The butterflies in Tulip’s stomach were in a mad flutter and not only because this was her wedding day.This would also be her weddingnightand she was completely unprepared for it despite having received advice from all her married cousins.Well, it hadn’t been instructions so much as general statements to trust her husband and follow his lead, then an inordinate amount of giggles.
Just where was he supposed to lead her?
Someplace nice, she supposed.
The second kiss Alex had given her two days ago still lingered on her lips and in her heart.He’d kissed her with devastating effect, for it felt as though he’d held nothing back.His kiss had scorched her, leaving her marked as his, even though he had demanded nothing from her.
In fact, he had been the one to give all of his heart.
It was his willingness to openly put his own heart at risk that had won her over.
How could she do anything other than surrender?
That kiss had made her feel as though he loved her.
Or was he merely adept at kissing any lady as though he did love her?
Probably the latter because it was too soon for either of them to be certain of their feelings for each other.
But she hoped his kiss was real.
She was already on the way to falling in love with him.
Loving a Davenport was always going to be dangerous, but Alex was different.
Hehadto be different.
And now he was going to be her husband within the hour.
Their dowager aunt, Hortensia, marched into her bedchamber as her cousins were putting the last touches to her hair.No one knew just how old Hortensia was exactly, but she seemed to be as immortal as dragons and resembled one.
“You haven’t touched your breakfast,” she noted, instantly dominating the room by her mere presence.
Tulip put a hand to her stomach.“I dared not eat.I don’t think I can hold anything down this morning.”
Hortensiaharrumphed.“I could have married a prince, you know.But the man was a complete idiot.Davenport appears to have some brain matter between his ears.”
“He’s handsome, too,” Marigold said.“Almost as handsome as my Leo.”
“And Romulus,” Violet added, not wanting her handsome husband neglected.
“Silly girls,” Hortensia remarked.“I don’t know why I am so proud of you when you are little more than giggling geese.”
They all hugged her because this was Hortensia’s grumpy way of telling them all that she loved them.
“Enough of this nonsense,” she said after giving them each a kiss on the cheek.“Stop dawdling and get into the waiting carriages.”
Before Tulip knew it, they were on their way to the church.
She rode with John and Sophie who had taken on the role of parents and done a fine job of it, if anyone asked for her opinion.
She told them that she loved them and mentioned how much she appreciated all they had done for her.
John had tears in his eyes, for he was obviously quite sentimental about his family.It struck Tulip that Sophie was the perfect match for him because the real work of holding the family together fell to her.She did it remarkably well and usually without complaint, although Tulip knew there had been some fretful and even argumentative moments when their daughters had taken their turns on the marriage mart and unleashed havoc.
Getting caught kissing a man in a garden was nothing compared to the trouble John and Sophie’s daughters had gotten themselves into.
Alex was already at St.Mary’s, impatiently pacing by the massive front doors of the church.
