Their engagement had been fun, exhilarating, and oh-so-sweetly frustrating. The wedding planning had stretched only two months into the early summer, but Alaina and Christopher thought the wait interminable. With fewer balls and dark balconies at the end of the season, there had been only a few stolen moments to tide the young couple over until after the wedding. After one such encounter in late May, Christopher thought he might have to swear off seeing Alaina altogether, for fear of what public spectacle he might cause in the throes of passion.
On that particular occasion, Christopher had found a private alcove, not too far from the Sussex townhome ballroom, where a stolen kiss had turned impassioned, crushing Alaina’s silk dress roughly against Christopher’s more hearty attire, causing telltale wrinkles, but thankfully no snags. As Christopher trailed kisses from her lips to her collarbone and to the swell of her breasts above her dress, both of them had been swept away in the moment. He seemed to have more than two hands, all roaming her body with clear and frantic intent. With Christopher’s hand on her derriere, he pulled her full against the length of him, exposing the full extent of his desire, a hard and hot brand pushed against her lower belly. Unfortunately, just then a familiar voice had broken through their cocoon.
“Where do you think they have gone?” came Charlotte’s query, Edward giving a non-committal grunt in response.
Such a simple question had acted like a bucket of cold water, breaking the couple apart in a hurried attempt to repair their appearance and calm their racing hearts in time for Charlotte and Edward to round the corner. Partially shielded by the curtains, Christopher had remained out of sight while Alaina rushed to join her parents, making some excuse of being lost on the way to the ladies retiring room.
It was Christopher’s reaction that made Alaina cherish the memory. Even with the inopportune interruption, Christopher had uttered words of love and left her with an affectionate peck on the tip of her nose, before taking a large step back into the shadows and raking his hands through his hair in an attempt to gather himself.
The memory made Alaina chuckle almost silently, but loudly enough to catch Charlotte and Evelina’s attention. Each saw the wistful look in Alaina’s eyes and were loath to interrupt the reverie, but felt the need for a good-natured teasing.
“You know there are only a couple of hours until we have to call you Marchioness. It is too late to back out now, you know,” Evelina was the first to venture into the conversation.
Alaina rolled her eyes, but it was Charlotte who countered the notion out loud. “If I had to venture a guess, I would imagine Alaina cannot wait for the end of the day. I remember that wistful look, young love.”
“Thanks, Mama,” was all Alaina had to say before turning her attention back toward the window, this time with a more focused eye to the grounds of Waverley.
Charlotte and Evelina had originally suggested a wedding in London, citing the ability to invite all of society. An added bonus was the lack of requirement to house everyone for what was to be quite a celebration. However, Christopher had been adamant about being married at his family’s country estate.
In addition to being an ancient fortress with a moat, mostly for show now, the Rochester estate was still an operational castle in at least one sense of the word. A small abbey was on the grounds, attached to the manor house behind one of the remaining castle fortress walls. The stature of the abbey spoke to a time when each fortress was its own living and breathing city, housed behind stone walls, Waverley being no exception. Time had seen most of the main walls demilitarized, as the need for fortresses for protection dwindled. In some places, walls were removed, or additional gates were added for function. The abbey maintained a pastor and a small staff to see to the religious needs of the estate, performing weddings and logging births and deaths of those who lived in the keep and the surrounding area, including tenants.
According to Christopher, he had seen little utility of the abbey until this moment. Looking down at the wedding preparations, Alaina smiled and had to agree; getting married here was splendid, certainly outshining any wedding they could have planned in the crowded city of London.
From her set of rooms, given to her and her family in the week leading up to the wedding, Alaina could see the rose bushes curl around the inner wall on the west side of the manor house, and tents erected in the vast courtyard to provide shade or shelter depending on the weather. The tents themselves were colored to match the roses, in shades of red and pinks and greens, giving the courtyard, once used for battle preparation, an almost fantastical air. Just at the edge of her vision, Alaina could see the largest tent setup, with tables and chairs enough for one hundred people, a small wedding gathering by the standards of the ton, but a perfect size for the marquessate.
Alaina knew that beyond that tent was the abbey, waiting for her and Christopher today, and she sighed with pleasure. “Well, it seems it is close to that time,” Alaina said, turning from the window to face her mother and sister, both beaming from ear to ear. “Shall we make our way to the abbey?”
Charlotte was blinking back tears as she nodded, when a knock at the door sounded.
Anne, Alaina’s lady’s maid, who had been hovering in the corner of the room, her preparations long finished, rushed to open it, allowing Edward to enter. His eyes filled with tears of happiness and pride, barely able to get out the words, while presenting his arm to Alaina. “Shall we? We certainly do not want to be late.”
Christopher stood near the altar at the end of the aisle in the small abbey. It was almost more of a chapel, with simple but sturdy pews on either side of a short aisle, only twenty or so feet from the front door to where he stood. Christopher knew more space stood behind the wall used as a backdrop of the altar, mostly records from its inception to the present, but the space for guests was limited.
Christopher shuffled his feet, and looked around the room. The stained-glass windows gave the abbey a surreal presence, the color splashes falling on the flowers attached at the end of the pews, the faces of the guests, and the walls, making everything a kaleidoscope. Given its size, not all one hundred guests were present for the actual ceremony; only the closest relatives and friends were in attendance. The main door straight down the center aisle had been opened to allow in the mild summer breeze, as well as a view of the proceedings for the rest of the guests standing outside.
Luckily, the weather was sunny and nearly cloudless, meaning all the festivities could occur outside with no issues of weather. The sun was still on the eastern side of the manor, given the morning hour, and would soon be overhead, making the tents set up outside the abbey a requirement for a comfortable summer wedding celebration.
At approximately the eleventh hour, a side door opened, and Graham emerged, making his way to the altar where Christopher stood and clasping his friend on the shoulder in a reassuring gesture. A quick nod between friends was all that was needed to signify things were about to begin.
Christopher retrained his eyes on that side door, one he knew led down a narrow hallway that connected to the manor. What once allowed priests to pass safely to the keep without detection during raging battles now allowed Alaina to traverse most of the length of the house without causing any stir among the guests.
First to arrive at the door were Charlotte and Evelina, dressed for the day in happy shades of mauve and pastel pink respectively, to match the roses that were in full bloom all over Waverley. As they made their way to the front pew, a murmur could be heard rippling through the guests, who all turned to the door in anticipation of the bride’s arrival.
Edward stepped through the side door first, stopping to turn and offer his arm to the soon-to-be bride. As Alaina stepped fully into the light, all eyes were transfixed by her beauty, but none more so than Christopher’s.
Her dress was matched perfectly to her personality, deceptive in its simple silhouette but more complex and unique upon closer inspection. The cut was only slightly fuller than everyday wear, but the train that trailed behind gave it extra body, embroidered with a variety of roses in the lightest of pink to match the most delicate blooms in the surrounding gardens. The empire waist was accented with the same embroidery, and was perfectly complemented by slim sleeves reaching just above Alaina’s elbow.
Christopher’s eyes took in the whole vision, lingering on Alaina’s bosom, modestly covered for the wedding, but its full pertness revealed by the close cut of the dress. Her head was covered by a full long veil, but through the gauzy fabric, Christopher captured Alaina’s eyes and smiled what he thought was a flash of a debonair grin, but ended up being one of pure unadulterated joy, without pretense. He imagined her lustrous dark hair piled high on her head, tumbles of curls, specially tended for the day, perfectly placed in rivulets down her back.
As Alaina walked down the aisle on her father’s arm, it was as if only she and Christopher were in the abbey. She could see that he had dressed with extra care, just the same as she. To her, he looked resplendent in a dove gray ensemble, perfect for a sunny summer day, almost like a rain cloud holding a quick summer shower. The breeches were tucked into tall black riding boots, as was usual for Christopher; no fancy shoes, even at such an important affair. They were clearly Christopher’s best, but riding boots all the same. A crisp white shirt and vest tapered to a trim waist, where the breeches sat, well fit but not overly snug. An overcoat of the same gray color accentuated Christopher’s broad shoulders; his height made him an imposing presence, but to Alaina, he very much looked like her knight in shining armor.
Edward delivered Alaina to the altar, where the pastor, whom Christopher and Alaina barely noticed, too smitten and in awe of one another, mumbled some words. Edward responded, looking between the couple one last time before patting Alaina’s arm and placing her hands into Christopher’s outstretched ones.
One final step up and Alaina was perfectly in front of Christopher, his steel-blue eyes shining brightly into her own. Christopher was overwhelmed by the love shining through the warm pools of umber and honey beneath her veil.
All the while, the pastor continued his speaking, Alaina and Christopher mumbling their replies when necessary, and the small congregation replied in kind.
“Will you support this couple on their journey of matrimony?”Yes,came the reply.
