Page 82 of Taken By the Duke of Stone

"Thank you for indulging me, though. I believe we can be friends, my lord," and then she held out her hand.

He stared down at that hand like it was a venomous serpent for so long that she almost decided to pull her hand back, but just at that moment, his larger hand engulfed hers. There were no sparks of heat or weakness in her knees, and it made her smile.

"Your new husband will not approve of this friendship, my lady."

She raised a brow, about to protest but then his words resounded in her head. Husband. He would be her husband and then she could do nothing else but laugh in unbridled delight.

EPILOGUE

"Everything is ruined," Lavinia wailed a fortnight later, "Victor will never marry me now!"

"What is going on?" Her aunt burst into the room and stared at her, forehead scrunched up in confusion.

Jenny was the one who replied, "I am not really sure, but I think the dress does not fit."

"Of course it fits," Lady Hartfield waved the redhead away, "it fit a few days ago."

"That was a few days ago!" Lavinia snapped and then dissolved into more hysterical sobs. She had never been such a watering pot but since she had woken up earlier, the entire day had just found one way or the other to frustrate her.

Could it be a divine sign that Victor was no good for her? Or maybe and most likely, she was no good for him.

"Am I no good for him anymore because I do not have a dress?" Her bottom lip trembled.

The doors burst open and this time it was the newly married Lady Dillon that walked in, taking the room in with a curious eye, "I cannot tell exactly what is going on here, but it looks to me like the bride has no intention of getting married today."

"Is that what Victor thinks?" Lavinia threw her hand up into the air and tried to hold back more tears.

"I haven't spoken to my brother yet," Georgie continued, "but I have a strong feeling he will at the moment be regretting not calling a priest to bless your union in our family chapel like Patrick and I had done."

"He wanted to," Lavinia admitted, "I foolishly requested a big wedding. Have I ruined everything with my demands?"

The other three women exchanged glances that ranged from confused to incredulous to exasperated.

"It is not foolish to want a proper, big wedding. Mama would not have let you two get away with anything else, anyway," Georgie soothed, "so even if you had wanted to follow my footsteps, she would not have let you anyway."

"Your mother hates me."

"She- uh- does not," but even the Duke's sister didn't sound all that certain. "What is the problem right now?" she asked instead of continuing that line of conversation.

Lavinia saw it for the evasion it was and decided not to press the issue, but she was most definitely going to have a word with the Dowager Duchess or the Duke either. She would rather not be in enmity with her own mother-in-law, one whose son she was desperately in love with.

"Her dress will not fit," Jenny piped up.

"Let me try," Georgie smiled and she gave her her back immediately.

With the help of the three women, they were able to tighten her stays and secure the intricate lacing at the back of her dress. Madame Vandeleur had once again displayed her creative prowess with Lavinia's wedding dress.

The dress was a very pale lilac of a silken material, and over it was a netted lace, black slip that formed a small train behind her. The colors offset her complexion perfectly and the Duke had gifted her a glittery, waterfall diamond necklace that was currently nestled into her cleavage.

After that, they rushed through arranging her hair, dusting her face with powder and applying a stain to her lips.

And then she was ready.

Late, but ready.

Lord Hartfield was waiting for her outside the doors of the chapel and she placed her hand on his sleeve with a teary smile. "You are beautiful, my dear child."

When the double doors were pulled open a second later, there were new tears in the bride's eye, but her groom couldn't take his eyes off her. Not even once throughout the ceremony.

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