Page 87 of Drowned in the Pleasure of a Devilish Baron
“It’s just that you came so close, and the two of you are going to be so… so… sohappy,” Juliet gasped, as tears fell down her cheeks.
Sarah pulled her into a tight hug. “I could not have made it to this day without you,” she whispered.
“You were there for me when no one else was,” Juliet said back. Then she laughed and gently pushed Sarah away. “Now, enough of this! It’s your wedding day.” She bent and fussed with the skirt of Sarah’s gown, fluffing it and arranging it just so.
Sarah had spent months embroidering the hem of this gown, which was lined with curling stars, wispy clouds, and repeated moons. The night sky, since her clandestine visits with Felix, had held a close place in her heart.
“You are beautiful,” Juliet whispered.
There was a knock on the door. They were in a side room at the church, which they had been allowed to use to do last minute preparations before Sarah walked down the aisle.
“It’s Leonard, can I come in?”
Juliet looked to Sarah for permission, who said, “Enter!”
Leonard strode in, his face bright and alive. “I have just heard the best news,” he said, swinging Juliet into his arms. “The courts have released their judgment in regards to Lord Ashton. He has been ordered to repay all of our costs that were lost in the fires, all of the labor to redo everything again,andto pay us a fine of a year’s lost profits as well!”
Sarah gasped. “But it’s better than we could have hoped for!”
“Far better!” Leonard let out a whoop. “I must go tell Felix right away, he will be over the moon! He has been so eager to show you that he will support your family properly. This is the perfect wedding gift.” Without waiting for them to respond, he sped out of the room, leaving Juliet and Sarah laughing together in his wake.
It was barely minutes later that the bell sounded, telling them it was time. They walked together to the entrance to the church, where Juliet squeezed Sarah’s hands tightly, tears once more threatening. “You are perfect,” she said, and then she slipped away to take her seat.
John met her there, his smile awkward but warm. He kissed her on the cheek and squeezed her arm as he took it in his, prepared to walk her down the aisle.
Sarah took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, smiled. The doors pulled open in front of her and she floated down the aisle, toward a beaming Felix at the end. When she and John were nearly there, he stepped forward and met her, taking her arm in his. “I couldn’t stand to wait,” he whispered in her ear as they took the last few steps together.
“Good,” she whispered back.
The pews were filled with friends, family, and members of theton,looking on with approving smiles. Word of the Earl’s crimes had spread far and wide, and thetonhad rallied around Sarah and Felix, turning them into a cherished love story that nearly everyone had heard.
Together, Felix and Sarah said those solemn vows, and not one person present wondered if they meant what they said. They exchanged a pair of simple gold rings, made from a piece of jewelry of Felix’s late mother’s, and proudly signed the parish register book.
Such simple proceedings, and yet, that was all it took. They were married, at long last.
“You are going to make an excellent husband,” Lord Camden had said to him as they exited the church, his son Philip smiling at his side. “One of the best, I should think. I’ve got my eye on you, Felix. You are destined for great things.”
After the ceremony, Juliet and Leonard hosted a reception at their manor and invited all of the guests. The wine flowed freely and servants passed out small plates of incredible delicacies.
“Well, it appears I was wrong about you,” Charles was saying to Felix.
Felix raised a brow. “Is that so?”
“It looks like all has turned out well in the end, at least,” Charles said.
Felix laughed. “If that was supposed to be an apology, it was a very poor one.”
“Friends?” Charles asked, extending a hand.
Felix shot Sarah a look, then shrugged. “Why not.” He shook his hand. “Friends.”
Leonard’s sister, Lady Margaret, appeared at their side. “Charles, come dance with me! It’s a party, no need to look so serious.” She smiled prettily.
Charles bowed, took her hand, and led her to the join the dancers.
Felix and Sarah were watching Juliet play the piano while their friends and loved ones danced merrily, when John and Lady Marlow approached.
Sarah’s shoulders tensed, but Felix’s hand moved instantly to them, rubbing lightly, and she relaxed. It no longer mattered so much what they might say. If they were unhappy, then so be it.
