AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No,” she said again. She felt bereft with the loss of his touch. “It will be hard, but we can wait knowing that we shall one day be in each other’s arms forever.”
He blew out his breath and straightened his oh so tight trousers and then his jacket, pulling the cuffs at the sleeve. “Forever,” he said with a gleam in his eye. “Yes, it shall feel like forever.”
She smiled up at him, as he took her hands in his. “Forever,” he said again. “There is no one else for me, Charity and I can wait for you.”
“There is no one else for me, Neville,” she added as he leaned in and kissed her softly, sweetly, chastely, with oh so much tenderness, her heart was like to explode with love. His lips held all the passion inside of him. When he broke the kiss, and she could think again, she thought, I am not marrying a rake. Like Julia, I am marrying a good and kind man. Like Lavinia, I am marrying a man who loves me, and I love him. Nothing was more important than that. Then the thought appeared that she would have to wait nearly a month, while banns were read until she could truly have him fully in her arms. Dear God, she thought how had Amelia and Samuel survived her year in mourning?
“A month. It is not so long,” she repeated, perhaps to convince herself.
“Forever,” he said. He clasped her hands as if he did not trust himself to hold her in his arms.
“Forever,” she whispered thinking a month was an eternity.
He rallied, and pulled her back towards the ballroom. “Come. We will be missed,” he said, and although they were not quite ready to announce their engagement, Charity shared the news with her special friends, Lavinia squealed and hugged her, Julia promised that she would dance at her wedding, but Amelia and Patience just nodded sagely and said they knew all along that she and Lord Wentwell were made for one another.
~.~
Epilogue
Neville smiled as he entered the dining hall where his wife to be, his mother and her mother sat over tea and papers. Having The Dowager Wentwell and Lady Shalace sitting down in a civil manner was an amazing chain of events.
“We were speaking of the wedding plans,” The Dowager Wentwell said to her son.
It seemed to him that lately, no one spoke of anything but the wedding. His mother was in a state, and he wondered what the problem might be.
“The Beresford wedding was lovely.” Lady Shalace said. “I do not see a problem having the wedding here in Bath. I know you would prefer London, Lady Wentwell, but I am sure it would be so much nicer at Bath Abbey.”
So that was it.
“It is so old,” his mother said. “I really would prefer London.”
They differed on the venue for the wedding. He knew he should just let the ladies be, but he also knew Charity wanted the wedding to be in Bath. “I do not think having the wedding in Bath will be a problem, Neville said, grinning at his bride-to-be.
“But you are an earl, and she an earl’s daughter,” his mother intoned. “I just thought London…”
“After all, Mother, you do know Charity is hoping to have her father walk her down the aisle. I think we should not wait too long,” Neville said. “And he does well here in Bath. He can take the waters the day before and then rest rather than taking a long carriage ride. Bath it is.”
Charity’s mother chimed in. “I am sure it will be so much nicer to have the service at the parish here, in Bath anyway. All of Charity’s friends are in Bath, and I am not sure a large London wedding is a good idea. We should keep this a family affair if we hope to keep my husband and your son calm.
Neville’s mother harrumphed.
“Even the Bath Abbey is large,” Neville said. “It is quite an aisle to walk.” He sent Charity a questioning look.
“But the Abbey is the Bath parish,” Charity said.
“Then I will make no objections, Neville replied with a smile at Charity, if my bride truly wishes it. I am sure that the quieter church in Bath will be better for Edmund as well.
“As you wish,” his mother said in a tight voice. She exchanged a look with her son, and Charity smiled down into her teacup thinking that Lord Wentwell had given his mother an ultimatum, be civil. Unfortunately Charity could give her own mother no such instruction, but she seemed to be on her best behavior anyway.
“I do hope your brother will be settled enough to come,” Charity did not want to exclude Edmund, but it was taking fate in one’s hands to expect both her father and his brother to get through the service without incident. She was glad that Neville agreed it should be a small family affair.
“Well if it must be in Bath, then we must make haste with the invitations, said Lady Wentwell. A number of the Peerage will still be heading back to London or still in Brighton and that is quite a ways to travel on short notice. It will be a hardship. I expect many regrets.”
I am afraid you are right, Mother. The inns will all be full to bursting, Neville said. There always seems to be a crush at the end of the summer season. Perhaps we should try to move the date forward. I am sure I can get a special license. He gave Charity a wink.
“Absolutely not,” Lady Shalace intoned. With your reputation, Lord Wentwell, can you just see the tongues wagging if Charity is married under a special license?
“I can recommend an inn in Upper Nettlesford, Charity said. It is only a day’s ride from Bath.
