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With that affirmation, she attempted to smile as the head attendant presented her with the box that contained Remi’s grandmother’s wedding necklace. Awed gasps echoed in the chamber as the two-tiered diamond necklace was reverently placed around her throat and fastened. And with that final click, her time was up.
Maddie blinked hard at the tell-tale sheen in her eyes as she caught her reflection. She’d woken this morning to a profound loneliness that had left tears on her pillow. For far longer than she’d wanted she had wished her father or even her mother were by her side.
That feeling had only intensified during the long hours of preparation, until it was balled in a dull ache in her chest. So receiving a hand-delivered envelope, and opening it to see a note from her father, had drawn more heart-wrenching tears.
On one last whim she crossed to her bedside table, picked it up and re-read it.
My dear Maddie,
The past few years have been difficult for all of us, but especially for you. I haven’t been there for you and I’ve let you down.
This note isn’t about asking for forgiveness. It’s about expressing my unwavering pride in you, my joy at your accomplishments and my awe at your strength.
My only regret today is that I’m not there to walk you down the aisle.
I wish you a long, happy and fruitful marriage, my dear.
As for forgiveness...perhaps one day I’ll ask for it. When I’m strong enough and worthy to be called your father again.
For now, with all my love,
Dad
She treasured the note, held it dear in her heart. But the truth was that she was in this alone. Her only relief was the fact that Remi had been insistent on coming clean about her family’s circumstances to avoid further scandal, and had sent out a press release about her father being in rehab. The expected furore had accompanied the news, but had died down very quickly soon after. Her past was no longer a secret, and she could walk down the aisle with her head high.
Accepting she would so alone, Maddie was stunned when she arrived at the entrance to the west wing, where her wedding carriage awaited, to find a tall, dark tower of a man bearing a striking resemblance to Remi waiting for her.
With suave elegance, he took her hand and brushed a kiss over her knuckles. ‘My brother told me you were walking down the aisle alone. I came to offer my services,’ he said, in the same deep voice as Remi. ‘I’m Zak, by the way.’
It took a moment to locate her voice. ‘Zak... It’s lovely to meet you, but you don’t have to,’ she managed shakily.
He shook his head. ‘My offer isn’t completely altruistic. I’m told I’ve been remiss in not getting involved in the wedding preparations. The least I can do is get to know my future sister-in-law before she actually marries my brother. So shall we?’
He held out his arm to her, much as his older brother had several times since she’d met him, but without the charming smile Zak displayed now.
Maddie took a deep breath and blinked back tears. ‘Thank you.’
Within minutes of settling next to him in the car, she felt her nerves come back full force, then intensify as the sheer volume of the crowd gathered to witness the ceremony overwhelmed her.
To her eternal gratitude, Zak kept the conversation light as they progressed slowly towards Duomo Montegova, the sixteenth-century cathedral reserved for royal ceremonies.
Maddie waved and smiled, but attempted to blank her mind to what was actually happening. Ironically, it was Zak’s presence, reminding her that she would be his brother’s wife before the hour was out, that made it impossible to get away from the fact that she was risking certain heartbreak by tying herself to a man who would never love her.
She knew she’d gone beyond risk the moment her senses leapt at her first sight of Remi, poised at the altar.
His grey morning suit was impeccable, its bespoke design highlighting his towering frame to perfection. The sweet flower girls before her, the pageboys carrying her train, the stunning lighting inside the cathedral and the soft gasps from the guests all faded away as Remi became the sole focus of her attention.
Even Zak’s slight stiffening when they reached the place where a familiar-looking socialite sat with her daughters, and a brief glimpse of a young woman’s pale face as she stared at Zak, didn’t dilute the potency of her connection to Remi. It was a miracle that she managed to place one foot in front of the other and breathe in and out as she finally arrived in front of the man who would be her husband.
She barely heard Zak’s murmured words as he handed her over to his brother. All she could feel above her thundering heartbeat was Remi’s grip on hers, that intense determination in his eyes.
‘You look breathtaking,’ he murmured gruffly.
The words sounded sincere, but she couldn’t help but wonder if he was wishing he’d said them to someone else. From behind her veil she searched his face—a futile task, but one she couldn’t seem to stop herself from conducting.
Was this destined to be her life? Searching for signs that Remi felt something for her other than duty and obligation?
A delicate throat-clearing from the priest refocused her. Automatically, she repeated the words she’d practised for the last week. The knowledge that they were final and binding forced a lump into her throat.
