“Aye,” she whispered, her mind made up.
“Aye, as in ye will marry me?” he asked, sounding incredulous.
She nodded and he pulled her even closer though she thought that was impossible. And as his head dropped to hers, he captured her mouth in a searing kiss that matched the one the other night. Something deep in her belly stirred.
As if awakening. And this time when his tongue sought entry, she did not resist. She gave herself into his kiss, pushing her hands through his hair and his hands moved down her back, slid lower, cupping her buttocks and pulling her closer to him.
A throat cleared in the doorway, and Willamina practically tumbled backward trying to put distance between her and Finlay. “Cousin!” she exclaimed, hand on her heaving chest.
“Shall I assume by that display I just witnessed that the wedding is still taking place?” He glared at Finlay. “And I will say that if ye say nay, after what just happened, my cousin is now compromised, and ye will marry her.”
“Gil, dinna be obtuse. And dinna threaten Finlay.” She looked back at Finlay and was taken aback by the emotion on his face. Mayhap they could have a happy marriage after all. If his kisses were a preview of what was to come, she could only imagine. She shook her head to clear it from her straying thoughts. “The wedding will go on as scheduled.”
Finlay pulled her back to him and kissed her neck, causing her to shiver and her skin to heat.
Gil scoffed. “Ye are no’ married yet, Primrose. Save it until after your vows. I willna have ye defiling my cousin in my home.”
Willamina could not help but roll her eyes as her cousin spun and left the room. Noticing the time, she gasped. “We must make haste. The time for our ceremony draws near and neither of us is ready. I am to meet with Gwen and Clarissa to help me get ready soon.”
Finlay gave her a charming smile. “Fear no’. I can bring ye to them. Gather whate’er ye need. I will load it onto the carriage.”
“Thank ye. I shall fetch Joan as well.”
She rushed out of the room, fearing her face was red as the skin of a ripened apple.
In her room, she rang the bell to call for Joan. Her body was a bundle of nerves. She tried to sit and wait for her maid to arrive, but she could not sit still. Finlay had set her nerves afire and she was not sure what to do about it.
Guilt still niggled its way under her skin for not revealing her past to him. There was also the part of her that felt like a hypocrite. And for all her thoughtful bravado earlier, in the back of her mind, she still worried that if she told him the truth of what had happened before, that he would call the ceremony off. That couldn’t happen. No matter what, she needed to get married. Today.
“My lady?” Joan appeared in the doorway. “Are ye unwell?”
“Nay, nay, I am fine. We must make haste. We will be traveling with Fin—Lord Primrose for the ceremony.”
A huge smile broke out on Joan’s face. “So ’tis still happening?” She nearly squealed with excitement, clapping her hands together.
“Hush, Joan! He may hear ye.”
“Sorry, my lady,” she whispered. “This is good, aye?”
Willamina blew out a breath but could not keep the happy smile off her face. It was good, was it not? “I believe so, Joan. Now let us gather e’erything we need for the day. Lord Primrose will send for the rest of our things later.”
Quickly, they chose the items needed, including the boxes from the modiste that contained her wedding dress and the lacy nightdresses the woman had designed, even though she would not be wearing them.
Or maybe she would.
An hour later, her trunk and boxes had been loaded onto the back of Finlay’s carriage and the three of them were tucked inside on their way to Rosewood Manor.
Gwen and Clarissa met them at the door and whisked Willamina away into the room Clarissa and Alexander were staying in whilst they visited. In a whirlwind, she was transformed into a beautiful bride.
As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she couldn’t help but smile; tears threatened to spill. She had never felt or looked so beautiful. This was such a contrast from her first marriage.
“Dinna cry, Willamina. What is wrong?” Clarissa asked. “Do ye no’ like it? We can change whate’er ye are unhappy with.”
Willamina shook her head. “Nay. ’Tis the opposite. I love it. Thank ye.”
Gwen settled in beside her and patted her knee. “Tears of joy are the best thing. I am glad that ye and Finlay resolved the incident from last night. I am sure Fingal had his reasons for airing such grievances during dinner, but ’twas no’ the right time to do so.”
Willamina nodded. She could only surmise that his ultimate goal was to stop the wedding. If he prevented that from moving forward and Finlay didn’t marry in time, then the title would go to Fingal. A purely selfish move. But titles and money made one act addlebrained sometimes.
A knock sounded, and Alexander’s voice called out from the other side. “Ready? I am to bring ye to the chapel.”
Willamina took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. For a wedding that was only for paper, she felt just as nervous as if it were real. All those around them thought it was real and she supposed some of that weighed on her shoulders as well. Even after Fingal’s outburst, Finlay’s friends didn’t think any differently. Mayhap he had taken them aside and explained things to them and they were acting how he wanted them to.
She could not stop the little voice in her head whispering to her that she wished it could be real. Of all the men she had met,Finlay was by far leagues ahead. A greater match she couldn’t wish for. And Gil was happy that he would finally be rid of his cousin and any responsibilities that came with her.
Her heart seemed to rule her lately. It was slowly letting Finlay chip away at the walls she had built around it. And she wasn’t even upset about it. Instead she found herself looking forward to the future. Something she hadn’t done in a very long time.
Clarissa clasped her hands and pulled her up. “Ye look beautiful. Finlay will be speechless.”
And he was. When she rounded the corner on Gil’s arm and began walking down the aisle at the small chapel tucked away into a corner on the estate, Finlay’s mouth dropped open before he snapped it shut his Adam’s apple bobbing, the tip of his tongue darting out to wet his lips. Those ice-blue eyes locked on hers and for the first time, she believed this was real.
