“Amen,” they whispered.
“Let us say the Lord's Prayer together,” the priest said, taking a deep breath.
“Ricardo,” Nora whispered. “I can't do that in English.”
He pulled her close.
“Listen to my voice, I will translate for you,” he said. No one minded that she was a step or two behind, her small voice echoing in their English accented prayer.
“Our Father, Who is in heaven. Let Your name be kept holy. Let Your kingdom come. Let Your will be done on earth as in heaven. Give us today our bread for the day to come. And forgive us our sins as we have forgiven those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are Yours now and forever.”
Loyalty sobbed, the words hitting home. Jerrico now belonged to God, now and forever.
All of the couples held each other tightly, her sobs breaking through the silence.
The priest put another handful of earth on the coffin, and it was with a quiet sigh that they spoke as one.
“Amen.”
“Give him, O Lord, Your peace and let Your eternal and light shine upon him.” The priest looked up, prompting them to speak.
“Amen,” Nora lifted her head high, understanding this part.
“Let us go in the peace of the Lord,” the priest said, and Mary bristled. It had been so long since she had had peace with Alexander. Even this one moment was like a blessing, washing over her.
“Receive the Lord's blessing. The Lord bless you and watch over you. The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord look kindly on you and give you peace; in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” “Amen,” the priest dismissed them, and the grave diggers moved on.
With the grave starting to be covered, Nora knew that they had to walk away. It was over, and they needed to seek refuge back at the house. However, when she looked up to the path, she was startled to find a horse and a rider in their way. “Alexander,” she said and his head snapped toward the rider.
He and Ricardo put their hands to their swords, and Nathan pushed the girls back. Never in his life did he think he would be guarding three noble ladies at Jerrico's funeral.
Mary wrapped her arms around Nora, pulling her close for an extra layer of protection.
“I have a message from the King,” the messenger cried. “I went to the house, but they told me you were here. It's addressed to Jerrico.”
Loyalty made a little squeak, putting her hand over her mouth. She buried her face in Nora's shoulder and Alexander approached the rider.
“Jerrico is dead,” he said. “I can accept it on his behalf.”
The rider seemed to take no offense to this and handed it over. Alexander' face was normally the picture of calm. However, as he opened the envelope, Nora saw his face darken. He stormed toward Ricardo, who read the letter with equal concern. He turned toward them, and Nora feared the worse.
Then she realized, what worse could there be than this? Everyone she knew and loved was either dead or standing by her at the moment.
“It's from the king,” Ricardo said softly, approaching them. “He has decided to let his brother William inherit the throne after all.”
“What?” Loyalty said.
“In addition,” Ricardo glanced to Nora. “Because of William's wife, the Princess Adelaide, and their many, many children...Nora's closeness to the throne has been removed.”
“What does that mean?” Loyalty couldn't fathom what was happening to her, let alone Nora.
“It means you are no longer a princess,” Ricardo said. “And Nora is no longer the richest, most important noble in England.”
No one said anything for a long moment, because nobody knew how to react. There was silence all around, hearts pounding.
The girls looked at each other, eyes wide. Alexander and Mary exchanged looks that couldn't be read. Their job was done, they had brought Nora through the most dangerous time in her life, and she still drew breath.
Some would see it as a loss.
However, no one in the group saw it that way.
They had won.
8
CHAPTER EIGHT
“So I'm not a princess anymore?” Loyalty asked as they sat in the dining room, in private conference. Alexander was pouring over the letter in great detail; trying to gleam it for any hidden information. She needed to hear the words again; even if he had said it twice.
“You are still a princess by birth, but not recognized as the bastard child of the king. King George is not denying that you are his child,” he said. “He is just not giving you the title that you had previously.”
“I lose everything?”
“You can get an allowance,” Alexander said. “He's not disowning you, Loyalty. You are just no longer next in line for the throne.”
“I can get an allowance,” Loyalty repeated. “So that I don't need to do laundry.”
Nora laughed, despite herself. “No, Loyalty, you never need to do it again.”
“And I’m restricted to royal marriage?”
“You're not...restricted to anything,” Alexander said.
Loyalty turned to Nathan, who was following the whole conversation. “It's the best thing that we could have hoped for,” he said softly. “There isn't a better outcome than what this letter says.”
“We can get married?” her grin stretched to both sides of her face.
“Yes, Loyalty,” Nathan said, taking her hand. “That is...if you'll marry me.”
“Yes!” Loyalty cried, flying from her chair to wrap her arms around Nathan. “Yes, I will marry you!”
“Well then,” Nathan held her tight. “I supposed we'll have to get married then.”
“If only Jerrico could have been here,” Loyalty pulled back, looking into his eyes. “He would have been so happy.”
“Yes,” Nathan said. “But we will remember him. We won't forget him out here, I promise.”
Loyalty leaned in and kissed him gently. Her heart was light, and her shoulders relaxed for the first time in a long time. She missed Jerrico with all her heart, but she knew this was what he would have wanted. They had worked so hard to find this solution, and although she couldn't save Jerrico, she could keep his memory alive. “I never would have had this opportunity without him,” she said softly. “If he hadn't pushed, if he hadn't followed that woman in town...if he hadn't asked the right questions, you and I would still be stuck in the limbo that we were in before.” She wiped a tear away from her face. “We need to be more like him. More unafraid, more adventurous...”
“More spontaneous,” Nathan said, and leaned in and kissed her. “Like that.”
“Yes,” she said, grinning. “Like that.”
On the other side of the room, Nora was glancing at Ricardo with wide eyes. “Explain what the letter means for me.” Nora was very smart, and she had been in and out of the system for a very long time. She knew exactly what it meant. However, she needed to hear someone else say it.
“Ricardo, Alexander,” she prompted them. “Does my protection detail end here and now? Because of the status of the other nobles?”
“As the king commands,” Alexander said. “But I will never stop watching out for you, Nora.”
“Nor will I,” Mary said. She smiled.
“I know that you won't. I never had any doubt of that. But that isn't what I was asking.”
“I'll do the asking,” Ricardo said, daring either of them to say a word. However, to his surprise, Mary smiled at him.
Alexander opened his mouth, but Mary put her hand over his. “Let him,” she said quietly to her husband. “We had our young, forbidden love story. And they are smarter than us; they are stronger than us.”
Ricardo took that as permission, and got down on one knee. His proposal was more fitting of a noble lady, and Nora's grin was wide. “Marchioness Nora,” he said. “Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
“Of course I will,” she whispered softly. “Of course I will.”
He got up, and she jumped into his arms, a bright smile on her face. They kissed, and Ricardo spun her around as she shrieked in happiness.
“A happy ending,” Mary said, glancing at Alexander. However, to her surprise, she found him watching her with eyes that she hadn't seen in twenty years. “Alexander?”
“I have always loved you,” he said softly. “Even if we never see each other again, I have always loved you and I always will.”
“I know,” she said, and he kissed her. It was the first kiss they had exchanged in years, aside from on the street, and she felt all the pleasure receptors in her body light up. “We'll get through this, I promise we will.”
He leaned his head against hers. “I hope so,” he said. “I hope so. With you at my side, though, I have hope, for the first time in a long time.”
“Well then,” Mary said. “We have many weddings to attend, don't we? Nora,” she said, looking up at her. “My love, what would you like as a wedding present?”
“The footman, Mr. Crins,” Nora blurted out. “And with him, a whole new household. I want to go home at last.”
“I think,” Mary said. “We can arrange that. Loyalty?”
“Home,” Loyalty agreed. “Horne would be lovely.”
9
CHAPTER NINE
Perhaps someone glancing into the bridal room would have seen something different than what Alexander saw. Someone glancing into the bridal room might have first noticed two brides with veils over their faces that did nothing to cover their scars. They might have noticed two young girls who used to be royalty; two girls who had chosen a different fate than what life had given them. They might have noticed that they automatically turned their marked faces away from the light; that they didn't easily look right into someone's face.
However, all he saw were two beautiful young brides, eager to marry the loves of their lives.
It had not been easy, getting to this point, for sure. Loyalty and Nora had both faced insurmountable odds. Odds that he wouldn't have thought he could survive.
Then again, he had not had an easy time either, and he wasn't sure that an easy time was to come. He loved Mary, and he always would. Nevertheless, there would be times when their dark past came to light again. This wasn't necessarily the life he wanted for Nora, so used to hiding, with a marriage that would be scorned.
However, he did want her to be happy, and she was beaming at this point. Wasn't that what it was all about? Making sure she was happy? Even if it meant marrying Ricardo.
Both of them looked beautiful in identical white gowns. Despite the fact that these girls had had a very different birth, he felt like they were going to be friends for the rest of their lives.
“Alexander,” Nora turned to him with a smile. “Is it almost time?”
“It is,” he said. “The grooms are at the front of the church, the guests have arrived. It's just the two of you we are waiting for.”
He was impressed by how much Nora's English had improved, although her accent was still strong. However, something about being with Loyalty brought out the best in her. “Loyalty?” he turned to her. “Are you ready?”
“As ready as I'll ever be,” Loyalty replied. There was sadness on this day, for her, as well as joy. Neither of the girls had their fathers to walk them down the aisle, so Alexander had agreed to do the deed. Had it been a different reality, Loyalty would have chosen Jerrico. He was gone away from her to a place where she couldn't follow. She had never thought that she and Jerrico would be apart; they were platonic soul mates.
She had cried half the night over it, wishing that her best friend could be here. She was grateful, at least, that Nora would be beside her.
“Well then, don't delay,” Alexander said, holding out both his arms.
“Where's Mary?” Nora asked, as she took one.
“At the front of the church,” Alexander replied. “She came straight to find me after she finished dressing you, and miracle, we have not killed each other yet.”
“Lovely,” Nora replied. “She's not...mad though, is she?”
“Mad?” Alexander turned to her. “Why would she be mad? On your wedding day?”
Nora sighed. “Because I know that she wanted more for me than a guard. She wanted me to have a noble marriage and...”
“Nora,” Alexander assured her. “She wanted you to be happy. We both did. And you are. If anything, we're sorry we put you through so many noble messes.”
She tried to smile. “Are you sorry Ricardo will have a title equal to yours?”
“Immensely,” Alexander said, although he didn't really mind.
Loyalty took his other arm just as the music started. Both girls took simultaneous deep breaths, and then the doors to the church sanctuary flew open.
The church was packed. Every single person in there was a recognizable face to somebody, but it made both girls pause.
Nora tried to make a joke as they took their first step down the aisle. “You never would have let me be around this many people before.”
“And I never will again,” Alexander replied. He’d had security sweep the entire area again and again. He was also living on the hope that nobody at all would consider hurting either of these girls on their wedding day.
The grooms were standing at the front of the church, looking handsome in their suits. They stood next to each other, opposite personalities, and yet finding friendship in their similarities.
“I never thought this day would come,” Nathan muttered as he stared at Loyalty in awe.
“Neither did I,” Ricardo admitted. “But here we are.”
The entire congregation rose as the two brides slowly made their way down the aisle in time with the music. There were only friendly smiling faces in the crowd as they walked.
Nora did see Mary at the front, true to Alexander's word, and gave her a smile. Mary rose then, to join Alexander in helping each of the girls lift their veils and then present them to their grooms. They took their grooms’ hands, and it was as if everything else fell away.
Loyalty had been nervous to be in front of that many people, but staring into Nathan's eyes, she felt like they were the only two people in the room.
Everyone settled back down and the priest looked at each of them. They both nodded and he opened the book, ready to start.
“Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of these men and these women in holy matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by His presence and first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and His church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among all people. The union of husband and wife is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given each other in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore, marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.”
Loyalty shifted and Nathan squeezed her hand. He had wanted to wear his dress uniform, it only felt natural. However, Loyalty pointed out that they weren't sure what was happening in life right now, and perhaps they should just get married as normal people. Whether or not he was going to be allowed back into the army was up for debate, and besides, she wasn't sure that she wanted him to work for the crown anymore. His brain was valuable, yes, but his heart was much more valuable to her. In addition, she never wanted to be apart from him ever again.
“Into this union Lady Nora and Ricardo, Nathan and Loyalty now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed, speak now, or else forever hold your peace.”
There were hundreds upon thousands of reasons why som
ebody might speak up, and each of them knew it. Everyone glanced nervously to each other; hoping and praying that everything would remain fine. Alexander put a hand on his sword.
Mary touched his shoulder gently, leaning in. “If anyone so much as coughs after what they have been through, you don't have to worry. I will kill them myself.”
“Sounds like you,” he muttered, but in truth, he was glad of the support. Even if he and Mary didn't always get along, she only had to say one thing to remind him how much she loved him, and remind him why he loved her. Mary was strong, perhaps stronger than he was, and he needed that strength in his life more often than not.
Luckily, no one dared to speak up, so the priest continued. “I charge you both, here in the presence of God and the witness of this company, that if either of you know any reason why you may not be married lawfully and in accordance with God's Word, do you now confess it?”
“No,” Nora smiled as she looked right into Ricardo's eyes. She was remembering the moment they’d first met, the way he had looked past her face and into her eyes. It had been a long journey, and they had fought more than one adversary. However, Ricardo had always been there for her, and there was nothing that could keep them apart. “There is no reason why we should not be married.”
“No,” Ricardo echoed his beloved's thoughts. “There is no reason why we should not be married.”
Revealing A Marchioness's Heart (The Chronicles of Loyalty) Page 25