“John, get the bishop. I’ll get Dad. Donna’s probably already in the chapel, waiting for us. I didn’t realise we’d been gone, so long.”
“Right….”
Piano music could be heard as soon as Jack answered the door.
“Afternoon, Master Richard. I believe Miss Donna, is waiting for you, in the chapel.”
“I was right,” Richard smiled. “Tell her I will be there shortly. Where’s Dad?”
“He’s in the parlour,” Jack responded and disappeared.
Richard stopped in the doorway. In Lady Triplet’s absence, Sir Richard was stretched out on the sofa, napping. Richard smiled. “Come on, Old Man. It’s time to rehearse. Everyone is already in the chapel.”
Sir Richard slowly sat up, jutted his chin and arched an eyebrow. “Old man?” he challenged. “I don’t particularly like that title.”
“Not even considering you’re going to be a grandfather?”
Sir Richard stopped in front of the stairs. A soft smile spread across his mouth. “I like that, but not the old man part. Oh, Pam, from the Centre called. Someone named Daneekah called, trying to reach you. She said it was urgent that she see you. Do you know what this is about?”
“Daneekah?” Richard paused in thought; his eyes widened. “Oh hell! I was supposed to ring her back. Shit! That means I can’t make the rehearsal!”
Sir Richard frowned. “What do you mean? You’re the bloody groom, Ricky!”
“I can’t help it Dad. I have to go to Newcastle.”
“Then you’ll have to get John to take you. Where are you going?”
John and the bishop stepped out of the lift.
“Daneekah is the woman I talked to about making the wedding cake and catering the reception.”
“Why couldn’t you just use one of the shops in Hexham?”
“When you see the cake you’ll understand. Daneekah makes special cakes – if you know what I mean.”
“Oh, I get it now. This must be something special you’re doing for Donna.”
“Yes, it is, and don’t breathe a word of it to her.”
“OK, but be careful and hurry back.”
John and the bishop approached. “Hurry back? Where are you going?”
“You’re taking me to Newcastle, and we have to leave now!”
“Newcastle? What about the rehearsal?”
“I’m sorry, Bishop,” Richard said. “Carry on with the rehearsal.”
“What about reciting your vows, Son?” the Bishop of Newcastle asked.
“Don’t worry. I’ve already rehearsed them a thousand times, in front of the mirror.” He grabbed John’s arm and pulled him toward the door. “We have to hurry, before the shop shuts!”
“John, stay alert. Forrest has probably got people trying to find out where we’re staying!”
“I will Sir,” John responded and followed Richard out the door.
Sir Richard took the bishop’s arm. “I’m sorry, Bishop. Ricky is just trying to make this wedding special for Donna.”
The bishop chuckled. “He’s a lot like you were – isn’t he?”
“Yes, Sir, I suppose he is.”
Sam was sitting at the piano; Donna was standing beside it. They were harmonising to Jason Walker’s song ‘Down’. Sir Richard and the bishop stood and listened for a while. “She has an angelic voice, Richard, but that seems a rather unusual selection, for a wedding.”
Sir Richard chuckled. “That’s not for the wedding. Donna just loves to sing, and so does Sam. Donna used to be part of a country band, back in the States.”
The bishop smiled. “Oh yes! I thought I recognised her voice. She’s the girl everyone is talking about that looked so much like Jared’s late wife.”
Sir Richard looked shocked. “Bishop, you know about Jared Thundercloud and Raging Storm?”
“Oh yes. I love his music. I met him when I went on vacation to see my granddaughter in Arizona, a couple years ago. Jared is a nice lad – very talented musician.”
------------
Liu entered his hotel room with an arm full of papers, a Sellotape dispenser, and several old books he’d checked out from the Newcastle Central Library. No sooner had he started up his laptop, than Forrest came barging in the room. “Where the fuck have you been all day?”
“Looking up the location of old lead mines centred on the area where the counties of Northumberland, Durham and Cumbria meet.”
Forrest’s eyebrows shot up. “All day?”
“Yes, Sir.”
Forrest thumbed through the stack of papers on the bed. “What is all this shit?”
“Copies of old lead mine maps.”
“Every single sheet?”
“No. There’s more than one map there.”
“What are you going to do with them?”
“I’m going to line them up and then tape them together. Then I’m going to use the red marker to circle the location, and then after I’ve done that, I’m going to look them up on Internet using Google Earth.”
Forrest thumbed the pages again and grinned. “This is going to take you all night.”
“Quite possibly.”
“Before you do that, go to the bakery and get me some doughnuts.”
“At this hour? They’ll be shut before I get there.”
“You’d better hurry, then.” Forrest chuckled and went back into his hotel room.
“What does he think I am?” Liu mused and stood to leave.
“His fucking errand boy! I’ll get you some doughnuts alright - laced with cerbera.”
------------
Liu opened the shop door and went inside. He approached the counter, rang the bell and waited. “Good evening. I’d like to buy a dozen sugar-coated doughnuts to go.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m getting ready to close.”
“They’re for my boss, and if I show up without them, he’ll sack me. I’ll pay you fifty-pounds.”
“For fifty-pounds, I’ll give you a free cup of coffee while you wait.”
“Thank you, but if it’s not too much trouble, could you make that tea?”
“Of course. Just have a seat and I’ll bring your tea. The doughnuts will take about twenty-five minutes.”
“That’s fine. I don’t mind waiting.”
“Here’s your tea,” Daneekah said.
“I couldn’t help notice the sign on your window. Why the urgent need for help?”
“I’ve got an important wedding to cater in the morning, and I’m short a driver and a server.”
“That’s not good.”
“No. It’s not. Because this is an important client and I owe him a favour,” Daneekah responded and went to the kitchen.
Liu picked up a newspaper and read while he sipped his tea. There was an article on Forrest Enterprises falling share prices. “If we don’t get rid of this bastard soon, I’ll never pull that company out of the dust bin,” he mused.
A few minutes later the shop door opened. Two men approached the counter. Daneekah came from the back. “If it were possible, you’d be late for your own funeral, Richard Triplet.”
Liu’s eyes widened. He swallowed hard and slowly lowered the paper enough so he could see. He narrowed his eyes, eavesdropping on their conversation.
“Don’t blame me this time. It wasn’t my fault,” Richard said, holding up his sling, so she could see it. “I was in a car accident and dislocated my shoulder. John here was doing the driving.”
“Oh really. You have an excuse for everything!”
“Yes, he does,” John chuckled. “Some of us don’t like getting speeding tickets.”
“So, have you got it done?”
“All but the decorations for the top layer. I’ll do that after you’ve approved it. Making a double-helix shaped cake wasn’t that easy. If I didn’t owe you a favour….”
“…You’d do it for me anyway,” Richard grinned. “Wouldn’t you?”
Daneekah sighed. “Probably. You still haven’t told me where I’m delivering this stuff.”
Richard took out a scratch pad, jotted down the coordinates and handed it to her. “Just put that in your sat-nav. Remember, the wedding starts at ten. Don’t be late.
“If I can’t get a driver and another server, I may have to set the cake up during the wedding.”
“Just so you’ve got it ready in time for the reception.”
“Everything will be ready in time for your wedding, Richard. Now, come through and have a look.”
Liu waited until the door closed. An evil grin spread across his mouth. He peeled the ‘help wanted’ sign off the window and took it back to the table with him.
------------
“So what do you think? Is that what you wanted?” Daneekah asked.
Richard hugged her and kissed her cheek. “Sweetheart that is exactly what I wanted. I knew I could count on you.”
A timer went off. Daneekah turned to take care of it. Richard motioned to the sizzling doughnuts. “Planning on taking a snack home with you?”
“No. These are for the man waiting out front. He came in a few minutes before you did. Said he’d pay me fifty-pounds if I’d make him a dozen doughnuts.”
Richard arched an eyebrow. “Kind of late to be requesting fresh doughnuts, isn’t it?”
“I knew I would be waiting on you, so it was no bother. Besides, fifty-pounds is a fair amount for a dozen doughnuts.” She dropped some dough in the hot fat.
“Is that all you needed from me? I need to get to the florist before they shut. I have to buy some roses.”
“Wooing your bride-to-be?”
“More like an apology. I had to miss our wedding rehearsal to come over here. I figured a couple dozen roses ought to do the job.”
“Take her a single long stemmed red rose – more sentimental.”
“I was planning on it, but the others are for the bedroom.”
“Lucky girl,” Daneekah chuckled. “See you tomorrow.”
Liu watched from the corner of his eye as Richard and John left.
“Your doughnuts will be ready in about ten minutes. I had to reheat the oil.”
“You say you’re short a driver and a server, right?”
“Yes. You wouldn’t know anyone, would you?”
“As a matter of fact, I would. How would you like someone who can drive and serve?” Liu asked, holding up the sign.
“You? What about your boss?”
“I’m off tomorrow. You seem like a sweet person. You helped me. I’d like to repay the favour.”