Chapter 26: The Honourable Tony

Tamara Ruiz-Costa walked slowly, trying to synchronise her steps with those of her stepsisters, Patricia and Megan Maxwell. The twins were bursting with pride and happiness. Tammy knew that this was their day too. They had been working Henry and Josie for almost three years to bring about this wedding.

Before them, her father was leading Josie Maxwell along the aisle of the village church and to the altar where the minister was waiting for them. Henry and Josie sat on the two chairs facing the altar. The three bridesmaids sat in the first pew, together with Henry's best man, Andrew Carter, and his family. By chance or by scheme, Tammy did not know which, Anthony Carter was sitting right by her side.

The minister was brief and to the point. Though Tammy was not at all religious she liked him and his way. The graveside service he had performed for Chien-Mei had been tasteful and without the usual tear jerking. Now he performed the wedding with the same efficiency. There was no choir and no organ music. Three friends of Ellen Winthorp played pieces from Mozart's violin concertos, filling the church with the lively music.

The moment of the wedding itself, the vows and the exchange of rings; all that would be etched into Tammy's memory forever. She saw her father's happy smile when he kissed Josie and she saw the spark in Josie's eyes when she threw her arms around her husband for the first time. She asked herself whether she would ever be so happy herself or whether she would lead a life like her mother's, alone, betrayed and used.

The wound of her mother's death was still fresh. She had died just three weeks after Josie's short visit in the Spring. A tumour in her cardiac muscle had finally caused a merciful end. The last week had been terrible for all involved and Tammy had felt relief when Chien-Mei's ordeal was over. Of course, she felt guilty for being relieved and for feeling so comfortable with her new family. Henry had insisted on several sessions with a counsellor to help her sort out her feelings.

Now, as she walked along the aisle behind the newly wed couple with her stepsisters flanking her, she felt a different sort of apprehension. It was her first public outing as Henry Ruiz-Costa's daughter. Of course, all the guests knew that this was Henry's first marriage and that made it clear that she was the illegitimate child. Add to that her Asian features and Tammy knew from experience what people would think and whisper about her.

Atleast the hired photographer held no prejudice against Tammy. He took picture after picture of the bridesmaids and a few of Tammy alone. Granted, Pat and Megan had a few solo shots too, but the attention was soothing to Tammy's apprehensions.

After church, back at Oxford Manor, Tammy was trying to melt into the background as the mass of guests was milling around her. That was difficult to accomplish, given that she was wearing a £1200 designer dress made of burgundy-coloured silk that fit her tall and slender body to perfection.

The designer had gone gaga over herwhen he fitted her with one of his original creations. He claimed that she had the perfect figure for it, as well as the perfect skin tone and hair colour. Yet she wished for something less eye-catching.

It made Tammy self-conscious to be the centre of attention. She knew it could not be helped. Most people had not known that Henry Ruiz-Costa had a daughter. That was enough to pique the interest of the guests. Her prominent role during the wedding, serving as bridesmaid alongside Pat and Megan, had spurred even more interest.

"H-hi, T-tammy!"

Thank God for a familiar face! She had met Anthony Carter a few times after school and they had even gone to an ice cream parlour twice.

"Hi, Tony! Where's your obnoxious brother?"

He grinned at her. "L-left him w-with M-Mom," he answered. "You l-look b-b-b... , you l-... , you l-... , " he stopped.

He was beet red with embarrassment and Tammy's fondness for him increased. He was a misfit like her, but she also liked the way he looked at her and the way he talked to her. When her mother had died, he had sent her a condolence card all by himself. He had included a hand-written sheet with a poem by Yeats. She could recite the poem by heart:

ALL the heavy days are over;
Leave the body's coloured pride
Underneath the grass and clover,
With the feet laid side by side.

One with her are mirth and duty;
Bear the gold-embroidered dress,
For she needs not her sad beauty,
To the scented oaken press.

Hers the kiss of Mother Mary,
The long hair is on her face;
Still she goes with footsteps wary
Full of earth's old timid grace.

With white feet of angels seven
Her white feet go glimmering;
And above the deep of heaven,
Flame on flame, and wing on wing.

Snapping out of her memories, she put a calming hand on his arm.

"Relax, Tony! It's just skinny me in a fancy dress," she tried to put him at ease.

He shook his head emphatically. He took a deep breath.

"Y-you look beautiful!" he blurted, grinning with relief now that he had been able to have his say.

"You think so?" she asked with her head tilted.

He nodded, obviously not trusting his voice chords to perform a second miracle so shortly after the first.

"Thank you. You look pretty classy yourself, Most Honourable Tony."

That was true. Tony was wearing his club jacket and tie. His wavy blonde hair was tousled by the summer breeze. He grinned at her.

"Care for a walk?" he asked.

Tammy held her breath. No stutter!

"Sure, let's go to the river bank."

They walked in silence for a few minutes until they reached the bank. A lot of sports boats were on the river on this Saturday afternoon. After all, it was early July and school was out. There was a bench, recently restored by Henry, where they sat down.

"Is your family going on vacation?" she asked softly, hoping for a 'no'.

It came.

"Not this year. M-my g-grandmother will have her b-birthday. She'll be sixty."

"Big party?"

"You b-bet. She has two sisters and t-t-tons of friends," he said morosely.

"You don't like them?"

He shook his head.

"Y-young m-man, s-stand straight a-a-and d-don't s-s-stut-ter!" he gave an imitation. "Th-they th-think I d-do it on p-pur-purpose."

He was getting agitated again and Tammy shook her head.

"Tell them to piss off," she suggested.

"I sh-should. I p-pity Aunt Ellen. She'll be the victim th-this y-year."

"Why?"

"Sh-she's p-p-p..." he tried. "She's p-preg-n-nant."

Tammy blushed. She knew. Plus, she had seen Ellen leave Henry and Josie's bedroom one morning with tousled hair and walking like on eggshells. She had a pretty good idea who the father was.

"Wow!" she offered.

"Grandmother had a cow!" Tony explained. "B-but Aunt Ellen w-was to-t-tally cool."

"I hope nobody gives her grief," Tammy said. "I like her and she's been so nice to Sandy. But people can be mean. I know how they treated my mum sometimes."

She felt his hand on her hand.

"That must be rough," Tony mused. "When people badmouth your mother, I mean. Mum says your mother was a really nice w-woman."

Tammy's head snapped up. "How could she have known her?"

"Mum's been a volunteer helper at the hospice in Reading for years. She organises all sorts of benefit teas and such to raise money, but she also helps out when they are short of staff. I suppose she met your mum when she worked there."

Tammy had to suppress the sobs that were threatening and her eyes were brimming. Tony noticed and blushed again.

"I'm s-sorry, T-tammy! I sh-should have k-kept m-my m-mouth sh-shut."

He was so obviously crestfallen that Tammy forgot her own chagrin and kissed his cheek.

"It's not your fault, Tony. It's just too fresh."

He had become rigid when she kissed him, but now he boldly put his arm around her shoulders and offered his chest for her head. Gratefully, Tammy laid her head against him. They sat like this for quite some time before they heard shouts from the house calling for her. She stood.

"We're here!" she yelled.

Hand in hand, they walked back. There was Richard, Tony's younger brother. He saw them and pointed at them.

"Tony has a... ow!"

Rose Carter held his ear in a firm grip.

"We are guests here and Tammy is our host's daughter. Therefore, you will be nice and polite to her. And pointing is impolite, understand?"

"Yes, Mum," came the sulking reply. "Ow!"

"Not in this tone of voice, young man!" Rose was having none of this. "Now go and get some cake. And behave yourself!"

She turned to her older son who grinned with delight at what he had just witnessed.

"You almost missed the cake, Tony. Why don't you get two plates, one for you and one for Tammy, whilst she waits here with me?"

"I can do that, Mum. Will you wait, Tammy?"

Tammy smiled at him. "Of course."

She sat at the table opposite Rose Carter.

"Who is this boy and what did you do with Tony?" Rose asked.

Tammy was confused. "Huh?"

She wanted to slap herself for the moronic answer, but Rose didn't seem to notice.

"This other young man spoke a complete sentence without stuttering. Confess already, where is my son?" Rose smiled.

Tammy breathed a sigh of relief. Rose Carter was joking!

"I don't really know. He doesn't stutter all that much when we are together. I guess he doesn't feel hurried. I wait for him to finish his sentences and after a while he stops stuttering."

Rose tilted her head. "You are implying?"

"People don't give him time. They either finish his sentences for him or they turn away. Sometimes they laugh too."

"You are a remarkable girl, Tamara, if I may say so. How come you don't tease him the way the other girls do?"

Tammy shook her head. "That would be cruel and I would miss all the fun. He's good to talk with and the other boys won't be seen with me."

"Why on earth not?" Rose asked, honestly bewildered.

"I'm half Asian, I'm skinny and taller than most boys. I'm a bastard and my mother died of AIDS," she explained without passion.

Rose's eyes darkened with anger. "How do they know that?"

"Beth Thurmond's mother is a nurse at the hospice. Beth blabbed when I stayed home for the funeral. Now everybody knows."

"I'll have a word with Mrs. Thurmond," Rose promised in a calm voice that belied her anger. "She's not supposed to discuss patients with her daughter."

"That cat's out of the bag," Tammy said reasonably. "I would have been an outcast anyway the way I look."

Rose placed her hand on Tammy's shoulder. "Not in my eyes. Tammy, you are always welcome in our house. I think it's wonderful that Tony has somebody he is comfortable with."

Tony came with two plates loaded with cream cake.

"I'll get some coffee. Want some?" Tammy volunteered.

Anthony nodded. They both liked coffee as they had found out during one of their afternoon excursions. Tammy quickly went to one of the tables that held the coffee dispensers and filled two cups. She joined Anthony and his mother again and found that Andrew Carter with them.

"Hi, Tammy. Am I the first who feels compelled to tell you that you look stunning?" he smiled at her.

Tammy smiled back. "No, Tony beat you to it. Not with the same words, but I liked it."

"Good for you, Tony," Andrew Carter grinned at his son. Then he stood up with a smile. "If this isn't the beautiful bride and the lucky groom!"

Tammy looked up, her mouth still filled with cake. There was her father and Josie, making the rounds to speak with the guests.

"Hello Tammy," Henry smiled at her. "Easy with the cream cake if you want to keep wearing dresses like this."

Tammy, her mouth finally emptied, stuck out her tongue.

"So Josie, how do you feel as Mrs. Ruiz-Costa?" Andrew asked.

"Suits me wonderfully," Josie laughed. "Now that I've divested myself of the stores, I can finally drop that other name once and forever and be Josephine Ruiz-Costa, née Butler. No trace of 'Maxwell' left."

Their friends knew enough of her personal history to understand.

"What about Patricia and Megan?"

"I will file for adoption tomorrow," Henry explained. "We talked with them and they want to take my family name too. Of course, Josie will adopt Tammy in turn. We'll be a normal family with four kids."

It took a few moments before the Carters caught on. Then Rose was up and hugging Josie.

"Really? God, that is so perfect."

Josie beamed back. "Yes, we'll have a baby."

"Ellen absolutely refuses to tell us anything about the father of her baby. Well, she's on cloud nine and that should be enough for us," Andrew offered.

Andrew was so blissfully clueless that Rose rolled her eyes at Josie.

"I am so happy for her. All these years she thought she was unable to conceive. I can imagine how wonderful this must feel to her," Rose commented. "It must have been Ted's shortcoming then," she added with a grin aimed at Henry.

Tammy noticed how her father blushed and her suspicion about who had fathered Ellen's child moved towards conviction. The only thing she still had to understand was why Josie seemed so unconcerned. One look at Anthony told her that he was processing the same information.