AllFreeNovel
Share Us
‘The perfect fit,’ said Lawrence, looking between them both and holding out his arms. Clara and Brian both stood up to take photos on their phones.
Audrey’s eyes connected with Josh’s, and he mouthed, ‘I love you.’ She felt a weight shift from her shoulders, and her smile turned into one that was real. She loved this man, she did. Whatever had happened in the past needed to stay in the past – weddings were about the future.
‘And now I have prepared a poem, a traditional blessing from Me-hi-co,’ said Lawrence.
Audrey moved a foot to steady herself, but her shoe caught on Lawrence’s chair. She tripped backwards, unable to catch herself, and the garland of rope yanked Josh, pulling him across the table, his arm falling onto dishes of half-finished food, hitting wine glasses, which smashed onto plates, spraying the table linen, the guests, and even the walls with streaks of red. Audrey felt a sharp pain down the side of her neck as the rope cut into her skin. She fell, pulling Josh down with her, and they landed in a sprawl on the floor, her arm slamming into Granny Parker’s chair on the way down.
Beneath the sound of breaking glass, there was an audible intake of breath from the room, then a tense silence. Audrey blinked her eyes open.
‘Jesus!’ Josh cried, trying to free his neck from the noose. ‘Audrey, you nearly broke my neck!’
Audrey’s arm hurt, her neck ached, and she felt the fire of rope burn on her skin.
‘Oh dear, oh dear.’ Lawrence flailed about, pushed back his chair, picking up shards of glass from the table.
‘Are you okay? Audrey? Audrey, talk to me!’ came Vivien’s panicked voice, as she stood up to try and see what the damage might be.
When Audrey looked up from the floor, all she could see was Granny Parker’s sombre face, looming down from her chair. Then she said sternly, ‘Now that is a bad omen, a very bad omen indeed.’
