Page 2 of Charlotte's Story
“I know. But it doesn’t feel that way when my younger siblings are all falling in love and getting married.”
“That doesn’t make you old. It just makes them really young to be getting married.” She sighed. “I can’t blame you for wanting your parents to stop harping on you, and I’ll stop bothering you about this—but I have to ask one more time: are you really all right with a marriage of convenience?”
I smiled. “I really am. It works out well for both of us. I get my boutique, and Firth gets…”
“The approval of Lady Catherine de Bourgh?”
“Exactly.”
We both laughed and Lizzy took a sip from her gingerbread latte to counter the chill of the church’s drafty wooden interior. She’d offered to bring me one, but I wasn’t willing to risk spilling it on mykimono.
“I’m sure you’ll have plenty of chances to speak with her.” Lizzy’s smile widened. “After all, I hear that Mr. Collins’s estate abuts Rosings Park.”
I winced at the fact that it sounded like she was quoting Firth and that he’d used the word “abut.”
A knock sounded on the door andOkaa-sanstuck her head in. “You look lovely, my dear.”
“I look well enough.” I gave myself another once-over in the mirror, then faced my mother. “Is it time?”
She nodded and handed me my bouquet, a gorgeous combination of poinsettias and white roses with an enticing smell that made me want to try to make a candle to match it. Someone must have enchanted the bouquet, because once I touched the flowers, the petals shifted color slightly until they were the exact shade of white as my dress while the red matched my lipstick.
Okaa-santook my hand and gave me a small smile. “I still remember holding your hand when we left Japan. Now look at you about to walk into a whole new fairytale.”
“This is no fairytale. It’s real life.” I didn’t need a fairytale. I just needed a life I could live with, and I could build that myself. The first step was this marriage. “Now we should go. I don’t want to be late to my own wedding.”
We exited the tiny room on the side of the chapel and headed toward the soft sounds of Christmas carols.Okaa-sanbustled ahead to let them know we were coming, and the Christmas carols switched to a wedding march. A sudden rush of heat crept up my neck, and my heart tapped a quick, uneven rhythm.
Lizzy gave me a quick hug. Relief flowed through me at the simple gesture. Despite the awkwardness that had fallen between us after she rejected Firth and I accepted him, we would be okay. She fell into step behind Maria and my other sisters, who looked adorable in matching red bridesmaid dresses.
Just before I headed down the aisle, Firth walked toward me, his hazel eyes locked over my shoulder but his expression determined. At his side, his hand twitched as if he were fighting the urge to run his fingers through his brown curls, which weren’t messy for once.
My heart skipped a beat. Was he regretting our arrangement? “What are you doing?” I hissed at him as he joined me in the foyer.
“I need to talk to you.”
“Right now?” I glanced at the room full of waiting townspeople.
“Yes.” He fiddled with the cuff of his tux, which was worn and slightly ill-fitting. “I wanted to tell you that you look lovely today. Your dress in particular looks remarkably wrinkle-resistant. A quality I deeply admire.”
“Oh, um, thanks. It’s my mother’s.”
“I also wanted to confirm that you’re still okay with our deal.”
“I am.” I looked at him—shoulders squared, gaze fixed slightly off to the side. This was just how Firth was, and I’d have to get used to it. When he decided something needed to happen, he did it right then. Which, all things considered, wasn’t the worst trait in a man. “Are you?”
“Yes. I believe it will function smoothly—with separate sleeping arrangements, a shared schedule, and no unnecessary displays of affection.” He nodded once, as if finalizing a well-constructed blueprint.
Good thing Lizzy wasn’t here to overhear our business-like proposal and the terms we’d agreed on. She already thought I was unromantic. “Okay, then maybe you should go back so we can start the wedding.”
He sucked in a breath, then handed me a small wooden box with both hands. He didn’t meet my gaze, but the tips of his pointed ears were red. “This is for you.”
Opening it revealed a tiny quill on a delicate chain. “It’s beautiful,” I breathed.
“It’s enchanted to assist me in expressing myself.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t always… articulate things properly, but when it grows warm, it means there’s something I want to say, even if I haven’t found the words yet.”
“Thank you,” I said softly.
“There may not be love in our marriage, but I will treasure you.” With that, he hurried back down the aisle before I could respond.
