Page 34 of The Mister I Married

Emmy let the words wash over her, consequential yet strangely comforting in their tradition. Alex stood still beside her, his hands clasped like hers, his solid, steady presence soothing her, reminding her that she was not alone in this.

It was strange that she should find his presence so calming. After all, she hardly knew him. Some might say she didn’t know him at all, and considering they’d only met a fortnight ago, it was difficult to argue with that.

What did she know about him?

His middle name, apparently, was Lucius, though she’d only just learned that a moment ago.

She knew he was an unpretentious man with a preference for conservative waistcoats. He liked to ride. He loved his family and his dogs.

But how did he take his tea? Did he prefer coffee with his breakfast? Did he like to read before bed?

Did he like to read at all?

The weight of these unanswered questions settled over her, uncomfortable, unwieldy, but she reminded herself there would be time to learn the answers, and none of them were likely to make her regret marrying him. She was fretting for no reason.

“Emmy?”

She jumped, her cheeks flushing hot when she realized the clergyman had gone quiet, and he and Alex, who had turned to face her, were watching her expectantly.

“Apologies,” she mumbled, turning toward Alex. As she gazed up at him, it struck her how handsome he was today with his dark hair freshly cut, his silk cravat as white as snow, stark against his deep blue jacket and dove gray waistcoat.

He wasn’t quite smiling, but there was a distinctly satisfied glimmer in his eyes as he took her left hand in his right one and bent his head.

“With this ring, I thee wed…”

Smooth, cool gold encircled her finger as he recited the words, and she stared down at the alien piece of jewelry, a large yellow topaz nestled within a circle of diamonds.

It was the ugliest ring she’d ever seen in her life.

She smiled up at Alex the way a bashful bride should, and then, at the instruction of the clergyman, she and her husband-to-be knelt on the floor and began to pray.

They were married by half-past eleven.

He was a married man.

Alex blew out a slow, silent sigh and burrowed deeper into his seat as the carriage continued its trek toward Berkshire. He’d been a husband for all of two hours, and this new reality of his was slow to sink in. He was married.

A smile touched his lips. And this time tomorrow, he and his new bride would be in Berkshire at his beloved Bristlewood. He couldn’t wait to be home again. He hoped Emmy would come to love it as much as he did.

The carriage ride had been a quiet one so far, with his sister dozing on the seat across from him, her soft snores blending with the clatter of the carriage wheels.

Emmy sat beside her in quiet repose, looking lovely in her green dress as she peered out the window at the passing scenery. She’d been unusually subdued since they’d left London, but he supposed that was to be expected. It had been a long day, an odd day, and she’d just said farewell to her mother, and to her former life, a life she loved.

It stood to reason she would feel a little unsure and out of sorts today.

To some extent, he felt the same. Life would be different now, and there was no going back. That would make anyone feel out of sorts.

Mostly, though, he just felt good. This felt good. It felt right, and he wanted his new bride to feel that way, too.

“Emmy?” He said her name softly, so as not to wake his sister.

She turned from the window and looked at him, her expression undecipherable.

“Are you well?” he asked her, running his gaze over her face. “You’re awfully quiet.”

A small smile curved her lips. “Only tired. It was a rather hectic day.”

“Why don’t you try to sleep?” he suggested. “We have another two hours before we stop to change horses.”