Off this hallway was a second one. This one led to the dining room and kitchen, but also to a spacious ballroom. Six chandeliers, not as large as the one in the hall, but just as impressive, decorated the ceiling. A large piano sat in the corner, and servants had started setting up tables and chairs for the wedding. The sight was a little too much, and I retreated down the hallway until I came to the heavy double doors of the library.
The book of poetry from upstairs had been sufficiently entertaining, but I was curious to see what else the library held. I remembered the endless shelves of books on every topic. Excitedly, I pushed the doors. They were locked.
“Of course,” I sighed. All I wanted was something to do to pass the time, and I couldn’t even have access to books.
“Can I help you, Christine?”
I turned to see Jasper staring at me curiously.
“I was hoping to get into the library,” I admitted.
He nodded. “Unfortunately, we keep quite a few valuables in there. We keep the door locked.”
“Could I just choose a few books?”
Jasper glanced at his watch. “I don’t have time to stay with you, and we don’t allow anyone in there unattended. Perhaps another day.”
“What if—”
“Christine,” he cut me off, his voice soft but stern. “Another day.”
I nodded, biting back disappointment. I had no one to talk to and no books to read. My only option was to sit in my room, staring out the window, slowly going mad.
“Of course,” I said, choking on the words. I turned in a hurry so Jasper wouldn’t see my growing frustration.
The next day, unable to stay in the house for another moment, I ventured out to the gardens. The sun had managed to peek its head through the clouds, and the fresh air was warm and inviting. I slipped out the door to the balcony and went down the stairs. I started by going to the lake. The beach here wasn’t made of sand, but of rocks and pebbles. I reached my hand down to test the water, but pulled it back immediately. It was quite cold.
I gazed out at the calm water. I enjoyed the peace out here. If I was ever given access to the library, perhaps I could take a book here and read on the shore. I pinched my mouth in a hard line at the memory of being turned away from the library. How could I live in this house? To have all those wonderful books, and be forbidden from accessing them, to be so bored and lonely I could simply waste away?
I wandered back through the garden, stopping to admire the beautiful blossoms. I plucked a daisy and sat on one of the stone benches at the edge of the forest, pulling the petals off one by one. As I sat, I heard movement from the edge of the trees and saw some branches rustle. When I saw why, I jumped to my feet.
It was a wolf, beautiful and white. He stared at me, his head cocked to the side. He didn’t seem like he intended to hurt me, only that he was curious. He started toward me very slowly, but didn’t bare his teeth and kept his head down.
“Hello,” I said, my voice shaking as I prayed I wouldn’t get eaten. “My name is Christine.”
He came to a stop at the bench I had just vacated, and I swear he nodded his head at it. Carefully, stepping slowly, I sat back down. He didn’t move, just stayed and looked at me with big, gray eyes.
“I don’t have any food to give you,” I told him. If he understood me, he didn’t seem to mind. He rested his head on the bench beside me and looked up. Gingerly, I moved my hand toward him, hoping that I wasn’t about to get it bitten off. He only blinked at me, and when I rested my hand on his head, he closed his eyes.
“I’m new here,” I said to him. I shook my head. “Look at me, talking to a wolf. But I don’t have anyone else to talk to, and it’s not like you can tell anyone my secrets.”
It felt nice to get things off my chest. I told the wolf everything, how Annabelle had recruited me, how the duke had chosen me, how bored I was, and he listened intently, even moving to lay his head on my lap. I scratched him behind the ears.
“The duke won’t even let me into the library,” I sighed. “I’m so insufferably bored. Do you think this is what the rest of my life will be like? Trapped here in this house with nothing to do all day but stare out the window? To have a husband who is so stern with me?”
I looked down at him. “I hope not,” I sighed. I realized I was crying, but for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel like I needed to push the tears away. No one was going to see.
“This place is beautiful,” I told the wolf. “Annabelle is lovely, and perhaps I would think the same of Jasper, if I ever saw him and got a chance to know him. I have food and I have shelter, which is more than I had a week ago. Yet, I don’t feel at home here. I feel utterly alone.”
I took my hands off the wolf and buried my face in them, sobbing. The wolf nuzzled my face. I pulled my hands away and looked up at him. He gazed into my eyes for a moment, then gently licked away my tears.
“I like you,” I said to him. “Please, don’t leave me.”
“Christine! There you are!”
I looked up to see Annabelle coming down the stairs to the garden, Daniel in tow. When I glanced back, the wolf was gone. I sighed, my heart heavy. Oh, well. At least he had given me some catharsis.
Annabelle came to join me. She had given up letting Daniel toddle around on his own, and was carrying him. I brushed the tears from my face, hoping she wouldn’t notice that I had been crying.
“I swear, I checked all over the house before I came out here. It’s lovely here, though, isn’t it?”
“It is,” I agreed. I thought for a moment, then asked, “Have you ever seen any wolves out here?”
She turned to Daniel, who had one of her curls firmly in his fist, and she carefully tried to extricate it. “Oh, yes. Why, did you see one?”
“I did. He seemed very comfortable.”
“Oh, they are. These woods are full of them. That’s why they call this Wolf’s Peak. That, and Jasper’s family has owned this land for centuries and the family name is Wolfric, it’s sort of a play on words, but yes, the forest is thick with wolves. They often will come out at night, but sometimes during the day. They’re very used to us by now, and some will come say hi. Be careful, though. Most won’t harm you, but some will.”
“That’s good to know. The one I saw seemed friendly enough.”
“Yes, I’m sure.” She had finally managed to get her hair free, but now Daniel was tugging at the buttons on her dress. “Anyway, I came here to let you know that we’re going to start looking for a personal maid for you.”
“I don’t need that,” I protested.
“You’re going to be a duchess,” she reminded me. “Of course you will.”
I thought for a moment. “In that case, may I make a request?”
“I suppose.”
“The night I spent on the street I met a girl named Bridget. She was extremely kind to me, and I hate to think that she’s still sleeping on the ground. I know it’s a long shot, but do you think you can find her?”
Annabelle smiled. “I found you, didn’t I?”
Astoundingly, several days later, she did manage to find Bridget. The day before the wedding she joined me, ecstatic at my new station and happy to be sleeping in a bed. I was just happy to have a friend living at Wolf’s Peak with me. I hadn’t seen the wolf since that day in the garden, I hadn’t seen Jasper in almost a week, and Annabelle had been in and out of the manor trying to arrange everything for the wedding. The house had been so quiet, even the shadows made me jump. I hoped that having Bridget with me meant I wouldn’t be quite so alone.
Still, I was alone the night before the wedding as I crawled into bed. I would be very surprised if I managed to get any sleep. My mind was racing and no amount of deep breaths seemed to steady it. Tomorrow, I was going to marry the duke.
Chapter Nine
I didn’t sleep much, visions of weddings and wolves dancing in my head, but as the sun started over the horizon, I finally drifted off. All too soon I was woken
by a commotion at my door.
“Good morning!” Annabelle chirped as she burst into my bedroom. She crossed the room and flung open the curtains. Sunlight hit me in the face, and I buried my head under my pillow.
“Ugh,” I muttered. Why did she have to keep waking me up?
Annabelle plopped down on the bed beside me. “It’s your wedding day!” she said excitedly, shaking me awake. “Daisy’s got breakfast for you.”
I paused and sniffed the air. It did smell amazing, and finally, I pulled my head out. Daisy held an overloaded tray of eggs, crumpets, and tea.
“There we go,” Annabelle said, patting me as she stood up. Daisy set the tray on my bed while Annabelle went to sit down in one of the chairs beside the window.
“Are you excited?” she asked.
“I don’t know what I am,” I answered honestly as I took a sip of my tea. At the very least, the warm liquid was calming. “What exactly is the plan today?”
Annabelle grinned. “After you’re done eating, we’ll do your hair and makeup, then get into our dresses. The ceremony will be in the garden, and the reception in the ballroom.”
I was finishing up my breakfast when Bridget came bursting in. “Goodness, how do you all manage to find your way around this place?” she asked breathlessly. “I was lost for at least a half hour.”
“You’ll get used to it,” I told her as I swallowed my last bite. “I’m still working on it.”
“All right, well, what can I do?” she asked.
“We’re going to start with makeup,” Annabelle decided.
“Makeup?” I asked uncertainly. “Are you sure? I don’t want to look like—” I glanced at Bridget and my face flushed.
“Oh, go ahead and say it,” Bridget sighed, waving her hand.
“I don’t want to look…not like me,” I said carefully.
“That is absolutely not what you were going to say, but I appreciate your kindness,” she said.
“It’s just to add a little color to your cheeks,” Annabelle assured me. “I promise it won’t be too much.”
She was right. The makeup was subtle, and only served to widen my eyes and give my cheeks a pretty pink flush. I sat very still as Annabelle and Bridget twisted up my hair, a few tendrils falling along my face. They didn’t let me see myself while they worked, and I started to get restless.
“So, are you ready for today?” Annabelle asked.
“More importantly,” Bridget interjected, “are you ready for tonight?”
Underneath my makeup, my face paled. “Oh, God,” I murmured.
I knew about sex. Not from experience, like Annabelle or Bridget. Everything I knew about sex was from my father’s medical books, and in this situation, it didn’t feel like nearly enough.
I was worried I might faint.
“All right,” Bridget said, holding me steady. “There we go. I’m guessing the answer to my question is a no?”
“I–I know how it works,” I stuttered. “From books.”
“Books?” Bridget asked. “That’s no substitute for the real thing.”
I glanced from Bridget to Annabelle. “What do I do?”
“Relax,” they both said at the same time.
“Go slow,” Bridget said.
“I’m sure Jasper will anyway, but don’t be afraid to remind him,” Annabelle added.
“Does it hurt?”
“A little,” said Bridget. I looked to Annabelle for confirmation.
“It hurt my first time,” she admitted. “But after that, I was fine. It hurts more if you don’t relax.”
I put my face in my hands, breathing hard. “How on earth am I going to do that?”
“Lie back and think of England,” Bridget joked.
“Deep breaths,” Annabelle said as she rubbed my shoulder.
I inhaled slowly, deeply. Annabelle laughed.
“No, I mean tonight!” she said. “Although I suppose it wouldn’t hurt here.”
“I don’t know that I can do this,” I moaned.
Annabelle knelt beside me. “Look at me, Christine. You can. I promise. The wedding night sounds a lot scarier than it actually is.”
That hadn’t been entirely what I meant, but it was still nice to have her comforting me.
“What if I’m awful?” I finally asked.
Annabelle smiled. “Everyone is awful their first time. You just have to, you know, practice.” She flushed a deep red.
“Besides,” Bridget said, “it’s rare that it’s bad for the men. For us, yeah, it’s a little bit more work, but he’ll think you’re brilliant if you just lie there and do nothing. Trust me; I’m a bit of an expert.”
I glanced at Annabelle, who sighed. “Yeah, she’s pretty much right.”
“Lovely,” I muttered.
“Here’s what you need to remember,” Annabelle said. “It might be a little awkward, but it will get better with time. Everyone is flustered their first time as you try to figure out how everything fits and what the other person likes. Jasper isn’t going to expect you to be perfect, and you shouldn’t expect him to be perfect. It will take a few times of you both working together and communicating for things to be good, but trust me, it’s worth it.”
She gave me a wink as she stood up. “Are you ready for your gown?”
“As ready as I think I’ll ever be.”
“That’s my girl.”
She had hung my gown from the wardrobe. She slowly undid the buttons on the cloth bag, then after a moment, turned to me.
“Close your eyes,” she instructed.
“What?”
“Close your eyes. Bridget and I are going to help you into the dress, and you can look when we’re done.”
“Fine,” I sighed, closing my eyes and covering them with my hands for good measure. “Happy?”
“Immensely. Bridget, put these on her while she’s sitting.”
I could hear something whirling through the air, and after a moment I felt Bridget down by my feet, sliding them into a pair of satin slippers. The fabric was soft and smooth against my feet, a far cry from my usual boots.
“Now, stand up,” Annabelle said, and Bridget helped me up. Carefully, the two of them slipped me into my gown. Against my body, the smooth silk was juxtaposed by the rough lace. I tried to imagine what it could possibly look like. I could feel long sleeves and a fitted bodice. The skirt was heavier than anything I had ever worn, although as far as I could tell it wasn’t too full. Bridget and Annabelle moved behind me, their fingers working skillfully at the buttons. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Annabelle guided me over to the mirror.
“Open your eyes,” she said excitedly.
“Oh, my,” I breathed.
Delicate lace covered my arms and chest and bordered the edge of the skirt. A thick sash narrowed my waist and gave me an hourglass silhouette. The skirts weren’t full; instead, they flowed, made of a soft satin with a silver brocade. Beads and pearls decorated the bust. A long train with the same beading and lace was spread out behind me.
Annabelle came around and placed both a soft tulle veil and a crown of flowers on my head, securing it with pins. Finally, I studied myself in the mirror, my jaw dropping. I looked like an actual, real bride. Perhaps it was just the makeup, but for the first time in years, I actually looked healthy. Since I had moved here, my face was a little rounder, my bones less pointy, and my curves softer. Wolf’s Peak had been good to me. Perhaps living here wouldn’t be so bad.
Those thoughts echoed in my head as Annabelle changed into her own, simple white gown and we left the room and moved out to the garden.
“Jasper is in the library, so there’s no chance he’ll see you,” Annabelle said.
The servants hadn’t let anyone into the garden yet, so I was able to move freely until we made our way near the beach. Stephen and Daniel joined us, along with a little girl that Annabelle explained was her niece.
“You look pretty,” the girl said shyly.
“So d
o you,” I told her. She wore a crown almost identical to mine with a poufy white dress.
“Look!” she exclaimed, spinning in a circle. The layers of tulle spread around her.
“Careful, you might get dizzy,” I warned her with a grin. I was feeling dizzy myself. I couldn’t see the garden, but I could hear guests gathering. A quartet had started to play.
“Oh, God, I think I’m going to vomit,” I moaned. The little girl looked at me curiously.
“Over here, dear,” Annabelle said, guiding me along the rocks, out of earshot of the others. “Now, bend over, put your hands on your knees. Deep breaths.”
I did as she suggested, letting the lake air freshen my lungs and clear my head. The urge to vomit passed.
“Are you all right?” Annabelle asked me.
“I’m all right,” I confirmed.
We went back to Annabelle’s family. We lined up, Annabelle and Stephen in front of me, both guiding the children. Annabelle broke out of formation to get me ready. She fluffed out my train in the back and pulled the front half of the veil over my face.
“Do you have your flowers?” she asked.
“I’ve got them!” Bridget sang out as she came through the trees. She handed me the bouquet, a mix of white and pink roses and orange blossoms, just like the flowers in my crown.
“It’s lovely,” I said as I held them in front of me. The beading picked up traces of the colors, making the bodice even prettier.
The music from the garden changed.
“It’s time!” Annabelle sang. “Have Bridget keep a look out. Once we make it to the stairs, it’s your turn.”
I could only nod. My hands were shaking, and had I not been wearing gloves I was sure they’d be cold and clammy. My knees were weak. I hoped I didn’t trip on my way up to the altar.
The Wolf's Wife (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 1) Page 8