“Will I be getting a new dress, Mama?” Katherine asked.
“Katherine,” Alyssa said, but Diana interrupted.
“I’m afraid there won’t be time for a new dress to be sewn,” Diana told the little girl. “But I am sure Madame La Belle can create a crown of pink and white roses for you, just like mine. We shall ask her to sew long satin ribbons that will hang down your back. Would you like that?”
“Oh, yes!” Katherine exclaimed. “I shall go and tell Mrs. Roget and Cook at once.” And before Diana or Alyssa could stop her, Katherine bounded out of the room.
“I hope you don’t mind my interference, Alyssa,” Diana said. “I know Katherine is very fond of Derek, and I didn’t want her to feel left out.”
“It was very sweet of you to be so considerate of Katherine,” Alyssa replied. “Juliet is too young to attend the ceremony, but I suppose it will be acceptable for Katherine to be present—unless Morgan objects.”
Diana and Alyssa smiled, knowing it would be highly unlikely the duke would refuse his oldest daughter anything.
“If you are ready, my lady,” Madame La Belle interrupted, her voice still tinged with annoyance. “We do not have much time.”
“Yes, of course,” Diana said, obediently stepping back up on the stool. “I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am that you were able to do this work on such short notice, Madame La Belle. Both Caroline and Alyssa agreed you were the only person capable of correctly altering my wedding gown.”
Her mouth full of pins, the modiste smiled up at Diana. She appeared somewhat placated by Diana’s flattering comments and swiftly completed the task of pinning up the hem of the satin skirt.
With the assistance of Madame La Belle and Alyssa the heavy gown was then gently lifted off Diana. As she stood on the small stool, clad only in her embroidered chemise, Diana could feel Madame La Belle’s sharp eyes on her stomach. Diana knew the modiste was searching for her own explanation for the suddenness of the wedding.
But Diana’s flat stomach revealed nothing. With a slight shrug the dressmaker brought the lovely gown over to the window, so the hem could be sewn by her assistants in the late afternoon sunlight.
“It seems as though madame has formed her own opinions about the reason for this hasty ceremony,” Diana whispered to Alyssa.
“Her eagle eyes miss nothing,” Alyssa whispered back. “Caroline was certainly right about selecting Madame La Belle for this little task. Not only is she an excellent seamstress, but she is known for her extraordinary supply of gossip. The tradesmen of Bond Street will know of your marriage by the close of business tomorrow.”
“Oh, God,” Diana groaned, feeling very unsure of herself. “I must confess, I am beginning to have my doubts about this whole business, Alyssa.”
Alyssa regarded Diana kindly. “Don’t worry about it, Diana. No one is forcing you to do anything. There is still plenty of time to change your mind.”
Diana shrugged into her wrapper, tying the sash tightly. “I think I will go to my room and rest for a while.”
“Fine. I promised Caroline I would arrange the flowers in the drawing room. Please don’t hesitate to send a servant for me if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” Diana said.
After Diana explained to Madame La Belle where she could be reached if she was needed, she and Alyssa left the room together. Alyssa turned from her in the hallway, and she called to the duchess.
“If you come across Katherine downstairs, will you send her up to me? I think I would enjoy her company just now.”
Alyssa smiled and nodded her head. Diana walked slowly down the long hallway to her room, hoping young Katherine would come up to her bedchamber soon and provide the distraction she so desperately needed.
Caroline cast a jaundiced eye around the drawing room as Sutton finished lighting the last of the candles. He turned to his mistress, awaiting further instructions, and was rewarded with a brilliant smile.
“It looks splendid, doesn’t it, Sutton?” Caroline remarked, pleased with what she beheld. The room sparkled with the glow of hundreds of candles, and the sweet heady aroma of fresh flowers permeated the air.
“The duchess has done an admirable job arrange-ing all the blossoms,” Sutton agreed, hardly believing the transformation that had taken place in only a few short hours.
“Alyssa always has had a talent with flowers,” Caroline said, gently fingering a cream-colored rose. “I want you to make sure the drawing room doors remain open throughout the ceremony, Sutton. This way any of the servants who wish to may see and hear the entire service from the hall.”
“I am certain all the female staff will be present, madam,” Sutton said wryly. “There has been a tremendous amount of excitement belowstairs ever since we learned of this evening’s nuptials.”
“Excellent,” Caroline said with delight. With a final parting glance at the exquisite room, she left. Caroline crossed the large entrance hall and encountered Derek and Tristan entering the house. They were accompanied by a third man, who she assumed was the actor Tristan had engaged to play the part of the vicar.
“Good evening, gentlemen,” Caroline called gaily to the trio. She took a brief moment to admire Tristan and Derek, handsome and elegant in their formal black-and-white evening attire. Then she focused her attention on the third man.
“This is Reverend Penley, Caroline,” Tristan said.
“Oh, Tristan,” Caroline admonished with apparent disappointment. Rudely she circled Reverend Penley, clucking her tongue and shaking her head as she walked. “He is not at all what I had in mind. Not at all. I really don’t know if he will due.”
“I beg your pardon, madam.” The reverend spoke with censure in his tone.
“No offense meant, sir,” Caroline hastily added, realizing her ill manners, “but you are far too young and well turned out to play the part of the minister.”
Turning to her husband, Caroline continued her complaint. “I realize you were restricted by time limitations, Tris, but I do think you could have found someone more convincing. He hardly looks like a man of the cloth. Don’t you agree, Derek?”
“Hm,” Derek murmured. He was not paying the least bit of attention to her. His gaze was riveted instead to the second-floor landing. He was seriously contemplating the merits of charging up the stairs to speak with Diana. Derek had been having second thoughts about the whole idea of a mock wedding all afternoon. He wanted a few minutes alone with Diana to discuss it, but he hesitated, not wanting to further upset her.
“Derek.” Tristan’s voice beckoned him away from his thoughts. “Caroline insists that my man here does not look the part of a vicar. What is your opinion?”
He turned his attention to the man in question, intently scrutinizing him.
“I suppose I must agree with Caroline,” Derek answered. “He doesn’t much resemble a reverend.”
“Well, I never—” the Reverend Penley began, his face coloring with righteous indignation.
“Please excuse us, sir,” Tristan quickly interjected. “I’ll have our butler show you into the drawing room and bring refreshments. We will be in shortly for the ceremony.”
The reverend was reluctantly led away by Sutton. Caroline noted her husband’s growing ire and prudently decided to placate him.
“I suppose he isn’t all that bad, Tris,” Caroline said with a sigh. “I am sure he will make a credible reverend, as long as no one notices how young he is.”
The scowl on Tristan’s face deepened. “I hate to disillusion you, Caroline, but the Reverend Penley is not an actor. He is a true vicar of the Anglican Church.”
“What!” Derek cried out, not sure he heard Tristan’s remark correctly.
Tristan grinned sheepishly at his friend. “It was going to be a surprise for you, Derek. Call it a wedding gift, if you will.”
“Oh really, Tris,” Derek answered cooly, his eyebrows raised in disbelief. “And precisely when were you going to inform me of this lit
tle surprise? Before or after the ceremony?”
“Before, of course,” Tristan said indignantly.
Alyssa entered the hallway holding Katherine by the hand. Their untimely arrival instantly halted the discussion. “Morgan has informed me he will escort Diana downstairs in five minutes, unless he is instructed otherwise. Is everything ready?”
“Not exactly,” Derek said. “Tristan and I have a few things to discuss first. We will join you shortly.” Derek gave the women a stiff bow and then practically dragged Tristan from the room.
“Now what?” Alyssa asked her sister-in-law. Caroline explained as they walked into the drawing room, her face flushing red when they encountered the Reverend Penley.
“The duke will be escorting the bride downstairs momentarily,” Caroline told the minister in a rush.
Tristan, sitting calmly in a comfortable chair in his private study, listened without interruption as Derek vented his anger and frustration.
“I have thought this entire idea of pretending to be married was ludicrous from the start, Tris.”
“Exactly.”
“And now you expect me to trap an unsuspecting Diana into a binding marriage by substituting a real vicar, when she believes the man is only an actor, playing a part.”
“Precisely.”
“I can’t do that to her, Tris. Diana will be my wife one day, of that I am certain. But I won’t deceive her like this. It just isn’t right.”
“She doesn’t have to know, Derek.”
“You are crazy.”
Tristan smiled at his friend, not at all offended. “The reason I found a real vicar was for Diana’s safety, Derek,” Tristan said. “If anyone ever discovered you are only pretending to be married, it would be a disaster. I’m not certain either of you would ever recover from the scandal. Since Diana admitted she planned on marrying you sometime in the future, I decided it would be a wiser choice to go ahead and do it now.”
“And how am I supposed to explain this to Diana?”
“You don’t have to. When Diana is finally ready to become your wife, you can tell her the truth.” Tristan leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Or you can have another wedding ceremony. You can decide when the time comes which course of action is best. The main point is, Diana will legally be your wife. Now. You can protect her, Derek. Isn’t that what you want?”
“Yes,” Derek answered slowly, still not convinced he was doing the correct thing.
“I have managed, with a great deal of difficulty, I might add, to obtain a special license.” Tristan patted his breast coat pocket. “It is your decision whether or not to use it.”
It took Derek only a few moments to decide. More than anything he wanted Diana for his wife. He knew it was wrong to deceive her, but as Tristan so aptly pointed out, Diana need never know of it. Longing and love overshadowed the guilt twisting in the pit of his stomach.
Grinning, Derek remarked lightly, “Come along, Tris. I don’t want to keep my lovely bride waiting.”
Lovely she certainly was. Derek could hear the audible sighs of admiration and squeals of excitement from the servants as Diana descended the long staircase. She was led into the drawing room tightly clutching Morgan’s arm, the tension in her small frame obvious with each step she took.
The growing trepidation Diana had been feeling all afternoon was building with each unsteady step she made toward Derek. He regarded her with an unwavering intensity, and Diana felt the tension inside her twist into an even tighter knot.
The only thing Diana truly wanted to do was shout her objections and race from the room, but her throat was so closed with emotion that she doubted if she could even utter a sound.
Instead she stood trembling next to Derek, facing the pretend reverend as he began the pretend ceremony, hoping her panic would not give way to full blown hysteria. Out of the corner of her eye, Diana saw Caroline take a purposeful stride forward as the reverend began speaking, but Tristan grasped his wife tightly around her waist and hauled her back to his side.
“Who giveth this woman in marriage?”
“I do.” Morgan’s deep voice startled Diana, and then panic set in as she felt the duke release his strong grip on her arm and place her right hand over Derek’s.
The minute Derek felt Diana’s cold hand touch his own, he knew he had made a mistake. He loved this woman. She had endured enough suffering at the hands of Rutledge men in the past. He could not, in good conscience, be party to another marital deception toward her. He had no right to deceive her, no matter how noble his intentions.
The Reverend Penley finally ceased speaking and there was a taut silence in the room. Everyone was waiting for Derek to repeat his vows.
“Would you kindly excuse us for a moment,” Derek said to the room in general. And then, he abruptly left the drawing room, dragging a dazed Diana behind him.
Derek negotiated his way quickly through the crowd of muttering servants in the hallway. He didn’t stop until he’d reached Tristan’s private study. Only after he had shut the door firmly behind him did he finally release Diana’s hand.
“I can’t go through with this, Diana.”
“Thank God.” Diana sank down slowly into a nearby chair. She felt dazed and shaken and immensely relieved. “I don’t know what possessed me to agree to such a ridiculous charade, Derek. I am merely thankful you had the courage to put an end to it.”
“There is something I must explain to you, Diana,” he said in a grim tone.
Diana distractedly pushed her veil off her shoulders and lifted her face. “Yes, Derek.”
“About the Reverend Penley—”
“Reverend Penley? Who is that?” Diana asked.
Derek sighed. “Reverend Penley is the minister who is waiting to marry us in the drawing room, no doubt extremely curious as to why I stopped the wedding in the middle of the ceremony.”
“Oh.”
“He isn’t an actor, Diana. Reverend Penley, that is.”
“He isn’t,” Diana repeated vaguely, not at all certain why Derek was carrying on about this man.
“No.”
Diana shot him a scathing glance. “I presume there is a point to all of this, Derek. Kindly make it before my head explodes.”
“Reverend Penley is an ordained vicar, Diana.”
Diana went very still. “Are you saying he was going to marry us? Really marry us? Legally?”
“yes.”
Diana’s eyes squeezed shut. “You weren’t going to tell me, were you?”
“No.”
Diana slowly exhaled the breath she had been holding. “Then why did you stop the ceremony, Derek?”
“I could not bring myself to deceive you,” he said simply. Sighing audibly, he crossed the room and gently pulled her to her feet. He regarded her solemnly. “I take full responsibility for everything, Diana. I discovered the truth about Reverend Penley a few minutes before you came downstairs. Tristan felt he was protecting you by arranging for a legal wedding, and I agreed with him. I know now it was wrong. I only hope you can forgive me.”
Diana smiled fleetingly. Lord, what a mess. “Why does this have to be so damn complicated, Derek?”
He frowned slightly at her uncustomary use of profanity, and then he smiled down at her. “Let us make it very simple, shall we?” Gallantly, he dropped to his left knee in front of her. Holding her hand over his heart, he said quietly, “I love you, Diana, with all my heart, and I shall try my hardest to be a good husband to you. I shall endeavor to be a solid provider, a strong protector, a faithful companion, and a most willing lover. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”
Diana was silent for several heart skipping minutes. “Since I am already dressed for the occasion, my lord,” she finally said, breaking into a smile. “Why not?”
Chapter Twenty
It was a lovely wedding ceremony, despite the vicar’s barely concealed irritation. Diana stood next to Derek, confident and relaxed, r
epeating her vows in a firm voice. Her previous doubts about his lack of trust in her had been banished. Derek had proven the ultimate confidence in her judgment by telling her the truth about Reverend Penley. And he had proven his own sense of honor by not being able to deceive her. It was, Diana believed, a good beginning.
“My lord, you may kiss your bride.”
Diana smiled as she heard a loud sniffle and saw Tristan roll his eyes heavenward, before good-naturedly stuffing a linen handkerchief into Caroline’s hand.
Derek smiled also as he gathered his bride firmly into the circle of his arms and covered her mouth with a searing, passionate kiss. Reverend Penley, whose sense of propriety had been stretched past the breaking point, coughed loud and hard. Derek reluctantly released Diana, but the look he bestowed upon her was so filled with love and rampant desire, Diana noted that Reverend Penley colored visibly.
Fortunately, there was no opportunity for the minister to make a comment. The family enthusiastically moved in on her and Derek to offer their congratulations, and Diana embraced a tearful Caroline.
“I only hope you will be as happy as Tris and I have been,” Caroline said, sniffing and dabbing at her eyes with her soggy handkerchief.
“I hope so too, Caroline,” Diana whispered, feeling on the verge of tears herself.
Diana next hugged Alyssa and Katherine, but hesitated as she stood before Morgan. He regarded her with serious eyes.
“I have always believed Derek was an honorable man,” Morgan stated firmly, and Diana nodded her head. “Never the less, if you should ever find yourself in need of help, Diana, for any reason, you can always come to me.”
Diana’s throat tightened with emotion. “Thank you, Morgan,” she replied simply, putting her arms around the duke in gratitude.
“Hey, what about me? Don’t I get to kiss the bride?”
Diana turned around to face a grinning Tristan. “By all rights I should be furious with you, Tris,” Diana said as she allowed him to kiss her cheek.
Tristan had the grace to look embarrassed. “You have forgiven me though, haven’t you, Diana?” He actually sounded worried.
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