Page 24 of A Highland Duke to Claim Her Heart

Lady Cassandra and her father reached the end of the aisle, and Lord Pembury gave Ewan a long, appraising look before handing over his daughter’s arm.

Lord Pembury had not been happy to learn of the change in wedding plans. Yes, he had seemed hesitantly excited, when he had finally arrived at the castle, to learn that his daughter would become a duchess.

But he had also been wary, and Ewan could tell that he did not like how the situation had come about; that some part of him now found Ewan, and his brother, untrustworthy, as if he had been conned.

But since the con only benefited him, Lord Pembury had relented.

And now, Ewan took his daughter’s arm and settled her across from him at the altar. As he did, he noticed that she was trembling. He would not have thought, from the stoic expression on her face, that she was nervous, but as they turned to the vicar and he began to intone,Dearly Beloved…there was no doubt about it.

Lady Cassandra was nervous.

The vicar’s words filled the chapel, echoing off the stones and washing over the small assembly of people. There were only a few guests at the wedding, just Annabelle, Lady Cassandra’s family, and a few local families, but if Ewan could feel their eyes on him, he knew that Lady Cassandra must be even more aware of how observed she was.

She was a stranger in a new place, and yet, she was going through with this, with so much bravery that only a small trembling of her hands gave away her nerves.

He could not help but admire that. She was courageous.

The vicar reached the vows portion of the ceremony, and Ewan repeated his back gravely. Then it was Lady Cassandra’s turn. She spoke clearly and without a waver in her voice, but when he took her hand to slip the ring on her finger, it was still shaking.

He pushed the gold band slowly up her finger, and as he did, his eyes locked onto her. Fear flickered deep in them, and, against procedure or propriety, he leaned in close to her, bringing his lips to her ear.

“Everything will be well,” he murmured, so quietly that only she could hear it. “I will take care of you, Lady Cassandra.”

Then he drew back. Her eyes were wide as she gazed up at him, her lips slightly parted. He smiled softly, and something else flickered in her eyes.

Was it hope?

It was gone too quickly for him to tell, but he felt a little hopeful himself as the vicar declared them husband and wife and their guests burst into applause.

Hopeful that even if it was not an expected match, that it might be one where there was mutual respect. Maybe even companionship.

Lady Cassandra was shaking a little less as they walked back down the aisle together, and when they were seated next to one another at the wedding breakfast ten minutes later, she was even smiling shyly. The hall was loud already as guests began to fill in.

There were all those who had come to the wedding, but also more families from the area, including his tenant farmers, who had been invited to join after. And it did not take long before the wine and ale were flowing, noise traveling up to the rafters and making the hall almost deafening.

Meanwhile, Ewan sat next to Lady Cassandra at the top table, the two of them close but not quite touching. He kept stealing glances at her out of the corner of his eye, but he was not entirely sure what to say. How did one speak to one’s new wife?

Lady Cassandra… That is no longer what she is called,he marveled.She is Her Grace, the Duchess of Calder.

“Were you pleased with the ceremony?” he asked at last, for he knew he had to say something.

Cassandra glanced at him in surprise. It was the first time they had spoken since he had told her everything would be well.

“I was,” she said. “The only real surprise was the man at the end of the aisle.”

“Yes,” he chuckled. “I suppose that it will take some getting used to, that you have married me and not my brother.”

“Not just that, but the change in my title,” she said. “I am a duchess now. When I came to Scotland, I was not expecting that.”

“You would have been someday, anyway. Before you, I did not have plans to remarry and father a son. The dukedom then would have passed to Christopher.”

“I did not know that,” she said, her eyebrows raising slightly. “I suppose your life has changed a great deal today as well.”

There was a long moment, during which she seemed to hesitate, on the verge of saying something.

Then she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear, “If I am being honest, I am nervous.” Her eyes dragged up to his. “I am nervous that I will mess it up. I do not know how to be the duchess.”

Ewan smiled slightly. “I do not know how to be the duke,” he said. “If you ask most of my peers, they would tell you I am doing it all wrong, spending my days out mending fences and working fields instead of managing my farms from a polite distance. But I have found that the best way to get good at something is to do it yourself.”