Page 84 of Finding Hope
“My friends, you are falling like the French at Waterloo,” Carew said. “Even Monty is being chased in his dreams by the sounds of wedding bells.”
Montford smiled as though he welcomed such a thing.
“Do not look at me.” Freddy held up his hands.
“Just wait,” Max warned. “Your day shall come.”
Freddy denied this vehemently.
“We had best be going,” he said, looking at his lifelong friends, each one dressed in their finest attire. They had all chosen shades of cream and grey for coats and breeches, with varying pastels for their waistcoats to match the shades the Whitford sisters were wont to wear.
“I am grateful all of you are here. It means a great deal to me.” He tried not to choke on his emotion and shook his head. “I am become mawkish.”
A few of them cleared their throats, evidently sharing his sentiment. “We should go. It would not do to delay the wedding due to my sensibilities.”
They left the house by the eastern path through the pine wood. It was the least travelled one for the guests, as the estate chapel was nestled up above the rest of the estate—nearer to God, he reckoned, permitting himself a wry smile. There was a chapel within the house for the family and servants to use fordaily prayers, but it was too small to accommodate such a grand gathering. A more circuitous carriageway had been laid in the last century, so those who did not care to walk could be driven in one of the open landaus.
“I have not been to the chapel in an age,” Gus remarked. “In fact, probably not since Diana was married.”
“I remember the time we were caught stealing the biscuits prepared for a party of guests and we ran up here to hide,” Freddy said.
“How long did it take them to find you?” Montford asked.
“We gave ourselves up when it grew dark. A chapel is a scary place with all the crypts and tombs.”
He shuddered even now at the thought. Max noticed and laughed. “We did not learn our lesson well. One holiday, when the grooms were busy, we slipped out on some of the Duke’s prized hunters, and when discovered we tried to escape here, but the game was up.”
“Oh, but it was worth it. Those were the sweetest goers I’ve ever had the pleasure of mounting,” Freddy said wistfully, as though he were a green lad of sixteen again.
“I was with you that time,” Carew remembered. “To this day I can feel the thrashing we took. But it did inspire me to breed horses just like those.”
“I thought you were with us that time, Monty,” Max said, trying to recall which of his friends had indulged in the prank.
“He was, but he would not take the hunters out with us,” Freddy said with a scowl at Montford as though he was still unforgiven. “You may be thinking of Westwood. He was there as well.”
“Have you ever done anything you were not supposed to, Monty?” Freddy asked reproachfully.
“Why is that a reason for scorn? It is an admirable trait!” he argued.
“It must be so then,” Carew mocked, and clapped him on the back.
“You also teased me at the time. I still do not regret my choice.”
The other fellows exchanged amused glances.
They reached the narrow stone staircase that led up to the chapel in the woods, as they referred to it, and ascended it one at a time. At the top, set within a garden, stood several statues of martyred saints, which looked battered and mournful.
“These are the only statues my ancestors allowed that were not Roman gods,” Max pointed out in a sardonic tone as he held out his hand to the sculptures.
“At least they had some sense not to blaspheme on holy ground,” Gus agreed.
The chapel was a masterpiece, and as it sat overlooking the estate, provided a sanctuary in the wood.
Inside, the walls were of stone lined with stained glass scenes of Jesus’ teachings. The altar was a gruesomely accurate carving of Jesus on the cross, and the ceiling boasted a painting of the ascension to heaven.
They were the first to arrive, although a handful of servants were attending to last-minute details, such as lighting the candles at the end of each pew and near the altar, thus giving the inside a warm glow.
Suddenly Max grew nervous, which was absurd. He was certain this was what he wanted, more than anything. He listened to his friends continuing to tease each other, and he tried to smile, but the waiting was excruciating.
