The Happy Couple
written by: Nelly Shulman
The ruby wine in the crystal glass reminded me of fresh blood. Over the vintage china and antique silverware, over the lush bouquets of lilac and white roses, over the cream linen of the tablecloth hung the animated chatter of the wedding party.
“I must confess I’ve never attended a rehearsal dinner,” said the woman sitting next to me. “But then, Americans have the most peculiar traditions. For example, an evening wedding!”
“Indeed, we do,” I agreed, taking a sip of wine. “As for the wedding, the British sun is just too hot for me.”
The woman, whose name escaped me, still could not shut up.
“You have a wonderful makeup artist,” she said. “This lipstick suits you perfectly.”
“I don’t use makeup,” I explained. “Thank you, nevertheless. Excuse me, I must say something to Charles.”
My lips, the color of fresh cherries, parted ever so slightly as I leaned over to my fiancé. Charles, clad in a well-cut morning suit, chuckled.
“People can’t believe the speed we’re tying the knot, but I can recognize a winning deal even across the Atlantic Ocean.”
“So do I, darling,” I whispered.
The media had already had a field day over the wedding of a scion of a rich aristocratic family to a virtual unknown, and an orphan, to boot.
“So,” said another countess from across the table, “where did you two meet?”
“I was taking a heritage tour of the local castles, and Charles came to our group to deliver a lecture,” I answered demurely.
That was a total and absolute truth, unlike the next part of the story.
“Our eyes met, and we fell in love,” Charles added.
The woman gasped.
“How sweet! And where was this tour to?”
“Romania,” I finished my wine. “My family came to the U.S.A. from Transylvania in the last century.”
“Charles, darling, you are Britain’s foremost horror writer!” said another guest. “You must have thought your beloved Elisabeth is a vampire!”
Not a single worry line marred my smooth skin, the color of precious porcelain.
“This never crossed my mind,” Charles answered with the easy demeanor of a good liar, and I ever so slightly licked my lips, remembering the sweet spot on his neck, just below the ear, now safely hidden beneath his shirt collar.
“To the happy couple!” The champagne flutes clinked, and I smiled, baring my even, sharp teeth.
- The Happy Couple - May 18, 2026
- The Love That Moves the Sun - January 3, 2026
- The Farewell - May 9, 2025
