“Oh Lord, the bride and groom are kissing again,” Warwick moaned.
“Just leave them there, they’ll find their own way to the castle. Granted, they’ll be covered in icicles,” Dev added.
“There’ll be more food for us if we do,” Cam said.
“There is that.”
“Why do people have to stare into each other’s eyes constantly? It makes me want to hurl up the contents of my stomach,” Warwick muttered. “I’ll never do that.”
“Because they are in love, just as I love Kate,” Rory said to Warwick as he held out his arm for her to take.
“Does that mean we have to go through this again?”
“Very likely,” Rory said, further shocking Kate. “What?” he asked at the look on her face.
“Y-you said you love me in front of all of them. Y-you talked about doing that.” She waved at Alice, who was still in her new husband’s arms.
“Because I do, and I think we should marry, don’t you?”
Her mouth formed a perfect circle.
“Oh, come on, Kate, wise up. It’s fairly obvious that if he loves you, he’ll marry you. I’d gut him if he didn’t, after all.”
“You could try,” Rory replied to Wolf.
“Can we discuss this further in the warm? Rose is tired,” Wolf added.
They jammed into carriages, children on laps, and Rory held Beth, as somehow she’d made it into his carriage with Max, Essie, and Samantha. Kate had been dragged into a carriage away from him, with the twins.
“’Lo, Uncle Rory.” Beth smiled up at him.
“Hello.”
She then proceeded to play with his necktie for the entire journey, and he let her. Essie took her when they reached the castle. Rory hung back until Kate arrived. She was last through the huge doors.
“Hello.” he took her hand in his. Needing to touch her.
“I love this hall.”
“Yes, it’s something special.” He led her to where their ancestors looked down on them.
“I see you in him.” Kate pointed to an austere-looking man in doublet and hose.
“Charming.”
“It’s in the jaw and the eyes.”
“Oh, now that’s fortuitous.”
“What is?”
“That’s mistletoe. I must thank James.”
“Is it?” She turned to face him. “I must thank Eden.”
“Your brother will likely thump me if he sees us.”
“I’ll thump him back.” She rose to her toes and leaned into him, and he felt his heart sigh.
