Memories II

|28| • Make-Up, Hairstyles and a Salad

"Henrietta? Are you ready? C'mon, we have to get going." Annie impatiently tried to get me to hurry up a little more. "We have to get to the barn so you can get ready there and then drive back into Guildford and we can't be late, you're getting married today."

"Yes, yes," I muttered, looking through my toilet bag once more before I stuffed it into the 'bride suitcase' as Annie had dubbed it. "I'm almost done, calm your horses. You have the dress, right?" The dress. Oh dear, what a struggle that had been. I would have been perfectly fine with a simple white dress with a bit of lace but I had been the only one with that opinion. Not even Brian had been on my side, he insisted I pick something unique to make it as special as our wedding was going to be. So I caved and chose a more pompous dress. Nothing too much, but if I was honest I did love it and I did look good in it. I only hoped that Brian would share my opinion because after all he was paying for the vast majority of the wedding expenses, but of course he was still the same and insisted I get whatever I want, it wouldn't be a problem. So I chose a fancier dress, a dress that I loved and everyone else who had seen it so far.

"Of course I have the dress, I wouldn't forget that. Now, are you finally ready? You remember that you have a hairdresser and a stylist coming?"

I sighed and nodded. "I do, yes. You insisted on that." I really didn't get why Annie was making that big a deal of it. Yes, I was getting married but I was capable of doing my own hair and make-up.

"And you will thank me for it later. Now let's get going, we have people waiting for us." Annie grabbed a couple of bags and ushered me out of my flat.

I had stayed at my own flat because tradition said that the bride and groom shouldn't sleep in the same place the night before the wedding and on top of that Annie was going to make sure that Brian didn't see me before the ceremony. We weren't having a religious ceremony, we were getting married in the registry office in Guildford and then we found this gorgeous location in the countryside for the reception and a few people, our families and the band and Annie, would stay the night there with us. I was definitely looking forward to the celebration - and of course the fact that I was going to be Brian's wife.

That still sounded so surreal. The sparkling diamond ring on my left hand reminded me of that every day but I still hadn't fully grasped it. Marriage sounded so grown up and I definitely didn't feel grown up enough for being someone's wife. I hadn't seemed to be able to change Brian's mind about wanting to marry me though - luckily - so that was why we were here, on our way to the reception location so I could get dressed.

The car ride took quite some time, and with Annie chattering away excitedly the entire time it didn't pass much quicker either. However, eventually we did make it there and we were already expected by even more people who seemed to be a lot more excited about the entire ordeal than me. Slowly but surely it was rubbing off me though, I couldn't stop myself from smiling when I got out of the car.

"Ah, Henrietta, finally, we were worried you wouldn't make it in time." My mother rushed towards me and enveloped me in a much too tight hug before I could even just try to evade her.

"Mum.." I awkwardly patted her back. "I'm here now, you don't have to suffocate me. It's not like I want to run away, you know? I want to marry Brian because I love him."

She looked at me with a smile that seemed almost entirely sincere. If you knew her though, you could still see through it. For her it wasn't so much about love as it was about money. She was looking forward to being related to someone rich and a day in luxuries which she didn't have to pay for seemed like a perfect start for that to her. I knew her and she couldn't fool me no matter how hard she tried. "Young love. Oh my dear, come on, let's go get you ready for your man, before one of you changes your mind."