Lily of the Valley

Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve - Stockard Valley Church, The Wedding Day

Lily and Genevieve were in a back room in the church, getting dressed for the wedding. Lily was all ready in her orange dress with an orange lily in her hair that Evelyn had somehow managed to twist into a bun on the top of her head. Genevieve's hair was also ready, curled and piled onto the top of her head, with a flower tiara stuck into the blond pile. Lily was putting a small bit of rouge on Gen's face and fixing her lipstick. Genevieve was putting on her pearl earrings and breathing rapidly.

"Genevieve calm down. It'll be fine." Lily whispered.

"What's wrong?" Momma asked. She had just entered the room, all ready in her dress and jewelry and her hair and make up done.

"Nothing Momma. She just has wedding jitters." Lily smiled at Momma, who nodded and smiled nervously, tears in her eyes. She looked so happy. Momma left the room, to go and stand ready at the end of the aisle. It was almost time.

"Alright Gen. Time to put on the dress." Lily grabbed the beautiful white gown and brought it over to Genevieve.

Jasper watched as Mrs. Carter walked down the aisle with Mr. Carter. Then his parents walked down, smiling brightly at him. He smiled back, happy and nervous all at once. And then Genevieve appeared, dressed in her beautiful white wedding gown, with a veil covering her head and face, the veil laced with pearls. She reached Jasper and they stood next to each other, nervous and excited for the plan.

They said their vows and signed their names on the marriage license witnessed by all their friends and family.

Then Genevieve and Jasper left the church, all of their friends and family cheering loudly. They got into the carriage that would take them back to the Carter home. Everyone else was going to walk to the house and arrive a few minutes after them.

Halfway to the house, the carriage switched courses and went to the border of the town. The carriage stopped and Genevieve took off her veil, to reveal that the whole time it had been Lily, and not Genevieve! The actual Genevieve appeared from behind an oak tree, leading Chestnut with her. The driver of the carriage, who had been Charlie Donovan the whole time, hopped off the carriage and went to hug Gen.

"Did it go well?" Gen asked.

"No one was of the wiser." Jasper replied, throwing an arm around his new wife, Lily.

"No one even bothered to ask where I was," Lily said, as there had been no question of where the bridesmaid was during the ceremony.

"Good," Gen replied. Charlie hopped onto Chestnut and helped Genevieve up to sit behind him. Chestnut whinnied and stirred a little under their weight.

"Whoah!" Charlie said, pulling on the reins.

"It's alright. If you take care of her, she'll take care of you," Jasper told him, relaying Darius' true advice to him. Genevieve and Charlie nodded.

"Thank you so much," Charlie said.

"I'll miss you, Lil. I love you," Gen said, tearing up.

"I love you too." Lily said, smiling through her tears. Then Charlie pulled the reins and steered Chestnut away from Stockard Valley, and they galloped off into sunset.

As Lily and Jasper steered the carriage back to the Carter home, Jasper thought about Darius. He had been right when he had told Jasper that Chestnut was a reliable horse. He had also been right when he had told Jasper that the life others might think of as wrong, may seem just right to him. Once they reached the Carter home and told everyone that he had married Lily and not Genevieve, and that Genevieve had run off with Charlie, they would all say they had wronged themselves. But being with Lily felt so right, he didn't care what others thought of as wrong.

The carriage pulled up to the Carter home where through the windows, Jasper and Lily saw all of their wedding guests milling about the house, confused as to where the bride and groom were.

"Are you ready?" Lily asked, smiling nervously at him.

"As long as you're with me, I'll be ready for anything," Jasper told her. They kissed a small, happy kiss, and then went into the house, ready to begin the rest of their lives together.

THE END

Author: hope you enjoyed it! Lemme know what you thought by commenting and voting! :)))