip and – looked at his father, just like Sophia’d asked him. “Yes; because – it’s the hard part for you, dad.”
“What do [i]I[/i] have to do with it?”
How do you tell a father he’s lost his child he never knew?
“Dad,” Mason said, trying to be very gentle. “Please try to collect yourself; I’m about to tell you something that will change the way you see things. It’s a very unpleasant piece of news for you--”
“I don’t see you to be gloating, so I don’t believe you.”
“Maybe I deserved this one,” Mason replied. “Ok. You’ve heard Elena Nicholas was killed in the explosion.”
“Yes I have.”
“You just don’t know who Elena was.”
CC started saying something, but Mason put up his hand again. “Dad; she was your daughter.”
CC gaped at him. “Mason--”
“It’s true and you’ll have it checked very easily. I’m sorry Dad. Mother was pregnant when you – when she left, and--”
He stopped. CC seemed to be looking through him. “Daughter?” he said. “MY daughter?”
“I’m sorry.”
TBC
Chapter 21
Mason had Elena’s funeral arranged; the Indian was identified, too, and the investigation was being carried out. It was revealed Elena had been behind a lot of legal claims against the Capwells. Fortunately, there was no sign of CC’s heart getting any worse.
Strange as it might seem, the shock, or was it the Indian’s arrest, seemed to have cancelled Mason’s nightmares; never more did he see the Indian in his dreams. He felt as if he were slowly reinstalled in his own normal life, and Julia was of great help. Now he knew he did want to marry her and live with her – ‘happily ever after.’
Some time passed, and soon the new wedding day came.
*
“I feel like an elephant,” Julia said. “But what’s worse, I look like an elephant, too.”
Eden laughed. “Nonsense. You do not: you look beautiful.”
The dress fitted still; at least this Julia had to admit.
“You’ve gained little weight but for this charming belly,” Eden went on. “Just look at your wrists, at your collarbones. Very delicate and elegant.”
“My face is all swollen,” Julia complained. “I think I looked like a cake with whipped cream, with all this lace, and as to my face it looks plain whipped.”
“Very appetizing,” said Eden rearranging the lace.
Julia’s hair was down. She liked her hair up more, but this way the swell would have been more noticeable. “So – you think it’s ok?” she asked again, assessing her reflection in the mirror.
“More than ok. My brother’s lucky to have gotten him such a gal.”
Julia turned to Eden and kissed her impulsively on the cheek. “Thank you, Eden, I needed to hear this.”
“I’m really glad that Mason, despite his self-destructive instincts, has chosen the right woman,” Eden said earnestly. “And I’m [i]very[/i] glad to become your sister-in-law!” She kissed Julia back.
Julia landed in a big, soft armchair. “Ohhh,” she sighed. “I feel awful. My feet hurt, my legs ache, my hips ache, my back aches, everything does. I’m just shaking with fear something can go wrong.”
“Nothing will,” Eden assured her. “You know Mason; you do him good. And he’s not that bad himself, believe me. He takes family very seriously.”
“I know,” Julia said.
*
It was CC Mason had asked to be his best man; it made CC quite happy and even got him misty-eyed.
So, when waiting for the wedding ceremony to start, Mason was pacing the room in nervous agitation, CC was there for him. Matthew was with Sophia.
“It feels like digging my own grave,” Mason complained.
“What?”
“Marrying. On the whole. I know I’m doing the right thing marrying Julia; but still, the idea this is for life scares me.”
“It’ll be ok, son. You and Julia know each other quite well,” CC said. “And I – don’t quote me on this, - I think she’ll be a good wife and a good mother to both your kids.”
“I don’t doubt her – though – I do, too,” Mason mused. “What if one day she suddenly doesn’t love me any more? What if I succeed in destroying what’s good between us?”
“Don’t cross the bridge until you’ve reached it,” CC said. “Son, you’ve probably grown wiser if you ask yourself such questions; but don’t be too smart for your own good. I don’t know if I have the right to give you advice--”
Mason smiled to himself: it was so uncharacteristic of CC to give advice not commands; to doubt his right to, was unfathomable. “Please do, dad.”
“Just live it, one day at a time. You can be happy with Julia if you allow yourself to.”
“Exactly,” said Mason to himself. “Thank you, dad!”
He hugged his father.
*
When the music started playing and the bridesmaids entered the church hall, everybody held their breath. The bride was about to appear; one of the most exciting moments in a whole wedding ceremony.
Julia knew everybody’d be watching her, and she felt insecure. To add to this, there was Mason, Mason Capwell waiting for her at the altar; enough to drive a woman crazy!
But when she did step in and saw her bridegroom’s elegant figure, when she met his eye she forgot everything else. The look in Mason’s eyes told her all she needed to know: she looked stunning, he couldn’t wait to marry her.
Julia did not remember how she covered the distance; the next thing she knew was she was standing at the altar hand in hand with Mason. His eyes smiled, reassuring her.
“Dearly beloved,” the minister started.
The pains Julia had felt all morning were getting worse. ‘I wonder if I can keep standing through the ceremony,’ Julia thought, and then suddenly for a while she could neither think nor breathe.
She must have squeezed Mason’s hand painfully, for when she regained the ability to breathe he was watching her with concern and fear.
Julia gave him a smile and turned to face the minister. His words hardly registered, though. The spasm being over, she felt weak and would have preferred to sit down.
Mason turned aside. “Ted. Ambulance,” he commanded curtly.
Ted ran out; Mason got back to the wedding procedure.
“Julia, you may now speak your vows to Mason.”
It was hard for her to concentrate; she looked into Mason’s eyes and tried to hold onto his gaze.
“I vow to love you forever, and I vow to try to understand you rather than judge you,” she said. “I – I’m very grateful you came my way, you’ve made my life complete.” She put her hand onto her belly. “I – I vow – ohhh – to do my best to create a real family for us.”
“Mason?” the minister prompted.
Mason saw another spasm had hit Julia. He knew he needed to rush through this and help Julia, but he still wanted to tell her his vows before everybody.
“Julia,” he said and waited a bit.
Mason thought he’d rather be going through the pains himself; to be a bystander, with all his fears, was almost unbearable.
“Julia,” he said again.
There was a murmur in the audience.
“Julia,” Mason said again, and she smiled at him, feebly, her lips white. The spasm was over; he could speak. “I’m blessed to have you in my life.”
The audience went still.
“It happens so with me that children and love come together – or love and children, I do not know. I’m sorry I have waited so long to tell you this: I love you, Julia. And I vow to love you forever; I swear it before God and people.”
She nodded, but Mason was not sure she understood. He could have kicked himself for having waited so long.
“I vow to love and cherish you, in sickness and in health,” he said in desperation.
“You may now exchange the rings,” the minister hurried. “Julia, do you take this man to be your husband in accordance with the vows you’ve just spoken?”
“I do,” which came as a groan.
“Mason, do you take this woman to be your wife in accordance with the vows you’ve just spoken?” the minister said not taking his eyes off the bride.
“I do.”
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the minister sighed with relief. “You may kiss the bride.”
Mason threw Julia’s arms round his neck for support, brushed her lips with his and then took her into his arms. Hastily, he carried her up the aisle out to the ambulance.
TBC
Olga Lissenkova
