“What’s wrong?” Jane whispered.
“I’m just happy for Patsy,” Betty answered, keeping her voice low as they set out the crystal punch bowl and cups—making sure all the handles faced in the same direction. The wedding would take place in less than an hour, and everything had to be perfect. Per Mother’s instructions. Patsy didn’t care if there even was punch. She hadn’t cared about any of the arrangements. She was so happy, so ecstatic to be marrying Lane, that she’d have married him anywhere at any time.
Betty refused to compare herself to Patsy. There was no use.
“Perfect!” Mother exclaimed. “Absolutely perfect. I can’t believe how much we managed in such a short time.” Shaking her head, she insisted, “That won’t happen again. We’ll have more time when it comes to your weddings.”
Betty made no comment, in fact, she pretended that she hadn’t heard a word her mother had said.
Jane, on the other hand, heaved out a sigh and whispered, “I’ll elope before I go through all this.”
Betty shook her head at Jane’s comment, but then frowned. Jane just might do that.
“Come now,” Mother said. “Time to get in position. Betty, remember, you walk up to the altar first, and walk slow, dear.”
Betty nodded and stepped into place.
“You, too, Jane,” Mother said, shifting her gaze. “Nice and slow. It’s not a race.”
“I know,” Jane said. “I know. No one in their right mind would race to the altar.”
Betty knew Jane was referring to her, and not Patsy. Patsy was in love with Lane. She wasn’t in love with James. Perhaps she would be by the time her wedding rolled around.
She managed to keep her tears at bay until she was standing at the altar watching her sister marry Lane. His hair was dark brown, the same brown as his eyes, the very ones that looked at Patsy with such love and devotion that Betty couldn’t stop the tears from slipping out. She truly was happy for her sister.
Patsy looked so beautiful in her long white A-line dress. Her white netted veil covered the long ringlets that Betty had curled in Patsy’s hair earlier. Jane had then curled Betty’s hair, and Patsy had curled Jane’s.
A pang struck Betty, knowing that wouldn’t happen again. The three of them would no longer share the upstairs rooms at the house. Patsy had already moved most of her belongings to Lane’s apartment near the newspaper building.
Betty twisted, just enough to get a quick glance at Jane, who was also crying. Their eyes met briefly, and Betty knew Jane was thinking the same thing that she was. Things were going to be very different now.
Betty then glanced down at her own dress, a long gown of powder blue. Mother had suggested pink for both her and Jane’s dresses, but Patsy had said no pink, and that her sisters could choose whatever color they wanted. Betty had chosen blue of course. Jane had chosen green. Pale green.
Their dresses were identical, and pretty. Simple creations that hadn’t needed any adornments, other than single short strings of pearls around their necks. They each wore a pearl barrette, holding back their hair, including Patsy.
Betty then glanced toward her parents sitting in the front row. Mother had a matching barrette, but it was holding her long blond hair in a bun near the nape of her neck. Both she and Father looked very nice in their dress clothes.
Seeing the person seated directly behind her father, Betty’s breath stuck in her throat.
James.
He wasn’t the homeliest of men, just boring. Short and stocky, he had thin brown hair and round green eyes that blinked often. Almost too often.
He smiled at her.
Her heart once again grew so heavy; it felt as if it was in her stomach rather than behind her breastbone.
The ceremony ended. She kept her head up and forced a smile to form and remain on her lips as she followed the newly married couple down the aisle. Then, as people started to leave their seats, she and Jane scooted around Patsy and Lane.
“Bee’s knees, but Patsy looks happy, doesn’t she?” Jane said as they hurried down the steps so they could be ready to serve punch, coffee, and cake as the guests arrived in the gathering hall of the church.
“Yes, she does,” Betty agreed.
“I hate to admit it,” Jane said quietly, “but I’m jealous of her.”
“For marrying a man she loves?” Betty asked.
“No, for escaping. There will be no sneaking out of the window and climbing down the trellis for her.”
“No, there won’t be,” Betty agreed as she positioned herself behind the table holding the punch bowl and coffeepot.
“You won’t be doing that much longer, either,” Jane said.
Betty held her breath for a moment. She didn’t care if she ever went to another speakeasy, but Jane did. “I won’t be marrying James for months. Not until the end of the year.”
“Then why are you acting like it’s tomorrow?”
Betty began to fill cups using a glass dipper. “I’m not.”
“Horsefeathers,” Jane huffed as she began to cut slices of the cake. “You haven’t wanted to sneak out in days.”
“Because we’ve been so busy with the wedding,” Betty replied.
“Banana oil!” Jane hissed. “That’s only an excuse. When we have snuck out, you haven’t danced with anyone. I’ve watched you. You haven’t had any fun. Why?”
“Yes, I have. There just hasn’t been anyone I wanted to dance with.”
“You mean the Reuben you won the dance-off with.”
Betty nearly dropped a cup, and was saved from having to reply as people entered the room and immediately came to the table for punch and cake.
She had to fill the punch bowl several times, and made several trips into the kitchen to wash cups. As she returned with several clean and dry cups, her hands began to shake when she noticed Father and James approaching the punch table from another direction.
“Betty,” Father said in his booming voice as they arrived. “Now that Patsy’s wedding is over, it’s time to make your engagement to James official.”
Holding her breath, she focused on
