To Murder Matt (16 page)

“This is a folder regarding your ship. It has all sorts of information in it. I am not sure if there is anything of interest to you. Would you like to see it?”

“May I?”  She passed the folder to him and returned to her chair behind her desk.

He glanced through the pages efficiently, mentally clearing all the information that he didn’t need and also looking solely for information on Veronique whilst all the time appearing nonchalant about it all.  Finally, at the back, were a few pages marked “senior personnel.”  He slowed and lingered over several pictures of Veronique. She should have been a model. There was a photo of her that he hadn’t seen before.  She was standing with her back to the horizon.  She was laughing, her face fully towards the camera, her hair was blowing in the wind, her chiffon dress was floating and caught in the breeze.  The photo was so sharp that Nico could see the small blonde hairs highlighted by the sun on her arms. He had an instant memory of her perfume, the smell of the sea air and the sensual smell of her warm skin against his.

“This is a good photo of Veronique,” he said aloud. Caroline looked up from her work and nodded. 

“Yes, that is the type of photo we love to have in the brochures.”

“Why was it never used?”

“Oh it might be still.  It’s just that we had so many good ones of her that it didn’t matter which one we printed.”

“Really?”

“Yes she is
uber
photogenic, meaning the camera just loved her, but she asked us not to use them unless we had to.  She never wanted any of her to be taken alone.  In case you haven’t noticed, she is always in group shots or with people.”

“Oh, why was that?”  He tried to appear semi interested when in reality his ears had pricked up and he really did want to know, badly.

“I don’t know.”

“Tell me, what happened to her? Where did she go? She left the ship so suddenly.”

“Did she? I didn’t know.”

“A few months ago I think.” Nico looked down. His heart was pounding so strongly.  He tried to make it look as though he had asked casually.

“I can try to find out if you like? If anyone knows, personnel should.” She picked up the phone and spoke to the personnel department. “No luck I’m afraid. She was paid in full, in cash, to the time she left. She also left no forwarding address.  The only information we have is an address near Monte Carlo.

“I am sure that’s her family home. Her brother still lives there, I believe. She always spoke so highly of him, yet when I met him, he wasn’t at all friendly to me.” He smiled trying to make it sound as though they were very friendly. “Yes, he was always coming on board.” He paused. “It would be lovely to go visit them.  May I have their address?”

“Well, company policy is rather strict, but as you are not a stranger and you know them both well, I am sure they wouldn’t mind.” As she looked away, Nico pocketed the photo of Veronique and then looked out of the window at the drab building in the next street.  Caroline was speaking to the personnel department again and in only a few moments, they had emailed her the address, which she forwarded to Nico with all the photos she had arranged for him to have.

Nico smiled, after all his previous efforts had gotten him nowhere, in just a few hours, in person, flirting with Caroline had given him a lead. 

He couldn’t wait to leave the office and catch a plane to Nice to race to her side.

E
llen couldn’t believe how happy she was. She felt an almost continual feeling of ecstatic euphoria.  Today was
the
day. Today was the day, she had been waiting for all her life, and being a modern woman, she had not really expected it to happen to her. Dreams were for little girls. It was almost too much happiness to bear. Today was her wedding day. Today she would change her last name to his. By the end of the day, she would be a married woman.  Looking in the mirror at her expression, there was one of wide-eyed happiness.  She twirled to check her appearance. Behind her stood her mother looking tearful with pride and her Maid of honour, Sarah, both smiled at her in approval.

Her dress was the latest design; it flattered her figure to perfection and was covered in just the right amount of bling, with not too much lace and in all fairness she looked like a queen. Her hair had been pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck, a few strands of carefully curled hair had been allowed to escape to frame her face, and her veil was attached to above her bun and trailed behind her. She was so glad that the two people that she cared about the most had helped her dress, as she was a bundle of excited nerves. Her fingers shook so much, she was unable to do anything.  Her make up artist had done her face, the hairdresser had done her hair, and she had also been dressed.  She knew she would not have managed without them. In fact every time someone knocked at the door she jumped out of her skin.

The muffled sound of one of her servants was heard through the door and Sarah went over to open the door.

“Nearly time to leave for the church, Miss.”

“Thank you, Barnes.” Ellen responded in a happy singsong voice.
Miss,
the last time he would call her that.  She lifted the skirt of her dress to look at her shoes as Sarah shut the door. They were the most beautiful shoes she had seen; they made her feel like Cinderella. They were a delicate white satin and had been designed to match her dress. She doubted that even Marie Antoinette would have had shoes like hers, nor even Imelda Marcus.  Ellen’s stomach lurched; it was nearly time to leave.

“Stop pacing dear, you will wear yourself out.” Her mother tried to calm her. She took a tiara out of the velvet case on the table. “Oh, we mustn’t forget the tiara!  This has been handed down in the family, from generation to generation, for more than six hundred years. Every woman in the family has worn it on their wedding day. It wouldn’t do to break with tradition, not today of all days. Come here, let me place it on you.” Ellen bowed her head. “No it won’t work. I’m not tall enough. Sarah dear, could you pass me that footstool?” Ellen’s mother stood on the low footstool and began to fix the tiara in place. “You would think that Jean Luc, your hairdresser could have done this for you wouldn’t you? After all, you are paying him enough.”

“Mother!” Ellen said in exasperation “He can’t shut his salon all day just because I’m getting married. The tiara wasn’t even here by then, It had to arrive from the family vaults at Coutts & Co.”

“Still...I don’t care what you say. In my day... There! Perfect.” 

“Mother, it’s
my
wedding day.” Her Mother stopped talking and kissed her lightly on her forehead as way of apology.

“I hope you will be very happy.” Ellen smiled back, lost in her own world. The tiara was the perfect finishing touch. She suddenly felt more regal as though every proud woman in the family had given their strength and blessing to her day.  She walked slowly towards the door as Sarah hastily gathered up her train, straightened it and followed behind her.

Stopping at the head of the wide sweeping staircase, Ellen paused for a moment to catch her breath. She placed her hand on her tight fitting bodice and felt her heartbeat through her stomach. She placed her other hand on the polished balustrade to steady her nerves. Her legs suddenly felt like jelly and her stomach felt as though it was full of jumping frogs, not butterflies. No, great clod hopping jumping frogs. Her mouth was so dry and she swallowed nervously. Below her, the servants had stopped working and came to stand in the main reception hall and look up at her. At the bottom of the stairs, her father stood waiting for her, a beaming smile full of pride across his face and tears in his eyes. Ellen smiled falteringly at him and then slowly and majestically descended the stairs towards him.  Her loveliness was breathtaking and as she moved, bright sparkles came from the diamonds that sprinkled her dress and matched her family jewellery.

Later, sitting in the flower bedecked family horse and carriage, her father turned to her, took hold of her hand and clasped it tightly in his.

“Matt is a lucky man to have won you, my darling. Make sure that he never forgets it!”

He leant forward and kissed her softly. “I knew that this day would come one day and by God, I have dreaded it. No man likes the thought of losing his little girl.”

“Oh Daddy.” Tears began to well up in her eyes.

“No, don’t cry my little girl. Think of your make up. I paid a lot for that.” She laughed at his words. “That’s better, besides it’s your mother and I that do the crying today. That’s the tradition I believe?”

Arriving at the church on their estate, Ellen stepped lightly into the bright sunlight.  The waiting crowd gasped appreciatively and jostled to get the photos of the celebrity wedding. Those of her photographers and work colleagues that were not invited to her wedding as guests had been given pride of place in their own press section so they wouldn’t have to mingle with the crowd and she smiled towards them so that they could get the best shots for her magazine. Several of them smiled, waved and called out their blessings to her as they took pictures. When the pictures were developed, it would be obvious to all how absolutely radiantly happy she was.

As she turned towards the church, a fanfare sounded from the three trumpeters in their heraldic uniforms, announcing her arrival at the church doors.  From inside the church, the first notes of the music sounded, and she took her first steps towards her husband to be.

The wedding march began as she and her father took their slow timed steps forward.  Flowers were arranged at the ends of the pews with satin ribbons, and rose petals were strewn before her, as a tiny flowergirl walked ahead of her importantly scattering the petals. As she walked towards the altar, all her friends and relatives were facing her smiling and at the front, a dark smoulderingly sexy Matt stood and waited for her seriously. His dark curls curling over the back of his shirt collar.  As he turned to look at her, she saw his dark brooding and emotionless eyes staring towards her. She felt a momentary fear as her heart skipped a beat, and she stumbled slightly, her father clasping her arm against him tightly to steady her. Her heart was pounding as she walked towards him and her fear levels were rising the nearer she got to him.  She leant towards her father and whispered.

“Daddy, I’m not sure.”

“Don’t worry,” he whispered back “It’s normal. Wedding jitters. You’ll be fine.” 

Step by step Ellen’s legs got heavier, a sense of foreboding chilling her to her bones.

In front of the altar, she stopped and took her place by Matt. She turned to him and smiled her brightest smile. For an instant, just a millisecond, the look he gave her was one of cold calculated hatred. She almost stepped back in surprise. Then, like a camera lens clicking, his eyes smiled at her warmly. Another second of apprehension filled her and then passed as the Archbishop began to speak to her friends and family. She looked behind her to look to Dean for reassurance, but couldn’t see him. She looked back at Matt her heart fluttering in panic.

The service passed in a blur, they said their vows, exchanged their rings, signed the register and then they proceeded to walk down the aisle together. Ellen beamed. She occasionally looked up at Matt by her side who was also smiling as he passed people. Only once did his smile freeze and that was when his eyes alighted on Dean’s attractive guest. Something about her stole his smile.

Their eyes blinked as they stepped outside into the sunlight. The waiting press called to them to look their way and cameras began flashing as photos were taken just as the church bells began to peal jubilantly and pastel rose petals cascaded from above the church door so they were in a shower of pink happiness that filled the air with a light fragrant perfume. Ellen leant towards Matt and they kissed under the falling flowers and a roar of approval came from the crowd. They made their way towards the waiting limo and Ellen’s mind whirled, words repeated her mind ‘
This is it! Mrs. Matt Mellor. You are Mrs. Matt Mellor. He is yours now, forever!’

Inside the car, Ellen leant towards Matt. Her heart fluttered with barely suppressed desire and with raging passion, pursing her lips she moved closer to kiss him. He moved away.

“There is a time and a place for that and this isn’t it.” His words were like ice. She was so startled that she laughed.

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s our wedding day. We just got married, and there is no better time and place than now.”

“Don’t remind me, and I said NO!”  She blinked, and the laughter died on her lips, and a look of total confusion and disbelief fleeted across her face. Matt turned to wave at some of the crowds lining the streets on the roads back towards the estate. As the car pulled away, Matt saw Dean’s guest, looking pale, and his fist clenched into a ball.

As the car pulled into the large wrought iron gates of the estate, they were met by a Dixieland band playing their tunes as loudly and happily as they could and as the house came into view Matt suddenly began to laugh. 

“Mine, it’s all mine,” he whispered to himself.

“Did you say something?”

“No,” he lied.

Inside the main reception, a string quartet were playing classical music softly. Matt scanned the flower filled room, which had only servants rushing about putting the final touches to their tasks before the rest of the guests arrived.  They turned and applauded as Ellen and Matt walked in. Ellen walking a little behind Matt.  He hadn’t waited for her at all, hadn’t carried her over the threshold, held her hand or anything and she felt disappointed at his lack of attention.

“Matt.”

Matt was looking at the room appreciatively, suddenly appraising all the décor and the antiques that filled the large room.

“Matt!” He turned to the sound of her voice.

“Yes?” He raised an eyebrow.

“I need to freshen up before everyone arrives. Would you like to join me in the bridal suite?” She smiled coquettishly implying that she was offering more than just a freshening up.

“No.” He turned and took a glass of champagne from a nearby servant who was standing with a tray of two drinks for them and walked into the main reception room to wait for the arrival of the guests. He didn’t look back.