Now, they were to begin the business of forever. Together.
Then, the vows came. Augusta had attended weddings before, and knew what the script would ask of her. Still, saying it aloud made her oddly emotional, each word carrying new weight.
“...to have and to hold from this day forward…”
Someone to hold. Someone who understood her and did not run. Only weeks ago, she would have confidently stated that such a thing did not exist. Not for her.
“...to love and to cherish and to obey…”
Perhaps she would have to work on the obedience part. Brazen lies were not the most obedient act a wife could undertake.
It was not the first time the thought had occurred to her. Sneaking around with Dr. Pinkton had been one thing when less people would be affected by the potential scandal. Now Sebastian and his mother and sister would be impacted by anyripples she caused in theton.
Which was why she had resolved to tell him, at some point. Not right away, during their honeymoon; she would not be seeing patients during the next few weeks as they celebrated their honeymoon. Afterward, however, she would sit down with Sebastian and tell him everything, even if it meant giving him the means to stop her. He deserved to know the truth of it all, come what may.
For now, though, she would simply enjoy becoming Lady Brightwater. Once the awful ceremony of it all was over with, of course.
Eventually, that moment arrived. The vows had been said, the rings exchanged, and Augusta was sent off to ready herself for the carriage.
After collecting the small accoutrements she had brought with her, she made her way toward the back of the church, where the carriage would be waiting near the exit. Reginald had promised her that she would be spared the knowing looks of everyone watching her leave with her new husband, affording her some modicum of privacy in what had turned out to be the least-private moments of her life. Leaving through the back felt more clandestine, which Augusta was growing far too accustomed to.
She had nearly reached the back door when her brother called out her name. Spinning around, she saw him striding toward her.
“The carriage is ready,” he said, coming to a stop before her. “I just wanted to say…well, God, I suppose I just wanted to say that I am proud of you.”
Augusta stiffened. The heaviness of the day hit her all at once, fueled by the kindness in his tone. “Oh, Reginald, do not do this to me right now…”
“I promise, I will not become a sop. Actually, I wanted to touch on something a bit less sentimental and more pragmatic.” Clearing his throat, he could not quite manage to meet her eye when he added, “How much did Mother tell you of the wedding night?”
Any tears that had threatened to fall instantly dried up at her brother’s unsophisticated attempt to discuss the birds and the bees. Augusta scoffed. “Reginald, let me spare you the humiliation; I know precisely what occurs in the marriage bed.”
“Oh, thank God,” he breathed out in relief. Then, suspicion flashed in his eyes. “Wait, how doyouknow?”
“Ginny has four elder sisters, they’ve told us everything. I have also read plenty of medical books and seen more copulating from the farm animals back in Derbyshire than I would have preferred. Trust me, I am not walking in blind. You are freed from your duty of explaining anything to me.”
“Good, good,” he said, and Augusta thought she saw the gratitude of Lazarus in his eyes. “Well…this may be a bit gauche to say, but good luck.”
Despite herself, and the fact that she had spent the better part of the week being poked and prodded and stared at, and although she was about to begin a life with nary a forethought, Augusta laughed. “Your eloquence knows no bounds.”
Reginald chuckled at that before taking a deep breath, his shoulders more relaxed now. “Well, I am going to go home and get blissfully drunk, alone, in my own home.” Looking around the church walls, he sneered. “God, I hate churches.”
Augusta tutted. “Oh, don’t be blasphemous. At least not until you get outside again.”
With that, her brother left her. When she turned,she found Sebastian standing in the doorway, leaning casually against its frame. Sun streamed in behind him, silhouetting his figure.
“Are you ready, my dear?” he asked, emphasizing the last two words with a bashful smile.
She was, surprisingly. Though she knew that she was about to walk into an intimate experience that was quite foreign to her, she found that she trusted Sebastian to walk her through it with all the care and attention a bride could hope for.
“Yes,” she said, “Is the carriage ready?”
He nodded and, allowing her to take his arm, walked her out. Inside the carriage, silence welcomed Augusta. She exhaled with relief as the door shut and the horses trotted off, leaving the whole charade behind.
“Feeling alright?” Sebastian asked, looking her over with concern.
Though they had not spoken much over the past few days, Augusta had frequently caught him giving her this same look. She did not know why, precisely; she did not believe that she had displayed any concerning behaviors.
“Do I not look alright?”
