Mart Belden woke up the next morning with the first hang-over he'd had in his entire life. He rolled over to his side. Across the room, his brother Brian was snoring. His friend Barry was spread out on a rollaway cot squeezed in front of the closet. Mart's head spun and his stomach rolled as he tried to sit up.
"Ohhh," he moaned, and lay back down. The room was spinning. He tried to sit up again. "Ohhh," He lay back down.
Brian opened his eyes and watched his brother's attempts to sit up. "Just stay there, little brother. I'll get you something," Brian got up. He managed to step over the clothes and open suitcases on the floor, squeezed around the cot, and went downstairs to get some sports drink and aspirin.
His mother and father were sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspaper and sipping coffee when he walked in.
"What time did you get in?" His father asked without looking up.
"Late," Brian said as he pulled out a bottle from the refrigerator. Brian turned to his parents. "Don't worry. Bobby had nothing to drink stronger than Coke. And I stayed sober since I was driving."
"I'm not happy about someone Bobby's age being exposed to any kind of drinking. And I heard someone retching in your bathroom half the night." Mr. Belden was not happy.
"That was Mart. I'm getting this and some aspirin for him now."
"Is Mart sick?" Mrs. Belden was concerned because she knew that, of all her adult children, Mart was the least likely to drink alcohol.
"Mart isn't used to alcohol, Moms. He'll be fine." Brian snapped at his mother as he turned and left the room.
Mr. and Mrs. Belden looked at each other. It was totally out of character for Brian to encourage any kind of irresponsibility, much less participate. And he never spoke rudely to his parents. They were concerned about his appearance and moodiness. Something wasn't right with their oldest son.
Upstairs, Brian sat on the bed next to Mart. "C'mon little brother. This will help."
"Are you sure?" Mart asked from under his pillow.
"Mart, trust me. I'm an expert. An expert."
Mart sat up looking at his brother. What exactly does he mean by that? he wondered. He took the aspirin from Brian, washing it down with sports drink. We need to talk, he thought. But when? He sipped some more of the drink.
Brian crawled back into his own bed and pulled up the covers.
"Sip that slowly. And wake me when you get out of the shower." he said as he rolled over, facing the wall.
"C'mon, Di. You've got a big day. " Trixie and Honey both tried to pull Diana out of bed.
"Goway. Pie mo' minud." Diana mumbled from under her pillow.
"Di, you said that fifteen minutes ago." Trixie pulled off her covers.
"And fifteen minutes before that." Honey added. "We have a yummy breakfast that's just been delivered!"
"Five more minutes." Diana reached down, fumbling for her covers.
"Diana Lynch!" Trixie called loudly. "Do you plan to marry my brother or not? I drove a semi-conscious man all the way from Baltimore yesterday just so I would be here for all the big doings and I'm not letting you back out now. GET OUTTA THAT BED, NOW!
"Gee, Trix." Diana sat up. "Coffee. Gimme coffee."
"Just what the lovely bride ordered." Honey said, handing her a steaming mug. She and Trixie began peeking under lids to see what goodies the cook had sent up for breakfast. There were pastries, eggs, bagels and more. "Mmmm, all brides need their nourishment. Mmmm."
Diana giggled and stuck her tongue out at her friend. "Okay, Okay. I'm awake. But I'll never be ready for whatever my mother has planned for today. Let's see, there's hair and nails, final fitting, packing and what else? Oh of course! The rehearsal!"
"But...the most important thing is my wake-up call to Mart. You guys get in the shower while I call him."
Diana dialed Crabapple Farm as Honey went into the bathroom. Mrs. Belden answered the phone.
"Hi, Mrs. Beh--I mean Moms. Is Mart up yet?" Mrs. Belden explained that Mart wasn't feeling well. "Oh? Oh?" Diana's brilliant smile dimmed quickly. "Should I come down there? No? How about Brian? Oh? No. No. We'll...I'm going to be out most of the day. I'll try later. Okay. Okay."
Diana hung up the phone and turned to Trixie who was sitting on the edge of the bed. "Your mother said Mart is sick. He was up half the night vomiting."
"Mart?" Trixie fell backwards laughing. "Mart?"
"Trixie, it's not funny. Mart might be sick. It could ruin the whole wedding. Oh! You don't think it's last minute jitters?"
"Di, he's not sick. He got drunk. Mart, my health-conscious-zero-tolerance-straight-as-an-arrow-brother got stinking drunk last night!"
Diana sat staring at Trixie. Not only did she find it difficult to believe Mart would get drunk, she failed to see why that amused Trixie so much. "Do you really think that's what happened?"
"Di, I seriously doubt he got drunk intentionally." Trixie suddenly realized that Di was upset. "I think he just has such a poor tolerance, he got sick on one or two drinks. But, he's always made such a big deal about not drinking and never making a fool of himself and all...well, I just wish I'd seen him."
Diana still seemed upset and confused. "I guess you're right. I just don't see much humor. And what about Bobby? Was he with them?"
"We'll find out soon enough, about him, Barry, Jim, Dan and Brian, too I guess."
"What about Brian?" Honey asked as she came out of the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel.
"Di just tried to call Mart and Moms said he was up sick all night. Sounds like he got stinking drunk!" Trixie said.
"Do you think they all did? Honey asked.
"Only one way to find out. Let's go wake up Jim." Di suggested.
"You guys go and I'll get in the shower." Trixie pushed them out of the room. She knew she was the last thing Jim wanted to see so early, especially if he were hung over.
The phone rang in the stable complex. Sitting at the kitchen table, Bill Regan picked it up on the first ring. "Manor House Stables. Bill Regan here."
"Good mornin', Bill. Is Dan awake yet?
"I'll get him." Regan set the phone down and walked over to Dan's bedroom. Without knocking he opened the door. "Telephone."
Without even opening his eyes, Dan picked up the phone next to his bed. "Hello? His uncle left the room without shutting the door.
"Good morning sexy."
"Good morning Jen."
"I just woke up and my first thoughts were of you."
"Me too." Dan heard his uncle hang up the phone in the kitchen.
"Can't talk? Your uncle listening?"
"Something like that."
"Would you like to come over for some breakfast?"
"That might be nice. Meet you in the restaurant?" Dan sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
"Oh no, Danny. Not that kind of breakfast."
"Jen..."
"Are you blushing?"
"Not yet."
"Well, get over here. You will be."
"Give me 30, no 20 minutes." Dan stood up and stretched.
"I love you, Danny."
The phone was dead.
Jan and Jill Lynch, Diana's sisters, turned around slowly, dressed in identical pale lavender gowns and matching pumps. Although only thirteen, they were already as beautiful as their older sister. They had done the same thing in the same bridal salon several times over the past weeks. Ella Kline, the seamstress who had designed all the women's attire for the ceremony, examined each girl to ensure a perfect fit. She smiled smugly to herself. "Perfect, if I say so myself. Perfect."
Mrs. Lynch nodded her agreement. "You're absolutely right, Ella." This style is perfect for two young girls." She turned to her daughters, "Okay, Jan and Jill. I guess you're ready for tomorrow. Be careful with your nails. Now, where are Trixie and Honey?"
Jan and Jill stepped down off the riser just as Trixie and Honey came out of the changing area. They were dressed in gowns identical to the sisters', except theirs were a slightly lighter shade of lavender. Honey stepped up onto the riser for her final fitting. Ella stopped Trixie just as she was about to follow.
"Beatrix Belden, what are you wearing?" She asked.
"What? Oh! My shoes. I left my good shoes at home. My Nikes are about the same height." Trixie stuck one of her sneaker-clad feet straight out from under her gown.
Honey laughed out loud. They could hear Diana laughing from behind the dressing room curtains as well. Neither Ella nor Mrs. Lynch appreciated the humor.
"I cannot do a proper fitting unless you are wearing the proper shoes. And those dirty sneakers are not the proper shoes!"
"These are all I have." Trixie looked at Honey and crossed her eyes in an attempt to keep from laughing.
"Well, let me do Honey first, and then you can wear her shoes while I check you." Ella shook her head in disgust.
"But Honey's feet are bigger."
"They'll just have to do." Ella waved Trixie away.
Honey and Trixie giggled each time they looked at each other, but somehow they managed to stay still long enough to satisfy Ella. Once she was finished with them, she called for Diana to come out.
Honey and Trixie both gasped as they saw their friend enter. It was the first time either had seen her in her complete gown, train and veil. The white satin and lace set off her dark complexion, black hair and violet eyes perfectly.
"Oh Di. Mart will pass out cold when he sees you." Trixie said in awe. "No really, he will."
Diana looked at her future sister-in-law. She smiled slyly and said, "That's the idea!"
"There will be no passing out at this wedding! I've spent too many hours preparing for it and I refuse to allow it!" Mrs. Lynch said, and everyone laughed. Their laughter soon turned to nervous giggles and they giggled until they cried. Honey, Trixie and Diana hugged until Ella ordered them to break apart before they ruined a gown. Then Di hugged her mother.
Trixie and Honey tiptoed into the changing area, leaving Di and her mother in a tight embrace, crying tears of joy. After all, what are weddings for?
Dan, Jim and Jen sat in a booth at the rear of Wimpy's diner; the same booth where the Bob Whites had been meeting for almost a decade. Dan and Jen were facing the door and looked up expectantly each time someone entered. Finally they saw Mart, Barry and Brian come in. Dan waved and motioned for the three to join them.
"What is it, burgers and shakes all around?" Dan asked. Brian and Barry eagerly agreed while Mart said he'd like a ginger ale and nothing else.
Dan and Jim shook their heads in exaggerated sympathy at their friend's misery.
"C'mon Mart. I saw what you ate and drank. You've got to be feeling a little better by now." Jim offered.
"It's not my head or stomach. What'll I tell Di?"
"Whattaya mean, tell Di? Tell her the truth." Jim grinned broadly.
"Tell Di that I got drunk and was arrested with an exotic dancer?" Mart looked askance at his friend and shook his head in shame.
All five of the others sitting at the booth laughed out loud. So loudly, everyone in the diner turned to see what was so funny.
"Mart, you didn't get arrested." Dan patted his friend on the back.
"But...I was," Mart thought for a few minutes. "Wasn't I? What about Molinson?"
"Mart, that was part of the joke," Brian patted his brother on the shoulder. "He did that as a long overdue favor to Trixie and Honey. The entire telegram, dancer and everything were staged. The dancer is a friend of Jim's and teaches PhysEd at Sleepyside Middle School."
Mart turned and glared at his older brother. "Brian, how could you? How could you let me think that....and sit there while I tried to make excuses to my own mother? Brian Belden." He looked at his friends. "And the rest of you were in on this?"
The other five again laughed out loud.
"I'm sorry, Mart. But gee, when you got up this morning and starting going on and on about how you'd never be able explain any of this. And then worrying about how'd you ever make it up to Bobby...I'm sorry, brother. I had to let you suffer just a little."
Mart sulked for a few minutes before finally breaking out into a wide grin. "What a sap, but was I really that drunk?"
"I'd say so." Jim answered him this time.
"Well, I guess I got what I deserved for drinking too much," Mart sat rubbing his forehead for a few moments before looking up and smiling with his friends. "Now where are those burgers and fries?"
Mrs. Belden had joined the others at the Bridal Salon and, after she and Mrs. Lynch had their final fittings, all seven women decided to have a light lunch at Rhode's Tearoom. Like the young people in Wimpy's, they were talkative and laughing, although they attempted to keep their chatter quiet enough to not disturb the other clients of the tearoom.
"I can just imagine Ella's face when Trixie pulled up her gown and revealed her sneakers." Mrs. Belden laughed.
"Oh, Moms, it was so funny!" Trixie admitted to her mother.
"I adore Ella, but she does take her work too seriously at times."
"Jan and I may be identical, but we're just different enough in size to run her crazy. Every time we go in for a fitting we trade dresses. She lets one out and takes the other one in..." Jill abruptly stopped her confession when she saw her mother's glare. Then Mrs. Lynch laughed out loud. "She must not have been too upset by it all. She never said one thing to me."
"Now what looks good?" Diana held a menu up.
All of the women ordered some type of salad. They needed to save room for the rehearsal dinner to be held that evening at the Country Club. While waiting for their orders, they talked about the activities that would take place during the next 24 hours. No one noticed that Honey had very little to add.
Trixie reached over and hugged Diana who was sitting next to her, "Just think," she said, "in less than 24 hours, you'll be a Belden." She looked over at Honey and smiled. "And this time next year, Honey will be, too!"
"In less than a year, I'll have gone from having one daughter to three!" Mrs. Belden started to add when she saw Honey's face. Tears began to stream down her cheeks. Mrs. Belden started to say something more, but words seemed to fail her.
Honey stood up. "Excuse me, please. I don't feel well." She hurried across the restaurant and out the door. Trixie also excused herself and ran out behind her.
Mart was stretched out on the sofa in the Belden's family room. Most of his headache and upset stomach were gone, but he was resting at Brian's insistence. He wanted to look and feel as good as possible that evening. Brian and Barry had walked up to the Manor House stables where Dan and Jim were going to show Barry the facilities. He had no idea where his father and Bobby were, although he thought they might have gone into town for haircuts or something. He knew the women of the house were out running their own pre-nuptial errands.
Just as he was dozing off, he heard someone enter the kitchen from the service porch. He started to get up when, hearing it was just Trixie and Honey, he laid back down and attempted to sleep. As he lay there, he realized Honey was crying and Trixie was attempting to soothe her. He didn't know if he should announce his presence or stay and risk being accused of eavesdropping. He decided to stay where he was.
"You've got to pull yourself together and confront Brian," Trixie was telling Honey. "You can't expect these worries to go away on their own."
Mart couldn't hear what Honey was trying to say.
"Do you want me to say something to him?" He heard Trixie ask.
"No!" Mart heard Honey that time.
He heard the back door open again. His mother came in. "Would someone please tell me what has been going on?" She asked. "I've never seen Brian act as strangely as he has the past two days and now Honey's behaving totally out of character as well."
"Moms...," Trixie started to say when the back door opened again.
"Honey!" Brian sounded surprised. "Moms! Trixie! I thought you'd be out most of the afternoon." Apparently Brian and Barry had returned from Manor House.
"We finished our errands and cut lunch short." His mother replied. "What have you young men been up to?"
Mart couldn't hear if anyone answered as Brian came into the family room.
Mart sat up and stared intently at his older brother, pointing and motioning with his hands, trying to force him to go back into the kitchen. Brian ignored him as he went over to the television and pretended to be looking through the TV Guide.
"I think you need to get back into the kitchen." Mart advised his brother quietly. Brian continued to ignore him.
"Brian, did you hear me?" He spoke a little louder. "There's a young woman in there you need to talk to. NOW!"
Brian glared at Mart. "It's none of your business."
"It is when your bizarre behavior is threatening to spoil my wedding. Now, get in there, before I shove you in there."
"It's none of your damn business." Brian was clenching his fists as he glared at his brother.
Mart got up from the sofa. His jaw was set just as stubbornly as his brother's was and his fists also were clenched. Brian turned and went back into the kitchen.
"Honey, do you think we could go for a walk?" Mart heard as he sat back down.
Honey and Brian left the house and walked across the driveway. Brian made no effort to take her hand or touch her in any way. He'd known as soon as he entered the kitchen and saw her swollen red eyes that Honey had been crying, and he knew anything he might say or do other than lie would only upset her more. His own emotions were in complete turmoil. He adored this young woman, but he didn't believe he could remain committed to her when he had such strong emotions and desires for Joyce as well. With Joyce there was a physical attraction he'd never known before, while Honey was like a precious gem to be cherished. If he were to be honest, he'd destroy the love Honey had for him. If he were to lie to her--and to himself--he'd destroy that love as well.
"Honey..."
"Brian..." They both started to speak at the same time.
"No, Honey, I have to talk to you. Can we go for a drive?" Honey nodded and they walked over to Brian's Subaru.
Brian and Honey got into his small car and drove off in total silence. Brian drove up Glen Road and turned off at the old road that led to Martin's Marsh. He and Honey had always gone there to talk in private. He stopped the car and turned off the engine. They both sat and stared ahead, afraid to look at each other. Brian's hands were sweating. His head throbbed. Tears ran silently down Honey's cheeks as she waited for him to say something, to do something.
"Honey, you know you're one of the best things to ever happen in my life. You know that. I love you in so many ways..."
Honey sat silently as tears streamed down her face.
"I don't know how to say this." Brain sat and stared ahead. After what felt like hours to both of them, he finally looked over at Honey.
"I....I...want....I need....." Brian shook his head. How could he do this? How could he say this? "I want to break off our engagement."
Honey started to sob silently. Her shoulders heaved as she lowered her head and covered her face with her hands.
"It's not you. Oh please understand. It's not you. Honey. You're so wonderful. You're...You're...I do adore you. It's just I can't do what I'm doing and remain committed. Please say you understand."
"Understand?" Honey looked up at him. "No, I don't understand. Either you love me or you don't." She tried to remain in control. The tears flowed as she repeatedly tried to swallow the lump in her throat. Finally she was able to speak again. "Is there someone else?"
Brian looked away from her. He didn't know how he should answer that. "It's not you. It's not anything you've done."
"Brian, you didn't answer me. Tell me that much at least. Is there someone else?"
Silence. Brian worried about what she might know.
"Dammit, Brian Belden. What have you been doing?" Honey didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Suddenly it all made sense. He wasn't home...he was out...out with another woman. He was too busy to call...yeah he was too busy with someone else. He couldn't talk when she called...not with another woman present. He couldn't come visit...no he had to stay with the other woman. He certainly didn't want her to visit him...not with another woman around.
"It all makes sense now." She sobbed. "How could you? You've lied to me, haven't you? For how long? Weeks? Months? ..." Honey began to beat him on the chest with both fists. "I'm an idiot." Brian sat there and allowed her to hit him. He felt it was the least he deserved. "You lied!" Honey continued to beat on his chest and then his arms. "I hate you, Brian Belden. I hate you. You ..." She sobbed for what seemed an eternity to Brian as he sat motionless. Twice he started to lift up his arms and touch her, but stopped himself.
"Take me home." Honey finally was able to speak.
Brian started up the car. He drove out the lane and up Glen Road towards Honey's home. As he started to turn up the drive to Manor House, Honey ordered him to stop.
"Stop the car! Let me out here. Let me out! I don't want you on my property."
Honey got out of the car and started to run up the drive when she stopped suddenly. She turned around and went back to the car. She motioned for Brian to roll down his window.
"I almost forgot." Honey sobbed as she took off the diamond ring and threw it at him. "Damn you, Brian Belden!" she yelled as she ran off.
Brian sat and watched until she was out of his sight. What have I done? What I have done, now? he wondered, tears running down his cheeks.
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