“It’s four o’clock. Come on, Lee, let’s go on to this farce of a wedding.”
17
The clock chimed on the half hour.
“What the hell is keeping her? It’s four-thirty.” Kit crammed his hands into his trouser pockets and paced the foyer.
“She’s a bride. She’s probably nervous.” Lee turned at the sound of the hallway door closing and a soft whistle of appreciation escaped his lips.
Kit turned and froze. Hallie stood in hallway, and the glow from a wall sconce shimmered behind her, making her appear haloed. The image was so lovely that his annoyance at this whole charade disappeared. She looked at him and raised her chin. Was that a challenge, he thought? She stepped toward him and her silk gown rustled.
Maddie passed Kit on her way to the parlor. “You can escort Hallie in, Kit. Pastor Treadwell’s been waiting long enough.”
For all her beauty and well-shouldered pride, when Hallie stepped into the light, she was pale, overly so.He saw in her a winsome, lost quality that made him remember he wasn’t the only one hurt by this marriage. This knowledge was not comforting; in fact, he was filled with self-anger, anger at himself, anger at these circumstances, angry that he’d ever trusted a woman.
Hallie glanced from Lee to Kit and her expression changed. “Yes, by all means, let’s get on with,” she paused.“What did you call it?Oh, that’s right.This farce of a wedding.” She gave him a look of ice.
Kit heard Lee groan under his breath before he left them alone in the hall. Realizing she must have overheard his earlier words made Kit even angrier at himself for saying what he had, for getting into this mess, and for feeling guilty.
“Fine,” he said, grabbing her hand and almost pulling her through the doorway. Once inside, he trapped her fingers in the crook of his elbow. She tightened them until she was pinching his forearm. He flexed his arm muscle until she slackened her grip. Then he covered her hand with his own. It wasn’t a loving gesture, but one of self-preservation. Her disgruntled face glowed with the need to pull something else, like digging her nails into him.
He led her to the gathering near the fireplace, only slowing his long stride when they faced the pastor. The children, Agnes, and Lee stood by Maddie, whose disapproving look forced Kit to avert his eyes. He knew he wasn’t making this any easier, but he had never been able to hide his emotions for very long. He scowled at the pastor. “We’re ready.”
The ceremony began, and it was just as hard as Kit thought it would be, listening to the marriage vows for the second time. In his youth he’d thought these vows meant something. His mind flashed with the memory of his first wedding and how he’d been filled with love and pride. His marriage had stripped him of both. And here he was, once again entering thebondsof matrimony, but this time he was older, wiser, and stronger, because his heart wasn’t ruling his head.
When Pastor Treadwell asked if he would love, honor, and cherish Hallie, her unladylike snort brought him back to the present. The minister was frowning at them, and Lee, who stood on Kit’s right, prodded Kit with his elbow. Kit realized it was time for his response. “I will.”
The pastor turned to Hallie and repeated the vows.
“Whatever you say,” Hallie said with a curt wave of her free hand.
Kit tightened his grip on her hand, but she refused to speak again. “She means yes,” he snapped.
The minister asked for the ring. There hadn’t been time to buy a ring, and in all his blustering around, Kit hadn’t thought about it. He worked his grandfather’s signet ring off his finger and shoved it on Hallie’s. It swam on her finger, and in his rush, he’d put it on the wrong hand. She stared at it with such hurt on her face that he had to look away.
The room was thick with tension, making everyone, including the pastor, acutely aware of the antagonism between the bride and groom. He abruptly ended the ceremony. Hallie pulled her right hand from Kit’s, and the ring slipped off her finger and fell to the floor. She watched it roll with what Kit could only describe as a numb, blank look, and when the ring hit a table leg and spun to a stop, Hallie stared pointedly at it and then at Kit before she turned, with her head held high, and walked out of the room.
Hallie slammed the bedroomdoor as hard as she could. All the way up the stairs she fumed, tears coming so fast she was afraid she would shame herself and let Kit see them. She didn’t deserve this. She hadn’t trapped Kit into marriage; he had been the one who had drunkenly crawled into bed with her.
Sure, she felt guilty, because every time he was close to her, her foolish heart beat faster and she had all but thrown herself at him. Well, after today she would never do that again! She kicked her shoes off her feet and sat down on the bed to think.
The door burst open and Kit stormed in. He held his ring in his outstretched hand. “You forgot this.”
“I don’t want it.”
He stepped toward her. “Well, you’ve got it, and me.” He shoved the ring into her hand and tightened his own around it.
“Lucky me.”
“It’s nice to see that you’re not going to change my opinion of the married woman.”
“Perhaps that’s because myhusbandis so kind and loving. After all, I have won your undying love, haven’t I?” She tried to jerk her hand free, but he wouldn’t let go. Instead he pulled her against his chest.
“Is love what you want, Hallie?”
Hallie knew her face mirrored his anger. “Let go and get out.”
“When my ‘wife’ wants to be loved? Never.” His hand left her back and spanned the back of her head, forcing her mouth to his.
