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Nathaniel turned towards her and took both her hands in his. His expression had softened, and she could see that he was every bit as affected by the moment as she was. His thumbs moved gently over her fingers, and she felt a delicious fluttering in her stomach as she realised that within a few moments he would be her husband.

The words were simple. They stood before their assembled family and declared that they took one another as husband and wife, speaking their promises clearly and without hesitation. Kate had expected to feel nervous, but instead she was filled with an overwhelming sense of calm. She looked into Nathaniel's eyes as she made her declaration, and when he spoke in return, his voice was deep and steady.

The scotsman beamed at them and declared them man and wife. There were then signatures to be made in his marriage register, with her mother and father acting as witnesses. It was over almost before Kate could blink.

For a moment she simply stared at Nathaniel, unable to take in what had happened. Then his face broke into an enormous grin, and he caught her about the waist and kissed her more enthusiastically than was proper before an audience. A great cheer rose from her assembled family, and she heard George calling for the wine to be poured while her mother laughed gaily.

"Well, there ye are!" declared the anvil priest, looking pleased with himself. "Another happy pair wed here at Gretna Green! Though I cannae say I'll be forgetting this particular wedding in a hurry. Never seen the like of it in all my days!"

Kate laughed as Nathaniel released her, and before she knew it she was being embraced by her mother and sisters, kissed upon both cheeks by George and congratulated by everyone in the little room. Her father was the last to approach, and when he took her into his arms, she was surprised to discover that his eyes were bright with tears.

"Oh, Papa," she whispered, hugging him tightly. "Please don't be sad."

"Sad, my darling? How could I be sad when you are so happy?" He kissed her forehead and held her close for another moment before releasing her. "Although I should have preferred to see you married at Pemberley. I had imagined a grand celebration for my Katie Kat, not a little parlour on the Scottish border."

"But Papa, it was wonderful. And you were all here with us. I could not have wished for anything more."

He smiled down at her, his expression softening. "Then neither could I, my dear. I am very happy for you."

Her mother appeared beside him and slipped an arm around his waist. "There now, William. I told you it would all turn out beautifully."

"Yes, my love, you did," he replied with a sigh. "You are usually correct about these things." Her mother laughed and kissed his cheek before turning to embrace Kate once more.

Before long, they were making their way out into the bright sunshine, and Kate found herself walking beside her new husband, her hand tucked securely into the crook of his arm. Nathaniel looked down at her with a look of such unbridled happiness that she could not help smiling back.

"Lady Ashbourne," he said softly, as though trying the name for the first time.

Kate laughed. "Good heavens, I shall never get used to that. I think I preferred being plain old Miss Darcy."

"Then perhaps I ought to have married you as Mr Briar after all."

"Oh, no," she said, slipping her arms around his neck. "I am very happy with the gentleman I have married, whatever he chooses to call himself."

He bent and kissed her again, and she felt a thrill at the knowledge that they were truly married. She had imagined this moment so many times, wondering what it would feel like to belong to him and have him belong to her, but the reality far surpassed anything she had pictured.

The wedding breakfast was a rowdy affair at the local inn, celebrated with meat pies, questionable wine and so much laughter that Kate's ribs ached. George made a speech that made her blush furiously. Her father attempted to interrupt him on several occasions, but George was not easily discouraged, and by the time he had finished, even the innkeeper was laughing heartily.

Mina presented them with a little sketch she had made of the wedding, although she had taken certain artistic liberties with the appearance of the anvil priest, giving him a grander waistcoat and a magnificent set of whiskers. Bella declared that it was the most romantic wedding she had ever attended, which George protested was a terrible slight upon their own. William was entirely unconcerned by the occasion and spent most of the meal sleeping on his mother's lap, while Pegasus lay beneath the table collecting whatever scraps he could persuade the company to offer him.

Kate could not remember ever having enjoyed herself so much, although she found her attention wandering to Nathaniel often. Whenever their eyes met, he smiled at her, and beneath the table, he caressed her hand lightly with his thumb. She blushed, thinking of the hours ahead when they would finally be alone, and wondered if he was looking forward to them as much as she was.

Now she sat in the bedchamber of the inn, alone and waiting for her new husband. Sarah had helped her out of her gown and into a pretty white nightdress of soft cotton, which her mother had given her as a wedding present. It was trimmed with delicate lace at the neck and sleeves, and she felt a little self-conscious as she looked down at herself. Her hair had been brushed out and fell in loose curls down her back, and although the room was warm, she had wrapped a light shawl around her shoulders.

The chamber was comfortable enough, with a large bed hung with pale curtains, a cheerful fire burning in the grate and a small table upon which someone had placed a vase of flowers. Through the open window she could hear the occasional sound of voices from the inn yard below, and somewhere in the distance a horse whinnied. It was all very ordinary, and yet nothing in Kate's life had ever felt less ordinary.

She was married. Catherine Georgiana Darcy, who had once declared that she would be perfectly content to spend the rest of her days amongst her books at Pemberley, was now Lady Ashbourne, wife to Nathaniel, Viscount Ashbourne. Although they had agreed that, for the sake of Nathaniel’s antiquarian work, they would be known as Mr and Mrs Briar for the foreseeable future. Kate was pleased with the arrangement. She had grown fond of the name Briar, and it would be strange to have people addressing her as Lady Ashbourne. Tomorrow they would begin the journey north towards Inverness and the excavation that awaited them there.

How extraordinary life was. Only a few months earlier, she had been hiding from her family beneath an oak tree, attempting to read Mr Lyell in peace. And then a ridiculous gentleman in an outrageously bright waistcoat had appeared in her father's library and turned her world upside down. She smiled to herself at the memory. How very little she had known of him then. She had thought him a silly, overdressed fool, and now she knew him to be the cleverest and most wonderful man of her acquaintance. He had shown her a world beyond the books she loved, and more importantly, he had never once suggested that she ought to give up her interests or become someone other than herself. He loved her mind as much as she loved his, and the prospect of spending her life beside him filled her with a happiness she could not contain.

She heard footsteps in the passage, followed by the soft sound of the door opening, and turned to find Nathaniel standing upon the threshold. For a moment he simply looked at her, and then his face broke into that wonderful grin she loved so well.

"My love," he said softly, crossing the room towards her in a few long strides. Kate felt her stomach flutter as he approached. She had been looking forward to this moment all day, and now that it had arrived, she found herself blushing like a schoolgirl. It was ridiculous, really. She knew how it felt to be kissed by Nathaniel, how easily he could make her forget herself when he took her into his arms. But tonight there would be no need to draw apart, no fear of someone coming upon them. He was her husband, and as his eyes travelled over her in her thin nightdress, she felt a warmth spread through her and dropped her eyes to the carpet.

Nathaniel must have sensed her uncertainty as approached as he spoke with gentle, tender tones. He took her hands in his and lifted them to his lips, kissing each in turn before looking down at her, his gaze soft on hers. "Well, my darling Cathy," he said softly, "we have done it. We are married."

"We are," she replied, laughing a little. "Although it does not seem real. It all happened so quickly."

"Are you disappointed? Would you have preferred a grand wedding at Pemberley, with a thousand guests and a fine breakfast?"