“Let us get on with it,” he said. “The sooner this whole affair is over, the better.” He walked out of the room with his family trailing behind him.
“There’s no need to be so sullen,” his grandmother said. “I know you like Selina.”
“She is adequate,” he acknowledged. “And I am not sullen. I aim for my second marriage to be civil for Percy’s sake.”
She huffed. “It is all right to fall in love, you know. Especially with your own wife.”
His jaw clenched. “How can you, of all people, say that, after everything you witnessed between me and Eugenia?” He strode quickly down the stairs to the waiting carriages. “Let us drop the subject.”
“Oh, all right.” She sounded disappointed, but luckily, the carriage ride to the church was short.
The church was quiet inside. Lady Christine and Lady Gillray were already seated on the bride’s side. While Christine lookedexcited, Lady Gillray looked sour. The more Dominic saw Selina’s godmother, the less he liked her.
His grandmother and Percy took their seats on the groom’s side. He also noticed Austin sitting next to them. His friend grinned, still looking thoroughly amused with the situation.
Dominic grimaced and stood beside the priest at the altar. He didn’t have to wait long before the door opened and Selina walked in.
She wore a pale blue silk dress that trailed behind her. A white lace veil covered her hair, and she held a bouquet of roses in her hands. He realized this was the first time he had seen her in a dress that wasn’t an ill-fitting hand-me-down, and the sight of her only confirmed what he already knew. She was beautiful.
Her curves were tantalizing, and he wished he were going to spend the night undressing her and exploring her body. Heat rushed through him at the thought of it. For a moment, he wished this marriage were something more than just in name. He wished he could have Selina for himself.
But he dashed that thought away. Too much could go wrong if he tried to have a romantic relationship with his wife. He needed to think of Percy, who needed a loving mother to take care of him. He was marrying Selina for Percy’s sake. Not for himself.
Selina met him at the front and offered him a small smile. He nodded at her in return.
The priest conducted the ceremony, but Dominic was barely paying attention, already ready to have it over and go home.
He could not wait to go to his study and attend to estate matters until he forgot about this whole affair.
At least Dominic was not glaring at her during the ceremony. Instead, he looked withdrawn. When it came to the ceremonial kiss, he pressed his lips against hers for less than a second.
She couldn’t help but remember that kiss they shared during the Duke Hunt. For a moment, Dominic seemed to lose himself in the kiss. He had held her tight as he kissed her, which sent heat to her very core.
This kiss was passionless and short. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment. Even though she knew this marriage was in name only, part of her could not stop thinking about that first kiss and wanting more.
She looked at Percy, who wasn’t paying any attention to the ceremony. Instead, he was staring off into space. That little boy was the reason why she ultimately decided to go through with the marriage instead of running off in the middle of the night.
When she talked him down from the ledge, she remembered what her sister had said about finding purpose in the marriage.Perhaps her purpose could be helping Percy instead of finding employment.
She wondered if he understood what was happening today—if he understood that his father was getting married.
After they signed the wedding registry, it was time to go to Greystone Manor for the wedding breakfast. Dominic spoke to her for the first time that day outside of their vows.
“Perhaps you would like to ride in the carriage with your sister?” he said. “I know you were disappointed you didn’t get to see more of her after the Duke Hunt was over.”
She felt a pang of sadness at how eager he appeared to be to put some distance between the two of them. But, at the same time, she would not pass up the chance to spend a few more minutes with her sister. After today, she didn’t know when she would be able to see her again.
“Yes,” she murmured. “It would be nice to spend some time with her.”
She and Christine got into a carriage together. The dowager duchess persuaded Lady Gillray to join her in her own carriage, for which Selina was grateful. She’d had precious little time alone with her sister, after all.
Selina breathed a sigh of relief after the carriage doors were closed.
“You look beautiful,” Christina offered.
“Thanks. The dowager duchess helped me pick it out. I have a completely new wardrobe coming to the manor.”
“That’s exciting.” Her sister smiled, looking happy except for the tears in her eyes.
