Georgia would be married at eleven o’clock on the twenty-ninth of April. After the wedding ceremony there would be a luncheon in the Officer’s Mess of the Light Dragoons for a hundred guests, and then the happy couple would depart for their ship and set sail for Russia on the evening tide.
The invitations were ordered and sent without delay, and Lady Packard set about enjoying herself as she had not done for many years, poring over dressmaker patterns for Georgia’s wedding gown, choosing the material, the ribbons and pearls, the shoes, the veil, and stockings and garter, even the nightgown Georgia would wear to bed. She chose the flowers for the church, posies of pink tulips, cream carnations, baby’s breath and ivy to decorate the pew ends, and several large and lavish floral displays to stand on either side of the altar. The colour theme was cream, pink and lilac, which Sasha pointed out would clash horribly with Captain Bowen’s bright red military mess dress. Her mother merely shrugged, murmuring that there would be many guests in different military uniforms and they could not be expected to colour coordinate for all of them, surely?
The sisters would all be Georgia’s bridesmaids, and their gowns, in palest pink, were also made by the French seamstress creating the bride’s. The wedding cake was ordered, five tiers of ornately decorated rich fruit cake, the champagne and the food agreed with the Officer’s Mess, bon-bonnières of fine net and sugared almonds ordered as gifts for the ladies on the tables, and hymns were agreed with the organist at the church.
The days melted one into the other, and it alarmed Georgia how quickly time seemed to fly. The dark cold days of winter had ended and there was now a warmth and brightness to each day, the evenings more pleasant as dusk lingered, and the gardens were brightened by shy snowdrops and nodding yellow daffodils. Captain Bowen called less frequently, much to Georgia’s relief, and when he did suggest a ride in the park, or lunch at a nearby hotel, she always made sure that Sasha came along, too. He seemed much preoccupied with his forthcoming posting to Russia, and now that he had settled the matter of a wife, he saw no need to make a nuisance of himself. Sasha was somewhat chagrined to watch as the now-engaged couple seemed to have little to say to one another. She did not like to mention to Georgia that surely there should be some emotion if she was to spend the rest of her life with this man, share his bed and give birth to his children. Yet she could not say such a thing to Georgia, all too aware how fragile she was, and how much she pined for Felix. On most nights she could hear the telltale sniffs and nose-blowing that indicated Georgia was weeping in the privacy of her own bedroom. She ached for her sister, and there were many moments when she felt guilty for persuading her to allow Captain Bowen to court her.
It was very true that he was a good man, they had no evidence to suggest otherwise, and he was indeed very pleasing to look at, with his blond hair, blue eyes, firm chin and jaw, intelligent brow and his firm yet sensual mouth. Sasha sighed, forcing herself not to think about Captain Reid Bowen, soon to be her sister’s husband. Once they were married, all would be well; Georgia would be happy and would forget all about that Felix Westfaling. Though Sasha feared that it would take her much longer to forget about Captain Bowen; already he was part of her thoughts and had found a place in her heart. She tried to remind herself that it was wrong and sinful to have such feelings for a man who would soon be her sister’s husband, yet this did nothing to soothe the ache in her heart, aching for a love that she had hoped would blossom between her and this Captain.
On the eve of the wedding, a quiet sense of expectation descended upon the household. There was a hush, as at last all the hasty preparations had been accomplished and all that remained was for the great day to dawn. Gowns hung on cupboard doors, uniforms pressed and medals polished. The sweet scent of flowers filled the air, and the house was full of guests from all over the country.
No one seemed to notice that both the bride and her chief bridesmaid were afflicted by a sense of melancholy and had retired early to their bedchambers. Georgia could not bear all the hearty congratulations and the knowing looks as everyone wished her good luck for the next day, and she went to her room to nurse her sense of impending doom in private. Sasha, too, found the company hard to take; it was much easier to bear her aching heart in solitude. As she sat on the window seat in her bedroom, gazing up at the stars and the pearly glow of a half-moon, she reflected on how she would get through tomorrow and not reveal by so much as a word or a glance how much she envied Georgia: Georgia, the beautiful golden girl, her personality like champagne, bubbly and intoxicating and hard to resist; Georgia, who did not even seem to appreciate how lucky she was and that from tomorrow onwards, for the rest of her life, she would never be alone again. Georgia would awaken every day to the warmth and comfort of Reid lying beside her, in whose arms she would experience the joy of passion. Georgia would have his help in all matters of daily life, and she would have his friendship and companionship simply by mere virtue of being his wife.
Sasha swallowed back another wave of tears, just as a knock sounded upon her door, followed quickly by the entrance of Victoria and Philippa, bearing a dish of purloined marzipan fruits and chocolate peppermints. They giggled and Victoria went to fetch Georgia, who reluctantly allowed herself to be towed in.
With a smile Sasha descended from the window seat and went to join her sisters on the bed. All four girls gathered close together in a circle around the dish of sweets, their nightgowns billowing in a froth of white muslin, long unbound hair swirling in shades of gold and sable, richly glossy against the pale skin of their slender arms. The two younger girls were full of excitement for the drama of the big day—The Wedding—talked about and planned and anticipated constantly in these weeks past. And there was burning curiosity in their round eyes as they looked at Georgia.
Victoria blushed, leaning closer as she whispered in confidence, ‘What do you think it will be like?’
Georgia frowned as she licked chocolate from her fingertips. ‘What?’
‘You know.’ Victoria giggled. ‘It!’
Philippa snorted and buried her face in the bedcovers as she stifled her laughter, and then she lifted her head and asked, ‘Has Mama said anything?’
Seeing the look of puzzlement on Georgia’s face, Sasha admonished the two younger girls. ‘Leave her be.’
‘Oh, Georgia, you are so lucky!’ sighed Victoria, rolling onto her back and gazing up at the canopy of the bed. ‘I couldn’t imagine anyone nicer than Captain Bowen to be surrendering my bloomers too!’
‘I don’t think it’s just her bloomers he’s interested in.’ The earthy Philippa grinned.
The two girls shrieked, drumming their heels as they laughed in a most unlady-like way, and Sasha gave them each a playful slap as Georgia suddenly went scarlet, the full understanding of what it meant to be married dawning on her. A most peculiar noise erupted from her throat, and Georgia burst into tears, flounced from the bed and ran to her room, slamming the door shut behind her. Her sisters exclaimed, mortified at what they had done and making to rush after her, but Sasha firmly stopped them, pulling them both back.
‘Let her alone,’ she insisted, picking up the empty dish and placing it on a table. ‘Now, you two, off to bed. The sooner you go to sleep, the sooner the day will be here.’
With little squeals of excitement Victoria and Philippa hurried away to their room, and with a sigh of relief Sasha closed her door. Then she tiptoed to Georgia’s door and knocked gently on it.
‘Georgie, are you all right?’
‘Go away!’
‘Shall I come in?’
‘No, just go away and leave me alone.’
Sasha stood and listened for a few moments to the sounds of muffled weeping, then with a regretful little grimace she went to her own bed and climbed beneath the covers. She lay awake for a while, anxiously wondering if she should try again to go in to Georgia, or maybe it was best to leave her to some peace and privacy…
When Sasha awoke next it was still dark, but a sound h
ad disturbed her from the depths of her dreams. She opened her eyes and gazed about, her glance straying to the curtained window. There was no glimmer of daylight and there was still the heavy hush of night about the house. Yet her ears had been alerted to strange noises, and she listened, her breath tensely held—a bump, and a thump, and the low murmur of voices.
Sasha sat up, swinging her bare feet out of bed, pausing, listening keenly. With a small intake of breath, as alarm bells rang, she jumped out of bed and ran to Georgia’s bedroom door, along the way seizing her heavy silver-backed hairbrush as a weapon. She flung the door open and was ready to strike the unknown assailant, her arm upraised, when a startled Georgia and Felix Westfaling turned to stare at her.
‘Oh, damn!’ exclaimed Felix, setting down two Moroccan leather portmanteaus on the floor and raising placating hands towards Sasha. ‘Now listen here, old girl…’
Sasha noticed at once that Georgia was fully dressed; indeed, she was shrugging on her dark wool coat with the fox-fur trim over her going-away outfit of sapphire silk.
‘What on earth!’ Sasha exclaimed, her eyes flitting between the frozen couple, who stared back at her with guilty, nervous eyes.
Then Georgia came rushing towards her. ‘Oh, Sash, please, do be quiet! I beg you, do not give us away.’
Sasha lowered her arm and stared at them. ‘What’s going on? Felix, how did you get in here? We thought you were in Scotland.’
Felix shrugged, with a defensive frown. ‘I’ve been lurking in the back alley all day and bribed Farrell to let me in through the servants’ door in the mews. He took pity on us—the servants don’t miss a thing, believe you me. I came back when my mama wrote to tell me about Georgia getting married to that Bowen chap.’ He glanced at his beloved with a sheepish smile. ‘Only wish I’d come to my senses and got back sooner.’
Her sister grasped both of her hands and gushed an explanation. ‘Felix and I are running away. We are going to Gretna Green to be married and then to Paris for a wonderful honeymoon! Papa gave me all my travelling papers last night, so I can go anywhere in the world that I want to!’
‘Oh, no, you’re not!’ exclaimed Sasha. ‘Have you gone completely mad, Georgia? You are getting married in the morning to Captain Bowen, it’s all arranged, everyone will be there, everyone expects—’
‘No!’ said Georgia vehemently, almost stamping her foot, her mouth set in a mulish line. ‘I don’t love Captain Bowen and I don’t want to marry him! I won’t! In a few days’ time I will be twenty-one and can do as I please.’
‘But—’
Felix came towards them, his arm curling around Georgia’s waist. ‘Now listen here, Sash, old girl, you know I’m besotted with Georgia. Can’t bear to see her getting hitched to another chap, just not the right thing, not the right thing at all.’
‘But—’
‘Oh, Sasha, darling, please, please, I beg you, don’t say anything, just let us get away.’
‘But—’
‘Better get a move on, Georgie, before someone notices the hansom cab lurking in the mews and starts getting nosy,’ Felix urged.
As the couple hastened to pick up their bags, Sasha suddenly ran to the door and blocked their path. ‘Georgia, no, I can’t let you do this! Have you thought this through? You know how impulsive you can be! Why, tomorrow the church will be full of people and Captain Bowen will be left standing there like a complete fool!’
Georgia sighed, and then tugged the diamond engagement ring off her finger and pressed it into Sasha’s palm, firmly closing her fingers over it. ‘Tell him I’m sorry, but—but, well, just say I’m sorry.’
‘I’ll do no such thing! Tell him yourself!’
‘Come now, Sash, old girl, out of the way, we really must get going,’ Felix said, in a soft voice that held a thread of steel in its depths.
Sasha looked at him in surprise, hardly believing that fun-loving Felix was capable of a serious thought for longer than a blink of an eye. The cold hard contours of gold and diamond seemed to burn into her hand, and she asked, looking him directly in the eye, ‘Tell me, Felix, do you love Georgia?’
‘Yes,’ he answered quietly, returning her gaze unwaveringly. ‘I do, very much, and I promise that I will look after her.’
Sasha wavered then, as he turned to smile at Georgia, and she saw in that one glance how much they adored each other. How could she stand in the way of her sister’s happiness, when it was so obvious that this was what she truly wanted?
‘Are you sure, Georgia?’ she asked again, desperate to ascertain that this was no mere whim on her sister’s part and that she understood all the consequences, ‘Captain Bowen will be so hurt; he’s such a lovely man, so strong and kind and handsome.’
‘Oh?’ Felix bristled, with a disgruntled thrust of his lower lip.
Georgia clicked her tongue in annoyance. ‘Oh, please do stop, Sash, it will do no good, I’ve made up my mind. Goodness, if you feel that way, why don’t you marry him?’
With a sharp intake of breath, Georgia and Felix looked at each other, suddenly taken by the merits of an excellent plan.
‘Splendid idea!’ exclaimed Felix, dropping his voice as Georgia quickly hushed him, glancing nervously about. ‘Always thought the two of you made a fine-looking pair.’
‘Oh, do,’ Georgia gasped. ‘What a perfectly perfect solution. No one would be any wiser and once you are safely on board ship to Russia it will be far too late to do anything about it. And no one would think to be looking for us—’ Georgia glanced slyly at her sister ‘—and you have to admit, Sash, you are smitten with the man. And he’s probably smitten with you, but just doesn’t know it yet.’
Sasha shook her head, wondering if she should laugh or cry, and quite speechless for words. Then, as her senses returned, she glared at Georgia and retorted, ‘Why, you really are the most selfish, conniving, manipulative little minx—’
‘Steady on, Sash!’ Felix objected, a frown marring his brow at this maligning of his much beloved.
With her own brows sceptically arched, Sasha asked, ‘And how exactly am I to accomplish this feat? Marrying my sister’s bridegroom, that is? Do you think that Captain Bowen will be so overcome by the joys of his wedding day that he will not notice that his bride is slightly shorter than he remembered? And has dark hair instead of blond? Brown eyes instead of blue?’
‘Oh, with that ridiculous Spanish-lace veil he won’t be able to see a thing,’ scoffed Georgia. ‘And our feet are the same size, so you can borrow my shoes with the two-inch heels. I am sure he won’t notice.’
‘Until it’s too late,’ interjected Felix.
‘Far too late,’ Georgia agreed.
‘And what about at the end of the marriage ceremony, when the vicar says you may kiss the bride?’ There was now a heavy note of sarcasm in Sasha’s voice, and she felt as though she had stumbled into one of her own dreams, for surely none of this could be real? ‘What do I do then?’
‘Oh, I don’t know, pretend you have a cold or something!’
‘And at the reception?’
‘Overcome by nerves,’ suggested Felix. ‘Come along, Georgie, the train for Edinburgh leaves in an hour. We really must go.’
Georgia suddenly embraced her sister, and kissed her on the cheek. ‘Goodbye, darling, and thank you.’
‘For what?’
‘For helping us.’
‘I didn’t say that I would.’
Georgia smiled, hugging Sasha one last time and smugly replied, ‘Oh, but you will, darling Sasha, I know you will.’
And with that, Felix and Georgia departed. The door closed. She listened pensively to their muffled footfalls, until there was only silence, followed by the sudden clip-clop of a carriage passing in the street. Sasha ran light-footed to the window, thrust back the heavy brocade curtain and peered out, catching a mere glimpse of the hackney carriage bearing Felix and Georgia. It was cold by the window, and she drew back, pulling the curtain into place. With a shiver she hurrie
d to her own room and climbed back into bed, pulling the covers high up around her ears and curling into a ball, her knees drawn up to her waist.
For a while she could not think of anything at all, and stared blankly into the dark, the first glimmer of dawn just beginning to touch the window. Then she felt the small round object in the palm of her hand and opened it, staring at the diamond engagement ring Georgia had relinquished.
A sudden stab of panic and alarm sent goosebumps rippling over her skin, as Sasha contemplated the débâcle that would be tomorrow—no, this morning, the great day, The Wedding Day. Damn Georgia! How could she? How could she do this to them? To Captain Bowen? She drew in a painful breath as she wondered just how to tell him. Or should she go to her father and let him do the nasty deed? Yes, yes, she decided with a sigh of relief, Papa would handle it all quite admirably. With the matter settled, Sasha wriggled and snuggled down to sleep, but it was not long before her lashes flew open and she was again brooding on the impending doom about to fall upon her family.
It was no use, she couldn’t possibly go back to sleep with all these thoughts raging inside her mind. With a sigh Sasha sat up, holding her head in her hands as she sat cross-legged in the bed, her thoughts roaming this way and that. She imagined that Georgia was most probably boarding her train for Scotland now, totally oblivious to anything except her own happiness.
Poor Captain Bowen. Would he be very heartbroken?
Would Mama have a fit of the vapours in church, as they stood waiting expectantly for the bride to appear and walk up the aisle?
Would Papa have a stroke at the shame of it all? With a gasp she wondered if he would go charging after Felix, no doubt armed with his pair of revolvers. Good God, Papa might even shoot him! Captain Bowen was a soldier, too—why, he might even join Papa and shoot Felix, as well! Sasha pressed a hand to her mouth as she envisaged murder and mayhem in the days to follow.
The Brigadier's Daughter Page 6