Two people stood watching as the car moved further away from them. Clara waved widely and hoped Shelby would turn around even once, but sadly, she did not.
This made Clara frown and start thinking through the day's events. Yes, the marriage seemed rushed, but Shelby's reaction was slightly weird.
'Shelby always goes out of her way to smile for me no matter her mood, but why is she like this today? Is she ill?' Clara shook her head at her own question.
'She looked okay. Is it because she does not like the marriage? Or was it the dress? Or the fact that she was not allowed to choose her own man?'
"No, that cannot be!" She murmured, worriedly, her gaze still fixed on the retreating car. Her mind started running through the occurrences of the day.
'Shelby assured me that she was okay with the marriage. I mean, why would she not be? She would be crazy to decline such a great marriage prospect from Ian Thornston! My daughter only deserves the best! But…'
"James?"
He was also lost in thought and did not hear initially. James narrowed his eyes at the disappearing car, so engrossed in his thoughts that he forgot his surroundings.
Even though Shelby had kept her eyes downcast from the time she stepped out of the house, James' eye had been so trained at her so glaringly that even the driver had raised an eyebrow at him then as he had opened the door for her.
But James did not see this. The simple, worn-out, shabby, and patched dress did nothing to hide the features of Shelby. James' 6ft figure stood right behind his wife's 5ft 4, so she was very ignorant to his overly daring gaze over her head at their daughter. James only dared to do that because he was sure no one was looking, but the driver of Ian Thornston was not your everyday one.
He was one who could see and observe his surroundings very well. It was because of this trait that he even earned himself the job. Like the well-trained driver he was, he did not give away what he had supposedly seen, even though he shared the man's line of thought.
He did not need to be a mind-reader to know what James was thinking because he was also a man. The very thought in James's mind revolted him to the bone.
"James?" Clara called out again, turning slightly to look up at him.
"Hmmm?"
"This marriage looks so strange…, I mean … why are they so much in a hurry to take Shelby away without any marriage formalities? Is there something I should know?"
James stiffened for only a fraction of a second, so Clara did not see this. He looked at his wife with his eyes slightly lowered as if he was afraid. He was worried that she could see his emotions and thoughts.
He inched closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her hair.
"Why do you think I will hide anything from you? They look to be in a hurry, but that is good enough for Shelby and us, too, right?"
"But…"
"Didn't you see that Shelby went without any resistance?"
"Yes, but…"
"You should know our daughter by now… she has a mind of her own, and I am sure she only agreed to this because she has a crush on Ian. Most girls her age do, so it would not be too unfathomable."
He kissed her hair and tightened his hold on her.
"Mmmm… I get that part, and you are mostly right! Shelby would have thrown so much resistance if she did not like Ian," Clara chuckled briefly, her eye cringing a little as she thought of her daughter. She rubbed her palm affectionally over James' back.
"What will I do without you?" she whispered.
James also chuckled and felt the tension leave his body,
'She is so easy to coax,' He thought, but this was short-lived because Clara asked, "But why are they taking Shelby away without holding the wedding ceremony?"
What James could not tell his wife was that, on paper, Shelby and Ian were already married and they could choose not to hold the wedding ceremony, but James had actually insisted on a clause for the ceremony because he knew that Clara would never like it if her only daughter was given away without such a ceremony.
It read: 'Party A and B shall go through all the formalities ideal to be considered a traditional marriage ceremony…'
"You worry too much. We discussed everything and are just following the traditions of the Thornston family. Why do you always fill your head with such thoughts of doubt and uncertainty? As per the time they gave me, the ceremony should be in about an hour, so, let's get ready and go there so we don't miss it."
"Oh, right!"
Clara nodded with a smile as all doubts she had cleared up. The two held hands and returned to the house.
***
As the car accelerated, the driver glanced in the mirror at the two people who appeared smaller with each passing second. He wanted to confirm what he had seen.
He was one who tried to always confirm before jumping to any conclusions. It still did not make sense. Not even one bit, but he knew what he had seen. He looked straight ahead in the review mirror at the father, who still had the same look and could not comprehend what was happening.
'It is not my burden to bear what a father thinks of his daughter, but I hope lightning strikes that man dead!' he thought, as his barely teenage daughter came to mind.
After a while, he adjusted the mirror to see the bride-to-be in the back seat. The girl still had her head bowed. He found himself thinking, 'The new bride-to-be of Master Ian is stunning!'
Then, mentally slapped himself. 'How am I different from that beast if I think like this?'
In the back seat, Shelby was still locked in her own world, not seeing even where the car had moved. She wiped the tears that fell freely, but they just kept coming.
'What am I going to do? Am I to be married off just like that?' She lamented.
___
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