Page 63 of The Marquis' Game of Seduction
Anna helped Rose parade down the staircase and into a waiting carriage. Rose tried to help her friend draw the enormous gown into the belly of the carriage—all that chaotic lace, but it was a unique struggle leaning down so far, with that bodice so tight around her. She cackled and said, “Oh, if only I could draw breath!”
“Don’t worry yourself. It’s up to me. I’m your lady in waiting,” Anna said, winking. “What would you do without me?”
The wedding felt like a daydream, something glossy and beautiful, a part of someone else’s life entirely. Rose found herself walking on wobbly legs down the aisle, her eyes eternally centered on Colin’s. She hardly caught sight of Duncan and Amelia and little Emily and Judith, who all sat up front, watching with plate-sized eyes.
Rose said her vows with certainty, grateful that her voice didn’t waver. Colin held her hands, his palms soft beneath hers. His own eyes were certain and dark and earnest. She didn’t see a flicker of doubt. The cathedral around them seemed ominous and regal, far too big to hold such a close and nourishing romance. And yet, it was the perfect backdrop for taking this first step toward the rest of their lives together. It demanded everyone’s attention. And, years afterwards, many guests regarded this as one of the most marvelous and pure weddings they’d ever attended.
The wedding guests paraded out behind them as Colin and Rose swept out from the cathedral. Rose’s dress streamed out behind her, and her smile was so enormous that her cheeks ached. Outside, London had churned up a light rain, and Colin lifted a parasol over her. He beamed, his eyes turning over her shoulders, the surge of her breasts.
What was one meant to say to one’s new husband, minutes after being named man and wife? This was a question no one ever considered. Rose hadn’t an answer. She needed only to lean into it, she supposed.
“What do you think, husband dearest?” Rose asked. “What shall we do now?”
“I suppose we should live out our lives together. What do you say?” he asked.
“I don’t see another way.”
Their carriage yanked to a halt in front of them, splashing through a tiny puddle that had risen up along the curb. Rose’s arm snaked through Colin’s as he guided her the rest of the way. The stable hand drew open the door, and Colin helped Rose inside, doing as Anna had done in stuffing the last bits of her long lacy train in after her. Then he leaped in after her, nearly tumbling over her.
The moment the door closed, he pressed his lips over hers. She dropped her head against the headrest with the severity of his kiss. It was urgent and it was filled with desire and it knew no other love but the one it had with her. His tongue slipped over hers, opening her mouth even more. His hand drew over her breast, hungry for her, pressing against her nipple.
He broke the kiss to say, “I want nothing more than to rip this dress off of you.”
“Don’t. It’s an antique,” Rose said, giggling.
“Who cares,” he said, before diving back into another kiss.
Back at the estate, Rose changed into another white dress, one with a simpler train, and met Colin in the grand dining hall to greet the guests. Anna and Ernest were among the first to arrive. Rose leaped forward to give Ernest a rather clumsy hug. She beamed at him.
“Well, if it isn’t the little governess turned wife of the Marquees!” Ernest said. His smile was crooked and delicious.
“She certainly keeps things interesting, doesn’t she?” Anna said. She held his hand tightly, as though he might escape her, but her face was relaxed and serene, her cheeks pink and youthful.
“Anna’s told me about the many events that have transpired since your arrival to this estate,” Ernest said.
“She certainly tore this place open,” Colin said. “But we needed it. The mansion was getting quite musty. Soon we might have all become mummies, hidden away in our own self-built tomb…”
“Morbid, Colin,” Anna said, teasing. “Although quite true, I’d say.”
Ernest leaned a bit closer and said, “And I already know how you’ve helped Anna and I, Rose. Although I dare say that the issue wouldn’t have got between us, receiving that first letter from Anna cleared my mind and made me believe in beautiful things again. It was truly one of the best days of my life. If you hadn’t…”
“It was all Anna,” Rose said. “She’s the most wonderful student I’ve ever had.”
More guests arrived, forcing Rose and Colin to greet and kiss and cry words of, “Thank you oh so much for coming.”
Judith and Emily spilled from their own carriage moments later. Beneath Emily’s coat, she wore a bright little white dress, one that seemed a direct cousin of Rose’s wedding gown. The moment she spotted Rose, she whirled up the steps two at a time and swept her arms around her. Rose knelt down and whispered, “You look every bit the princess, don’t you?”
“Not as much as you!” Emily squealed.
One of Colin’s friends from his business travels, a man named Paul, approached from the side. After shaking Colin’s hand, he asked about the little girl. “I haven’t met her before. Is she some relation to you, Colin?”
Colin beamed at Emily, with all the love of a father. “No. In fact, she’s the niece of my head housekeeper. She’s come to live with us recently, and we couldn’t be more thrilled. Emily, meet my friend Paul.”
True to what Colin had taught her about manners, Emily sprung back and gave Paul a little curtsy. “Good to meet you, sir,” she said, bowing her head.
Paul let out a little laugh. “She’s splendid, Colin. A good addition to the estate. And Rose. It’s a unique pleasure to meet you. You’ve brought more light to Colin’s eyes than I’ve ever seen. All those years of brooding grew boring for you, old boy?”
Colin smirked and shared a private eye roll with Rose. Paul strutted the rest of the way into the dining hall, sweeping aside to show Allan and his fiancé directly behind. He beamed at Colin and Rose and stretched out his arms, hugging them both at once. He dotted a kiss on Rose’s cheek and whispered, “It’s true what Paul says. I thought we’d lost him for good.”
