“What say you, Helena Ayles?” Matteo kissed her. “Shall we get married today?”
Helena traced her fingers over his eyes, his lips, his too-long hair that she loved.
“Yes, I think I would love to be married to you today, Matteo Castor,” Helena said solemnly.”
They looked at each other, eyes shining, smiles as bright as the sun, and stood up.
“Now, for your footman Roberts, I havejustthe task for him…”
Epilogue
Matteo’s carriage arrived at the church, followed not too long after by the Ayles’ carriages, the Thornscroft’s carriage, and the Harken’s carriage, thanks in whole to the efforts of Roberts, the footman.
When Helena woke up that morning, never could she have imagined that her day would progress like this. As she walked down the aisle, her eyes saw the faces of the people she loved, all smiling back at her, all happy for her own immense happiness.
And there, in front of her, was Matteo, the love she never thought she would have. The love that she had deemed impossible was there, smiling at her as if she were the only woman in the world.
Her heart, which had been an empty shell at the start of the morning, was now overflowing. And it was Matteo whose name it called.
Matteo watched as Helena walked towards him. Was it just him, or did she bring the sun whenever she went? It was certainly her light that chased away his shadows, her life that showed him that people lived not just for themselves, but for others as well.
He had been so used to being alone that Matteo quite forgot, or perhaps had never known, the feeling of joy brought about by the deepest of connections. Matteo knew the treasure he found; he knew what she was worth. In all the days of his life, he would cherish her; this was his own personal vow.
In their matching attire of silvery blue, they were proclaimed husband and wife.
It seemed that everything happened in a rush.
Their family and friends, confused but mostly ecstatic at the news, had rushed to the church following Matteo and Helena’s notes to them.
The hapless Roberts, being the messenger, had had to answer numerous questions that he hardly knew the answers to.
“Where are Helena and Matteo now?”
“How do they plan to get married today?”
“How can they possibly accomplish it?”
“How did they declare their love for one another?”
“Did Matteo get down on one knee to ask Helena to marry him?”
It was Chastity who had put an end to all their questions.
“There is no time for that now!” she had said urgently. “Let us go to the church!”
The clergyman who was to officiate in the wedding proceeded with the ceremony, not knowing that something significant and life-changing had just occurred between Matteo and Helena.
The only sign of confusion he displayed was a frown as he read the names on the special license that Matteo produced and handed to him.
The bride’s first name seemed to have changed.
But as there did not seem to be any other concern from the couple themselves nor from their family and friends, the ceremony carried on and finished splendidly.
Celine and Helena kept smiling at Helena knowingly. Helena imagined that she would not hear the end of it from those two.
But when they rushed to her after the wedding, she laughed as she was enveloped by two sets of arms.
“I had no doubt that it would happen!” Dahlia said laughingly.
