Two Years Later
Vanessa
Miss Vanessa Gardner looked in the mirror and hardly recognized the vision she saw. It was her face that looked back at her, of course, though with paler cheeks than normal. But it didn’t seem like her body, cloaked in the finest gown she’d ever worn. Her wedding gown, with a light yellow pelisse that had elbow-length sleeves with crisscrossed lace accents. Beneath was a white gown, with a finely brocaded skirt. Her dark hair was piled high on her head, interwound with jewels and flowers from the garden right here in Brightvale, her intended’s estate in the seat of Warwick.
Her intended. That part didn’t seem right, either. It had happened too fast, been too rushed. And it hadn’t been her choice. Her parents had seen an opportunity to undo damage done two years ago and they had taken it with barely a by your leave to her.
Such was her life. She was a commodity to be traded, for good or for ill. Like a horse or a goose or a plot of unentailed land. Something to be handed off along with their piles of money in exchange for connection to a title, something that would elevate their status in Society. In this case, the Viscount of Warwick.
Arthur.
Sometimes Vanessa forgot his name, truth be told. She’d stare at him across a room and for a moment her mind would go blank. And then she’d find it again, to her great relief, and try to find some way to permanently attach it to her mind. But perhaps after today it would stick. Or after tonight when they had made the union legal in body, as well as by law.
She shivered. She wasn’t really looking forward to that, either. The viscount never looked at her with desire. She didn’t feel any for him.
“What a marriage,” she whispered, and bent her head. Then she pushed the thoughts away. Save jumping out the window and running away, there was no escape. She found herself leaning closer and looking out said window. No, she was too high up to survive the fall. So matrimony it was and there was no avoiding it.
She sighed and looked toward the door. It was odd that she was still alone. Unlike most days, her maid, Mary, had not been the one to ready her this morning. Taken ill, the woman who had done the work in her place had said. Strange since Mary had seemed fine the night before when she helped Vanessa in her nightly preparations. Distant, perhaps, but not unwell.
And Vanessa’s mother hadn’t joined her either, nor her father, as she readied herself. She had a few friends who had made the trip to Warwick for the ceremony, but the most important of that small number had also not been seen yet, either. Had she been abandoned? Or perhaps the world had come to an end and she was the last woman standing.
With a little smile at the ridiculousness of that notion, she moved to the door and opened it, looking out into the quiet hallway. For a house about to host a wedding, there was no pageantry or celebration to be heard.
“It’s more like a wake,” she muttered, and crept down the hallway toward the stairs. Still there was only silence to greet her, and so she decided to go down and began peeking into parlors for anyone who could help her pass the time until she was marched down the aisle to her fate.
Her future. She had meant her future, of course. Fate sounded so dire.
“Miss Gardner.”
She froze at the sound of her name being spoken behind her. She recognized the voice, even though she had heard it used very rarely. Slowly she turned and found herself face to face with Warwick’s friend, Mr. Benedict Norfolk. God help her, but she caught her breath at the sight of him wearing his formal clothing. He was, after all, one of those meant to stand up with her intended and witness their walk into a lifetime together.
He was devastatingly handsome, this man. Tall and lanky, with a wiry strength about him that his casual swagger said he didn’t feel driven to prove. He had an angled face with high cheekbones and brown eyes that were always bright. Like he’d been laughing just before he saw you. And he always had a smile on his face.
Except for now. Now he was just staring at her, his mouth a little slack. He cleared his throat and said again, “Miss Gardner. You are lovely.”
Heat filled her cheeks and moved decidedly southward down her betrayer of a body. Her future husband she felt nothing for. This man…well, she wouldn’t consider it.
She bent her head so that he could no longer hold her gaze. “Thank you, Mr. Norfolk.”
“I’m surprised to see you roaming the halls—I thought you were meant to be secreted away until the big reveal as you were led down the aisle.”
“Yes,” she said with a shake of her head. “And yet I’ve seen no one this morning beyond one of the household maids. I was contemplating whether I was the last one left on earth, actually. But here you are.”
He chuckled and the low sound worked up her spine. “Perhaps we are the last two. I suppose it would fall on us to repop—” He cut himself off with a shake of his head. “That’s a distasteful joke, I apologize.”
She found her breath short. She wasn’t offended by the words she knew he was about to say. But she didn’t find them funny, considering she’d been contemplating her attraction to the man. If they were the last two left, she could have done far worse for a companion.
“I don’t suppose you’ve seen my father or mother?” she asked, choosing not to address the matter.
His brow wrinkled a little. “No. You know, now that you say it, I realize I haven’t seen much of anyone this morning either. Why don’t you allow me to escort you downstairs? We can search them out together.”
He held out an arm as he said it and she stared at it. It was a very nice arm, she could see that even when it was encased in layers of fabric. There was no way to deny him, so she slid a hand into the crook of his elbow and tried not to suck in a little breath of awareness. He smiled at her, then led her down the stairs.
Together they moved along the hallway, looking in parlors and other chambers for any of the wedding guests or family members. At last she opened a door and inside was one of her dearest friends, the Marchioness of Egerton. Relief swelled in her when she saw Merritt, and she released Mr. Norfolk as she stepped inside.
Merritt rose and drew in a long breath. “Oh, Vanessa! You are gorgeous!”
“Thank you, as are you,” Vanessa said as they exchanged a kiss on each cheek.
