A Distant Journey Read online

  ‘That’s wonderful!’ He leaned over and kissed her lightly. ‘I love you too. And you’re going to love it in Australia.’ He unfurled her tightly clasped hands and held them gently. ‘What brought on this sudden change of heart?’

  Cindy swallowed. ‘Well, I’ve always known deep down that I want to travel. Be adventurous. Australia just sounds so exciting. And I just didn’t want to let you go.’

  ‘That’s my girl.’ He lifted her hand and kissed it. ‘But what about college?’

  ‘I won’t need a college education where you’re taking me. You’ll teach me what I need to know,’ said Cindy, determined to let nothing stand in the way. Murray kissed her again, deeply this time. Cindy felt warmth spread throughout her body. Murray was the man for her.

  She broke away. ‘Murray, I wouldn’t dream of leaving for Australia unless I was married,’ she said emphatically. ‘We’ll have to get married right away.’

  Murray nodded. ‘Will your family let you marry me?’ he said. ‘Do you think they’ll object?’

  ‘Maybe Babs will,’ admitted Cindy. ‘She thinks you’re too old for me and we haven’t known each other very long. I don’t know about Dad. I mean, you would have to go to Spokane and speak to him, and you might not want to do that. Aunt Alice? I have no idea. I have a lot of trouble working out what she’s thinking. My friends will be surprised.’

  Murray shook his head. ‘Cindy, don’t worry about what other people think. It doesn’t matter.’

  ‘Of course it matters!’ said Cindy indignantly. ‘One of my sorority sisters ran away to Las Vegas to marry her boyfriend so they could move into an apartment together while they were at college, because she didn’t want people to think she had no morals.’

  ‘Why Las Vegas?’ Murray asked. ‘Did they want to gamble on their honeymoon?’

  ‘No, they went there because the legal age to marry in Nevada is only eighteen, no questions asked.’ As soon as she said this, Cindy started to laugh. ‘Why don’t we do the same thing, and when I tell everyone we’re married it will be too late for anyone to object!’ She really hadn’t thought about it, but now that she’d said it out loud, the idea didn’t seem so preposterous.

  Murray was grinning like a Cheshire cat. ‘Why not? When do you want to go? Tomorrow?’

  Cindy suddenly felt brave and reckless. An adult. She was in control of her life once more.

  ‘Why wait? Vegas is only a bit over two hundred miles away. Let’s do it now. We could be back by tomorrow. Unless you’ve had second thoughts?’ Cindy asked. She desperately wanted to grasp this chance for happiness.

  Murray shook his head. ‘Me? No. I love you, Cindy.

  I can’t wait to marry you. Which way to Las Vegas?’

  ‘I’ll race back home and grab a few things, and then we’ll go,’ she said, her voice filled with excitement. ‘I’ll be back in less than an hour, I promise.’ With that, she hastily kissed Murray and jumped to her feet.

  As she hurried away, he called after her, ‘What’s your favourite stone?’

  Cindy spun around. ‘What?’

  ‘Your ring!’

  ‘Oh. A diamond, of course! What else?’ She giggled. This was going to be a great adventure.

  As she drove home, her mind raced. For a moment, she felt a bit sad that she wouldn’t graduate, but she could see little need for a college education where she was going. She grinned madly when she thought of how impressed her friends would be by her ability to find a real man, and a wealthy one at that. Handsome and exotic, too, and here she was setting off with him on an adventure to remote Australia!

  There was no one home when she reached Babs’s house. Cindy hastily threw a couple of outfits into a bag, only briefly considering that she was choosing her wedding outfit. All those dreams of an elaborate wedding gown, a trousseau, the way Alice and Babs would have fussed over her, went out the window. Of course she felt guilty that she wasn’t telling either of her aunts what she was planning, but she didn’t want to risk them stopping her. Instead, she left Babs a note, telling her that she’d gone out with Murray and not to wait up. She knew her aunt would be worried when she realised that Cindy hadn’t come home at all, but she wouldn’t be away long. Cindy suddenly visualised herself and Murray driving back into the cool desert dawn as man and wife, and she grinned from ear to ear.

  *

  Arriving in Las Vegas in the daytime was disappointing. There were the casinos she’d heard about – the Golden Nugget, the Pioneer Club with its huge neon cowboy out the front and the Silver Slipper, complete with a giant silver shoe on top – but the town looked shabby, garishly artificial and a little on the seedy side.

  ‘I thought it would look a lot more exciting than this,’ she said to Murray.

  ‘It probably looks better at night, when you can’t see all the warts.’

  After driving up and down the strip, Murray decided to pull into the Sands Hotel. It looked sleek and modern, a hacienda-style building divided into four wings.

  ‘This looks as good a place as any,’ he said as he parked the car. Holding hands, they walked into the giant reception hall. The reception desk was in one corner, a Latin trio played in another, and along one wall was a row of slot machines. Scattered around the hall were roulette, craps and blackjack tables. Cindy had never seen anything like it.

  ‘How the other half live,’ commented Murray as he looked around him in amazement.

  ‘You know they filmed Ocean’s 11 here,’ Cindy whispered. ‘I just loved that movie. It was so funny.’

  ‘I didn’t see it, I’m afraid. I don’t get to the pictures all that much. Maybe I’ll have to make more of an effort,’ said Murray. He walked over to the young man at the reception desk and booked a room as Cindy waited shyly behind him. She was annoyed by the sly look the man at the reception gave her, but Murray seemed not to notice.

  They were shown to their room in a mini tram. The pretty girl who accompanied them pointed out the pool and the restaurant and the famous Copa Room.

  ‘Y’all have a nice day,’ she drawled as she handed them the keys.

  Once inside, Cindy glanced around the plush room with its veneer of opulence achieved with large satin cushions, brocade drapes and dim lights. A crystal bowl of fruit sat on an elegant small table. It dawned on her that she’d be sharing the canopied bed in the centre of the room with Murray, as his bride.

  ‘Do you think we should get the wedding sorted right away?’ she asked. ‘There must be paperwork or something.’

  ‘How about I ring reception and ask if they can recommend a place?’ said Murray.

  While he was on the phone, Cindy explored their suite, hung up her clothes and ironed her favourite silk dress.

  Murray hung up. ‘Well, it’s all pretty easy. First we have to get a marriage licence, which I gather is just a formality, and then we take it to one of the numerous wedding chapels and someone will perform the ceremony. Done and dusted.’

  ‘Really? Is that all?’ Cindy swallowed anxiously, but Murray smiled and took her hand.

  ‘Come on,’ he said. ‘Let’s do it.’

  A couple of hours later, they walked into a little chapel filled with white flowers. It was empty except for the celebrant and his wife, who acted as the witness. Cindy clung nervously to Murray’s arm. Her simple rose silk sheath had an orchid corsage on the shoulder, which she’d bought from the florist in the hotel, and she’d added a mist of veiling to a tiny glittery cocktail hat no bigger than the palm of her hand, which she’d pinned amongst her curls. The ceremony seemed to take no time at all. Once she’d promised to love, honour and obey Murray for the rest of her life, he lifted the little veil and kissed her gently on her lips.

  ‘G’day, Mrs Parnell,’ he whispered.

  Cindy felt a frisson of elation course through her, but there were other emotions too. Her elopement seemed exciting and dram
atic, yet Cindy felt sad that she wasn’t sharing her great moment with her family and friends. She wanted to call Babs straight away, but Murray was squeezing her hand and promising that champagne would be waiting for them back at the hotel. ‘And of course, you’re allowed some bubbles,’ he said, winking at her.

  ‘I don’t really feel like Mrs Parnell, but I’m sure I’ll get used to it,’ said Cindy. She kept glancing down at the lovely diamond ring Murray had bought her. She looked at Murray, so handsome and sure of himself, and felt a rush of love for him. She was determined to prove that she was capable and open to any challenge life at Kingsley Downs would throw at her.

  As soon as they got back to their hotel room, she kicked off her shoes, took off her veiled hat and curled in an armchair as Murray poured her a glass of champagne. They toasted each other.

  Cindy sipped slowly, enjoying the sensation of the bubbles in the tart cold wine. Before she’d finished her glass, Murray put his down and came to her, picked her up

  and carried her to the bed. Slowly he began to unfasten the silk buttons down her back.

  ‘Murray, wait. I’ve brought something to change into,’ Cindy protested, thinking of the lovely nightdress she’d packed. It was a sample Alice had received, but the company had gone out of business, so Cindy had begged her aunt to sell it to her at a reduced price. Alice had raised an eyebrow, saying it was not the sort of garment most girls would wear around a college dorm, but she hated to lose a sale, so she’d agreed nonetheless.

  Murray laughed. ‘Sweetheart, I want to see you in nothing at all.’

  Murray continued undressing her, then he sat back and looked at her as she lay on the bed. ‘Believe me, Cindy, you are perfect just the way you are.’

  Cindy suddenly felt very nervous, but he made love to her slowly and expertly. Later, curled in his arms, she looked at him in amazement. ‘That was unbelievable. Is it always like that?’

  Murray just smiled lazily at her, gently stroking her arm. ‘What say we go and find something to eat?’

  ‘Do we have to go right now?’ asked Cindy, giving him a seductive look. ‘Maybe I need some more practice.’

  Murray laughed, but looked pleased. ‘I’ve married a hussy. Well, I guess dinner can wait a bit longer.’

  *

  The restaurant overlooked the floodlit swimming pool. The place was busy, but they were given a table for two by the window. The waiter arrived and Murray waved the drinks menu away.

  ‘My wife and I will have a bottle of champagne, French, not Californian, thanks.’

  The waiter hesitated but saw Cindy admiring her ring as Murray reached for her hand.

  ‘Newlyweds, huh? Champagne coming right up, sir.’

  Cindy quickly found that she liked champagne. It was so easy to drink and she loved the way the creamy bubbles burst in her mouth.

  ‘Oh, Murray. This is just marvellous. I won’t drink anything but champagne for the rest of my life.’ Unfortunately, drinking on an empty stomach had a soporific effect. Cindy could barely eat her lobster without feeling she was about to fall asleep.

  ‘Come on, Mrs Parnell. I think it’s time to call it a night. You’ve had a very busy day,’ said Murray, his voice full of amusement. ‘How about we leave dessert for another time?’

  As she drifted off to sleep in the soft hotel bed, Cindy felt like she was in a dream. Mrs Parnell, she thought to herself, rubbing her wedding rings with her fingers.

  The next morning, when Cindy woke up beside Murray, she could hardly believe that she had actually married him. Soon he would be taking her to Australia, a place that sounded fascinating and different. She could see herself on a horse, riding along the banks of a river with Murray. Proper cantering, not the plodding trail rides she’d done up to the canyons. The homestead at Kingsley Downs sounded quite grand, and visions of southern plantations popped into her head. Perhaps there will be servants, she thought.

  Murray stirred beside her, then opened his eyes and smiled at her.

  ‘Good morning, Mrs Parnell. Did you sleep well? And what would you like to do today?’ he asked.

  ‘Darling, we have to drive back to Palm Springs. Babs will be really worried about where I am,’ Cindy said.

  ‘Well, I was thinking that since we’re here, we might as well stay another day,’ he replied.

  Cindy frowned. ‘We can’t do that, Murray. I haven’t brought much at all in the way of clothes. I would really rather get back.’

  ‘What I was thinking of doing requires very few clothes.’ He tucked a stray curl behind her ear. ‘Besides,

  I also want to try my hand at some of the games they have around here. I’ve never had the chance to play roulette before and I’d like to give it a go.’

  Cindy rolled onto her back and gazed up at the ceiling. ‘I think gambling is silly. We studied probability in math class and the gambling odds are always stacked against you in favour of the house. You’ll lose money, nothing surer,’ she told him.

  Murray grinned at her. ‘You’re probably right,’ he said. ‘But, I’m still going to take my chances. I might never get to come back to Vegas again. If you want to stay here while I go and play roulette, that’s fine by me.’ He leant over and nuzzled her neck. Cindy batted him playfully.

  ‘I suppose one more day won’t make any difference, but I’ll have to ring Babs and tell her where I am. I don’t want her to worry.’

  ‘What if we drive back after lunch?’ he said. ‘That gives me two or three hours to lose my money, and then we can be on our way.’

  ‘Good idea,’ said Cindy. ‘Can we have breakfast first?’

  Murray got out of bed. ‘If we want to leave after lunch, I won’t have time for any breakfast. You have some, though.’

  He had a brief shower, threw on some clothes and kissed her quickly as he headed out the door for the gaming rooms. Cindy tried the novelty of ringing for room service, then reluctantly picked up the phone and called Babs.

  ‘Cindy! Are you all right? I’ve been so worried. Where on earth are you?’

  Cindy heard the anxiety in Babs’s voice and felt guilt weigh heavily on her. ‘It’s okay, Babs. I’m with Murray.’

  There was a short pause. ‘You spent the night with Murray? Was that wise?’

  ‘It was perfectly proper. We’re married!’ She couldn’t keep the jubilation from her voice.

  There was silence at the end of the phone for what seemed to Cindy to be an eternity. Then Babs spoke again in a shocked voice.

  ‘What do you mean? Where are you? What’s going on?’

  ‘I’m in Vegas, of course!’

  ‘Oh, Cindy!’ Babs exclaimed. ‘I can’t believe you’ve done such a foolish thing! Oh my goodness. This is terrible!’ Babs was clearly appalled. ‘I suppose it can be annulled … We’ll get Spencer to get you out of this –’

  Cindy’s heart sank. ‘Babs! I wanted to marry Murray. He asked and I said yes. I hoped you would be pleased for me.’ Cindy hadn’t expected her aunt to be happy, exactly, but she hadn’t expected her reaction to be this bad, either.

  Babs’s voice rose an octave. ‘Cindy, you don’t know a thing about him! This is complete lunacy! What are you thinking? That you’ll go and live in Australia?’ Babs sounded distraught. ‘What will your father say? Alice and I are responsible for you. How can you do this to us? Words fail me.’

  ‘Babs, I don’t want to upset you and Alice. But this is what I really want: love and adventure. Murray is giving me such an exciting opportunity, can’t you understand that?’

  There was silence for a second, then Babs said, ‘Cindy, I hope this rash decision has nothing to do with proving a point to Robbie.’

  Cindy felt a pang of embarrassment, but then she shook herself. No, Murray was the one for her. He was a good man who loved her and would introduce her to a new and exhilarating life. She had done the right th
ing. Cindy ignored Babs’s comment and said, ‘We’re coming home after lunch, so we’ll see you tonight. I have to go now. I haven’t had breakfast yet.’

  ‘Put Murray on, I want to speak to him,’ said Babs.

  ‘He’s not here, he’s gone out for a bit,’ said Cindy. ‘We’ll see you later, Babs. And please be happy for me.’ She quickly replaced the receiver. The conversation had been so much worse than she’d imagined. It’s just shock, she told herself. Once we get home and she sees the ring and that we’re properly married, she’ll calm down.

  After breakfast, Cindy drove around Las Vegas, but without Murray she was soon bored and returned to the hotel, wishing she’d brought a swimsuit so she could at least have had a dip in the pool.

  Murray was as good as his word, and after a late lunch they drove back to Palm Springs. As Cindy had predicted, Murray had lost his money on the gaming table, but he wasn’t worried by it. They chatted amicably all the way back to Palm Springs, laughing and smiling, as happy as any other newly married couple. They arrived back at Palm Springs at Cindy’s favourite time of day, the lingering afternoon. Cindy took it in with fresh eyes, knowing that soon she would be leaving Palm Springs behind, and maybe for a very long time.

  ‘Do you want me to drive you to your hotel, or are you going to come with me to see Babs?’ Cindy asked.

  ‘How about you drop me in town, and then after you’ve spoken to your aunt, pick up some of your things and come and stay the night with me? We are married, after all,’ said Murray, winking.

  ‘Sure,’ replied Cindy. She would have preferred it if Murray were with her when she faced her aunt, but on the other hand, it might be easier to talk to Babs without him. She was sure that if she could explain how she really felt about Murray, Babs would understand. But when Cindy finally pulled up at Babs’s place, she was a bit disconcerted to find Alice’s car in the driveway. She really didn’t want to face both aunts together.

  ‘I’m home,’ she called out as she let herself in.