Once Annabelle and Stephen started on the path, Bridget gave my ensemble a once–over to make sure everything was perfect, then she peeked her head out at the garden. After an eternity, she turned to me.
“You’re on,” she said. “Go get ‘em.”
I closed my eyes and took another deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. I should have requested a shot of whiskey or some ether, but we were far past that now. I squared my shoulders and stepped out into the garden. For a moment, no one looked at me, and I could just observe.
Annabelle had done a lovely job arranging the chairs in neat rows around the garland–wrapped fountain. A white carpet had been rolled out over the brick pavers, scattered with white and pink and orange flower petals. I followed it through the trees to the aisle between the rows of chairs.
The music shifted again as the quartet saw me. There were hundreds of people seated in the tulle–draped chairs, and I didn’t know any of them. I tried to keep my eyes straight ahead, not only to avoid eye contact with strangers, but to make sure I didn’t trip on anything. When I made it to the stairs, I used one hand to cling to the railing and another to lift my skirts. As I reached the top, I could see Jasper looking at me. His eyes were wide as he watched me ascend the steps. When my foot hit the landing, he smiled at me, and I couldn’t help but smile back. Annabelle adjusted my train, and I passed her my bouquet as Jasper and I took hands. My slender hands fit so perfectly in the hands I would hold for the rest of my life. The butterflies in my stomach fluttered.
Lester was performing the ceremony, a piece of parchment in his hand. I had no idea if he was a member of the clergy or not, but clearly he was authorized to marry us. Unfortunately, his voice was quite monotone, and I found myself struggling to concentrate. Jasper’s attention was on him, but mine wandered as I glanced at the guests below us, the treetops dancing in the wind, the flowers decorating the balcony, and the children playing just inside the house.
Lester droned on and on, and sooner than I expected, I heard Jasper speak and realized it was time to recite the vows.
“You are my bride, and on this day, I choose you to be my wife. I shall love you and care for you. My dearest Christine, I vow to be true to you, and to cherish you every day of my life,” Jasper said, repeating after Lester. He gently pulled the glove off my left hand and slipped the gold band around my finger. It sparkled in the sunlight, and I was filled with the urge to tear up as I looked at it.
“Christine, please repeat after me,” Lester said gently as he handed me Jasper’s wedding band. “You are my groom, and on this day, I choose you to be my husband.”
I looked into Jasper’s eyes, my face flushing. Jasper had made it through his vows without any trouble, but I had to concentrate to keep myself from fumbling the simple sentence. “You are my groom, and on this day, I choose you to be my husband.”
“You’ll need to speak up a bit, dear,” Lester told me before continuing. “I promise to love and care for you every day for the rest of my life.”
“I promise to love and care for you every day for the rest of my life,” I repeated, nodding as if to affirm. How had Jasper managed to keep his poise? I was trembling, but he held fast to my hand, grounding me to reality. His eyes searched mine, trying to comfort me without words.
“Jasper, I vow to be true to you and to cherish you every day of my life.”
I swallowed as Jasper squeezed my hands. I repeated my final words, my voice shaking. “Jasper, I vow to be true to you and to cherish you every day of my life.”
I slid the ring onto his finger, and he smiled at me. His eyes were warm, crinkling at the corners. He was happy.
“Jasper,” Lester pronounced, “you may kiss your bride.”
Jasper lifted up my veil, pushing it away from my face. He placed his hand under my chin, looking into my eyes. I nodded, and slowly, our lips met.
It was like lightning, a flash pulsing through my body. His lips were soft but firm, gentle for all my inexperience. Perhaps Jasper and I were little more than strangers, but in that moment, I didn’t want him to let go. If I could spend the rest of my life in his arms, with his touch, I would be happy. Below us, the guests clapped softly as the quartet struck up another song. Behind us, Stephen and Annabelle tossed rice over us. Slowly, Jasper and I pulled apart.
We were married.
Chapter Ten
The first thing we did as a married couple was sign our papers. Lester led us to a table just inside the door, with the paper and ink waiting. For some reason, that was the most nerve–racking thing of all. Not the engagement, not the ceremony itself, but signing this piece of paper. That made everything real and legal. There was no turning back now.
After signing on the line with a flourish, we turned down the hallway into the ballroom. If I had thought the garden was stunning, I was in no way prepared for the ballroom. The last time I had seen it, the room had been mostly bare. Now it had transcended to a whole new place. The marble floors had veins of gold in them, and coupled with the soft gold walls, the whole room seemed to glow in the candlelight. White tulle had been hung between the twinkling chandeliers, and the chairs and tables were draped in white satin. The piano still sat in its corner, and the quartet was beginning to set up their instruments around it. Along one wall was a sideboard laden with food, and on the far end of the room was a space cleared for dancing. In the corner, across from the piano, were two high–backed chairs. This is where we sat as guests filtered in and lined up to greet us.
I didn’t know any of these people, so they bowed to Jasper before he introduced me. There were so many guests, and I knew there was no way I was going to remember everyone. As they continued to approach, I noticed most seemed to be members of the aristocracy, but very few were of any relation to Jasper. I would have to ask him about that later.
One man approached us. He carried himself with his back straight and his head held high. On his arm was an equally regal woman, her dark hair pulled back from her face.
“We are so glad you’ve found happiness, Jasper,” the man said.
“Thank you,” said Jasper. “Christine, this is Edward and Alexandra.”
“Edward and Alexandra,” I murmured.
“You’ve found one of the few good ones, my dear,” Alexandra said in slightly accented English.
“Thank you, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” I said, flushing.
“The pleasure is ours, dear,” said Edward, as he bent down to kiss my hand. “Now, Jasper, I expect I’ll see you later this week?”
“Of course.”
“Wonderful. We’ll play croquet. Fantastic.”
Edward and Alexandra left us, and I watched as they sat at a table near the quartet. I turned to Jasper, my eyes wide. “Did I just meet Prince Edward?”
Jasper smiled at me, a twinkle in his eyes. “Are you star–struck?”
“Perhaps,” I admitted. “I just met the prince. The prince was at my wedding!” I paused. “Why was the prince at my wedding?”
“I work with him very closely,” Jasper said. “It’s part of my responsibilities as a duke. And you’re a duchess now.”
“Oh my God, I’m a duchess.” It still hadn’t quite sunk in yet.
The queue was starting to dwindle when another couple approached us.
“Christine, this is Peter. You remember him from the interviews?”
He seemed vaguely familiar, a round man who looked to be about the age of my father—early fifties. With him was a woman with graying hair in a full maroon dress. Like Bridget, the lady wore too much makeup, although I suspected not for the same reason.
“This is my wife, Bernadette,” Peter said.
“Lovely to meet you,” I told her.
“Oh, it’s so nice to meet you too,” Bernadette said. “Jasper, I’m so happy you have been able to find love after your tragedy. We were all so worried about you.”
Before I had a chance to fully dissect what she had said, she leaned in to whisper to me. “Al
though, between you and me, my dear, I’ve been enjoying this wedding much more. Much less ostentatious.”
“Come, dear,” Peter said, pulling at her arm. They turned away, leaving me slack–jawed. I greeted the last few guests, but my responses were distant and faint. What on earth had Bernadette been talking about? Was there something Jasper wasn’t telling me? Clearly, there was, but why?
“Christine?” Annabelle came up beside me and touched my arm. “Are you all right? You look like you might be ill.”
I was not all right. I was far from all right, but I was a duchess now and it wouldn’t do to make a scene. On the other hand, my head was spinning and I was concerned that if I stood up from my chair I might vomit.
“Jasper, we’ll be right back,” Annabelle said, grabbing my hand and pulling me up.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
“We’re going to freshen up. It’s lady stuff,” Annabelle said. “We’ll only be a moment.”
Annabelle led me out of the ballroom and into a back sitting room. She helped gently set me on one of the settees. I leaned back, letting it support my weight.
“What’s going on?” Annabelle said. “You look even paler than usual. Do you just need a moment? Is this too much?”
“No,” I answered faintly.
Annabelle sat beside me. “Well, then, what is it?”
I had to force my mouth to form the words. “Annabelle, has Jasper been married before?”
Her expression darkened and she looked down at her hands. “Yes.”
I swallowed, angry tears springing to my eyes. I had been deceived; everyone was in on a secret behind my back. What a fool I had been!
“Jasper was married to my sister, Cecilia,” Annabelle started. She looked up at me, and I was surprised to see tears in her eyes as well. I wanted to be mad at her, angry for keeping this secret from me, but I had never seen such a sorrowful expression on her face.
“I loved Cecilia,” she continued. “She was a year older than me, and she was a lot like you. She was smart, brave, stunning. She and Jasper met at a ball hosted by my father. They were married for less than a year. She became pregnant, but there were complications. A few months before the baby was due to be born, she went into labor. She died, and so did the baby. Jasper was devastated. He mourned her for over two years, wearing nothing but black, leaving the blackout curtains up, only leaving the house when forced.”
Her story softened me, made me want to cry, but for a completely different reason than before. I was no longer angry, but sad. My heart broke for Annabelle and Jasper, two wonderful people who had lost a loved one too soon. It was something I understood all too well.
“Why did no one tell me?” I asked softly.
“I think there were a few reasons,” Annabelle said slowly. “Jasper would have told you soon, I would imagine. I think we all thought that if we spoke of it, Jasper would become withdrawn again. We were worried that Jasper would feel he was betraying her memory in some way, so we all kept it quiet. We also didn’t want you to feel like you needed to measure up to her memory. It wouldn’t have been fair. We didn’t want to burden you with that.”
“I would have liked to have been given the opportunity to decide for myself if it was a burden I wanted.”
Annabelle nodded. “I understand. I know we didn’t go about this the right way. Honestly, I had presumed that Jasper would have told you sometime over the last few weeks.”
“I’ve hardly seen Jasper over the last few weeks,” I told her.
Annabelle put her hand on mine. “I’m sorry, Christine. I really am. Can you ever forgive me?”
I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her in for a hug. “Of course I can.”
“Wonderful,” she said, squeezing me tight. “Now, let’s get back to your wedding.”
Before we went back to the ballroom, we both checked ourselves in the mirror to ensure that our tears hadn’t ruined our makeup. When we declared ourselves good, we hooked arms and made our entrance. As we made our way through the door in a swirl of white skirts, Jasper saddled up alongside us.
“There you are,” he said. “We’re about to eat.”
“I’m starving,” I realized. Breakfast in bed seemed like ages ago. Really, it had only been a few hours, but somehow time had simultaneously flown by and dragged on. It was like I had woken up a completely different person.
Jasper and I took our seats at the table with Annabelle and Stephen. A maid was corralling the children at a table nearby, although she seemed to be out of luck with Daniel, trying to crawl away. Annabelle was trying to keep her composure while also making sure that her son didn’t escape out the back door.
Our table was slightly raised on a platform above the others, and from here we could see everyone. The prince and princess were right near us, with other members of the royal family. All of Jasper’s men and their guests had also been seated up front. I noticed that Adam had brought Hazel, and I gave her a small wave. She beamed back at me. I hoped I would get a chance to talk to her later.
I ate until I didn’t think I could possibly eat any more, and then it was time for cake. At first I had been hesitant to eat it; it was decorated beautifully—several tiers scattered with sugar rosettes—but the cake was cut and served. It was truly the most amazing thing I had ever tasted. The frosting just melted in my mouth. I had no idea who made it, but I wondered if as the duchess I could request a new one every week. Soon enough I would be as large as Bernadette.
After dinner, guests flooded the floor for dancing. I had been content to stay at my table and to greet those who wanted to talk, but Jasper took my hand and pulled me up out of my seat. I looked up at him with wide eyes.
“I have no idea how to dance,” I admitted. “My father never taught me.”
“Just follow my lead,” he assured me. “It’s not complicated.”
He was wrong, of course. I was a bumbling mess amidst the grace of aristocracy. No one dared say anything to me, but I did catch a few eyes rolling in my direction. Jasper paid them no mind. He wrapped an arm around me and twirled me around the dance floor. I had to admit, while I was a rubbish partner, it was still fun. At the very least, I enjoyed being held in Jasper’s strong arms.
As one song came to a close, Prince Edward came over to speak with Jasper, so we stepped off the floor. I was so worn out from dancing I thought I might collapse, and I sat down in my chair at our table. Would anyone notice if I took a brief nap? The day had been exhausting, and I could use it. I was contemplating making a run for my bedroom when Hazel came up to me.
“Christine!” she said excitedly. She sat down in the chair next to me, the one Annabelle had been sitting in. “I’m so happy for you!”
“Really?” I asked, “I mean, you aren’t even a little disappointed that this isn’t you right now?”
“Oh, heavens no,” she said, and I saw her cast a glance toward Adam. “You know, they sent us home without telling anyone who Jasper had picked, but I hoped it was you. I had to beg Adam to tell me; I couldn’t wait until they put the announcement in the paper! When he said it was you, I jumped with joy.”
“That’s so sweet,” I said, touched by her kindness. “How are things with Adam?”
She sighed. “They’re…oh, I don’t know.”
“He brought you as his guest, I noticed.”
“Yes,” she nodded, “he did. Unfortunately, I’m not sure if that’s because he wanted me to be here with him, or because he knew I was excited for you.”
I could understand her confusion, but as I glanced over at Adam, I caught him looking at Hazel. He had a small smile on his face as he watched her talk animatedly, though she hadn’t noticed.
“Well, you look lovely,” I told her. Her light brown hair was pulled back in ringlets, and her dress was the perfect shade of sea glass to bring out her eyes. I don’t think I had seen her stop smiling all day, and that made her look even more radiant.
“You look even lovelier!” she resp
onded. “Your dress is stunning.”
“I think it weighs more than I do,” I grumbled.
“That would be the train,” she giggled. “I don’t even want one, but I’m sure my mother will insist. She’s traditional like that. She’ll say something like, ‘If it’s good enough for the queen, it’s good enough for you!’ Mothers can be insufferable sometimes.”
I gave her a tight smile. “I wouldn’t know. Mine passed away when I was very young.”
Her face turned bright red. “Oh, I’m so sorry. How terrible of me.”
“It’s all right, you didn’t know,” I assured her.
“I feel like a bit of an ass.”
“Please don’t.”
She looked like she wanted to drop straight through the floor. “I think Adam wants to dance with you,” I told her, trying to change the subject. “He keeps looking over here. Maybe you should go see.”
Her eyes lit up, her faux pas forgotten. “Do you think?”
“Absolutely.” She started to stand up, and I grabbed her arm. “Promise me one thing?”
“All right?”
“When you two get married, be sure to invite us.”
Her face flushed and she giggled as she flounced away.
I glanced over at Jasper, who was still deep in conversation with the prince. I was completely worn out. My eyes shifted to the door, and I wondered again if anyone would notice if I slipped out for a twenty–minute nap. The day had been so long, and I had met so many people. My energy was just sapped. I had no idea how I was going to make it through the rest of the evening of socializing with strangers and dancing until my feet hurt, and…
The blood drained from my face. For a while I had forgotten what was going to happen after the guests had left and the food had been put away. I had almost forgotten what the night was holding for me. I had almost forgotten that after all of this, Jasper and I would retire to our room.
Together.
Chapter Eleven
The Wolf's Wife (The Wolf's Peak Saga Book 1) Page 9