“Come then. Let us go and speak to my father and Sir Geoffrey and tell them of our decision.”
“I seem to be developing a habit of marrying family members in odd places,” grumbled Hugh.
James gave his father a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You shall have to make sure that any gentleman who offers for either Maggie or Claire’s hand in marriage agrees to be wed at St Paul’s cathedral.”
Hugh snorted. “Even London would be a good start. It is a pity your mother is not here today, but with the ongoing unpleasantness as a result of your behavior, she was adamant that someone stay with your sisters. We shall just have to have a celebration once you and your new bride return home.”
James keenly felt the absence of family on this most auspicious of days. He had attended enough weddings of his cousins over the past year to secretly wish that they were all sitting in the pews of the tiny family chapel, watching him now take his own leap into wedded bliss. Celebrations, of course, would come once he and Leah returned to London. But in light of the circumstance of their impending marriage, those celebrations would be kept strictly within the circle of his family. Along with the celebrations, there would also be repercussions to face. But first, he and Leah had to get married.
“I shall leave you to finish dressing while I go and make sure all is in readiness for you and your bride,” said Hugh.
James reached out and took a hold of Hugh’s arm. For a moment, they stood and silently looked at one another. He owed him so much. Gratitude. And love. Love for a father who stood by his children.
“Thank you, Papa. It is days like these that I am humbled to be your son,” he said.
His father chuckled. “You should be humble about that every day.”
After receiving a final fatherly hug, James went about checking his attire. He looked at himself in the mirror. His black suit was clean and pressed. The bronze-colored waistcoat with brass buttons, which he had worn on the day of Leah and Guy’s failed wedding, sat over a white linen shirt with a perfectly tied cravat. Sir Geoffrey’s valet had gone to great lengths to make certain the groom was immaculately turned out.
In his waistcoat pocket was a Radley family heirloom wedding ring, part of the collection passed down to his father by his paternal grandmother. It would match perfectly with the betrothal ring gifted to Leah by her grandfather.
The small family chapel which faced the Tresillian River was chosen for the ceremony. Leah and James had politely refused Hugh Radley’s offer of the use of the cathedral at Truro. They had arrived at Mopus Manor in a quiet fashion, and they would begin their married life together in the same way.
Sir Geoffrey escorted his granddaughter down the short aisle, and when they reached where James stood, he placed her hand in James’s. Leah wore a pale blue day gown, with some seaside daisies and ribbons threaded through her hair. Her simple, elegant attire suited her better than her first ostentatious wedding gown had done.
James chanced a look at Leah, and they shared a smile.
“I never dared to dream that I would get to make you my wife. This is the happiest day of my life.”
She nodded. “You are the happily ever after I have always dreamed of, James Radley. Let’s get married.”
Together, they faced Hugh Radley.
Chapter Forty-One
James held Leah by the hand as they climbed the steps to her bedroom. As of tonight, it was their bedroom.
Her tight grip on his fingers was the only outward sign of her nerves. Thank god her mother had given her the talk the week before she and Guy were due to marry. The conversation had been somewhat vague, but by the end of it, she had finally got an idea of what to expect.
He stopped at the door. “Ready?”
She nodded, laughing softly as he picked her up and carried her over the threshold and into the room. With a well-timed kick, he closed the door behind them, then set Leah on her feet.
A blush of heat burned on both of her cheeks and James bent and traced his fingers over the patches of blush. She shivered at his touch.
“Don’t be nervous. I will take good care of you. Trust me,” he whispered.
“I trust you. Hopefully the nerves will soon be gone.” Leah lifted her lips to his, offering up her mouth. James hungrily took her lips with his, kissing her deeply. She slipped her hands around the back of his neck before running her fingers over his short brown hair. She luxuriated in its softness.
Her fingers eventually drifted from his hair to the buttons of his waistcoat. She flicked them open one by one, softly humming as she worked. She was nervous, but Leah was determined not to be the passive partner in this encounter. She wanted her new husband to know that she trusted him.
James shrugged off his jacket and waistcoat. Then his hands set to work on the buttons of Leah’s blue gown.
“This won’t suffer the same fate as your other wedding gown,” he said.
Leah sucked in a deep breath. James leaned in and kissed her neck, the warmth of his lips sending a thrill of sexual heat down her spine. Her whole body was full of nervous anticipation.
Once laces and buttons were dealt with, and her gown removed, all that remained covering her was her thin muslin shift. She put a hand on James’s chest. “You are still in your clothes. Is that fair?”
