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There was some argument, but the dowager stared them down, holding open the door for them to mass exeunt shamefacedly from the room. Fanny’s mother tried to hold her ground, but the dowager had other ideas, saying, “Out,” pointing to the door and Mrs. Fairbanks curtseyed to the formidable old lady and left.
The door was firmly closed behind her. “Breathe, Frances; this is your big day and nothing can spoil that,” the old lady said softly. “Now how did you want to have your hair?” she asked, beckoning the maid who was quaking in the corner of the room forward.
“I was thinking of wearing it loose with just this ring of flowers,” Frances admitted diffidently.
“Excellent, but I brought my tiara for you to wear, which will state clearly that I support the match and silence any of the sticklers who want to make gossip. Ah, who have we here?” the old lady asked as she noticed a small dark head peeking from under Fanny’s bed.
“Miss Lily, do you like ice cream?” she sweetly asked the little girl.
“Iceth cweam, love iceth cweam,” Lily said while crawling out and taking the old lady’s hand.
“Now, if you’re very good and stand still while your maid gets you ready and then stay close to your aunties in church, you will have as much ice cream as you can eat; that will be nice, won’t it?”
“Yes…”
“But you will have to be very, very good,” the old lady said, bending down to kiss the little girl. “Shall I come with you? We will have to go slow as I do not walk very fast,” and the little girl trotted along holding her hand as the old lady led her to the nursery.
It was nearly twenty minutes before everyone could be assembled downstairs, but a series of carriages were already pulled up outside the townhouse ,and it was a military operation to load up all the siblings and Mrs. Fairbanks into the first carriages to set off for St Paul’s. Frances looked ethereal in a gauzy gown of silver and white, with a bouquet of white roses arranged with sweetly fragrant other blossoms. Frances was unworried, she was radiant, soon she would be ‘her Simon’s’ wife and they would live happily. She would ensure it.
“Thank you, my lady, for dealing with the catastrophe upstairs. I was too terrified to dare to intrude,” Colin admitted.
“I did what was necessary, and Miss Frances makes such a lovely bride. Now could you hand Miss Lily into the carriage first, my lord, please?”
Lily, Frances, the dowager, and Colin climbed aboard the beflowered and ribbon-garlanded carriage which set off toward the cathedral.
Only a few guests had been invited to St Paul’s, but when word of the impending marriage went around the ton, it was something no one wanted to miss, and many presumed upon a slight acquaintance to fill the pews in the glorious Christopher Wren Cathedral. The dowager, Mrs. Fairbanks, and her other sons slipped into their seats at the front of the church as the organ swelled with a wedding march. There was some muttering about the absence of Lord Havisham’s mother and sister, but so far no one knew why. That was a secret that the ton’s gossips would work hard to winkle out.
To Frances it was a long walk down the main aisle of the church, over the black and white tiles, flanked by the massive white stone columns and beneath the golden vaulted ceiling leading to the magnificent interior of the dome where Lord Havisham and Nicholas Fairbanks waited for Frances to arrive on her brother’s, the Earl of Celdon, arm. Her sisters and daughter following in her wake, each looking sweet in a different pastel color. The crowd gasped, as those ‘very bad Fairbanks’ were a truly beautiful family when they were on their best behavior. Lily had been provided with a small basket of rose petals which she strewed around and delicately threw them at the congregation.
Fanny did not remember much of the wedding; she was staring at her husband to be Simon as he stood beside her, looking so handsome and so much in love. He winced and rubbed at his head gingerly. Fanny leaned into him and whispered, “Simon, what is it?”
He made no answer, the bishop intoned his words, they repeated their vows, and everyone cheered and clapped. Soon it was all over, and she was leaving the church on Simon’s arm. Lily tripped over the hem of her dress and suddenly the church was filled with her howls of pain.
Simon turned Frances back, and he bent down to pick up the little girl, and so the little family left the church together as handfuls of rice were thrown over them. Both Simon and Fanny had brought small purses of silver sixpences to throw to those outside the church and these were caught up by onlookers and unfortunately fought over.
As Fanny’s bridesmaids left the church, Fanny called out, “Penny, catch,” and she tossed her beautiful bouquet to her, and Penny clasped the sweet flowers to her chest.
They entered the carriage, and Fanny’s smile disappeared at the terribly intent way Simon stared at her.
“What is it?” she asked softly.
“Come here,” he whispered, his voice sounding hoarse.
Fanny sat in his lap and slipped her hand about his shoulders. Simon hugged her to him, and she felt him smile into her hair.
“Fran, my sweet,” he murmured.
“Yes?”
“The first day I saw you walking in the wood, reading a book, I thought you an enchanted creature. I told you so, and how you laughed at me.”
A roaring sound started in her thoughts, and she was so afraid to move she only hugged him to her tighter.
“I did not fall in love with you after four days; it was the moment you said, ‘I shall allow you to walk me home, Captain Gracely’. Then you smiled. I had never seen anything so perfect.”
With a sob, she lifted her head and looked into his eyes.
She cupped his cheek with trembling hands. “You remembered.”
“When I saw you in that garden, something in me came alive. It shook me, for I wanted you and I did not know you. I believe my heart and body did not forget, Fran. My mind just caught up when the bishop recited our vows. Ah, Fran…I love you with my entire soul, and I am so damn glad you were a right hellion and kidnapped me.”
She kissed him deeply and passionately, crying happily. They broke apart at the feel of Lily wiggling between them. Fanny laughed, hauling her daughter up so they were both embraced in Simon’s arms and surrounded by his love.
