“Lady Clara, might I suggest that you would have a better view of the ceremony from the seat over there? It’s where the guest of honor sits.”
Clara furrowed her brow for a moment as she digested the words.
“I’m the guest of honor?”
Nathaniel feigned shock.
“Did no one tell you? Oh dear, I’m sure that everyone was so distracted with the rest of the wedding that we must have forgotten this vital piece of information. Yes, there is always a guest of honor at the wedding, and they are given the best view. They also get the biggest serving of dessert, but only if they sit in the right seat.”
Clara smiled, the mention of dessert swaying her. She allowed Nathaniel to lead her away. Before he turned, Mary mouthed ‘thank you’ to him.
Nathaniel only realized the flaw in his plan when he approached Clara’s chair. Charlotte was right beside it. His jaw clenched. Every muscle tensed. He felt as though he were going to erupt with molten heat.
“Lady Charlotte,” he managed to choke out, although his voice wasn’t his own. It was a strangled thing, mangled by emotion. Their eyes met, and he felt as though he had been punched in the gut. He gave her Clara’s hand. Charlotte reached out to take it, intending to help Clara onto her chair.
Nathaniel’s fingers brushed against hers. It was a sunny day, but in that moment, it felt as though a lightning bolt had been flung from the sky, directed toward him. Her skin was soft and warm, her fingers delicate, and while it only lasted a moment, the sensation upon his own flesh lingered.
He took his hand away, cradling it as though it had been plunged in ice. He bowed his head, unable to look at her again, for he might well have died. He turned and took his own seat as the wedding commenced.
Nathaniel attempted to keep his gaze focused on his brother. He tried to listen to every word spoken, every vow made. In the end, he was only half-listening. His attention was stolen by Charlotte. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and when that wasn’t enough, he stole full glances, wondering if she could feel the burning heat of his gaze.
It was as though a dam had broken in his heart. Now that he had finally acknowledged his feelings for Charlotte, they poured out in a relentless torrent, and he wasn’t sure if they could ever be quelled. In Honoria, he had seen the future that awaited him without Charlotte. Marriage to a dutiful, obedient woman would, ultimately, bore him.
But was it too late?
No.
Alfred was right.
Nathaniel had never been shy of pursuing what he desired before. Why should this be any different?
And then she happened to look over at him, and it was as though she looked right through his clothes, his flesh, all the defenses he had erected over the years.
He was exposed to her, fully and completely.
He was in thrall to her.
He had beaten her at cribbage. He had been on the winning team in the garden game. He had even found the ball before her.
But those were mere battles. In the scope of the war, he hadn’t stood a chance, not since that first volley she had fired. That first kiss ensnared him, changed him.
And now, he needed her, because the only thing that waited for him otherwise was a grim, lonely void.
“I now pronounce you man and wife.” The declaration was met with a rousing round of applause. People rose to their feet,cheering happily. Nathaniel was a step behind them, having only just been shaken from his thoughts. He clapped his hands together forcefully to show his support and celebrate.
Alfred leaned toward Mary’s unveiled face, and they sealed their vows with a kiss in front of their friends, family, and under the eyes of God. That was the way it should have been, of course, not hidden in shadows, stolen in secret.
Nathaniel’s gaze turned toward Charlotte again. She was looking at him. There was a profound look in her eyes, and he wondered if she was thinking of their kiss, too. Something was pulling them together, something binding them like invisible chains.
And yet, there was a chasm between them.
“Good show, a jolly good show.” Edmund came up to Nathaniel and took his hand, pumping it firmly. Nathaniel naturally turned away from Charlotte, focusing his attention on her brother. “It’s almost enough to make me consider marriage,” he laughed.
“I look forward to seeing who you choose as your bride. They will have to be special to stand out from the crowd,” Nathaniel said.
Edmund continued laughing.
“They will indeed!”
