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Chapter Fifty-Five
Evelina stood at the altar in her royal-blue gown, surrounded on all sides by friends and family, her whole body alight with nerves. Thomas, bright-eyed, if a little tired, stood across from her, holding her hand in his warm, smooth palm, as the vicar guided them through the ceremony.
Her heart was in her throat as she said her piece, and Thomas his. Declarations were made. Papers were signed.
They were married at last.
The moment it was declared that the ceremony was concluded, Thomas’ face broke into the happiest smile she had seen on him since the devastating truth of the late Duke of Elvington’s murder had come to light. As the crowd exited, everyone excited by the prospect of the extravagant Venetian brunch that awaited them, Evelina refused to take her eyes from Thomas’ face.
The face of my husband,Evelina thought to herself, a warm, safe feeling bubbling up inside of her.
As they stepped outside of the venue into the cold air of the late morning, side by side, little snow flurries danced down from the clouds, melting against Thomas’ cheeks and eyelashes. The same must have been true for Evelina, for Thomas reached over and dared to brush some of the tiny white crystals from her cheek with the warm pad of his thumb.
“There,” he said quietly, just for her to hear, “I would not want my wife to suffer cold on today of all days.”
Evelina did not know how she could possibly feel cold, inside or outside, with Thomas at her side. She wished she could lean into him then and there, or even skip ahead to after the remainder of the day’s festivities, when they would share their first night together as husband and wife. She longed to continue from where they had left off so many months ago now, when Thomas had met her in the shed, and pressed his body atop hers…
“Evelina!” Diana called, from further down the steps with the rest of their family. “What are the two of you doing, dawdling like you are? The festivities have only scarcely begun!”
Evelina, pulled from her thoughts, laughed at her sister’s gleefulness. She felt Thomas’ presence at her side, and could sense him smiling as well.
From there, the rest of the afternoon passed by in a flurry of toasts, dancing, fine food, and congratulations from seemingly everyone Evelina and Thomas had ever known. The Duke and Duchess of Horwich, alongside their daughter, wished Thomas well. Even Jerome—who had very nearly been dis-invited altogether—limped up to Evelina with his cane, and said he hoped she and Thomas had a fine future together, albeit a bit stiffly.
Perhaps the disaster that played out between Father, Gerard, and him has taught Jerome a bit about humility, Evelina thought as she watched him disappear once more into the crowd.
“I’m glad to have a son-in-law who knows the business,” said Father during lunch, with Mother nodding enthusiastically at his side. “Perhaps the monopoly your Father and I discussed truly will be a possibility now.”
“That’s the matter you’re focused on?” Diana jested from her place across the table. Her eyes sparkled as she looked between Thomas and Evelina. “I keep thinking that they make such a handsome couple, the beauty of their children will put the next generation of thetonto shame!”
Thankfully, the comments of the rest of thetonin attendance also erred on the side of positive and encouraging, despite all the scandal that had proceeded Evelina and Thomas’ union.
It was late in the day when the festivities began to wrap up. As couples and individuals began to depart, servants retrieved their coats and helped them into carriages, and as the orchestra played its final songs, Evelina found herself with a quiet moment alone. Thomas was several feet away, conversing fondly with his mother, who Evelina herself had become especially fond of over the duration of their official courtship, and her own parents and sisters were busy seeing out the guests.
Matilda, always hovering nearby, approached her side. “For what it is worth, My Lady, I am deeply pleased to see how beautifully everything has worked out for you in the end.”
Evelina gave her lady’s maid a teasing smile. “What do you mean, ‘For what it’s worth?’”
Matilda shrugged. “I suppose…well, even before you were betrothed to Lord Wilmore, I suspected you were unhappy with the prospect of what awaited you in the future.” She turned her gaze toward Thomas, who was nodding with respectful attention at whatever the Dowager Duchess was telling him. “I am glad that someone like His Grace had the fortune of meeting a woman of the greatest caliber, such as yourself.”
Evelina found herself unexpectedly touched by Matilda’s words. Around a lump in her throat, she said, “Thank you Matilda. You should know that I think of you as not just my lady’s maid, but as the truest of friends.”
Matilda’s eyes widened in shock, and her cheeks colored as she looked away. She smiled slightly to herself. “In truth, I could not ask for a better—or more entertaining—employer.”
Evelina couldn’t help but laugh. There had been a time, not too long ago, when such familiarity with one another would not have even been considered between the two of them. She was glad that throughout the duration of this difficult Season, she had had someone like Matilda as an ally, willing to take her at her word and trust that the risks Evelina had chosen to take were worthwhile.
After all, maintaining the confines of propriety had never truly been very high on Evelina’s list of personal priorities.
Shortly after, the crowd had dispersed in its entirety. Evelina’s family said their goodbyes and well wishes. Even the Dowager Duchess took her leave of them.
Evelina and Thomas were escorted to the bridal chamber, where they would spend their first night together as husband and wife.
The room was larger than Evelina had expected. As she stood in its center, while Thomas drew back the blankets and took his time ensuring everything was as it ought to be, she couldn’t help but feel her nerves from earlier returning.
This was it.
There was nothing stopping them now.
She turned toward her new husband and watched silently as he lit, and then blew out, and lit the candles beside their bed a few times over, as though he could not make up his mind as to the best way to proceed. It brought a smile to Evelina’s lips. Thomas could have just asked the servant to handle these little details before dismissing her, but it brought a warm feeling to Evelina’s chest to see that he was perhaps as nervous as she was.
“Thomas,” Evelina said, daring to come up behind him and wrap her arms around his waist. She could feel the smooth slab of his abdomen beneath the folds of his waistcoat, and the back of his neck smelled of a subtle, rich cologne. “Look at me.”
Thomas had gone completely still at her touch, his breath hitching, but now he turned around and repositioned them so that they were facing one another. Her arms draped around his neck. His, around her waist.
“Evelina,” he said, voice rough, “I—”
“Shh.” Evelina leaned up on her tiptoes to peck him on the lips. “We’ve done a great deal of talking, and you know all too well how I swoon at the sound of your voice. But right now, I should like to be touched.”
The last bit came out as more of a growl than words.
When Evelina pulled back and looked at him, Thomas’ eyes were dark with desire. Gripping her even tighter, he wasted no further time in lifting Evelina up and pinning her down on the massive bed beside them.
