Page 65 of To Steal a Kiss

Prue let out a breath of relief. “Well, then,” she said, tugging Alice’s arm through hers. “Everything is perfect. I took the liberty of arranging some things for you, so your trousseau is not an issue, and Robert has agreed to break the news to your parents in the morning, once you are truly married. He’ll arrange for your things to be packed up and sent to you at once.”

“Oh!” Alice looked back at the duke, wide eyed. “Oh, no! I… no, that won’t do. Not that I’m not grateful. Terribly grateful, but Nate and I must face them together. If we do not, it will seem as if I am ashamed of him, of what I’ve done, and I’m not, not in the least.”

“Well,” Prue said, giving Alice an admiring look that warmed her cheeks and made her feel a little less tremulous inside. “How brave you are, Alice, and quite right too.”

“Thank God,” Robert said with feeling. “I would have done it, of course, Alice, but I confess I was in far more of a quake than you appear to be.”

Alice laughed and the duke grinned at her. Suddenly, she felt as brave as Prue believed her to be. Nate was waiting for her, and that thought alone was enough to make her smile and put her anxieties aside. In little more than an hour she would be Mrs Hunt. It could not come soon enough.

****

Nate paced the aisle while Matilda looked on, an expression of affectionate indulgence in her eyes. Pulling out his fob watch, Nate checked it for the fifth time in as many minutes. One minute past eleven. Where was she?

“Nate, it’s barely eleven o’clock. She’ll be here.” Matilda’s voice was calm and soothing, not that it soothed him a bit. Nothing would until he saw her here.

“What if she changed her mind?” he said, the idea twisting his guts into a knot. “What if she was too afraid to go through with it, or her mother discovered her plan, or Mr Bindley arrived and—”

“Nate!” Matilda said, smiling at him and gesturing to the sudden shaft of sunlight which had illuminated the gloomy interior as the large oak door swung open.

He exhaled.

There she was, illuminated all around with golden light. Like an angel, he thought, too relieved to be nauseated by his own whimsy. By God, she was lovely enough to have wings.

Nate could do nothing but smile like a fool as she walked towards him, and his heart lifted as he saw the reflection of his joy in her eyes. There were no doubts in the summer blue of her eyes, no hesitation or regret, just happiness.

“Prue insisted we stop to buy flowers,” she said, the words shy and a little hesitant.

“Of course,” he said, noting the little bouquet of peonies. “I ought to have thought of that. She was quite right.”

She smiled up at him, and his heart felt as if it might burst. All the hopes and dreams he’d set aside for so many years and told himself he’d forgotten about crashed into him at once. He’d spent so long convincing himself he didn’t want them anymore, because he knew he couldn’t have them, that he’d almost believed it. Almost. Until Alice had needed a kiss in the moonlight to give her courage and, in return, she’d given him the courage to remember.

“You’re sure?” he asked, needing to hear her say it, although the answer shone in her eyes.

“I am,” she said.

So, they turned towards the altar and recited their vows.

***

Alice stepped down from the coach and looked up at the smart house on Half Moon Street that was now her home.

“Welcome home, Mrs Hunt,” Nate said, his large hand clasping hers.

She gave a shaky breath and smiled at him.

“Well, turtle doves, this is where I leave you,” Matilda said, leaning out of the coach window. “I’m going to stay with Prue and Robert for a few days, but you needn’t worry. I shall be moving out. You’ll not have a spinster sister hanging about your necks.”

“Matilda!” they both said at once, and Nate discovered himself relieved to hear the shock in Alice’s voice at the idea.

“You can’t think we would turn you out of your home,” Nate said, horrified that she should not feel welcome.

“Of course not!” she exclaimed, laughing at them both. “Indeed, you are both so good I know you will insist I stay, but it won’t do, I assure you. If you think I want to spend my days walking in on the two of you billing and cooing, you have more faith in my endurance for such nauseating displays than I do.”

“Oh, but Tilda,” Alice said, genuinely crestfallen. “We are sisters now, and I’d not chase you from your home for anything.”

“There, there,” Matilda soothed, smiling and quite unruffled. “It is time I established myself in any case. Don’t worry, you’ll still see plenty of me, enough that we’ll bicker like true siblings soon enough, I don’t doubt. Nate, I thought I might take that lovely little house on South Audley Street, if you don’t mind it? It’s been sitting empty since we moved here and it’s perfect for me.”

“Matilda,” he said, his throat tight. “I—”