Perhaps they would have to create new traditions entirely where they existed together in harmony without the frills of romance. Duncan felt satisfied with his conclusion.
He did not have any desire to ignite a romance, and he was certain that Lady Sophia felt the same way.
The church where the wedding ceremony was going to take place was full of people. Duncan stood at the altar as it was almost time for the bride to arrive.
He felt calm and did not have any nerves going into it. Thankfully, his mother had not invited many people to the church. He knew that she had planned for a wedding breakfast later which was to be a much grander affair.
Having fewer people present at the church meant that there would be fewer eyes on Sophia. He knew that she had suffered from cruel remarks from people before, and he did not want her to feel self-conscious.
He wondered to himself why it was that he felt so concerned about how she would feel, but then concluded that it was just because he felt obliged to keep her happy, for every woman deserved to feel good on her wedding day.
It was nothing deeper than that, at least that is what he told himself.It was his sense of duty.
The musicians changed their song to play the wedding marching, and the Duke realized that Sophia would be walking down the aisle any moment now.
All heads turned to the back of the room, and then she finally emerged. Dressed in a lavender gown that flowed beautifully towards the floor, Sophia glided to the altar, accompanied by her cousin as the man who would give her away.
Immediately, Duncan was struck by how gorgeous she looked. She had a natural beauty to her, one that was difficult to find. The sunlight from the church windows lit her face beautifully, and he noted with appreciation that she had a confident stride.
But most importantly, he noticed that she had decided to slick her hair back and wear gloves made of very thin, almost see-through lace, thus exposing her scars to anyone who looked her way. As she walked, there were some murmurs from the guests and no doubt they were discussing her scars. However, she seemed undeterred as she boldly put them on display for everyone to see.
The Duke felt equally surprised and attracted by this act of boldness from her. She was finally behaving in the manner that a duchess ought.
She trusted my advice.
Finally, she made it to the end of the altar, and their eyes locked for the first time. Duncan felt a strange feeling stir inside of him, and he realized that she looked even more stunning up close. She had a bridal glow to her, making her appear almost ethereal.
“My Lady,” Duncan said as he extended his hand for her to take.
“Your Grace.”
“You look beautiful,” the words slipped out of the Duke’s mouth before he could help himself — that is how he knew that his compliment was sincere.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” she said. To his surprise, she blushed as she diverted her gaze away from him and looked towards the floor.
It made him feel an odd sense of pride. She had held her head high as she walked through the crowd with confidence, and yet, it was his compliment that made her blush.
“We may now begin the ceremony,” the minister announced, and the ring bearer brought the rings.
“I gather you all here today to witness the union of the Duke of Blackmoore, Duncan Swinton with Sophia White…”
The words were fading into the background as Duncan kept getting distracted by Sophia. He had not expected himself to react like this as he thought that this was going to be just like any other day. But it was clear that there was something different.
It was time to put the ring on her finger.Duncan took her hand in his which felt delicate in his sturdy one. He slowly slid the ring on her finger. She did the same.
“With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife.”
The crowd broke into applause, and Duncan noticed that Sophia was blushing heavily again.
He wanted to kiss her rosy cheek.
Shaking his head, he pushed the thought away from his head as the guests began to deliver their congratulations to the newly married couple. Pleasantries were exchanged, and then it wastime for the bride and groom to travel to the venue where the wedding breakfast was being held.
In the carriage on their way there, Duncan found himself alone with Sophia for the first time.
“I see that you chose to not cover your face,” he remarked, not being able to help himself. “I should let you know that I am quite impressed with your choice.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” she replied, not meeting his gaze. “I reminded myself what you had said to me earlier and decided to not hide myself anymore. And I must say, while I was scared to do so, it has worked for me thus far.”
