Everything came together on the appointed day as promised. The sky was cloudy but it was warmer than expected. Most everyone who RSVP’d arrived as promised.
The photographer was busy taking his pictures as his assistant flew a drone over the wedding site to capture video of the affair. No one noticed the second drone flying above. They looked almost identical. The second drone was from a government agency.
Chad, his family and the friend who they had worked for so hard for over the last year to take his company public had no idea about the second drone. They were far too busy to think that they might be under suspicion for anything. They thought that they all had been very clever.
“I’ve done this type of thing in the past Chad, this is no problem,” he had said as they shuffled the papers and slid them into a file. Susan had no idea that there was an investigation underway of Chad and his father’s firm by the FBI and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The priest came out from the right side of the alter with his book in hand. He was a tall thin man with a serious look on his face. Yes, it was a serious moment for the two families as well as for this emissary of god. He had been hiding behind the large collection of flowers on the raised stage, for sometime.
Chad’s family mansion sat off in the distance. It’s long gravel drive reached the front of the house and then returned to the main road. The house sat back a quarter of a mile off the main road behind large trees and tall hedges for privacy.
A large electronic gate was situated at the main road and the end of long gravel driveway. The large home was of the Georgian style with four large white pillars set on a front porch in front of the wide entry. Two large planters sat on either side of the entry doors. Few of the family’s customers had ever been to this fabled place.
There had been many stories written about the house and it’s history. Two U.S. Senators had once called it home. A large pool and three tennis courts sat behind the house out of view. The huge detached garage sat behind some of the tall trees to the right of the house. It held six automobiles. Three chimneys could be seen protruding from the wide roof covered in slate tiles.
The staff quarters sat behind the kitchen and large pantry on the right side of the home. The large dining room was at the front of the house on the right side near the kitchen.
The large windows on the front of the house gave a clear view down the winding road some distance before a small hill covered in grass and plantings blocked the view of the main highway. It along with the trees silenced the noise that might disturb the residents. The architect had thought this all out nearly a hundred years ago. Total seclusion was the order of the day.
The family had given millions to the church, local and state politicians and even to some former presidents. They hadn’t reached out to the new president as of yet. His state of mind was a little difficult to understand at the moment. His behavior on certain issues at hand would help determine just how the family would react and work with him.
The groom stood at attention in front of a few hundred of his and his families closest friends as the priest moved closer to him. The wind was a soft whisper blowing over the alter to rear of the crowd where the bride would stand, very soon. The priest had done this a thousand times before. “But this was on the grand scale,” even he thought.
His piercing blue eyes scanned the crowd with curiosity. He was waiting for all the seats to be filled and wondering how long it would take. He had another wedding later in the day. He knew this would surely be the highlight of this special day for him and for Chad and Suzan.
Soon the seats were all full and the priest looked at the small band on the left side of the grounds a few hundred feet away and nodded. The band sat behind a large portable dance floor and two large white tents. The band started to play the Bride’s March.
A drone flew over the crowd quit high and then another flew slowly over the crowd, much slower. It’s powerful lens focused on as many faces that it could capture with a high speed camera. A few men in dark suites wandered the parking lot with small pads in their hands and wrote down license plate numbers.
Suzan looked radiant as she walked down the isle. Her expensive dress was perfect and accentuated her figure. Her hair and makeup was like that of a movie star. This was turning out to be a perfect day though the weather had worried her some.
Chad’s mother had bought in hair and makeup professionals for Suzan. There were six mades of honer in dresses all made by a famous designer in the city and six groomsmen lined up across from them in black tuxedos as the ceremony began.
The ring was a five carat solitaire with emeralds sitting all around it. It was a very nice ring or so Chad’s mother had thought. She had helped Chad pick it out. It cost a small fortune.
Chad and Suzan had looked long and hard to find it. Suzan wasn’t sure about the cost. Fifty thousand dollars seemed like an awful lot of money. Chad’s mother quieted her fears. “This for the most important day of your life and you’re marrying a Williams. That is no small thing in this part of the world, dear. It carries a great responsibility and offers a great deal of security.”
The search for the ring had seemed like an ordeal. It had started out fun for Suzan but as it dragged on, she felt worn out and unsettled. “Thank you mother Williams was all Suzan could say when she showed up to help on the second day of searching. Time was of the essence. Suzan never noticed the black cars following them as they searched for the perfect ring.
Her parents now sat in the front row crying, their daughter’s fate and future soon to be been sealed. It was a much better match than they had ever hoped for. She was a pretty girl, but willful and difficult at times as well.
This whole party had come together very quickly and Chad and Suzan were kept so busy that neither of them had time to think of their honeymoon until all the matters at hand had been settled. Chad’s mother and sister, Ann, had made the process survivable. “If it hadn’t have been for you two,” Suzan had said to them often, “I wouldn’t have survived this.” The last two weekends had been spent with Chad’s parents at their apartment near Chad’s or at the big house out in the country worrying over their wedding plans.
Suzan loved spending time with her future in-laws and was slowly learning the long history of the family and it’s forbearers. The family had owned this house for several decades, or shall we say that Chad’s father’s family had owned it for years.
Chad had grown up here. He learned to swim in the pool in the back yard and to play tennis in back as well. The courts were just a few steps from the den in the rear of the house. Chad never had to leave the grounds except for school and the occasional visit to a friend’s home nearby. His private school was nearby.
Chad’s life wasn’t unlike those of the young royals of Europe but his father helped him to remain grounded. He gave him chores around the house to do and brought him to his office often as a young boy and man. He even swept the floors their even though there were janitors in the building to do that.
Chad was modest in his behavior and wants. He had many special friends but only two confidants. One was a woman named Laura. They had gone to high school and college together.
The priest opened his book as the music started to play began and Suzan walking down the isle between tow large groups of white, wooden chairs, filled with several hundred of her husbands friends and family. She had twenty people in attendance.
The service was intended to be short. No one likes sitting out under the warm sun or cool clouds too long. The risk of sweat or rain on fine clothing is too much to be expected to tolerate, or some thought. The ceremony was longer than the family had wanted but shorter than most had expected.
Promises were made by the young lovers and many of them would be kept. This was the hard part of marriage or so the priest had spoken about. The difficulties and responsibilities of marriage were made very clear to all by the priest.
As usual the newly weds had dreams and high expectations that they both would fall short of, over hopefully, many years of a fruitful and happy marriage. They both knew that love could conquer most difficulties and they looked forward to their lives together as the priest finished the ceremony.
Well, this all played out better than I expected. I thought rain or snow was going to ruin everything.
It turns out it may be the FBI and The Securities and Exchange Commission might be those that bring this thing down a notch or two.
But we all know how large entities work. Slowly and thoroughly seems to be the rule of the day.
I think the flight to Africa and the honeymoon will be fine, but what do I know?
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