F6: Bliss

"Having a good time?" David asked in a disapproving voice.

"Sure but I could use some water this stuff tastes dreadful," she held up the empty glass in her hand.

"How many of those have you had?" he asked taking the empty glass from her.

"One or two, I am so thirsty. Any chance of a coke, instead?" she asked hopefully her words slurring as she spoke.

"How about I take you out for something to eat before you do something that makes Kasey mad enough to fire us both," David looked around for Eric or Kasey. "Come on superstar lets let them know we are leaving."

"Oh I don't want to leave yet, I am happy to wait for them," Lisbeth said as she staggered slightly toward him.

"Yeah let her stay," the man she had been talking to intervened tryng to keep his arm firmly around the staggering girls waist.

"Two words for you mate, jail bait," David said and pulled Lisbeth in the direction of Eric. "It was a lie, but you could never tell these days and she was only nineteen.

"Eric, I've gotta take Bliss home, some idiots been feeding her glasses of champagne she is pretty drunk already, and we don't want her throwing up on Kasey," David gave a small chuckle making light of the situation.

"Get the driver to take you home and then come back for us later. Alice will be there to let you in," he spoke of their long term housekeeper who maintained their country house with her husband.

"You got it," David said and walked with Lisbeth toward the backstage exit. Thinking they were lucky to have gotten out of the theatre unnoticed he made his way to the car tapping on the driver's window to alert him to their presence. "Home James," David chuckled and pushed Lisbeth into the back of the car. "Go through the Macca's drive through on the too she's gonna need a burger and a coke too." He shook his head.

"She better not throw up in the car," the driver grumbled.

"Better grab an extra bag at the drive thru then," David replied without humour.

"Shit," the driver peeled away from the parking lot eager to get the girl home and out of his car.

The ride home was rapid, and David half walked, half carried the now tired and unsteady girl into the house only to be accosted by a tall, muscular young man.

"What did you do to her?" Gabriel demanded.

"Look, mate, I dunno who you are but you had better back off right now," David said warily. "Melody?" he asked as her mother came from behind the young man to gather her daughter into her arms.

"Mother, I'm so glad you're here. I thought I saw Gabriel too. This is a lovely dream. I wish I could go home but I can't," she said sadly. "I miss you more than I thought I would and him too. It's shame this is a dream I would like to tell you that."

"I miss you too," Melody said softly turning her towards the living room. "David play nice with Lisbeth's fiance," she said meaningfully.

"Pffft, I am aways nice that's how I end up in these messes," David complained and followed her into the living room. "What are you doing here anyway? You should have come to the award ceremony Kasey would have loved having you there."

"She wouldn't have even known I was there. It's always about her. Where was she while Liss was getting wasted?" Melody shook her head. "Don't tell me, agents and press, lining up her next big comeback on the back of my girl's talent. I saw the televised version. What was Daddy thinking letting that happen?"

"It was Eric's idea. He heard me singing along to the pony song," Lisbeth said sleepily as she sat on the couch and then lay down stretching out along its surface.

"Look I've gotta get back since you're here to look after her. Just don't leave before we return," David said. "Promise me Melody. Not like last time, I don't think Eric could take that."

"Where would I go with Lisbeth in that state," Melody said angrily, guilt and worry welling up to amplify the feeling. David shrugged and left hoping that she meant it.

"We should go home. I wish I could come home Mother, really I do," Lisbeth said in a whispered voice. "I just don't think I could watch Gabriel married to someone else. I didn't give Margaret the promise ring though see," she held up her hand. "This one is mine forever."

"Gabriel hasn't married anyone else," Melody said softly smoothing her hair from her face.

"He'll have to eventually, Margret said she would do a better job than Selina if I came back," Lisbeth whispered sadly.

"That's why you came here?" Gabriel seemed stunned.

"I forgot you were in this dream," Lisbeth smiled lifting her head slightly to look at him. "I love you, you know, but I would have made a dreadful wife if I hadn't seen the outside world just once." Her voice was drifting away as she spoke. "It's not like I thought it would be. I just swapped cages is all."

"Sleep now Liss," Melody began humming a tune she hadn't sung since her children had grown up and she stroke her daughters hair watching her breathing deepen into sleep. Frances stepped out of the shadows and rested his hand on his sons back.

"Let's get some rest now that you know she is safe. Let Melody deal with the situation as she sees best and you can talk to Lisbeth in the morning about how much she loves you and you her." Frances said with a grin, feeling for Melody and the complicated situation she was in now.

"We will stay close enough to hear you should you need assistance," Gabriel said, and though reluctant to leave her side he did as his father said and moved to the other end of the large room and stretched out on the floor with a cushion under his head.

In the small hours of the morning, the two women had gone up to Lisbeth's room to clean up and sleep in a comfortable bed before Eric and Kasey came home. Regardless of the news that her daughter and a strange young man were at their house Kasey had been too invested in reigniting her career to pass up the opportunities the night had given her. Eric too had been busy promoting his wife's cause. While he still sat as a member of several prestigious boards of hospitals and other businesses he had become his wife's manager after the death of their son and was determined to stop the disintegration of the one person left in his life that he truly loved.

The sun had risen before Eric and Kasey returned. They seemed unconcerned about the men in their kitchen, and Eric helped himself to coffee as Kasey went up to bed without even acknowledging them. Eric took a seat at the bench where the housekeeper had prepared cold breakfast platters and looked at the two men.

"I'm Eric, and this is my home, and you are?" He inquired in an even voice.

"Frances Blackman and my son Gabriel," the older man held out his hand. Eric looked at it for a long moment before taking it.

"I'm sorry you have come all this way only to be disappointed. Bliss won't be returning to that place with you," Eric said confidently. "She is happy here. She has everything she could want for and more."

"She didn't seem very happy when I spoke to her last night," Gabriel said darkly.

"It was her first big event; she will get used to them. We have plans for an album and a concert tour," Eric said. "She loves to sing more than anything just like Kasey."

"She loves me," Gabriel answered as if that trumped anything the man had said. "We are getting married as soon as she returns home."

"Well then my friend, I hope you are a patient man because she is not going anywhere with you for some time," Eric said easily but with less confidence. "It's strange that she never mentioned you to us, or spoke of the place you live. I mean if she loves you, you would think she might have mentioned you at least once in all this time."

"Let's wait and see what she says when she wakes," Frances intervened between the two men that obviously loved Lisbeth in their own ways. "We would not force her against her will to return with as I am sure you would not force her to stay," he said meaningfully.

"If you will excuse me, gentlemen," I need to check on my wife," Eric said and left the room without another word. Being uncomfortable in the large silent house Gabriel and Frances went out to walk around the extensive grounds enjoying the mild spring sunshine.

Lisbeth woke up with her head feeling heavy; she felt very unwell, and she rolled on her side remembering fragments of the strange dream from the night before. Her eyes widened as she looked into the face of her mother who stirred at her movements.

"Good morning, Liss? How are you feeling?" Melody asked her voice heavy with sleep.

"Like I've bumped my head again," Lisbeth admitted.

"Good, it will remind you not to drink alcohol again," Melody said without sympathy. "Water will help there is a glass beside your bed."

"I had a dream last night that you came, and Gabriel and Frances were here too, but they wouldn't leave the Assembly, would they?" Lisbeth asked trying to clear her foggy mind as she sat up to drink the water.

"Gabriel asked the council for leave to come and find you, thinking you were still in the hospital. Frances and I have accompanied him on his first journey because there are no assemblies in this part of the country on which he could rely." She paused as Lisbeth took in her words.

"It wasn't a dream?" Lisbeth gasped, she felt sick with shame at having acted the way she had in front of him. "He came to ask for a release from him promise," Liss said sadly. "Not that I blame him especially after he saw me last night."

"He loves you, Liss, he came to honour his promise to you," Melody said gently. "We came to take you home."

"Home?" She seemed confused. "But Margaret and Selina... I can't go home, and now he knows the truth about where I have been instead of in a hospital bed. He knows it was all a lie. I can't face him, Mother! I can't bear to see the disappointment when he looks at me."

"He has come a very long way to see you, Liss. You need to let him speak his mind. You owe him that much," Melody said suddenly serious. "Get up and have a shower, you will feel better for it."

The women showered and changed before going downstairs. Lisbeth took her time choosing the right outfit and settled on a long flowing dress that was soft and light but still demure enough not to upset their sense of how a woman should look in public. Her mother cast aside any of her concerns and doubt as she pushed her to go down to the kitchen and have some food to settle her stomach.

"Liss," she paused just before they left the room, "You haven't been dating other boys have you? I mean if you have slept with anyone..." She stopped speaking at the look of horror on her daughters face.

"I haven't even kissed anyone, Eric and Kasey have kept me so busy with preparing for this event I haven't spent time with anyone but David," Lisbeth said quickly horrified that her mother would think such a thing about her.

"I had to ask," Melody apologised. Relief flowed through her, after seeing Lisbeth drunk last night she hadn't been sure what other things she had been doing here. The women went down to the kitchen and found Alice cleaning and preparing lunch. She made them a snack and told them that the two gentlemen had gone to walk the grounds.

It was Lisbeth's turn to feel relief. She was anxious about seeing Gabriel and the fragments she remembered from the night before told her she owed him an apology. The food and cool water settled her stomach, and the last of her headache faded away. Physically she felt better but when Melody suggested they go for a walk to find Gabriel and Frances, her stomach twisted once again with nerves.

They had only walked a short distance from the house when they saw them in the distance. Lisbeth noted how evenly their strides matched. The taller form of Gabriel keeping time with his father, both of them solidly muscled men. Even as her pace slowed his seemed to quicken and they met under a corpse of Jacaranda trees, the grass appearing like a carpet of brilliant lavender.

"I'm sorry," she said as soon as he was close enough to hear her quiet voice.

"Why?" he asked confusion clear on his face as he worried she had not meant the words she had said the night before.

"I found this wonderful old tree just down the track I was hoping you could help me identify it," Frances said to Melody, and the two of them faded from the lavender carpet to a good distance away leaving the two young people to talk openly and honestly with each other.

"Why are you sorry Liss?" Gabriel asked again.

"I'm sorry I lied about where I was. I am sorry I didn't come straight back to honour the promise we made. I am sorry you had to come all this way to find me," the words spilled from her mouth.

"If you meant what you said last I am not sorry about any of it?" Gabriel said closing the gap between them.

"I was so tired and unwell I am not sure I remember everything properly," Lisbeth admitted.

"You said you loved me," he said softly his small smile radiating the hope he felt that everything would return to the way it should be. "You said you needed to see the world outside our home before you could be a good wife for me. You said you wanted to come home." He touched her face where the large bruise had faded away. "I am sorry Selina did that to you, and I am sorry Margaret threatened you, but you won't have to worry about their interference again. I promise." She reached up and placed a hand over his where it touched her face amazed that he would touch her so willingly here in this place.

"I am not sure I could ever be the wife you want or deserve," Lisbeth admitted.

"You are perfect for me in every way possible." His hand curled around her waist, and he pulled her to him. She felt the hard muscled body against her and looked up her eyes shining at how easy he made it for her to love him. His head descended, and he kissed her then hard and fiercely. "Come home with me Liss, we can be so happy there if you just trust that I know you and love you just the way you are. Marry me."

"Yes," she whispered and kissed him wrapping her arms around his neck and holding to him tightly. She didn't care what the cage looked like if it felt like this. She could be on the moon and be happy kissing this man.

"I don't want to wait," he said seriously. "Let's find a pastor here, today."

"Can we do that? What about your family?" Lisbeth was startled.

"My father is here to witness it, and your mother," he said enthusiastically. "Marry me now, here today, under this tree! I don't want to let you go again. We deserve the wedding night we planned so long ago. I don't want to wait anymore. We can do it again when we return home if you want."

"Yes," she finally said after trying to think of a reason not to and coming up with nothing. It was easy to be caught up at the moment, and she let herself be carried away on the wings of love and the feeling of belonging she had in his arms.

Frances and Melody seemed surprised by their announcement but did not try to dissuade them from the idea and as they walked back up to the house. Melody knew her mother would be the one to cause problems if she was awake and prayed that she had decided to stay in bed all day. It was not to be, though.

Kasey had ranted and raved about her career just starting to take off again and the duet they had planned to record with Lisbeth. She had moaned that once again everyone was letting her down, and she wouldn't allow it after everything she had done for the girl.

"What have you done for her mother?" Melody cut through the tantrum viciously. "Did you even once ask her if she wanted to b on stage last night? Did you ask her if she wanted to wear that ludicrous dress that made her look ten years older? Did you even once treat her as anything but a backup singer?" She shook her head disgustedly. "Don't bother answering I know the answer, I goddamn lived the answer to that question."

"She said we loved to sing more that almost anything," Eric said calmly.

"I was singing along to a player, I had no idea about all of this at the time," Lisbeth broke her silence. "I just wanted to see the world and experience new things and get to know you, but I spent more time getting to know David and Alice and the others than I did with either of you. I've been so lonely here, and I want to go home."

"Stay a few days just record the duet with me, I promise I will be better. We can go shopping and spend some time together in between the recording," Kasey could see her comeback dissipating before her eyes.

"I've made Gabriel wait long enough. I'm getting married today, and I would really like it if you could be happy for me and even be there at the ceremony," Lisbeth said, "I'm sorry Kasey but I don't want to be a backup singer or a superstar like you."

"Please Bliss Baby, just the duet and I won't ask another thing," Kasey's voice took on a pleading tone. "Then you can go back to that compound and never see me again."

"It's not a prison Kasey, we protect our young ones, but the older married women can go to the town to sell their candles and lace. If you really want this why don't you get Daddy to build you a recording studio there, I am sure Lisbeth would be happy to visit you and sing now and then," Melody had begun to feel sorry for her mother. She looked so much older, and the light in her eyes had diminished over the course of the conversation as if she was dying inside.

Lisbeth was stunned. The freedom she craved was there all along. How had she not known that? She knew that some of the women went into the town, but the majority did not, and she had never questioned why that was, thinking that they had special privilege as being part of the council or some such. It had never occurred to her that most of the women, her mother included would choose to stay closer to home.

"You never told us that we could see you there," Eric sounded stunned. All this time and he had thought of her being held by the commune unable to leave even if she wished to. The fact that she could and didn't, meant that what she had said the last time she saw them was true. She did not need or want her parents in her life.

"There was no point. This is different, and there is very little I wouldn't do to ensure my children's happiness," Melody said stiffly.

"Were we so very bad?" he asked sadly.

"Worse," Melody said unemotionally. "And I can't believe I let you do it to my daughter."

"Get married here then, tonight. I will organise everything. Let me make it up to you Bliss. It will be wonderful. I never got to go to your mother's wedding give me this much at least," she reached for her phone even as she spoke.

"You will just make it all about you, let her go and find a celebrant and have a nice quiet ceremony," Melody sighed.

"I won't. I am trying to say sorry the only way I know how. Let me do this much for you, Bliss, please," Kasey's voice took on a pleading tone.

"It would be nice to be married under the Jacarandas at sunset," Gabriel could see the heavy rift in the family and the pain it brought them all and he felt for each of the three women and Eric.

"That's perfect!" Kasey jumped on his apparent agreement. "Why don't you all go and enjoy some lunch and I will make it happen. It will be beautiful." Kasey went and closed herself in the home office and began calling in every favour she had.

Within an hour, vans started arriving and Eric disappeared to help his wife while the four men and women sat on the back deck watching with some trepidation. By mid-afternoon, there was such a hive of industriousness occurring on the grounds that Gabriel and Lisbeth became quite overwhelmed.

Kasey appeared at the rear door and ushered them inside and to their room upstairs to dress for the event. She presented Lisbeth a simple but beautifully crafted wedding dress and a pale pink gown for her mother. Two girls did their make-up and hair. Similarly, the men were treated to new suits that they chose from a rack ranging in sizes close to their own and a barber shaved them and cut their hair.