Tales of Carousel: I’ll Love You Till the Day You Die

“You will not believe what I just learned,” Miss Hart said as she rushed to the side of her best friend Mrs. Ford. “The bride did invite her family. They refused to show up. I just confirmed it.”

Mrs. Ford fanned herself with a copy of the wedding program. “The rehearsal hasn’t even started, and you’ve already gotten the scoop, have you?”

“That’s not the scoop. The scoop is the reason they aren’t coming,” Miss Hart said with a grin.

After waiting a moment for Miss Hart to continue, Mrs. Ford said, “Alright come out with it.”

Miss Hart got close and, with a grin started to say, “It’s because—”

But as she did, a third person arrived in their company.

“Oh you incorrigible gossips are at it already aren’t you?” Mr. Greene said as he arrived next to them, carrying a plate of finger sandwiches.

“You’re one to talk,” Miss Hart said.

“I didn’t say I wanted you to stop,” Mr. Greene said. “I came over here because I sensed there was an interesting conversation happening.”

“Well as it happens, I have just learned that poor Percy’s bride was almost married a time before. The wedding didn’t go through. Her family sided with her former fiance.”

“Is that why they aren’t here?” Mr. Greene asked.

“Hush, let her speak,” Mrs. Ford said.

“As a matter of fact, it is why they aren’t here. The reason for the failed engagement is all the more interesting,” Miss Hart said.

Mr. Greene and Mrs. Ford were hooked. They waited eagerly for the reveal.

“Daphne, the bride, she had a former lover that hasn’t quite let her go. He began stalking her. That’s why her wedding fell through. The families on both sides blame her for her choice of men. And now Percy has been drawn into her grasp and the cycle is repeating all over again.”

“A stalker?” Mr. Greene asked. “Are we in danger?”

“Of course not,” Miss Hart said. “But then they did hold the wedding all the way out here in Snowblind for a reason. They did hire private security. But I am sure if there was a real threat they would never have gone forward with things.”

Mrs. Ford and Mr. Greene were aghast.

“I thought the security was normal for a wedding of this ticket price. That it was part of the Franklins showing off their wealth. I had no idea there were other reasons,” Mrs. Ford said. “I might have sat this one out if I had known.”

Miss Hart looked at her incredulously. “I have never known you to turn down a social occasion. Let alone a wedding.”

“I still might have stayed home,” Mrs. Ford said. “If I had known we would be put up in hotels at the bottom of the mountain instead of in the fancy resort because some psycho is on the loose.”

“I wouldn’t have,” Mr. Greene said. He glanced across the room as the bridal party started preparing for the rehearsal. He made eye contact with the groom. “I live for wedding drama.”

 

---

 

Percy loved a good Party. Before the action started, it was like a vacation. This time, it really was a vacation. A fancy venue, rooms with a maid, wedding preparations everywhere.

He had to enjoy it while it lasted.

The thing he liked the most, more than the pampering and the treats and the peace, were the memories.

They floated in the air, here. Reminding him of time spent together. Of whispered secrets in the dark, of ‘I love you’s and gentle touches and longing glances.

They weren’t his memories, but he could feel them in the pit of his stomach, on the back of his neck, in the quiver of his breath. Whoever this man had been, fictional or otherwise, he was in love. He had been a young man on the cusp of a great adventure with the love of his life.

Percy embraced these memories. That was the only way he had to live anymore, to focus on the person he could pretend to be for a time. Others ignored the electric prong of their character’s memories, most never even reported feeling them. Not Percy though. For a few short moments, he got to be someone else, somewhere else.

In this role, he got to be in love. He was going to get married. He wholeheartedly embraced the opportunity to escape Carousel, if only in his imagination.

He was an imposter, but everyone was an imposter in this place. It didn’t matter. It was real to him for the moment.

But where was his bride?

“Percy,” Angela said. “They’re looking for you in the office.”

“They’re looking for me?” he asked.

Angela chuckled. “You are the groom.”

“Right. The groom. I’m important.”

“You’re the second most important person here, little bro,” she said.

He looked at her confused. “Oh, right. Show me the way, sis,” he said chuckling. In this story, she was his sister. He had almost forgotten.

She turned and waved him forward. As he walked past, she grabbed onto his arm and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “Stay sharp. You know we’re going to make sure everything works out, right?”

“Yeah,” he said, not so sure.

Angela laughed again as she showed him the way to the office.

 

---

 

“Come on in, son,” Mr. Franklin said as Percy and Angela arrived. “Sweetheart,” he said, holding his arm out for Angela, “You should be in here too.”

Mr. Franklin wrapped Angela up in one arm and held her there as Percy walked forward into the room.

In the office was a large table with papers laid upon it. Across from them, two men sat with serious looks on their faces. They looked at Percy and nodded as he walked up to the table.

Seated near him was a beautiful woman, who smiled when she saw him. She jumped up from her seat and wrapped her arms around him.

“It’s really happening,” she said. “We’re getting married.”

This was her. This was the woman he was in love with. He could feel it.

When a person goes too long without feeling deep infatuation, they forget what it feels like. The moment he saw her, every cell in his body rejoiced.

The last time he had felt this it had been in a dream that ended too soon. He didn’t want this one to end at all.

“Daphne,” he said softly, “There you are.”

The phrase, “There you are,” was the most romantic three words Percy knew. His real father had told him that is what true love felt like. It was a sudden revelation. You found the person you loved standing right in front of you. He had waited his whole life for it and when he saw her, in the throw of his character’s feelings, it just slipped out unintentionally.

“Here I am,” Daphne said. “I’m really sorry that we have to think about… this on our wedding weekend. You must regret me already.”

“Not at all,” Percy said without the faintest idea of what she was talking about.

They looked into each other’s eyes for a time.

One of the men across the table cleared his throat. “I don’t mean to put a damper on the weekend. The sooner we debrief you, the sooner the festivities can continue.”

The man was tall, with dark hair and a dark, stylish suit.

Mr. Franklin leaned forward. “Take a seat kids,” he said. “Detective Blackwood, go ahead.”

Percy and Daphne took seats next to each other. They held hands as the men spoke.

“You can call me Marcus if you are worried about your guests finding out why I’m here, though I’m certain they will find out soon enough,” Detective Blackwood said. He grabbed a file folder and opened it on the table. The first page was a mug shot. “Adrian Vale. We’ve been searching for him for months at your bequest, Mr. Franklin. Best we can tell, he dropped off the radar and skipped town before the hearing for the temporary restraining order that Miss Sinclair sought the year before last. No sign of him since.”

Mr. Franklin didn’t look pleased. “So we just wait for this lunatic to show up and ruin my son and future daughter-in-law’s wedding? Do you know how much this has cost?”

Detective Blackwood eyed him intensely. “I assure you, Mr. Franklin, if he shows his face anywhere near Snowblind, he will be arrested or hospitalized long before you or any of your party guests ever know about it.”

He slowly pushed the file across the table. “Everything we know is in this file. He hasn’t used checks or opened a bank account in his own name in well over a year. The unfortunate truth is that a person can go without detection for years if they use even the slightest precaution. Purchase items with cash, take jobs that will pay you under the table, pay rent off the books.”

“Well he must be somewhere,” Mr. Franklin said. “He resurfaced last year when Daphne was set to wed the Steadman boy,” he looked down at Daphne, “I’m sorry to bring that up.”

He took out a cigar and lit it, something he often did when stressed.

“Yes,” Detective Blackwood said. “The threatening letters, stalking, and phone calls. Those were all problems fixed by choosing this remote location. The good news is he’s not exactly wealthy enough to chase Ms. Sinclair across the country. Even if he found out where the wedding was taking place, it’s unlikely that he could get here. He has no current driver’s license and he hasn’t registered a vehicle with any state.”

“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a vehicle. He could have paid cash,” Mr. Franklin said.

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Percy looked back at his character’s father. The man wanted his money’s worth. He wasn’t satisfied with the risks that this stalker represented. He felt he knew this man as well as his real dad. This behavior was typical. He was a sweet man to everyone except the people who took his money, be it waiters, employees, or private detectives. From them, he expected results.

“I just don’t think the information you have gathered is equal to your reputation,” Mr. Franklin said. “I was told you were the best.”

Percy tried to ignore them. He pulled the folder over to himself and began looking through the information that had been compiled. He stared at the man’s face, Daphne’s stalker, Adrian Vale. A big man. Percy couldn’t take him in a fight. Hopefully, he wouldn’t need to. He had his best man, Gus, for that.

He slid the mug shot of Vale over to Daphne. She glanced down at it and then looked back up at him with a look of apprehension.

“As it happens,” Detective Blackwood said, “I am developing a lead as we speak. One of my contacts is chasing down some information. I will report back to you once I know more. In the meantime, perhaps we should go over the security details for the wedding. I assure you that we have covered every possible detail.”

“Fine,” Mr. Franklin said.

“Let’s start with the plans for the rehearsal tomorrow…”

 

---

 

“And then I say ‘I do,’ right?” Percy asked.

“Ideally, yes,” the minister said with a smile as he walked the bride and groom through the ceremony. “Otherwise, some people are going to be awfully disappointed that they made the trip. Then I turn to the guests and introduce you as man and wife.”

The wedding party started to clap, as did all of the guests who had shown up for the rehearsal.

Percy and Daphne were still holding hands. He felt the urge to kiss her, so he did. She kissed him back.

“This is just the soft opening,” one of the groomsmen said. “Tomorrow’s the premiere. If our performance is half as good, we’re still going to bring the house down. Although, Percy, I do have some notes on the kiss.”

Percy chuckled.

“This is my wedding,” Daphne said, “Not a play. And I could see you making eyes at Angela the whole time, Benji.”

“Talk about a bridezilla,” Benji said. “She’s lying Angela, I would never make eyes at you without your express written permission.”

“Uh huh,” Angela said before changing her gaze to the muscular man in a tuxedo shirt standing between Percy and Benji. “I think the best man is supposed to keep the groomsmen in line.”

The man in the tuxedo shirt, Gus, said, “Don’t look at Angela, Benji. She doesn’t want to date you.”

“I would never,” Benji said. “Who could think about finding love at a wedding?”

“Oh my god, Benji,” Angela said. Turning to Daphne, she said, “We have to go meet with the caterer, remember?”

“Right,” Daphne said. “The caterer. The meeting we have with the caterer. We should go do that.”

They turned and left with the other bridesmaids, giggling as they went.

“What was that about?” Percy asked as he watched them leave.

“Bachelorette party,” Gus said. “Better watch out.”

Percy didn’t respond. He was still too caught up with the sight of Daphne.

“I think she’s the one, guys,” Percy said with a laugh.

“Until she sleeps with a stripper,” Benji said.

“Where are they going to find a stripper in the mountains?” Gus said.

Benji shrugged.

“Same place they found all these snow bunnies,” he said, pointing out the large glass window toward the ski slopes below.

People were out on the slopes wearing neon jackets and snow pants of various hues. Some of them, women and men, wore fashionable outfits that drew attention from all over.

“I’m glad your fiancé has a psycho ex,” Benji said. “I wish my dad could rent out an entire ski resort for my wedding. Instead, he just gave me a pack of condoms and told me never to get married.”

Percy didn’t say much. He was smiling. Content. Hopeful.

“You have that look again,” Gus said. “You need to control that shit.”

“What?”

Gus was having trouble putting his thoughts into words. “You get those rose-colored glasses and you lose all common sense. All… urgency.”

“I’m fine,” Percy said. “Everything will be okay.”

Gus didn’t look so sure. “I hope you know what you’re doing. This isn’t exactly a situation you can just bail on if things don’t go as planned.”

“Oh, I know it,” Percy said. Normally he could. Running away was his strong suit. Being the center of attention was not. “I was trying to find some alone time and the… photographer. The uh wedding photographer followed me everywhere I went. Can’t get a moment alone.”

“Now you know what it feels like to be us,” Benji said. “The ‘photographers’ here have been pretty persistent, though, haven’t they?”

“It’s your big day, Percy,” Gus said, “You’re the star.”

They all had a good chuckle.

From across the room, Mr. Franklin called out, “Percy!”

“Here we go again already. I told you I don’t get a break,” Percy whispered to his friends. More loudly, he said, “Yes, Dad?”