Chapter Twenty-Two
“Why are you hiding in my garden?”
Tucking my knees closer to my chest, I looked up into Edwin’s shaded face. The thin sunlight sifting through the clouds above him outlined his form. “I’m not hiding. I’m sitting.”
“Yes.” His voice was thick with amusement. “You’re sitting on the dirt in my garden…wearing your wedding dress.”
I sighed and rested my cheek against one of the flounces. “I put down a shawl to save the dress. Old Lady Gladstone wouldn’t let me wear breeches. And she took away my spectacles.”
“A heinous crime. I rather like you in your spectacles.”
“You rather like me wearing anything at all.”
“Or nothing,” he agreed. He stepped closer, his boots crunching in the fallen autumn leaves. “Is there room for me on that shawl?”
I wiggled to the side, creating a small corner for him to sit. He squeezed in next to me, setting down a basket on his far side. Curiosity beckoned, but for now, I sighed and leaned against his strong form. He wore his wedding clothes, same as me. His were dark blue with gold buttons, mine almost as pale as the sky.
As I leaned my head into his chest, his arm around my shoulders, the strong beat of his heart soothed me along with the heat of his body. It had taken six weeks for the banns to be read and the October days grew more and more chilly.
“Are you having second thoughts?”
His entire body grew still as he murmured the question. His heartbeat thrummed faster in my ear.
“About marrying you? No.”
He relaxed somewhat.
“About this farce of a wedding, yes. Old Lady Gladstone is turning it into a circus. Did you know most of the ton has returned to London months early simply for the ceremony?”
“There’s still time for us to elope. We can hop in a carriage and be on our way to Gretna Green in an hour.”
I could only imagine the congregation of friends and relatives waiting at Old Lady Gladstone’s house for the ceremony at the very time we would be leaving London. By the time they realized I had disappeared along with Edwin, everyone would be in a panic. As much as I would have preferred not to be made a spectacle, my friends Rose and Francine had returned for this event, and I looked forward to introducing them to the Cravens. We couldn’t elope, and he knew it.
Chuckling, I buried my cheek closer to him. “Old Lady Gladstone would be spitting mad if we did that. She and your mother have gone through a lot of trouble to arrange this wedding.”
“I know.” He fell silent, cradling me. After a moment, he added, “If it makes you feel better, why don’t you wear breeches beneath your dress?”
I flipped up the hem, exposing the fact that I’d done just that. It had been difficult to slip away long enough to do so, let alone long enough to leave the house and come here. Lady Yarmouth and Old Lady Gladstone had been hovering around me like a pair of hens all morning, clucking over my attire. The breeches, which I’d slipped on at home before walking here, looked comical when paired with the stockings and delicate wedding shoes Edwin’s relatives had chosen for me.
“Don’t tell Old Lady Gladstone. I think she’d tackle me to the ground and strip me herself.”
Edwin laughed, resting his cheek on top of my head. “No doubt. You can call her Aunt Louise, now. You are shortly to be my wife.”
Wife. The word rippled in the air between us. It was something I’d avoided by choosing women as my lovers, fearing becoming somebody’s property. But, with Edwin, I was never property. We were partners.
“What’s in the basket?” I asked.
I heard his smile in the warmth of his answer. “I wondered when you were going to ask. It’s wedding cake, freshly glazed. Nancy made it special for tonight.”
“It’s worth a scolding to see my soon-to-be-wife happy.”
Wife. That word again. I rather liked it.
I pulled away, feeling as though I was glowing from the inside out as I tipped my face up to look at him. His smiles weren’t so rare these days. I seemed to be able to tease one out of him every morning when we woke up next to each other, and every night when we went to sleep. And now, in a quiet moment when it seemed as though the world contained only the two of us.
“A clever soon-to-be-husband would know not to make his wife empty promises and give her the cake!”
He laughed. “Is that where I’m lacking? You’ll have to be lenient; I am new at this. And I’m afraid you might stain your dress. I neglected to bring napkins.”
“I’ll hold my hand beneath to catch all the crumbs. You know I take my sweets very seriously.”
“I do.” He opened the basket and carefully withdrew a sliver of glazed fruitcake. “Perhaps I should feed it to you, just to be sure.”
I leaned closer but instead of the cake, he met my lips with his own in a kiss almost as sweet as the promised cake. I cupped his cheek, holding him closer as I prolonged the kiss. When I broke the contact, I chided in a breathless whisper, “Cake first. We’ll have plenty of time for kissing later.”
He smiled, another treasure that made his eyes light up. As he lifted his hand, I took a bite, then snatched the cake from him to devour the rest on my own.
“Careful,” he said with a laugh.
I smiled and countered, “If I stain my dress, maybe we won’t have to get married today.”
He caught my wrist, holding the cake well out of danger of falling on my wedding dress. “I am not suffering another delay. If not for Aunt Louise’s plans, I would have gotten a special license and married you weeks ago.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Do you really want to stand up in front of two hundred near strangers?”
“I would stand up in front of the entire world if that’s what it takes to have you as my wife. I love you, Mary. I want everyone to know it.” Releasing my hand, he cupped my chin instead. “You aren’t going through this on your own. I’ll be there by your side for every second, from now ‘till death do us part. I promise you are not alone.”
I wasn’t. As long as I had him, I never had to worry about being alone again.
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