That Slow Sweet Walk

Chapter 1

🎃~👰🏼‍♀️~🤵🏾~🍁~👻~🧵~🏂~🌕~🥂

"It's perfect!" Sandy exclaimed as she and her bridesmaids walked into the foyer of the mansion. Ohh's and awes from her wedding party only solidified in Sandy's mind that they'd made the right choice. The last week and a half had been a snowball of anxiety for Sandy and her groom Danny. On Monday she'd woken to a frantic phone call from Julie, the wedding coordinator. Thunder Alley Majestic Ballroom, their wedding venue, suffered catastrophic flooding after a bolt of lightening ripped open the roof during the thunderstorm the previous night. With time rapidly ticking down to the wedding they were scrambling to find another venue.

    It hadn't looked good. Sandy was a mess as she cried in Danny's arms on Wednesday, feeling hopeless. A year of planning was swirling down the drain. Then, as if by magic, Sandy's maid of honor Betty got wind the Copper Mansion had a last minute event cancellation, and was looking for someone to fill the spot. Copper Mansion was the most exclusive and expensive venue in town. Even at the discounted rate they'd been offered the two week stay came at a premium, but it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, so Sandy and Danny ponied up the cash. Built nearly two hundred years ago as a bed and breakfast inside the town theme park The Columbia Gardens, the mansion had seen much in its life. It'd witnessed the deaths of three Copper Kings, the burning of its original home, and survived a relocation mostly unscathed.

    As the name implied the Copper Mansion was built with copper accents and murals, taken directly from the lucrative mines in town, which paired nicely with the wood paneling. Sandy was far too young to have seen the Columbia Gardens with her own eyes. Her great-grandparents were children when the park burned and told stories of what they remembered. Mostly it was about the colorful gardens, where the flowers were arranged so they formed pictures or shapes. Her great-grandma Consella loved the dog and other animals while great-grandpa Conor remembered the shamrocks and harp the best. One of the attractions at the new site of the mansion was an attempt to recreate some of the flower shapes on the new grounds, though they would never match the extensive acreage of flowers at the original site, they were still stunning.

"I can't believe we're going to be staying here for two weeks," Francis squeaked.

Marty echoed that with enthusiasm and a squeal of her own. "My standards for vacation are going to be raised forever."

Jan groaned. "Congrats, Sandy. You managed to exceed Marty's impossible standards."

"I'm not impossible, just refined," Marty insisted. Francis giggled and Jan rolled her eyes while Betty just smirked and began to dig in her duffel bag.

The manager of the estate smiled. Mrs. Blanchard was an older woman who lived just off the grounds. "Is there anything else you require, ladies?" she asked.

Sandy shook her head. "No, Mrs. Blanchard. I think everything is covered. The payment for the two weeks went through, right?"

"Of course it did, dear. Enjoy your time with your guests. I'm sure they'll be along soon."

Sandy was puzzled by that statement but just smiled and nodded. She, Betty, Francis, Marty and Jan would be staying alone for the next few days. Aside from vendors who'd be in and out during the daytime they'd be all alone anyway. Danny and his groomsmen were camping in Glacier National Park for his bachelor party and weren't due to show up for days. All of which Mrs. Blanchard knew. Sandy pushed the strange comment aside as the older woman handed her the keys to the mansion. Mrs. Blanchard smiled and waved as she left the girls alone.

Betty ran to the stairs and zoomed up to the halfway point. She had a duffel bag over her shoulder and a gift bag in her right hand. "How about a little sneaky peak to get the party going!" Betty pulled out a bottle of wine from the gift bag while doing her best impression of Stockyard Channing's Betty from Grease.