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“How is he doing?” his father asked, concern suddenly etched on his face.
“He is doing all right, considering the circumstances,” Kenneth replied truthfully.
There was another brief silence.
“I failed him, son. And my failure sent him down the wrong path,” the Duke confessed, his voice completely solemn.
“You should go see him, Father,” Kenneth replied.
The Duke sighed heavily.
“I can’t. The damage has already been done,” the Duke said in resignation.
“No damage is beyond salvaging.”
“Tell that to a broken egg,” the Duke countered, causing him to chuckle again.
“You are wise, as always. I trust in your wisdom, however, you would see that a broken egg can still find use in the batter.”
“And you are astute as always, son. I will think of something to do to make restitution for my shortcomings. In the meantime, your mother asked me to tell you to ensure that you do not come late to the church. That she knows you have a penchant for coming late to events and it would be a shame if you were to do same at your own wedding.”
“Oh my goodness! Mother!” Kenneth burst out laughing.
There was definitely no way he was going to be late to his own wedding. The exaggeration from his mother and its resulting laugh, however, were most welcome.
The Duke stayed another hour before leaving.
After his father’s departure, Kenneth went straight to bed. He had a long day ahead of him tomorrow and needed all the rest he could get.
He was awakened by Lord Calbrook the next morning.
His best man had worried so much about him being late that he had shown up at his house earlier than scheduled to wake him up.
“Dear Lord! It’s not even bright outside yet,” Kenneth complained.
“It doesn’t matter. Just get up and stay up. If we are late for any reason, your mother is going to make sure that I’m skinned alive,” Lord Calbrook retorted.
“Please! Mother would do no such thing.”
“Oh, but she will. She already told me in clear terms,” Lord Calbrook responded.
“She talked to you, too?” Kenneth grumbled.
Eventually he got up and began getting ready for his wedding. And in keeping in line with the promise to the Duchess, Lord Calbrook had him in church long before any of the guests began to arrive.
“I hope you are happy?” he complained to Lord Calbrook for their unusually early arrival.
“Happy that I get to keep my skin? But of course. I like my skin very much,” Lord Calbrook responded with humor.
Eventually, the guests had begun to arrive and soon after, the wedding ceremony had begun.
As he stood waiting in front of the altar with the priest and his best man, his eyes began roaming through the crowd.
Some of the faces he saw, like those of Lord Rockgonie and Lady Anna, pleased him. Some, like that of Lady Charlotte, didn’t.
He turned his attention to the doors because in that moment, they swung open and in walked the most beautiful lady bride he had ever set his eyes on.
The smile on her face was radiant and with every step she took closer to him, the vision of the blissful future they were headed towards became clearer.
“So beautiful,” he whispered, without realizing.
“And she is all yours from today. Congratulations!” Lord Calbrook whispered back.
A smile spread across his lips as she continued to advance, her steps syncronizing with the soft music that was emanating from the pipes of the church’s organ.
By the time she had arrived beside him, everything else had faded into the background. The priest’s voice sounded like an announcer from afar. The music melted in the background, turning into something that was more felt than heard. The guests became blurry figurines in the backdrop of a perfect moment. Nothing else mattered except the lady standing in front of him saying, “I do.”
Dear Lord! I am certainly the luckiest man alive.
The End?
