The chef put on a five-course meal for them (with two dessert courses), giving Aurelia and Oliver an excuse to linger until near closing, enjoying the time alone together before the wedding festivities moved into full swing.
As they walked home, Oliver took her hand and reminded her that this was their last date before they’d make things official.
“That’s right,” Aurelia said dreamily. “I keep thinking how lucky we are that ours will be a marriage of true affection.”
Oliver stopped in his tracks and let out a burst of laughter. Aurelia had taken a step forward before she realized, and he pulled her back to him.
“What? I was being very romantic. Why’s that funny?”
“A marriage of true affection?” he repeated, laughing still.
“Well, Ihadgreat affection for you, until you started laughing at me,” Aurelia said, teasingly trying to pull away from him as he wrapped his arms around her.
“I have nothing but ‘true affection’ for you,” he said, kissing whichever part of her face he could reach as she tried to wriggle free. “Even though you’ve been spending too much time around nineteenth-century characters who use phrases like ‘a marriage of true affection.’”
Aurelia stopped her attempts to escape and her mouth fell open.
“Oh, honestly… I didn’t even notice, but you’re right—Lizzy used those exact words the other night!”
They were both laughing, then, and she kissed him.
“Do I need to add to my vows that I’ll promise not to recite archaic sentiments I’ve overheard from the characters?”
“You can use whichever sentiments you like, as long as they’re nice ones,” Oliver insisted, kissing her again before taking her hand in his and leading her home.
They’d fallen asleep together, but fortunately when Aurelia’s alarm went off just before midnight, it only woke her. She slipped into the bathroom to change, then went downstairs to make her usual cup of coffee while she waited for everyone to appear. The relief of being back in a routine—of having things back to normal with her, with Oliver, with everything—washed over her again. Well, it was a better state of normal than she’d had before, she reminded herself, since she was no longer carrying the burden of a secret.
Her thoughts were scattered by the mists that began rising above the Recommended Reads table, and she broke into a full grin as she watched the characters arrive.
She couldn’t help the good mood that was bubbling out of her, leading the characters to ask if she’d had some pleasant news. Aurelia told them she’d had a good few days and was happy to see them, which was true. But in the last hour before dawn, she made a confession to Lizzy as they sat together on the window seat.
“Actually, I do have some excitement happening in my life.”
“Indeed? I sensed your protestations may have been masking some intrigue.”
“Well, it might seem like a bit of intrigue… I want to tell you, but I’m afraid I might shock you.”
Lizzy drew up her eyebrows and leaned in, inviting Aurelia to continue.
“Oliver and I aren’t actually married—not yet.”
“Not yet married… But did you not tell us that you had left him sleeping upstairs this evening?” Lizzy whispered.
“I did.”
Lizzy’s eyebrows rose still further, but a smile continued playing at her mouth. Lizzy’s sister had run off and lived with a man for a few days before eventually marrying him. It had caused a brief family scandal, but it was smoothed over, leading Aurelia to hope Lizzy might be a little more open-minded than other characters from her time might be. That thought reminded Aurelia that she ought to clarify something.
“Oh! In my time, men and women often live together when they’re not married. It’s pretty common, actually.”
“Is it? And is this something that your family deems… appropriate?”
“Our parents know we live together,” Aurelia said, trying to suppress a laugh at the thought of any of them disapproving. “It’s all above board—really—and we’re getting married in just a few days.”
“Will it be a well-attended wedding?” Lizzy asked carefully, perhaps thinking of her sister’s rapid, under-the-radar ceremony.
“It won’t be a big do, but our friends and family are coming. It’ll be just there, actually,” Aurelia said, pointing out the window to the square. “We’re having the ceremony outside, which is also somewhat common in my time,” she added.
Lizzy’s shoulders relaxed and she leaned toward Aurelia again.
