Page 44 of The Duke's Last Dance
However, he pushed all of that aside. No matter what she thought of him or what she thought of the other men that wanted to court her, he knew that she needed to know how he felt and what was going on.
She deserved at least that much after he had promised to marry her so long ago.
“I should be going, Lord Radcliff, but again, thank you,” Nicolas said.
Lord Radcliff nodded at him and finished his own brandy. Nicolas finished his, and then he walked out of Lockebel.
Lady Catherine deserved to know everything about why he was courting Miss Alexia, and he was going to make sure she knew exactly what was going on. Even if it meant that she was going to have to talk to him without a chaperone of some kind with her.
Chapter Nineteen
Miss Amelia helped Juliet into the wedding dress. Catherine still could not believe how beautiful a job the modiste had done with it. The dress hugged Juliet in all the right places, and it looked beautiful on her. The white stood out against her skin, and her dark brown hair shimmered in the light against it.
“You look beautiful, Juliet,” Catherine smiled. “You are a beautiful bride; my brother is lucky to have you.” She could not help allowing her smile to get wider, and then Juliet turned to her with a bouquet in her hands.
“Thank you, Catherine. For everything; and especially for your support during all the preparations,” Juliet smiled. “You are a most wonderful sister-in-law, and I think I am the lucky one to be marrying your brother.”
“Come along! We will miss our carriage if we do not hurry.” Catherine’s mother’s voice interrupted the conversation.
Juliet’s smile widened, and then they all headed out to the carriage. It took two of them to lift Juliet’s train into the carriage, and then they all got in. With the dress it was hard for four women to fit, but they did it with a little room to spare. The train would only be a little wrinkled by the time they arrived at the church.
The ride was rather quiet, as Juliet was both too excited and too nervous to really have anything to say. Miss Amelia did not say a thing, taught by society to be quiet unless spoken to in public. The countess beamed quietly, happy to have her son marrying a woman he loved so much.
Catherine, on the other hand, was quiet because she had nothing to say to anyone else. She had said it all before they left, though she was sure she would have more to say after the ceremony. Then, she would have had time to think about new things and offer congratulations to her brother at the least.
They arrived at the wedding chapel in silence. Catherine could not help but notice herbs and flowers scattered at the porch as they pulled up. Someone had wanted to make the place look even prettier for the wedding, she supposed, or the flower girl had already arrived and spread her flowers.
That was the more ideal situation here, but she said nothing about it.
She got out of the carriage and helped Juliet get out without wrinkling the train any more than they already had. Thankfully, the train was not too wrinkled. If no one looked close enough, they would not be able to tell.
Before Catherine could say anything, Juliet’s father arrived.
“You look beautiful, Juliet.” He smiled at her, beaming.
“Thank you, Father,” she replied.
He held his elbow out to her, and she linked arms with him.
Catherine, Miss Amelia, and the Countess hurried into the wedding and sat down. This was going to be a beautiful wedding, and she could feel it. It was her brother’s wedding; it had to be beautiful and everything that they had ever wanted.
Juliet’s father escorted Juliet up the aisle, and Catherine could not help but think that it was going to be a beautiful day for her to remember. Juliet looked absolutely gorgeous coming down the aisle, and Catherine swore she saw her brother blush at the way his bride looked.
The vicar opened his Book of Common Prayer and began to read the vows when Juliet reached the end of the aisle. Edward held her hand in his, and Catherine could not help but smile. His brother was very much in love, and she knew that she wanted to have that same kind of a marriage when she finally got married.
“If anyone knows of a reason these two ought not to be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace.” The vicar looked out at those attending the wedding.
Catherine held her breath. This was not meant to be a place where someone voiced their objections, but she worried that it would happen anyway. No one had said anything up to now, and she had no reason to worry, but there was still the worry in the back of her head that someone, anyone, would say they ought not to marry.
Thankfully, after a few moments, no one spoke up.
As the vicar returned to the ceremony, Catherine found herself sighing softly in relief. No one had objected to the wedding, and her brother would be able to enjoy his marriage without any guilt on his conscience about it. She knew that would make him incredibly happy.
Then, the rings came to the front. Edward took one ring and put it on Juliet’s hand. Juliet took the other and did the same, putting it on Edward’s hand, both promising to take the other as they were, in sickness or in health, rich or poor.
Catherine felt a pang of… something akin to happiness as she watched this. But it was not for Edward and Juliet. She could not help but think of the brooch that Nicolas had given her all those years ago. He had promised that he would marry her with that brooch, and once upon a time, she had thought he would fulfill that promise.
Now, she realized that the lack of tingles and shivers she felt around Nicolas was not a lack of interest in him. No, it was a lack of infatuation, but she felt a warm, happy kind of feeling around him every time she saw him. She loved Nicolas Lockhart, and with all her heart, too.
