The Rise of Miss Notley (Tanglewood Book 2)
Page 22
"No, Father," she said firmly. "It is Mr. Shepherd who will be giving me away."
Mr. Notley's face became redder still. He spun on his heel to leave the church, but one glance at Lady Harriett's stern expression, and he turned stiffly towards the chapel and strode inside, leaving his wife to rush after him.
Cora stared at Lady Harriett in wonder. How had she convinced them to come? They certainly did not appear happy to be here.
As though reading her thoughts, Lady Harriett flashed a smile and dropped her voice. "I merely reminded them that the Cavendish family has a great deal of influence in Danbury—influence that not even the parents-in-law of Lord Ludlow could overcome. It did the trick nicely. You look ravishing, by the way." With a wink she continued on into the chapel, leaving Cora alone with Mr. Shepherd once more.
Mr. Shepherd smiled, giving her arm a pat. "You have honored me, my dear. I'm feeling quite puffed up at the moment and couldn't be more proud to give you away."
Cora returned his smile, detaining him a moment longer. "Before we go in, I must explain my decision. When Lady Drayson first proposed that I come to Knotting Tree, I was anxious at the prospect of traveling so far and putting myself at the mercy of strangers. She assured me that as soon as I met you and Mrs. Shepherd, I would feel more like a daughter than a stranger. And she was right. I can think of no one else I'd prefer to give me away than you."
Mr. Shepherd smiled, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I will most happily claim you as a daughter, my dear. Shall we go in?"
She drew in a deep, fortifying breath before nodding. Together they walked into the chapel, where Cora immediately sought out Jonathan. His eyes were already fixed on her, warm and tender, his lips lifting into a small smile. As she slowly approached, Cora marveled at how a simple look could make her feel so loved and treasured. How had she come to find such a man? She would never understand it, but she didn't have to. She merely needed to embrace the feeling—and him—with her entire body and soul, thanking God every day for placing people and circumstances in her life that had brought her to this point and to him.
Cora arrived at Jonathan's side, where Mr. Shepherd left her with a kiss on her forehead. She turned to face the man she was about to marry, and the ceremony began.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here…"
Cora didn't even attempt to listen. In that moment, no one existed but Jonathan. She smelled his familiar clean scent and noted his freshly shaved face, his smooth lips, and the way his dimple teased her, not quite there and yet not quite gone. His eyes glowed a vivid green, capturing hers with a look that promised her the world and then some.
At some point, she must have said "I will" because Lord Ludlow was taking her right hand in his and repeating after the rector.
"I, Lord Jonathan Benjamin Ludlow, take thee, Miss Coralynn Eliza Notley, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth."
Cora managed to repeat the words as well, even though her heart thudded loudly in her ears and her voice wavered and trembled.
Jonathan lifted her left hand and slid a cool, gold band onto her fourth finger, keeping both of her hands locked in his. She felt the warmth of his body and his breath on her face as he spoke. "With this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
More beautiful words had never been spoken. The rest of the ceremony became a blur with the rector's voice droning on in the background. Once it ended, they were ushered outside into a windy and cold February morning. A smiling crowd flanked them on both sides, cheering, extending felicitations, and tossing handfuls of rice and seeds over them. How foreign it all felt, like a beautiful dream.
The couple waved as they climbed into the carriage, at last alone. As soon as the door had been secured, Jonathan leaned in close, murmuring, "Hello, my wife," before he kissed her soundly. The carriage began to move, breaking them apart, so he released her and dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Lady Ludlow, if I were to suggest that we forget our wedding breakfast and depart immediately for our honeymoon instead, what would you say?"
She grinned, liking the idea immensely while knowing they could not. "I would say that I should have broken my fast before the ceremony. Though beautiful and unforgettable, I own I did not expect it to last so long. I'm afraid the experience has left me quite famished. Are you not as well? Surely we cannot leave without at least tasting a bite of the lemon cake Mrs. Caddy has prepared just for you."
He chuckled and relaxed against the cushions. "Very well, you have convinced me. We shall go to our wedding breakfast, but we will stay only as long as it takes for me to eat some cake and you to have your fill."
"Agreed." She snuggled against him and laid her head on his shoulder, only to be jostled away when the coach hit a rut in the road. Lord Ludlow's arm snaked around her, pulling her tight against him once more.
"Good gads, woman, must I always be putting you back in your rightful place?"
"What place is that, sir?"
He dropped a kiss on her forehead and glanced out the window. "Precisely where you are, my love. At my side, within the circle of my arms, and always in my heart."
Cora warmed at his words, loving them and him. "Why Lord Ludlow, that sounded almost poetic."
"It did, didn't it?" He grinned down at her. "Perhaps there is hope for me yet."
"Perhaps there is."
She kissed him again and continued to do so until they came to an unwelcome stop. The door opened altogether too soon, revealing a large stone house that Cora had seen only once before. The Biddings had kindly offered to host the wedding breakfast, and from the number of carriages that lined the path ahead of them, this particular event, as opposed to the one before, was not lacking in attendance. It appeared as though all of Askern had come.
Jonathan surveyed the scene only to look back at his wife. "It seems the town is ready to embrace the new Lady Ludlow. Are you certain you wish to go in?"
Cora watched the house, feeling a twinge of nervousness. The last time she had walked through those doors, her hopes had been trampled upon most cruelly. But things had since changed, her hope had been restored, and Cora could now say that she had no ill feelings for anyone inside that house, not even the Pembrokes. If they could look past her offenses, she could look past theirs. Tanglewood was to be her home now, and she would do everything she could to make friends of the people of Askern. With some it would come easier, as it had with the Biddings. With others, it may never come. But if there was one thing her experience as a housekeeper had taught her, it was to never give up regardless of the obstacles. She had learned that if she pressed forward, everything would right itself in the end.
Cora no longer believed in dreary destinies or unalterable lives. She believed in bumps and lumps, twists and turns, highs and lows. Life was a muddle of happy and sad and always would be. But if a person surrounded themselves with love, friendship, and as much happiness as they could muster, all the bumps, lumps, and lows became slight setbacks on a road leading to exquisite vistas. Cora was on her way there now, she could feel it in her soul, and she could not wait to begin her journey.
Dear Reader,
Thanks so much for reading and supporting my efforts! I hope this story provided you with a break from the daily grind and rejuvenated you in some way. If you’re enjoying the Tanglewood series, stay tuned for The Splash of Lady Harriett (Tanglewood 3), coming August 2017.
If you’re interested in being notified of new releases, feel free to sign up for my New Release mailing list on my website at RachaelReneeAnderson.com. I will keep you in the loop and notify you when books and audiobooks are available.
Also, if you can spare a few minutes, I’d be incredibly gr
ateful for a review from you on Goodreads or Amazon. They make a huge difference in every aspect of publishing, and I’m always so thankful when readers take a few minutes to review a book.
Thanks again for your support. Best wishes!
Rachael
The Fall of Lord Drayson is available HERE
OTHER BOOKS BY RACHAEL ANDERSON
Regency Novels
The Fall of Lord Drayson (Tanglewood 1)
Coming August 2017 . . .
The Splash of Lady Harriett (Tanglewood 3)
Contemporary Novels
Prejudice Meets Pride (Meet Your Match 1)
Rough Around the Edges Meets Refined (Meet Your Match 2)
Stick in the Mud Meets Spontaneity (Meet Your Match 3)
Not Always Happenstance (Power of the Matchmaker)
The Reluctant Bachelorette
Working it Out
Minor Adjustments
Luck of the Draw
Divinely Designed
Novellas
Righting a Wrong
Twist of Fate
The Meltdown Match
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I have several people I must thank for assisting me with this book. My awesome sister, Letha, for aiding me in the plotting/outlining process. Sarah and Samuel Adams, a husband and wife who served as a housekeeper and butler during the regency time period, for writing a book called The Complete Servant that helping me immensely. Many thanks to Braden Bell, Andrea Pearson, Karey White, and Karen Porter, for being my first readers and for giving me the sort of valuable feedback that makes a book so much better. My dear friend, Kathy Habel, for reading all my books and assisting me with marketing (my least favorite part of this business). I would never dare release a book without her help. I’m also grateful for my newfound friend in the UK, Helen Taylor, for proofreading and narrating the audiobook so beautifully. And of course Kathy Hart, for nudging me to write this series.
Lastly, I must thank my family for their continued encouragement, my readers for their support, and my Heavenly Father, for challenging and blessing me throughout this journey.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
RACHAEL ANDERSON is a USA Today bestselling author and mother of four crazy and awesome kids. Over the years she’s gotten pretty good at breaking up fights or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies, but she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating. You can read more about her and her books online at RachaelReneeAnderson.com.