Page 59 of The Haunted Duke

“Do not tease him so, darling,” Bridget offered softly to Adrian.

At his side, Caroline laughed.

“Of course, Jeremy would be up before dawn to put on his wedding clothes,” she remarked, then placed a hand on her belly with a small, rueful smile. “Though I suppose I owe you an apology for not showing up for our first wedding, my love.”

“Do you think it is possible he might not show up?” Damien murmured with a grin as he rubbed Caroline’s hand.

Though his words startled Helena, Elara, who had drifted over with Constantine, folded her arms and studied the church doors with a considering look.

“I do wonder,” she admitted. “He did not look at all like a man eager to be married, if I am honest. I saw his face when his grandmother announced that the day was getting closer. This is highly suspicious.”

“Elara, do not start,” Adrian said as he waved a hand, but Caroline was intrigued.

“What a mystery! I suppose we will find out what is going on soon enough. I wager he ran away to the Indies after all.”

“Now is not the time to make such jests, my dears,” Patricia scolded, shooting first Elara, then Caroline, an impatient look. “If he is not asleep or lost or running late, where on earth could he possibly be?”

The dowager shot a fretful look back at the crowd as the others suppressed their laughter.

“Oh!” Patricia exclaimed. “Evander! Thank heavens you are here!”

Helena turned her head toward where Patricia was looking, and her heart fluttered as she watched Evander walk calmly through the open crowd. He looked more handsome than ever in his tailored black suit. But instead of his usual black cravat, he was wearing one that matched the shade of the hydrangeas in Helena’s bouquet, as if it were a small gesture acknowledging what she found beautiful.

“You can tell us where Jeremy is, can you not?” Patricia asked, anxiously gripping Evander’s arm as he stopped before her.

“I can assure you he is quite fine,” Evander promised her calmly.

Then his eyes drifted to Helena, and her breath caught in her throat as she saw the devotion twinkling in his bright blue eyes.

“However, there has been a slight change of plans,” Evander went on, reaching for Helena’s hand.

Helena slid her fingers between his gloved fingers, relief and joy flooding her heart.

“It is not Jeremy who will be marrying Miss Robinson today,” he went on, moving to stand at her side. “Instead, I will be taking on that honor.”

Gasps erupted into the air, but none were as loud as Patricia’s. Her eyes widened impossibly as she turned a deathly shade of white, and for a moment, Helena feared the woman might drop dead right then and there.

“Your Grace… I mean Patricia… Are you—” Helena floundered with her words as she moved to Patricia’s side, but with surprising speed, Patricia stepped away from her as if she were poisonous.

“The scandal!” Patricia boomed, clutching her hand to her chest. “You two? This entire time? What about my poor Jeremy? Where is he? Is that why he has gone? Because of the betrayal of your tryst?”

“I assure you, Jeremy is not only in good health but is in even greater spirits because of this change of plan,” Evander explained calmly.

“Lies!” Patricia screeched. “Jeremy promised me that he would marry this time!”

Helena held Evander’s hand tightly, her worry growing to new heights as Patricia seemed to be moving toward a fit.

“Come now, Grandmama,” Damien said, matching Evander’s calm tone as he stepped up to join them all. “You know in your heart that Jeremy did not want to be married. It was only from your constant insistence and guilting that he finally agreed.”

He turned to Evander and Helena then, and Helena was startled by the raw acceptance and understanding in the man’s eyes.

“Besides, it is clear that it is these two who should be getting married. Just look at them. It was not Jeremy by Miss Robinson’s side, taking on the responsibility of this celebration, but Evander. It was Evander who chose not to allow her to carry such a weight alone. If Jeremy truly did want to marry her, he would not have left her here alone in the first place.”

Helena glanced at the crowd surrounding them, comforted that at least a good many of their guests were starting to look more understanding than aghast. She found her mother’s eyes, and to her surprise, Mary-Anne smiled at her warmly, a silent reminder that all she truly wanted for her daughter was happiness.

“No,” Patricia insisted. “He just needs a good talking to, is all. Damien, go find him. Tell him he needs to perform his duty and—”

“I love you, Grandmama, but no, I will not,” Damien interrupted her. “This pressure you have pushed upon poor Jeremy is very obviously far too heavy a weight for him to take on. Let him live the life he wants.”