Free Mud and Gold by Shayne Parkinson Page B

you beat her to it! For all her
chasing after Frank, you got a husband first.’ Amy knew he meant it
kindly. She managed to smile back at him.
    Arthur sat on the couch beside Edie and gave
his wife a squeeze. ‘Brings back a few memories, eh, Edie?’ Edie
giggled like a girl. ‘Now we’ve got to sit around and wait for
everyone to arrive. Don’t worry, Lizzie, if Frank doesn’t turn up
I’ll go looking for him. I’d better make sure I get rid of you
after spending all this money!’
    ‘Frank’ll turn up,’ Lizzie said, smiling
confidently.
    ‘I don’t know,’ Arthur said with a wicked
grin. ‘He might take fright and make a bolt for it!’
    ‘No, he won’t,’ Lizzie said in a voice full
of certainty.
     
    *
     
    Frank got up at his usual early hour that
morning. At the milking shed his mind was full of Lizzie, and Ben
was as taciturn as usual, so they worked in silence. They had just
turned the last cow out into the yard when Ben announced, ‘I’m not
coming to your wedding, boy.’
    ‘Eh? But you’re to be best man!’ Frank said
in dismay.
    Ben gave a snort of derision. ‘It’s all a
lot of rot. I don’t want anything to do with it. You can put the
ball and chain around your ankle without me helping. I’m going away
for a bit—it’ll give that girl a chance to settle in and start
ordering you about.’ And with that he walked back to the house.
    Frank hurried after him and asked just where
he was going, but Ben refused to answer. Frank persisted until it
was time for him to start getting ready, then shook his head and
went off to his bedroom where his suit was laid out on the bed.
    By the time he had shaved, given himself a
stand-up wash and put on clean underwear the shock of Ben’s
announcement had worn off, and Frank was quietly grateful for his
brother’s strange decision; bringing Lizzie home for the first time
was going to be far easier without Ben scowling at her, or perhaps
even giving her his opinions on how women should behave, as soon as
she walked in the door.
    He put on his suit and brushed it down.
Without thinking, he reached for his battered old felt hat. He
caught himself in time and left the hat on its shelf. Today of all
days Frank wished he could hide under the broad, floppy brim, but
he had to face the world looking his best, and that meant wearing a
good hat.
    Ben watched as Frank saddled up Belle and
mounted. ‘Good luck,’ he said. ‘You’ll need it.’
    ‘Thanks, Ben.’ Frank turned in the saddle
and called back over his shoulder as he rode away. ‘Take care. I’ll
see you in a couple of days.’ There was no reply from Ben.
     
    *
     
    Lizzie was chased from the parlour and told
to stay out of sight when the first guests began to arrive. She and
Amy took refuge in Lizzie’s bedroom, from where they could peep
through the curtains as buggies pulled up.
    ‘Such a lot of people!’ Amy exclaimed.
‘Who’s Uncle Arthur invited?’
    ‘Everyone,’ Lizzie said with deep
satisfaction. ‘Fifty or sixty at least, not counting children. I
didn’t tell Frank there’d be so many people, or he really might
have been too frightened to turn up. There’ll be lots of presents,
eh?’
    ‘Oh, I’m sorry Lizzie, I meant to say
earlier—I haven’t got you anything.’
    ‘It doesn’t matter, we’ll get plenty.’
    ‘But I wanted to give you a present. I don’t
get into town, you see, and I didn’t like to ask Charlie. I would
have made something, except… well, I would have had to ask Charlie
to buy me some material or suchlike, and—’
    ‘It doesn’t matter, Amy,’ Lizzie
interrupted. ‘Presents are for people who don’t really care about
me and Frank, just so’s they can feel good. You don’t need to go
giving me things to show you want us to be happy.’
    ‘I do want that. I want you to be happy with
Frank—and you will be, I’m sure. You deserve to be.’
    ‘So do you,’ Lizzie said, a look of sadness
passing over her face.
    ‘I know what I