Three Wishes(133)

So both Maxine and Lily acted to put a stop to it.

Which was, it would turn out, deeply unfortunate?

* * * * *

Victor

“I can’t imagine where they are.” Victor heard the girl say.

They were standing in the Registry Office anteroom. The guest list was few, some close friends of Victor and Laura’s, Lily’s shopgirls and various and sundry other people neither Victor nor Nathaniel had ever met that were a part of Lily’s life.

They were supposed to have gone into the ceremony room five minutes ago. If they missed their appointment, they’d have to reschedule.

Victor felt a sense of doom. All day Nathaniel had seemed, well, it was hard to believe but Nathaniel had seemed light-hearted, relaxed in a way that Victor had never seen before in his son. Never. Victor felt certain that Nathaniel had fixed things with Lily.

Now, he was not so sure.

Victor looked out the window and saw Fazire in a strange dark-purple suit, a turquoise tie and a camera hanging from his neck, pacing the pavement, glaring down the street as if he could force, with his magical powers, Lily’s limousine to glide toward the entry and he appeared to be talking to himself.

“Sir, we’re going to have to ask –” one of the Registry Office personnel had approached Nathaniel who, Victor noted with mounting alarm, looked grim, beyond grim, grim tinged with what Victor was devastated to see was resigned.

Then Victor heard Nathaniel’s mobile ring.

“We really must ask you to turn off your mobile,” the Registry Office person said but snapped her mouth shut when Nathaniel’s steely gaze sliced to her.

Nathaniel pulled out his phone, looked at the display and swiftly flipped it open just as Victor’s mobile rang in his pocket.

“Lily.” Victor heard Nathaniel say, his voice terse.

Victor pulled his phone out and saw on its display, “Laura calling.”

He flipped open his own mobile as he heard Nathaniel say in terse clip, “You’re where?”

Everyone’s eyes swung to Nathaniel as Victor put his phone to his ear.

“Laura,” Victor said into the phone but heard nothing but sobs. Victor felt the doom settle in his heart as his body went tense and he watched as rage replaced resignation on his son’s face.

“What’s happened Laura?” Victor asked quietly, thinking he knew the answer.

He didn’t.

“We’re in… we’re all in…” Laura stuttered. “Jail!” she wailed and Victor’s brows snapped together. Then what his wife said penetrated.

So Victor shouted, “Jail?” and Nathaniel’s and everyone else’s eyes swung to him as Laura babbled into his ear something about Lily’s attorney then Jeffrey then Danielle and just as Victor prepared to have a stroke, considering his blood pressure had to be skyrocketing and his anger had reached new bounds, Nathaniel strode purposefully to him, mobile still to his ear.

“I’ll be there in less than an hour,” Nathaniel was saying into his phone, his voice vibrating with fury. Victor watched as Nathaniel listened for a few moments and when he spoke again he carefully controlled his voice and said softly, “Darling, I’ll take care of it. I’ll be there in less than an hour.” Then he flipped his phone shut and looked at his father.

“Laura, I have to go,” Victor interrupted his wife.

“But Victor!” Laura cried.

Victor looked at his son. “Nathaniel needs me,” Victor said.

There was silence for a moment and then, with what he knew was hope in his wife’s tremulous voice, she said, “Of course.” Then, with definite hope, “I’ll see you soon, my love.”

He heard the disconnect in his ear and flipped his phone shut.

“What do you need me to do?” Victor asked his son.

“Lily and I are getting married today,” was all Nathaniel said.

Victor nodded that the message was understood and Nathaniel glanced at his daughter who was giggling with Lily’s shopgirls.

“Look after Tash,” Nathaniel ordered.

Victor nodded again.

Fazire charged in and shouted to the room at large, “What in the name of the Great Grand Genie Number One is keeping them?”

Nathaniel didn’t respond. With swift, long strides, he walked right passed Fazire and out of the building.

“Now where is he going?” Fazire cried as Natasha, looking frightened, ran after her father but Victor caught her and swung her back.

“I have to go with Daddy!” his granddaughter yelled, straining against Victor’s arms and reaching toward the door where her father disappeared.

“It’s going to be okay,” Victor soothed Natasha. “Something’s happened and your Daddy needs to go fetch your Mummy.”

Natasha moved shrewd eyes to her grandfather, looked at him closely and deciding either he was telling the truth or her father could sort out anything (likely the latter), her fear melted, a quirky smile tugged her lips and she said, “Okay.”

Then she skipped back to Lily’s girls.

“Would you like to tell me what’s happening?” Fazire, head tipped back, stared down his nose at Victor and Victor moved toward his odd friend and did as requested. Fazire’s face got as purple as his suit but Victor ignored him and turned toward the fidgeting Registry Office employee.