THE TAINTED TRUST (Volume 2 of The King Trilogy)

CHAPTER 43

        Vancouver. Sunday, March 18, 1990

Miraculously, the thick gray layer of clouds which had blanketed Vancouver had dissipated, allowing the wedding to begin under an almost cloudless sky. The late afternoon sun blessed the wedding of Barbara Larkin to David Harmon. Warm air made it possible to have the ceremony on the outer deck of The Observatory, a magnificent steel, glass and wood restaurant perched at the summit of Grouse Mountain, six thousand feet above the City of Vancouver.

To the extreme delight of David Harmon, Peter, his handsome forty-two year old son from his first marriage, had flown all the way from Hong Kong to be his father's best man.

Nigel Bennett, a graying giant of a man, wearing a black suit and clerical collar, stood facing the four in the wedding party. "Let us begin," he commanded with ministerial authority, his hazel eyes focused on Barbara.

Kerri stared beyond Bennett, her eyes focused on the silhouette of Vancouver Island, fifty miles to the west. The minister's words seemed distant and muffled to her as she allowed her mind to wander.

"Do you, Barbara, take David to be your lawfully wedded husband, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do," Barbara declared.

Bennett turned to David and smiled. "Do you, David, take Barbara to be your lawfully wedded wife, for better or worse, in sickness and health, until death do you part?"

Kerri repeated the vows in her mind and in unison with the minister. She remembered her own vows and recalled how important they were to her. "How could he forget?" she asked herself. "The commitment was forever, without reservation. No matter how..." She glanced upward and smiled. "No matter how sick he was."

An elbow bumped Kerri's arm and interrupted her thoughts. She turned to see her mother glaring at her. "The ring," Barbara mouthed with an annoyed and anxious expression.

Kerri had been carrying David's wedding ring in the palm of her left hand. The white knitted wool dress she was wearing had no pockets. Sporting a reddened face and sheepish grin, she handed the ring to her mother.

Barbara turned and placed the gold band on the third finger of David's left hand.

Clasping the left hands of both Barbara and David, Bennett continued, "With the exchange of rings and the declaration of your vows, one to the other, and by the power vested in me by the Province of British Columbia, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife." He grinned. "It's okay now, David. You may kiss your bride."

After a lengthy and passionate kiss, David held Barbara's hand high in front of him and pretended to address a large congregation. "Ladies and gentlemen of the City of Vancouver and the world, it gives me great pleasure to present the new, Mrs. David Harmon." He faced Barbara and winked. "The whole world won't stop clapping until I kiss you again...May I?"

With an adoring smile, Barbara did the honors.

David took a deep breath after the kiss, then turned to face the small wedding party. "In the spirit of the occasion, I've made reservations for cocktails and dinner for the five of us aboard The Islander. At this moment she's docked at the foot of Burrard Street, and will be casting off at five-thirty. If we leave immediately, I think we'll make it."

As the members of the wedding party headed for the cable-car, Barbara reached for Kerri's arm and drew her closer. "Where were you during the ceremony?" she asked with a muffled whisper and a scowl.

"New York."

"I'm sure you were."

"Your vows helped me make a decision. I'm going back, mom."

"What did our vows have to do with it?"

"I promised to have and to hold him in sickness and in health. Brian's sick, mom. His injury and the alcohol made him sick. I can't just walk away from that vow. I can't."

"I think you're being overly sentimental. That son of a bitch hit you and left you."

"There's no way he would have done either if he was well. I wasn't there for him. I chickened out and left him."

"But to go back to him! That's got be the ultimate in masochism! I hope you realize you could be hurt again," Barbara warned.

Kerri nodded. "I have to go, mom. Brian needs me and I'm going to do whatever it takes to help him."