The Moon Singer Collection

Chapter 5

As a wedding present and as a way to give her own personal touch to the Nickerson house, Billie gifts Isaac with a mariner"s bell, a symbol of the blending of their two families. The bell had come from a vessel her father and grandfather helped build. “What an incredible coincidence that your family was in the ship building business,” Isaac remarks, admiring the vintage treasure.

“Yes, they were. But not as prosperous as your family. Fishing boats were their specialty, but they were quite sea worthy and sailed to many exotic ports.”

As Billie polishes the brass bell to a gleaming finish, she reminisces about all the exciting adventures her father spoke of. She can pretend he is still alive, rocking in his favorite chair by the crackling glow of the fireplace with her devoted mother sitting nearby. And she can pretend he hadn"t lost his business to an arsonist who burned his boatyard to the ground, and her parents with it.

* * *

On the eve of their wedding, Billie is in a beautiful suite of rooms on the third floor getting dressed for the rehearsal dinner. She wanted to design and sew the dress herself but, being a failure as a dressmaker, shopping was her only option and a lot more fun. She smoothes the turquoise blue dress down over her slim hips, feeling like a beauty from a bygone era. The antique design has a lace-paneled bodice bursting with beautiful deco beads, atop an ornate skirt that swirls and slinks to knee length. Wide, beaded tank straps hug Billie"s smooth shoulders. It"s no wonder she feels ready to dance the night away.

Admiring her image Billie twirls to imaginary music, humming a favorite waltz. Shockingly, an image appears behind her in the mirror - ghostly, not man or woman - and the phantasm causes Billie to stop mid-turn. Terrified, she backs away hastily and nearly trips over the ottoman at the foot of her bed. She grabs onto the bedpost and tries to hide behind it. Her scream is just a lump in her throat gagging her to silence.

“There is grave danger if you marry Isaac Nickerson.” The voice seems to come from nowhere, certainly not from the unidentifiable apparition that hovers before her. Now it"s above her, below her, and even inside her head.

“That"s it,” she tells herself. “I"m just hearing a voice in my head. That"s it. No one is here. No one is here. Go away!” she commands the spirit. “You are not here. You don"t belong here.“ The image disappears at her firm command, as though a light switch has suddenly turned it off.

Billie is shaken to her core. Her hands and forehead are sweaty with fear. Her heart races violently and she feels the dankness build up inside her beautiful dress. She runs to the bathroom, slips the shoulder straps down and douses her chest and underarms with cool water. Delicately, to not disturb her makeup, she blots the perspiration from her face and hairline. Resolutely she slows down her breathing to normal.

“Get a grip, Billie. Guests are arriving. You don"t want them to think you"re certifiable.”

Get a grip, Billie. Guests are arriving. You don"t want them to think you"re certifiable.The festive music of violin, cello and flute performed by Billie"s music colleagues emanates throughout the house, complementing the celebratory nature of the impending wedding of Billie Donovan and Isaac Nickerson.

Joyful and friendly hugs and kisses greet her as she descends the stairs, and Billie feels herself calming down to appreciate the moment. Spotting an intriguing woman across the room, Billie approaches her and introduces herself.

“Oh, yes. I know who you are,” Dorothy says with an amiable smile. “Isaac has sent me some photos of the two of you.”

“Oh, how nice,” Billie replies, thinking she is just a friend of her future husband. “You look very familiar, exotic in a way, but with your gorgeous white hair, you"re not like Asian or anything, but look kind of like a gypsy card reader I met at the Port Avalon festival last summer. I mean, not that you"re dressed in costume like her, but it"s your green eyes and your aura….” Billie rambles, feeling like an i***t who lets stupid words tumble from her mouth.

“Oh, really?” Dorothy is truly amused. “You see fortune tellers? It"s okay dear. I do, too. And I sometimes dress up for the Port Avalon festivals and work with crystals to give readings. Of course, I have no powers of foresight. It"s just a lot of fun. Something I picked up on one of my trips to the Mediterranean.”

Isaac strides over. “I see you"ve met my sister, Dorothy.”

“Your sister! Oh, great. You must think I"m daffy.”

Isaac is bewildered. “What happened?”

“Nothing, just girl talk. It"s wonderful to meet you, Billie. I should have introduced myself.” Dorothy takes Billie"s hand in hers.

The energy from the woman"s hand startles Billie and she stares blankly, openmouthed, at the familiar feeling.

“Dorothy has just returned from another of her jaunts to a land far away,” Isaac reports, waking Billie to the here and now.

“Oh, you"re a world traveler.” Billie remarks benignly, trying to sound normal.

“Actually, I"m a digger.”

“A what?”

“I go on archeological digs with some historians who humor their not-so-scientific buttinsky friend. I look for amulets and treasures to bring home.”

“Rocks,” Isaac needles Dorothy. “Just plain old rocks.”

“As you can see, my brother has no time for such things. But he is quite attached to our father"s watch fob. Thinks it brings him good luck.”

“That"s different. It"s a family heirloom with a lot of tradition behind it,” Isaac counters. “This fob is the only heirloom Father was able to leave me after years of giving his blood, sweat and tears to Fischbacher Shipping. I am fond of it, but I certainly don"t consider it a lucky piece, not in the least.”

“Fischbacher Shipping?” Billie interjects. “Where you just signed on as a designer?”

“Yes, in fact,” Isaac says. “It"s the only place in town that has the wherewithal to build the kind of ships I want to design.”

“Nathan Fischbacher"s company?” Dorothy grimaces. “Surely you didn"t have to resort to working for that snake, Isaac.”

“Thanks for the well wishes.” Isaac makes no attempt to hide his disappointment.

“Oh, Isaac. Of course, I wish you well. He"s lucky to have you. But tell him if he messes with my brother, he"ll have me to contend with.”

Isaac kisses Dorothy on the cheek and excuses himself. “Sorry, but I"ve got some guests to attend to. Coming Billie?”

“I"ll be along, Isaac. I want to visit with Dorothy for a few minutes.”

“What"s this about Nathan Fischbacher?” Billie asks with concern after Isaac walks away. “Why do you dislike him so much?”

“It"s a long story, but there has been bad blood between our families for years. Nathan"s father and ours went at each other tooth and claw more than once about the industry"s place in Port Avalon. We thought when old man Fischbacher croaked things would be different. But the apple doesn"t fall far from the tree and Nathan, Jr. proved to be as self-serving as Nathan, Sr.”

“Why would Isaac want to work for him, then?”

“Well, it"s as he said,” Dorothy explains. “Fischbacher Shipping is now the only game in town and Isaac would never leave Port Avalon to work elsewhere.”

“I have faith in Isaac,” Billie says, “and I"m sure you do, too. So we"ll both watch out for him.”

“You bet we will. And it won"t hurt to call on my own good luck charms now and then.” They both laugh, taking the edge off.

“So, did you bring any back this time?” Billie"s curiosity about the occult now resurfaces. “Any new treasures or amulets?”

“Yes, some crystals, very powerful ones. When you have time, I"ll show them to you.”

* * *

Billie can"t believe she is up for all this pomp and circumstance. After all, she"s just out of her Bohemian phase, her Flower child persona that Isaac fell in love with. Is she just going along with this big blowout of a wedding to please him or is she really enjoying the elegance and history of it all?

On the advice of the most coveted wedding planner in town, Billie agreed to a wedding theme in keeping with the charm of the Nickerson"s Victorian home, while at the same time paying homage to the seaside town of Port Avalon. Isaac had said the house needed a woman"s touch and what better time to bring out the antique lace and china teacups than their wedding day.

Invitations were crafted on smooth ivory paper and scripted in calligraphy. This prelude to the big day hinted that guests would attend a garden wedding on a sprawling, manicured lawn enhanced with freesia- and gardenia-laden trellises, and that the reception dinner tables would be set out with gilt-edged china and delicate rosebud centerpieces.

They are not disappointed.

On a summerlike October day the traditional wedding music of a Mendelssohn string quartet introduces the handsome couple as they walk down the aisle toward a wedding arch festooned with flowers, seashells and nautical flags, overlooking the shimmering ocean. Arm in arm Billie and Isaac enjoy the ooh"s and ah"s of the guests.

Billie"s dress is a lovely ecru Chantilly lace bodice draped over robin"s egg blue taffeta. The flowing chiffon skirt with a scalloped lace hem kisses the tops of Billie"s satin shoes. A soft, short veil of golden pearl- encrusted blue tulle halos her golden blonde hair.

Isaac"s dinner dress white uniform is impeccably pressed and pleated, as a final tribute to his years of service now ending. Billie smiles when she notices the chain from his father"s watch fob hanging from inside the cropped jacket down to his pants pocket.

“Thought you didn"t believe in good luck charms,” Billie whispers.

“This is different. It"s our wedding day. We need all the luck we can get.”

In her satin bridal purse, Billie carries something borrowed and something blue: a Lapis Lazuli crystal Dorothy loaned her. Its deep, celestial blue is the symbol of royalty and honor, gods and power, spirit and vision. Billie wants so much to believe the myth about the gem is true, as she and her future son will need all the godly power they can muster.

Around her neck she wears a glistening rose crystal pendant that Dorothy gifted to her because it carries musical vibrations - so appropriate for Billie. The something old: a pair of golden pearl earrings that belonged to Isaac"s mother, long ago handed down to Isaac to give to his fiancée as a wedding present.

At the close of a lively reception, Billie throws her nosegay of pink roses over her shoulder to a shrieking and happy single girl, then she and Isaac bid the guests farewell. Upstairs they change into clothes suitable for a moonlit night on Isaac"s sailboat.

They try to make light of the fact they are both orphans with no father to give away the bride and no mother to cry happy tears over “losing” her son.

“We have each other, Billie,” Isaac says tenderly to his new wife. “We are all the family we need.”

“For now,” Billie replies. “Let"s enjoy each other.” As long as we can, she thinks to herself. Until the premonition comes true: a son with gifts to give the world and powers that people will want to kill him for.

As long as we can, she thinks to herself. Until the premonition comes true: a son with gifts to give the world and powers that people will want to kill him for.