She inhaled deeply and tightened her hold on her brother, her heart swelling with affection and gratitude for the family that had found her and loved her immensely.
And now, she would go on and make her own family and put the love she had received there.
“Are you ready?” Graham asked softly.
Isobel nodded, inhaling deeply.
“I am,” she said and meant it.
“In that case, I believe it's time to escort you down the aisle.”
It felt surreal, walking down the gorgeous pathway in Graham’s greenhouse that had been arranged for the occasion. There were only a handful of guests, consisting of Isobel’s siblings, in-laws, and friends she had made. The atmosphere felt so incredibly warm as their gazes followed her to meet her husband.
Richard was waiting for her with a look of serenity on his face, and she could not help but blush as Graham handed her to her husband-to-be with a gentle kiss on the cheek.
Once her brother was gone, Isobel focused solely on Richard, and her heart tumbled over him as she was nearly overwhelmed by the feeling of love within her.
The ceremony passed by far too quickly for her to grasp anything more than the vows they had recited to each other. That particular moment had been ingrained within her forever, and she could still feel the love coursing through her veins when the priest declared them ‘man and wife’.
The wedding breakfast was an exciting affair, and Isobel spent the better part of it receiving congratulations from the guests.
Valerie had held her tightly and expressed her excitement for Isobel, giddy that they both had married within weeks of each other. Adrian was also in attendance, and he fondly teased Richard for acting as though his world was ending when he intended to go after Isobel from the start.
Catherine came along with her husband, Sampson Richards, duke of Rosehall, in a tow, and they earnestly wished Isobel the very best, both of them hugging her tightly. Margaret urged her to relish in every feeling that came with being a new bride, and her husband, Lysander Millington, duke of Windermoor, expressed his dismay that Isobel would no longer have time to tease Graham with him.
“I will always have time for that,” she told him seriously. “That is never going to change, I can assure you.”
Although she had seen them when the ceremony began, she was still surprised to see the friends her siblings had introduced her to present.
“Our darling Isobel has been whisked away!” Eleanor Montague, duchess of Ironvale, cried, wrapping her arms around Isobel fondly.
“Do try not to sound so heartbroken, dear,” her husband Frederick Montague, duke of Ironvale, implored. “Her husband seems ready to bring down anyone who stands between him and his wife.”
“If I recall correctly, you were the very same,” Aaron Bolton, duke of Crauford, stated blankly.
“As were you, dearest,” his wife and duchess Selina chirped, reaching out to embrace Isobel too. “Congratulations, my darling friend. You look utterly radiant today.”
“Congratulations, Isobel,” Thalia Pratt, duchess of Ravenwood, beamed kindly, one of her hands intertwined with that of her husband, Benedict’s, as the other reached for her friend. “I pray your new home is blessed with immense joy and love.”
“We are all so very happy for you, and we hope that you will be happy for the rest of your days.” Nora Gale, duchess of Bancroft, said cheerily.
“Hear, hear! To Isobel and Richard!” Nora’s husband, the duke of Bancroft, Samuel Gale chanted, holding up his glass of wine.
The entire room followed suit, and Isobel felt herself flush from the love and adoration, smiling up at her husband.
“Let’s be happy together, for the rest of our days.”
Richard smiled back, leaning in to kiss her as he whispered against her lips,
“I can think of no better plan. I love you, Isobel.”
She smiled, feeling whole, content, and blessed, eager to see what lay ahead of them as she echoed the sentiment to her husband.
“I love you too.”
EPILOGUE
Leaving her family was only difficult until she found herself in the carriage with her husband.
