[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

by one of Marie-Louise's family here in Lyons. No doubt it had been pure
white when it was first made, but time had conferred on it a gentle colour
change it was now a yellowing ivory. Among its folds gleamed pearls and
tiny white roses, the coronet holding it in place.
The wedding had been very long and very beautiful; a sung mass with a
choir hidden somewhere and a haunting echo of their voices coming back
from the high roof of the mediaeval church. Looking upwards, Donna had
seen angel faces among the dark wooden beams, carved gilded cherubs
flying over their heads. The sun had shone through ancient stained glass,
colouring the faces of the congregation. Marie-Louise's voice had sounded
unfamiliar, husky, uncertain, but there was nothing unsure about her
now she blazed with happiness.
'You look wistful, cherie,' remarked Alain, leaning over to smile at Donna.
'Sorry, do I?' She had been trying to smile for hours now. It wasn't easy
because she envied Marie-Louise so much. It must be wonderful to be so
secure in your love; to feel no doubts, no anxieties, no pangs of jealousy.
'Would you like to be getting married?'
'Is that a proposal?'
Alain laughed, putting up both hands in Gallic horror. 'Ah, no, cherie! I am
not the marrying type, but you, I think, are.' His glinting eyes watched her
thoughtfully. 'Yes, I think so.'
'Most people are, sooner or later,' shrugged Donna.
'This is true, but I am not most people,' Alain said with grateful fervour.
An hour later they danced together and almost bumped into Marie-Louise
and her husband as Alain swirled Donna around, the full skirts of her
strawberry- pink dress flying up in rustling layers.
'Having a good time?' Marie-Louise asked over her husband's shoulder,
winking.
'Terrific!'
It was odd, but Donna already felt that Marie-Louise was different from
now on their lives would be totally separated, they might keep in touch, but
it would never be the same again. Marie-Louise would have other
preoccupations, other friends, other things on her mind. A wedding was the
end as well as a beginning; one of the great divides of life.
They had a chance for a talk a little later when Marie-Louise and Jean-Paul
stopped dancing and came to sit at the same table. Marie-Louise sent Alain
off to dance with another girl in the party and chased her new husband away,
smiling at him.
'Go and talk to your mother! She is all alone. I want to talk to Donna.'
Jean-Paul kissed her nose. 'Okay, mignonne! Don't forget, we leave in half
an hour!'
'As if I would!'
'When women start talking they forget everything!' Jean-Paul grinned and
went off, however, and Marie- Louise smoothed back her veil with a tender
hand.
'Marriage is exhausting it will take me a month to get over it. I don't know
whether I'm on my head or my heels I seem to have been rushing about for
days now.'
'You look good on it,' Donna said affectionately, smiling back at her. 'It
obviously suits you.'
Her friend laughed. 'Yes, I think so.' Her face became a little more serious.
'But tell me, cherie what is this about your father being very ill? Alain told
me a while ago. I'd no idea! Is it very serious?'
'He's recovering a little, but he has a weak heart,' Donna answered soberly,
and told her about the events of the past week. 'I thought for a while that I
wouldn't get to your wedding, in fact, but he was so much better that I
thought I would risk it. I left the name and phone number of the hotel here
with the hospital and my father's housekeeper so that if anything did happen
they could reach me quickly, but in any case I've decided to fly back early
tomorrow morning. I'm sorry to miss the fun Alain and the others are
organising for tomorrow, but I think I ought to get back.'
Marie-Louise nodded. 'Of course. You must be very worried. It was good of
you to come all this way when you had so much on your mind.' She leaned
over and kissed Donna lightly on both cheeks. 'Thank you for the lovely
silver fruit bowl. We will cherish it.'
'And you'll keep in touch?'
'Without fail.' Marie-Louise looked at her thoughtfully. 'And what will you
do now? You won't stay in Paris, if your father is so ill?'
'No, I think I'll have to go home to live,' Donna agreed, sighing.
'It is a pity, I know how much you enjoyed Paris but family is family.'
Donna smiled ruefully. 'How true!'
She didn't confide in Marie-Louise all the other problems on her mind. It
wasn't something she wanted to talk about, and it wasn't the time or place for
such confidences, anyway.
Marie-Louise eyes twinkled. 'Alain will be very disappointed. He's always
fancied you and he probably thought he had a chance to get you alone for a
while!'
Donna laughed. 'Too bad for Alain! He'll survive. There are plenty of other
fish in the sea for Alain.'
The party continued for a long time after the bridal couple had left on their
honeymoon. The band went on playing, the dancers went on dancing,
people went on drinking and talking at the tables for some hours until
gradually they drifted away in groups of two or three or more, saying
goodbye to Marie-Louise's parents before they slipped away.
'I think we ought to go,' Donna murmured to Alain, glancing at her watch [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]