"Kate Wilhelm - The Happiest Day Of Her Life(1)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wilhelm Kate)

KATE WILHELM

THE HAPPIEST DAY OF HER LIFE

THE DAY BEFORE THE HAPPIEST day of her life did not have an auspicious start for
Reba Cameron. She heard her bedroom door open and opened her eyes enough to see
a dim light coming in from the hall; she closed her eyes again. Her mother had
slipped into the room; she could smell her. Still dark outside and Sonya was
already doused with perfume, and, no doubt, had all her makeup perfectly in
place. Reba did not stir as she tracked her mother's soft steps around the room;
she would finger something or other, put it down, straighten something, move
something else, pause at the mirror to smile at her reflection, move on.... When
the door closed again, Reba looked at the clock. Six-thirty.

She groaned and pulled the blanket up over her head, desperate for at least one
more hour of sleep, but now she could hear her mother's voice in the hall
outside her door.

"Of course, I didn't wake her up. She's sleeping like a baby.... "Reba drifted
as the voice faded, then it sounded closer again. "I have a right to look at my
child, for heaven's sake!...trying to sneak in her wedding without letting me
know a thing about it." She was walking back and forth in the hall, apparently,
the sound of her voice rising and falling as she neared the door, then drew
away. Talking to Aunt Rebecca? Someone whose voice was too low to carry into the
room, through the blanket.

Reba put her fingers in her ears.

"...ages ago! How was I supposed to know she'd still be engaged after such a
long time?"

Reba had written to her four months ago, announcing her engagement, the date,
everything, and in return had received a postcard with her mother's scrawl:
Darling, I am so excited...(illegible) Me, too. Mr. Wonderful... (illegible)...
(illegible). Sonya. Yesterday Sonya had called, and last night she had arrived
with Mr. Wonderful, the New Guy. They were always the New Guy, this was number
five. Maybe six. It didn't matter. He was the New Guy.

"I know we were all just a little excited last night, but it's perfectly clear
that Bob should give her away. After all, he's her stepfather, and he brought
his tuxedo...."

This time Sonya's voice faded away and didn't return. Maybe Aunt Rebecca had
dragged her downstairs. Pushed her down the stairs? Reba shook her head. No such
luck. Reluctantly she sat up, well aware that she would not go back to sleep
that morning. She added items to the mental list of things she had to get done
that day, and headed the list with the number one in importance. Tell her mother
to butt out; the wedding was planned down to the last detail, and not a single