Page 35 of Six Nights to Marry a Marquess

As Agnes’s cheeks tinged with color, she gracefully accepted Theodore’s arm. “It appears we’ve managed to convince at least one person of the depth of our feelings,” Theodore quipped softly as they distanced themselves from the gathering.

“That leaves but the remainder of society to persuade,” Agnes replied, her laughter filled with nervous anticipation.

“An effortless task, would you not concur?” he jested back, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, easing Agnes into a more relaxed state. Maybe her earlier apprehensions about his feelings and intentions were misplaced.

Their promenade around the room transitioned seamlessly onto the balcony, the night air cool and refreshing. “You are blessed with lovely sisters, Theodore,” Agnes remarked, her gaze momentarily returning to Harriet, who continued her enchanting performance at the pianoforte.

“And they possess a unique talent for thoroughly wearing out their brother,” Theodore responded, his exaggerated sigh drawing a laugh from Agnes.

“The children all have that charm,” Agnes observed, reminiscing about her brothers’ antics during dinner. “It’s what renders them so endearing.”

Yet, as laughter faded, a somber realization dawned upon Agnes. She might never be able to experience such familial joys and challenges. The thought of never witnessing the lively squabbles of her own children or mediating their playful disputes cast a shadow over the moment, reminding her of the sacrifices inherent in their arrangement.

After all, Theodore had made it clear in the bookstore that their marriage was an arrangement and nothing more. And she had agreed, relinquishing her right to the happy family she’d once dreamed of for herself.

“I propose that we retreat to the countryside immediately following our nuptials,” Theodore’s voice pierced through her reverie, offering a temporary distraction from her somber reflections.

“We shall spend our honeymoon at my ancestral estate in Essex,” he continued, his words painting a picture of a secluded respite far removed from the relentless buzz of London’s high society.

The notion of a honeymoon, in the traditional sense of a period rich with intimacy and newfound marital bliss, seemed a foreign concept within the bounds of their arrangement. Agnes couldn’t help but remind herself of this disparity between expectation and reality.

“Distancing ourselves from the city and its relentless rumor mill will undoubtedly benefit us both,” he added, unwittingly echoing Agnes’s own weariness of the gossip that had become an all too familiar antagonist in their lives.

Conceding to the logic in his suggestion, Agnes found herself grappling with the limited agency she held in the trajectory of her own life. The prospect of exile to Essex, intended as a sanctuary from societal scrutiny, loomed more as an encroachment on her freedom than as a welcome reprieve.

Despite the joy and camaraderie that dinner with their nearest and dearest had brought, the looming departure to Essex cast a pall over the evening’s end for Agnes. Seeking out her parents to relay Theodore’s intentions, she found herself enveloped in the pragmatic acceptance that characterized her father’s reaction.

“It is to be expected that he would wish to introduce you to his family’s domain after the wedding,” her father said.

“Oh, my dear little Agnes, all grown up and going away,” Caroline murmured, reaching for a handkerchief to dab at her eyes, the reality of the impending separation sinking in.

“I’m going to miss you terribly,” Agnes whispered, pulling her mother into a heartfelt embrace. “Both of you,” she added, ensuring her gaze met her father’s, including him in the sentiment that welled up from the depths of her heart.

William stepped forward, wrapping his arms around both his wife and daughter, a symbol of their united front in the face of change. There, in the warmth of their embrace, they offered solace to Caroline, whose emotions threatened to spill over.

“Oh, and the boys. The thought of being apart from them is unbearable,” Agnes sighed heavily, the weight of her departure made all the more palpable by the mention of her brothers. “Promise me, once I’m settled, you’ll send them to visit. I dread to think of life without their presence,” she implored, seeking the comfort of familiarity in an uncertain future.

Her father nodded in agreement, understanding the importance of maintaining those familial ties. However, Caroline’s concerns were not so easily assuaged. “George needs constant supervision. I worry about the mischief he might find himself in, especially without us there to guide him,” the Duchess expressed, her protective instincts flaring at the thought of George’s well-documented curiosity leading him astray.

“I assure you, Mother, I can handle George’s adventurous spirit,” Agnes replied, her voice steady and reassuring. Theprospect of reuniting with her brothers in Essex offered her a glimmer of hope, a semblance of home in a landscape that would be unfamiliar in many ways.

“Very well then. The boys shall join you,” Caroline conceded, her initial reservations giving way to the understanding.

A profound sense of gratitude washed over Agnes at her mother’s acquiescence. The promise of her brothers’ company lightened her spirits, somewhat.

“Now, then, do get some sleep. A bride must look her best on her wedding day,” Caroline said, spiritedly ushering Agnes up to her bedchamber.

She did not feel like a bride, and she doubted she would ever feel like a wife.

CHAPTER 17

“You have been pacing for the last half hour, Aggie,” Emma remarked, her tone laced with concern as she watched her friend traverse the length of the room yet again.

Today was Agnes’s wedding day, and her closest friends had arrived early in the morning to lend their support and companionship during these nerve-wracking hours. Despite their presence, Agnes found herself unable to find a moment’s peace.

“I simply cannot bring myself to sit,” Agnes confessed, her fingers twisting the handkerchief in her hands as she voiced the turmoil swirling within her. The intensity of her anxiety was unparalleled; never before had she imagined a person could be consumed by such a potent mix of nerves.

The ceremony was set to unfold in her family’s living room, a fact that did little to quell the butterflies in her stomach. The mere thought of her parents, Theodore, and their guests assembleddownstairs, awaiting the moment she would descend to join them, sent her heart racing. They were only waiting for the vicar’s arrival before calling her down.

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