Fairest of Them All (Marriage by Fairytale Book 4)

by Ruth Ann Nordin

  And that was when she finally got a chance to see what Evander looked like. His complexion was perfect. There wasn’t a single flaw on his face. He was clean-shaven. He had a perfectly straight nose and a strong jaw. His eyes were a deep brown color. He had wavy blond hair that reached just below the collar of his white shirt. His matching white cravat had been perfectly tied around his neck. He was immaculately dressed in a red and black swirl waistcoat with gold trim. His black drill trousers matched his soft leather pumps. The outfit seemed to be made for him since it brought out his best features. Not that he really needed the help to be attractive. As Tabitha had told her, he was exceptionally handsome.

  “You’re my mother,” Evander said, his voice cracking. “All of my life, you told me all you wanted was for me to be happy, and now I find out you’ve been killing all of my wives.”

  His mother let out a raspy breath and touched his cheek. “Everything I did was to make you happy. None of those ladies deserved you. You were too good for all of them.” Her hand fell from his cheek, and she didn’t say anything else.

  Evander shook his head then bowed it. “I think she’s dead.”

  The footman moved aside, and it was then that Viola got a better look at the lady. There was no denying the resemblance. She was definitely Evander’s mother. He had inherited his beauty from her.

  The servants checked her over and came to the same conclusion as Evander. She was definitely dead. There was a collective sigh of relief over the group, but Viola suspected Evander’s was greater, which made sense considering all the pain he’d endured because of her. Tabitha would be greatly relieved, too, once she found out.

  “I’ll tell the authorities what happened,” Evander’s butler said as he rose to his feet.

  “We need to keep her here so the police can see what happened,” Evander told the footman after the butler left. “We’ll deal with her body afterwards.” He glanced at Viola, her aunt, and her sisters then turned his attention back to him. “Bring some tea to the drawing room. The ladies shouldn’t be here when the police arrive.”

  He waited for the footman to leave the room before he went over to Viola.

  “We need to put on some gowns,” Maud told Joanna and Pamela. “Then we’ll be presentable for when the guests come.”

  “Guests?” Joanna asked. “They’ll be the police.”

  “We still can’t be dressed in our night clothes when they come,” Maud replied, not hiding her exasperation.

  “She’s right,” Viola said. “Go on and do as she says.”

  Her sisters left the room, and their aunt followed, shutting the door. On their way out, Viola overheard Joanna say, “I’m rather disappointed. He’s not hideous like I thought he’d be.”

  Viola’s face warmed in embarrassment. Hoping Evander hadn’t heard that, she scooted to the side of the bed that was away from his mother. “I had no idea your mother followed me here.”

  Evander helped her out of the bed. “I know you didn’t. I didn’t, either. I had our townhouse searched, and it was only when I verified she wasn’t in any of the rooms that I suspected she’d followed you here.” He studied her. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. Thanks to you.”

  He wrapped his arms around her. “For a moment, I thought I was too late.”

  She rested her head on his shoulder. She was still in shock. The full extent of what happened hadn’t sunk in yet.

  “I hate to rush you,” he began after a few seconds, “but you should get dressed. It won’t take the police long to get here.”

  Though she was reluctant to leave his arms, she went over to the armoire. It wasn’t until she had retrieved a purple gown that she realized her hands were shaking.

  Evander came up behind her, put his hands on her shoulders, and kissed the side of her neck. “It’s over. She really is dead this time.”

  Noting the mixture of pain and relief in his voice, she turned back to him and embraced him. “I’m sorry, Evander. I wish I hadn’t been right.” For his sake, she wished there had been some other explanation. It had to have been a painful realization to find out that his mother—someone he was supposed to trust—had done so much to hurt him.

  “I feel like I’m waking up from a nightmare.”

  She couldn’t think of a better way of putting it. She was sure he’d been living under a nightmare ever since his first wife died. “We’ll be fine. It’ll take some time, but we’ll be fine.”

  Since she couldn’t think of anything else to say, she kissed him and then changed into her gown.

  ***

  Viola never thought she’d attend a burial. She hadn’t seen her parents or brother buried, but she chose to go to the one for Evander’s mother. She’d even told Tabitha it would be good for her to come along as well. “You should see her being buried,” she’d told Tabitha. “It’ll help you put the past behind you.” This reasoning had convinced Tabitha to go.

  The burial wasn’t elaborate. Viola stood between Tabitha and Evander in the cemetery just outside of London. The day was a dreary one. It was fitting, all things considered.

  There was no one else except the men who were lowering the coffin into the ground. The grave had a marker, but it was a simple one. All it had was her name and the years of her life. Neither Evander nor Tabitha shed any tears over her death.

  In fact, when the men were done lowering the coffin, Tabitha whispered, “I’m glad she’s dead. Now she can’t hurt anyone anymore.”

  Viola looked over at her, and wishing to offer her some comfort, she took Tabitha’s hand in hers and squeezed it.

  The men asked if Evander wanted to toss the first shovel full of dirt into the hole. Evander nodded and went to do so.

  Viola turned her attention back to Tabitha. “I hope you won’t let all that his mother did rob you of your future. Your step-father’s right. You should be happy. Find someone you love and marry him. We’re only given so much time on this earth. There’s no sense in wasting it in sorrow.”

  Tabitha squeezed her hand in return. “I’m not going to let his mother ruin my future. She’s taken too much from me already. I won’t let her take anything else.”

  Viola smiled. “Good.”

  Viola’s attention went to Evander. He gave the shovel back to one of the men, and he returned to her and Tabitha. Without another word, the three stood at the grave and watched as the past was finally laid to rest.

  ***

  Viola finished putting on the slippers that matched the dark blue gown she’d bought specifically for this evening. This was the first time her family was coming over for a dinner party where she, Evander, and Tabitha would all be together, and she was excited. The only thing that would make the evening perfect was if Oliver was alive to join in the festivities. Perhaps he was watching down with their parents. The thought added to her joy, so she chose to hold onto it.

  The heaviness and despair that had been lingering for so long over the family had finally lifted. The servants still were hesitant around her, but she noticed they were at least making eye contact with her. She didn’t expect the maids to ever offer to be her lady’s maid. She realized she could hire one, but she didn’t mind taking care of herself. The only time she needed someone’s help was when she was pinning her hair up, and Evander hadn’t minded helping her.

  Evander came into her bedchamber, looking magnificent in his dark blue waistcoat with black frock coat and breeches. He gave her a smile that made her weak in the knees. He closed the distance between them and leaned over to kiss her.

  “You’re a lovely sight,” he told her. “I’m glad the curse doesn’t exist so that I have the pleasure of looking at you. I never could do that when we were confined to the dark. I could only imagine what you looked like based off what the butler told me.”

  “You’re far too kind, Evander.”

  “I’m nothing of the sort. I’ve seen enough ladies to know that you are the fairest of them all. It will be my honor to escort you
to dinner.”

  He held his hand out to her, and she accepted it. She might never get used to basking in the glow of his compliments, but she decided that wasn’t a bad thing. It would be fun to always experience a thrill every day for the rest of her life. At least they were both assured they had a lifetime to be together.

  On impulse, she gave him a kiss. Without realizing it, he had transformed her from a wallflower into a desirable person. She could hardly remember the lady she’d been all those years ago when the gentlemen didn’t even take notice of her.

  He led her down the stairs, and before they even reached the drawing room, Viola heard her sisters arguing over the issue of elopement.

  “It’s romantic,” Joanna was saying.

  “No, it isn’t,” Pamela replied. “It’s foolish. The marriage will never work. He’s a butler, and she’s the daughter of a duke. Society will never approve of it.”

  “That’s what makes it romantic,” Joanna said. “It’s a forbidden love.”

  Viola let go of her Evander’s hand and hurried into the drawing room. “What is this about?” she asked as she went straight to her aunt who was holding a letter in her hand. She glanced at her sisters. “You can’t be talking about the butler and Lady Tabitha.”

  “That’s exactly who we’re talking about,” Pamela said. “When the footman brought us into this room, we saw that,” she pointed to the letter, “on this table.” She pointed to the table in front of the settee.

  Joanna grinned. “I remember the butler. He was adorable.”

  “Butlers aren’t adorable,” Viola said, appalled her sister would even think such a thing about one of the servants. She hoped her sister didn’t look at their family’s butler that way. She turned to Maud. “Tell me they’re wrong. This is just a joke, right?”

  Her aunt shrugged. “I don’t think it’s a joke. It sounds serious.”

  “Let me take a look at that,” Evander said.

  Viola jerked and turned to him in apprehension. She’d been given the task of finding Tabitha a suitable husband. This was terrible. Tabitha was supposed to be with a titled gentleman, not a butler. “What does it say?” she asked, even though she was afraid to hear the contents.

  Evander read it to her. “‘To my dear family, Allen and I have decided to go to Gretna Green. Viola, I know you won’t be happy about this. I know you wanted me to marry a nobleman, but I didn’t find a single one to my liking. I fell in love with Allen that day when we were trying to come up with things to say for the Duke of Edmondstone’s visit. Allen was so witty. We talked after that, and the more we got to know each other, the more I fell in love with him. It wasn’t until the other day that I found out he felt the same way about me. Viola, if you’ll recall, you did urge me to find someone I loved and marry him because we aren’t given many years on this earth. If I don’t marry Allen, I’ll regret it. This is something I have to do. In time, I hope you will come to accept our marriage. Love to all, Tabitha.’”

  Viola felt faint. She leaned into her aunt, and her aunt hurried to support her. It was worse than she expected. Tabitha had practically come out and accused her of throwing her into Allen’s arms. How was Viola to know when she told Tabitha to marry someone she loved that Tabitha was going to take that as a reason to run off with Allen?

  Joanna put her hands over her heart and sighed in contentment. “Isn’t that the most romantic thing you’ve ever heard?”

  Though Pamela didn’t argue, she rolled her eyes.

  “Evander,” Viola began, “I’m sorry. I had no idea the two were forming such a...a,” for lack of a better word, Viola continued, “bond.”

  Evander looked up from the letter in surprise. “Why are you sorry?”

  “Because I was supposed to help her find a husband who had a title and wealth,” Viola replied. “That was the reason you wanted a wife.”

  “I never said she had to marry a gentleman with a title or wealth. I said I wanted her to find a husband who’ll be good to her. I want her to be happy. You did what I asked. I haven’t seen her this excited about life since her mother was alive.” He smiled and returned his gaze to the letter. “She’s going to enjoy life to the fullest. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for her.”

  “Well, maybe the elopement is romantic after all,” Pamela said.

  Feeling much better, Viola regained her strength and stood on her own. “As long as everyone’s all right with the arrangement, then it’s good.”

  “I had a suspicion she fancied the butler when we came here for a visit,” Maud said, a twinkle in her eye. “The two were giving each other secret looks.”

  Viola stared at her aunt. She couldn’t be serious! “I didn’t notice any such looks.”

  “That’s because you were too happy about the baby.” Maud patted her shoulder. “A lady with child is allowed to have her mind on other things.”

  “Tabitha’s marrying someone she’ll be happy with, and soon we’ll be welcoming a new member into the family,” Evander said, his smile growing wider. “This family has much to look forward to.” He gave Joanna the letter. “You may keep this.”

  Joanna let out an excited cheer.

  Maud laughed. “It’s wonderful how everything’s worked out. It’s nice to anticipate the future.”

  The footman came into the room with a slight grin on his face. “Since the butler has run off from his duties, I’ve come to announce that dinner is ready.”

  This time, everyone laughed. Thankful Evander was satisfied with the turn of events, Viola was more than happy to join everyone in going to the dining room for a memorable evening.

  Epilogue

  Four Years Later

  Usually, from April to September, Evander and Viola spent their time in London to be near her aunt and sisters. But this year, Viola had been due to give birth to their second child in September, so they had returned to the estate in August.

  Since Joanna and Pamela had recently gotten married, Maud had joined him and Viola at the estate. Sheridan, Evander and Viola’s three-year-old son, thought of Maud as a grandmother, and it was apparent to Evander that she thought of him as her grandson. The two could spend hours together. Maud would listen to him talk or walk patiently beside him while he stopped and explored everything that fascinated him along the path.

  Though Evander didn’t miss his mother, he sometimes wished she had been able to accept his marriages so that she could have had a relationship with her grandchildren. But that was something she hadn’t wanted, and because of that, she never received it. That role went to Maud instead.

  Maud proved to be a big help during the labor and birth of Sheridan’s baby sister, Blanche. She kept Sheridan occupied so the maids weren’t distracted while they helped Viola. Evander had been little help to keep the boy entertained since he kept worrying something bad might happen to Viola. Yes, there was no curse. That no longer worried him. But having lost three other wives, he was aware of how fragile and precious life was. He was relieved when one of the maids came to tell them that Viola and the baby were doing well. He had been so happy that he gave everyone, even the maid, a big hug.

  Evander had much to be thankful for. He had been given a second chance to enjoy life, and he woke up each day with the intention of doing so. With Viola and their two children, he couldn’t think of anything else he could ask for.

  One day in October when the air was warm and the sky clear, Sheridan asked to go outside, and since Viola was up for a walk, the five of them went out after breakfast. At one point during the walk, Sheridan got distracted by something in the grass. Evander hadn’t realized his son had stopped walking with him and Viola until they reached the gazebo. He turned around and saw that Sheridan was searching the grass. Maud, who was with him, offered him a wave.

  “I can’t tell who’s happier,” Viola said in amusement as she sat on the bench. “My aunt or our son. The two never tire of each other.” She tucked the blanket closer around Blanche’s head and rocked her in her arms.
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  “It’s nice they’re happy together,” Evander replied as he settled beside her. “She would have made a good mother.”

  “Yes, she would have,” Viola said.

  “We have a good life.”

  “Yes, we do.”

  He put his arm around her shoulders and took a good look at his daughter’s face. She was struggling to stay awake, but he could tell by the way her eyelids kept drooping that it wouldn’t be long before she drifted off to sleep. He was glad Sheridan and Blanche had Viola for a mother. If something were to happen to him, he had the assurance of knowing Viola would let their children grow up and live their own lives. She wouldn’t try to keep them all to herself. She would allow them many freedoms, and because of those freedoms, they would get the best life had to offer. They would never have to go through what he had.

  Sheridan came running into the gazebo. He got up next to Evander on the bench then jumped down. He giggled and hurried to repeat the process. For a moment, Evander was taken back to a time where he had done the same thing as a child, and a part of that innocence came back to him.

  “The gardener just painted this bench. Do you want him stepping on it with his dirty shoes?” Viola asked Evander.

  “It’s just dirt,” Evander replied. “It can always be cleaned.”

  He reached for his son right after he jumped for the fourth time and caught him before he landed. The lad seemed to like this more than jumping since he laughed even louder.

  Evander brought him on his lap. “Enjoy the simple things, Sheridan. Don’t take a single day for granted.”

  “Awright,” Sheridan said.

  Viola chuckled.

  “I think that’s a good sentiment,” Maud said as she entered the gazebo with something in her hands. “Do you two want to know what he was looking for back there?”

  Viola’s eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

  Maud came forward and opened her hands far enough for them to see a small insect in her hands.

  Viola grimaced. “Why did you bring that thing over here?”