Page 32 of The Mister I Married

Chapter Ten

The next three days seemed to pass in the blink of an eye and before Emmy knew it, it was Friday, and the day of her wedding was here.

Lying in her bed in the quiet of the morning, she stared up at the familiar cracks on the ceiling, thinking about her husband-to-be and the decision she’d made to marry him today.

It had not been an easy one to make and, even now with the wedding mere hours away, she still wasn’t completely convinced it was the right one.

She thought it might be. She hoped it was. But she couldn’t be sure, and that bothered her.

Alex seemed to have no reservations, and judging by the look on his face when she’d agreed to the change in their plans, he’d looked relieved, even happy. His quiet confidence that they were doing the right thing did bring her some peace of mind. He was a practical, clear-headed man, and she valued his opinion.

If he thought this was the right and proper course, there was a very good chance it was. At the very least, she knew in her heart it was the right thing to do for him, and for his father.

As for herself? She was less certain about that, but there was no denying the logic in marrying now instead of later. The sooner she provided his father with grandchildren, the sooner she could live the life she had always craved, swanning about London or Bath or whichever city should strike her fancy, going where she pleased, when she pleased.

The thought made her smile.

She would miss London this summer, and she was saddened by the idea of leaving it so much earlier than she’d thought she would, but she was trying to be positive. This hiatus would be temporary, and London would still be here, waiting for her, when she was finally able to return.

She had grown rather used to having her own way over the years, but sometimes one must make sacrifices with future returns in mind, and this was one of those times. The uncertainty of this new life scared her a little, of course, but she had agreed to it, and she would not go back on her word.

Although she did not love Alex, she did care for him, and it was important to her that she uphold her end of the bargain to the best of her ability. She wasn’t perfect, but she tried her best to be a good person, and she would try her best today, as well.

Raising her arms over her head, she was mid-stretch when a knock sounded at the door. A moment later, in breezed her mother, bearing a breakfast tray and a barely-restrained grin.

“Good morning, daughter,” Lady Keswick said cheerfully, shutting the door behind her with a bump of her hip. “I’ve brought the bride a little breakfast.”

Emmy sat up and leaned her back against the headboard, tucking the counterpane under her arms. “Thank you, but I’m much too nervous to eat.”

“I thought you might be,” Lady Keswick said, “so I’ve brought you dry toast and tea with honey.” She set the tray gently on Emmy’s lap. “I think a light meal will help settle your stomach, dear.”

The delicious aroma of honey and mint hit Emmy’s nose, and her stomach murmured its interest. “Perhaps you’re right,” she said before sipping from the steaming cup of tea. “Thank you, Mother.”

“You are most welcome, darling,” Lady Keswick replied as she crossed the room to the windows and drew open the curtains, welcoming in the warm morning sunlight.

She sat down on the bed beside Emmy and watched her while she ate a bite of toasted bread before asking, “How did you sleep?”

Emmy swallowed the bite then flashed a wry smile. “Poorly.”

“I would think it odd if you hadn’t,” her mother said with an understanding smile. “I’m sorry your brother can’t be with us today.” She patted Emmy’s knee. “You know he wanted to be. Sophie and Olivia, too.”

Emmy nodded. “I know.”

She’d given very little thought to her wedding day over the years, but she had never once considered the possibility her two dearest friends wouldn’t be there to share it with her. It did sadden her that they would miss it, but not nearly as much as she would have thought.

“This situation has been rather odd from the beginning,” she said with a shrug of one shoulder. “It seems fitting that the wedding should be a little odd, too.”

“Well, at least there was enough time to have your dress made,” her mother said. “Though I do wish we had had more time to devote to your trousseau. Every bride should have something pretty to wear on her wedding night.”

Emmy shook her head, setting her half-finished toast on the tray. “Ours is not that sort of marriage, Mother.”

“Yours is not a love match, true, but you do like each other. And you intend to have children, do you not?”

Emmy sipped her tea. “We do. However, I am fairly certain a silk nightgown is not essential for procreation.”

“Perhaps not essential…” Lady Keswick nudged Emmy’s thigh with her forearm. “But it can certainly make it more fun.”

The twinkle in her eyes made Emmy smile even as it made her want to groan. This sort of talk from one’s own mother was surely unnatural, just as the idea of donning silk underthings for her husband was laughable.