Matthew
Waiting at the end of the aisle of the small chapel, Christian by his side, Matthew rolled his shoulders.His jacket felt uncommonly tight in a manner it had not before.The gathered guests filled the pews since the chapel was not all that large.Matthew was glad not to have the full might of thetonwatching him from St.George’s.
Thetonwould be disappointed, he was sure, since this made two ducal weddings in a row that they missed, but he was glad of their absence.Besides, they should have gotten their fill from the pomp and circumstances of Gregory and Tiffany’s wedding; they did not need his as well.Matthew had no interest in feeding the voracious appetite of thetonmore than necessary.
In fact, he was rather looking forward to being a boring married man of theton, which would have much less expectation being pushed on him than a single duke in need of a wife.Granted, there would be interest in his heir, but as Matthew was also interested in the process of begetting one, he did not mind that as much.
He was very eager to start tonight.
The doors at the back of the chapel opened, and he straightened to attention.Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Christian doing the same thing.
Bridget and Charlotte came in, side by side, walking with stately elegance.Bridget was smiling widely, chin up, beaming as she glided down the aisle.Charlotte appeared fierce, her expression solemn, her wide, pale violet eyes staring at him intently as she walked beside her sister.
“Is it just me, or is the little one rather spooky?”Christian murmured in his ear.
It was not just him, but Matthew could not answer him without turning toward him, and he was a little afraid to take his eyes off Charlotte.
They got to the end of the aisle and took their seats next to his grandmama, which meant he could relax now that they were under her eye.She nodded approvingly at them, and Bridget preened while Charlotte remained serious and unaffected.
Miss Belle appeared at the back of the chapel, beautifully regal, gowned in a rosy hue that matched her given name.Matthew was aware of Christian stirring beside him.The two of them truly did seem to cause each other discomfort, but Christian was who he’d wanted standing beside him for his wedding, and he did not think Johanna would have chosen anyone other than Miss Belle to stand up with her.
If she was discomfited by the sight of Christian at the altar beside Matthew, it did not show in her demeanor as she came down the aisle and took her place.Her focus immediately went to the doors as the music changed and swelled.
Matthew felt his breath catch in his throat.He’d seen other men standing in this position, waiting, and he had never wondered how they felt.Never thought they might feel any differently than they normally did.
Maybe they did not.
But he suddenly felt a surge of anticipation, of momentous occasion, the way he sometimes felt when his coin was spinning in the air while he waited for the outcome of an important decision.As if the whole world had come to a brief halt, waiting with bated breath for the dice to fall.
She appeared at the back of the chapel on her brother’s arm, but Matthew barely saw Micah.Johanna took all his attention.
The veil covering her face could not obscure her beauty.The pale netting nearly matched her hair beneath it, blending together, though the sparkle of the amethysts in her tiara shone through.The dress she was wearing was pale purple, though not quite lavender, and clung to her figure.Her amethyst necklace rested on the white lace that decorated the silk, adding a matching glitter to her tiara.
As she came closer, more of her features came into focus.
Her wide violet eyes.
Her pink bow of a mouth.
The slight blush in her cheeks.
After Micah completed the portion of the ceremony where he gave her away to Matthew, he stepped away, leaving Johanna’s hand in Matthew’s.She took her place across from him, her fingers still held in his.
The way she was looking at him reminded him of when he’d seen her a few days ago, on the stage about to be sold.
And he’d purchased her.
Not for a night, but for the rest of his life.
Which was only hitting him now at this moment.
Thankfully, he did not need to do much but say the appropriate answers at the appropriate times, prompted by Father Michael.He had not realized how very struck he would be by this moment, looking at the woman he was tying himself to.
His wife.
Johanna
The wedding went by in a blur.The vows, the brief press of the duke’s lips against hers, then she was a duchess.But she did not feel any different.She still felt like herself.
