Another Log Line

Heart And Flowers.

Novel - POD.
Script - My Way.
Funny and quick moving with many characters. About mothers who plan to marry off their daughters and sons. Their plan is hijacked. Another plan is set in motion by the children. Mothers try to solve where the son, or daughter, doesn't return home. Unbeknown by either side, the fathers give money to the person planning four wedding for the same day but don't know any of the details. Children win out over the mothers with the help from their father, who didn't like the plans their wives had hatched.
Following is an example of the novel. Have hidden the script for the moment.

Chapter Eighteen.

Romana returned to the hotel. She was ready to start work on organizing the weddings. Romana smiled as she walked up the stairs because the venue for the weddings had just came into her mind. There would be plenty of room for the extravaganza. There probably wouldn't be any waiting time to have the place ready in a couple of days. The place had been the easy part. Now she would not have to go chasing around to find a place large enough to hold four weddings. All she had to do was organize the troops and keep them happy being in such close confinement over the next few days.

'I hear you missed me,' chirped Romana as she opened the door and walked into the room.

'Where have you been,' complained Julie.

'Making plans,' replied Romana. 'There are some catalogues for you to look at.' She threw the catalogues on the table. 'Pick out what gowns you like. Have a second choice in the event that one isn't available for some reason.'

She turned to look at the grooms. 'You guys look through this lot. If nothing in there suits would you have any dress tux at home. We can have them sent to the same dry cleaner and have someone collect them. I'll organize the collecting. If you want your own shoes we can have then slipped out with the tux.

'Have you completed the lists for me?'

Cliff handed the lists to Romana. He had been making sure the troops had kept to there side of the bargain. Cliff was trying to help Romana as much as possible to keep her from stressing out. But he could see she was about to vent her temper on someone.

'Is there anything else to do, my lady.'

'That reminds me. Who the blazes is Tim? Who is his bride? And do I have to worry about supplying clothes for them. I had not been ...' Romana began firing questions at the brides and grooms before she forgot what was making her mad at them, even though every thing else was going her way.

'Hey! Slow down! You're not giving us a chance to answer,' Carson cut in on her diatribe.

'Carson! Keep quiet! Wait until she has finished letting off steam. She is our main stay. Romana will calm down soon,' Julie warned.

Everyone in the room kept quiet giving Roman to take deep breathes to calm herself. All except for Cliff were game to do talk to Romana. He walked over to where she stood and put his arms around her to show he was on her side. Fredrick watched closely to make sure his friends didn't over step the boundary from friendship to romance. But Cliff had no intentions of rushing his love for his beautiful maiden.

'Are you all right, my princess? What can I do to help?' Cliff held her loosely to show he sympathized with her problem.

Romana slowly calmed then pulled back to look at the brides and grooms. 'Keep a close eye on the natives. The Indians are on the war path.' She took a note book out of her bag.

'Right! Are we having separate, or an all together, honeymoon? And where?'

'One. Mediterranean Cruise.' All of them gave the same answer as they had been discussing the idea while they had been waiting for Romana to return.

'The last count is four weddings, no more to be added.'

'Fours the limit.' Fredrick looked at his friend, not wanting to say they had been planing a fifth wedding including the wedding planner and he Sir Knight.

'Right! Who is paying for the fourth wedding?' No one was game to answer her. Cliff hadn't been told so he could announce what the other six had planned.

'So I have to make four weddings out of the money for three. When do I meet this Tim and his bride?'

'Tim will be delivering some photos when they are ready,' Replied Simon, praying he didn't say the wrong thing and set her off yelling at them again.

'What room do I use for an office?'

'The next room to the room the males use,' Cliff explained, as he had been the one to go down and book the room.

'I'll move into the room now. May I keep your phone?' Romana asked Cliff.

'Sure.'

'Grab my bags and laptop,' Romana told Cliff. 'I have work to do. A lot of people are expecting me to complete this mission in first place.'

'If you need me for anything – important – have Sir Knight call me. You should be out of here in three, maybe four days, unless I have too many interruptions,' promised Romana.

'Four days,' echoed around the room. They couldn't see how Romana could have four weddings organized in four days. A normal wedding usually took months of screaming and yelling and there were still little niggling problems on the day.

'I'm shooting for three. The dogs will be baying for my blood by then. When Tim arrives have him come to see me. I want the photos as well. I'll need them to send with the invitations to your big day.'

'What?' Six pairs of shocked eyes stared at her but she just smiled. What did Romana have up her sleeve that would not give the game away.

'I didn't know you were sending out invitations,' Jessica was the first to show her concern in words.

'Our parents will find us,' worried Helen.

'I though this was a secret wedding deal,' Simon said.

'Sheese! You lot are jumpy. Nobel Secret Weddings do aim to please their customers,' Romana reminded them.

'Since when did we become Nobel Secret Weddings?' Cliff was quick on the up take when he heard her mention the name. He didn't believe they had chosen a name up until last night.

'The name came to me at breakfast. I also need a – VERY SHORT – list of some close friends who would like to attend you day. Including your family and friends I'm allowing each couple fifty guests. Oh! The most important part, I'll need to know is which groom has chosen which bride. I'll need full names of each for the ceremony. That should keep you busy for awhile.'

'Come Sir Knight! I have work to do. Key!' Romana held out her hand for the key to her room. The key was dropped into her hand by Cliff. She picked up some of her belonging and headed for the door. She stopped at the door and looked over her shoulder.

'Don't try to sneak in more than the alloted number or they'll be crossed out. The computer can

count. I'll be telling Tim the same. Twenty-five per person. Have Sir Knight deliver them as soon as possible.' Romana followed Cliff to her room. She opened the door for them to enter. Romana set the laptop on the table ready to begin her work. She put the phone and her papers on the table, which she would need for the invitation and taking notes.

'Thanks for your help, Sir Knight.'

'May I ask who you had breakfast with this morning? Don't tell me no one,' Cliff warned her. 'I know when you are two stepping an answer.'

'Close the door.' She waited for Cliff to close the door. 'We have six backers. Each presented me with huge cheques which I have banked. Hence the name Nobel Secret Weddings. Even had a few job offers form some of the backers.' She smiled at the shock cross Cliff's face.

'How huge?'

'Enough to play with and have some cash over.'

'I'm going. Happy hunting.' At least he didn't have to worry where the money would come from to pay for all the weddings.

By the time he had reached the door Romana had her mind filled with all the thing she would have to do. She wrote down a few names of people to contact then she made the first of the calls.

'Hello, Nana. How are you?'

'Romana. Nice to hear from you. What can I do for you?'

'Do you know if Papa has the lake paddock booked out?

'Not that I know of, dear. When did you want it to be empty?'

'Tuesday or Wednesday. Part of the area near the lake will need to be mowed. I need to have room for a circus size tent plus two smaller tents.'

'May I ask why you want such a large area?' Wondering what her granddaughter was planning but was not prepared for her answer.

'Four weddings.'

'I think I heard your wrong, dear,' Nana Beyer replied. 'Did you say four weddings? All on the one day?' Nana Beyer couldn't believe her granddaughter had told her the real number. How was someone so young and inexperienced at planning weddings involved.

'One mass ceremony,' cheerfully answered Romana. 'Two hundred guests. This is to be kept secret.' Romana warned her Nana in not direct words. She knew how to keep a secret if she had been warned to do so.

'How are you involved in such a big secret?'

'I'm planning the four weddings.' Romana stated, making her Nana know she was the one who was planning the weddings.

'You're what?' screeched her Nana, not believing the words which had reached her ears. 'Does your mother know?' Praying Romana's mother knew what her daughter was doing.

'Mum has given her blessing to the job and has offered to help,' Romana explained to Nana Beyer. 'Do you think Papa could order the tents and have them erected?'

'I'm sure he can do that for you,' Nana Beyer replied, in the hope of relieving her granddaughter some worry.

'I'll have a friend deliver the plans of where to place the tents. Oh! We'll need some carpet for the brides to walk on. Have Papa price the renting. I'll call back for the price as I'm not at home. I'll send a cheque with the plans. Thanks Nana. I have to go as I have a lot more calls to make.' Romana put a tick beside her Nana's name. Then she made a notation to remind her to ring back to find out all the prices. She put a tick beside her mother's name as she was the next one on the list to ring.

'Hello. Lesley .....' began Romana's mother.

'Mum. Are you able to talk freely?' Wanting to know if any one with big ears and mouth were not in hearing reach of the phone. The secret weddings would no longer be a secret if her sister or brother were listening to her mother's end of their conversation.

'Yes. What can I do for you?'

'Your friend who does catering. Would she be able to cater for two hundred guests by Tuesday? Wednesday is the only other day I can allow time wise,' Romana explained to her mother.

'You plan to be ready that soon,' her mother couldn't believe her daughter would have advanced so far with her planning. 'Where's the wedding to be?' She asked, in the hope she had a venue for the reception.

'Lake paddock. That has been cleared,' Romana said. 'Papa will price the tents for me.'