Page 194 of Storm of Bells
‘Agreed.’ He held my eyes and did not let go.‘Nothing and no one will stand in my way. Inourway.’
With that, he turned around and quicklymarched away across the yard. I, for my part, headed up the stairstowards Lady Samantha. The sweet little blue-eyed lady gave me asmile that was nearly bursting with motherly excitement.
‘Ready for the biggest day of your life,dear?’
I couldn’t help glancing in the direction ofthe church, feeling my heart galloping a mile a minute. ‘Notnearly,’ I muttered. ‘So, let’s get started.’
Big Day
‘Ican’tbelievedisIcan’tbelievedisIcan’tbelievedis!’
‘Calm down, please!’
‘Calm down? ‘ow am I supposed to calm down?I’m gonna be in a weddin’! Aweddin’! And not just any oldweddin’—asocietyweddin’!’
‘Yes. But you missed an important point,Cora. It’s not yours. Thebrideis supposed to be the onewith wedding jitters.’
‘Who da ‘ell cares? Real ladies and gentlemenare gonnaseeme! Dey might eventalkto me! And whatif…what if Lord John…’
Cora cut off, her face turning tomato red,her eyes gazing dreamily into the distance.
Adaira gently patted Cora on her shoulderand, turning towards me, mouthed,‘Completely mental!’
I smiled and nodded, conveying the message,‘I know. Deal with it’without a single word. I had learnedfrom the best, after all.
‘Lilly!’ The hiss from beside me came fromAmy. Someone wicked and merciless—who could that have possiblybeen?—had found the whitest, most beautiful, frilly bridesmaiddress in existence and stuffed her into it. ‘I ‘ave a problem!’
My eyes swept over the lace of the dress. ‘Ican see that.’
‘Not dat, you little idiot! Well, dat, too,but dat ain’t my major problem!’
‘You don’t say.’
‘I’ve got somethin’ far worse to dealwith!’
‘Really?’Blackmail? Bullets flying aroundyour ears?
‘Someone ‘asproposedto me!’
‘Indeed?’
‘Agentleman! Arespectableone!’
‘Shocking!’ I grinned. ‘You do remember thatyou’re talking to a woman who’s about to marry the lord of themanor?’
Sparks flickering in her eyes, Amy jabbed anelbow into my ribs. I, however, was happily fortified with a toughcorset. I had done a really good job picking my wedding dress.
‘You’re ‘opeless! I need help, do you ‘ear?What am I supposed to say to ‘im? What am I supposed to do?’
‘Well…’ I cleared my throat. ‘Speaking frompersonal experience, you have three choices.’
‘Yes?’ Amy’s eyes flared with hope.
‘The first one is to accept.’
Amy pulled a face. ‘Urgh! I said I wanted‘elp, not threats!’
‘The second one would be to politelydecline.’
