Free Bilgarra Springs by Louise Rotondo Page A

under the bust it moves into 8 gored pieces that fall in beautiful folds flowing into a train at the rear. The only ornamentation, at my request, is the beaded piece from shoulder to shoulder. The veil, following the fashion, reaches the ground at the back and fixes on towards the back of my head. I would have preferred fresh flowers to top my head, but Ma insisted that I use artificial flowers as I couldn’t pass fresh flowers on to my children. Ma also requested that the crystals be sewn into flower designs at the bottom of fine tulle of the veil. I didn’t have the heart to refuse. I am, after all, their only daughter. After being made up and having my hair pinned, I will be dressed in all the feminine undergarments that Ma bought, then stepped into the dress and the sixty-eight pearl buttons done up. Shoes will be slipped on my stockinged feet, a bouquet of roses placed in my hand. Pa will escort me out the door, into the waiting car, and then up the aisle of the cathedral. Two flower girls, one page boy and four bridesmaids will precede me up the aisle, but eventually it will be my turn. From the wedding to the reception, from the reception to the hotel and in the morning we leave on our month long honeymoon. Just him and me.
    Aurora could picture a younger version of her grandmother walking up the aisle, dressed as she had described. Her own mother hadn’t worn Gran’s dress when she had married Dad. Aurora had seen the photos and Mum’s dress had been short, above the knee, and lacy. She wondered what had happened to Gran’s dress. Maybe it was in one of the boxes stored in the storage room at Gran’s house. She would have to remember to have a look to see if it was squirreled away anywhere when she got back to Sydney.
    Although she hadn’t known her grandmother as a younger woman, Aurora was enjoying this brief glimpse of a youthful, eager bride. She smiled at the picture that flashed through her mind. She was impatient to read the next few entries in the journal and quickly turned the page seeking the next one, hoping for more details on the wedding. This snippet of the early days in her grandparents’ lives had her enthralled.
3 January 1946
We have spent the last week and a half travelling and now find ourselves quite by accident at Bilgarra Springs.
    Aurora stopped reading. Her disappointment on not receiving any further details on the wedding was quickly pushed aside by stupefaction. Her mind was reeling.
    They had both been here.
    During their honeymoon.
    She couldn’t get her eye to move beyond those words ‘find ourselves quite by accident at Bilgarra Springs.’ Aurora was jarred out of her thoughts by the sound of feet running along the hallway and two little voices excitedly calling out.
    ‘Grandma, Grandma, they’re here. Daddy’s back. Come see.’
    A stronger voice cut across those of the two little girls as Trudy made her way down the hallway after them, trying to rein them in, but trying not to make too much noise as she did so.
    ‘Girls! I thought I told you to leave your great-grandmother alone. She’s probably asleep.’
    Trudy paused at Aurora’s door, caught her eye and smiled, hesitating, unsure of herself, before finally deciding to speak. She leant against the doorjamb, her chase of Kate and Harriet abandoned.
    ‘I guess she won’t be asleep anymore, bloody little monsters. Come on out and I’ll introduce you to everybody.’
    With that, Trudy turned and returned up the hallway to join the new arrivals. Aurora put the open journal on the bed and followed Trudy. Her curiosity had been piqued regarding the others as well and although she would have liked to keep reading the current journal entry it would have been rude to refuse Trudy’s invitation. Being honest with herself, she admitted that she was also interested to see whether the mental pictures that she had formed of them all fit reality. By the time she reached the courtyard they were lounging all over the place – on