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“You’rea bore.”
She laughed aloud. “Oh, that is weak.”
“Don’t you have some dandies to preen at somewhere?”
“Don’t you have a wedding to get to?”
“Youbothhave a wedding to get to!”
They flinched at the sound of an irate bride’s voice from the doorway. Joshua and Miss Atwood turned guiltily to see Rosaline – who looked beautiful, bedecked in ivory lace and pearls – glaring at them from the doorway.
“If it’s not too much to ask,” she said smoothly, “Do you think you could both get yourselves to the chapel in time for my wedding?”
Joshua flushed. “Of course. I am sorry, Rosaline. You look beautiful, by the way.”
“Iknow. Now hurry up.”
Sparing one last glare at Miss Atwood – which was wholeheartedly returned – Joshua hurried down the road towards the chapel.
He slipped inside first, closely followed by Miss Atwood. Rosaline would come in last of all, now that everyone was seated.
He handed the rings to Benedict, who was fidgeting by the altar. Joshua turned, looking for an available seat.
There was only space left, and it was directly next to Miss Atwood.
Wonderful.
Rosaline took a breath and began to walk down the aisle. She was met by delighted gasps, and loud stage-whispers from her sisters. Susanna was very near to leaping off her seat to run and embrace her, but a smiling Edmund held her back.
And at the end of aisle stood Benedict. He was smiling, his eyes lit up in a way Rosaline had never seen before.
In a flash, her nerves melted away. They joined hands and turned to the priest, and she knew there and then that everything would be alright.
So long as she and Benedict were together, there was nothing they could not do.
“Ihad no idea we had this many friends.” Rosaline mumbled, hooking her arm through Benedict’s and hanging onto him like a rock in a storm. “I don’t even know these people.”
Benedict chuckled. “Neither do I. There are people who must be invited totonweddings, my love.”
“Ican’t even see anyone Idoknow. Oh, Cordelia and Joshua had a terrible argument at the house, you know. I’m not surprised. Cordelia is a whirlwind of chaos and Joshua likes everything just so. We ought to keep them apart in future.”
“Well, opposites do attract, sometimes.” Benedict shrugged. “Better to let them work out their own differences, eh?”
“If you say so.” Rosaline beamed up at her brand-new husband. “Did you hear that Louisa Parsons is engaged to her footman?”
Benedict chuckled. “I hadn’t heard, but that is marvelous news. Didyouknow that that terrible man, her grandfather, has left the country?”
“Really?”
“Yes, he’s gone overseas. I’m both relieved that he’s no longer in the country and nervous that I can’t keep tabs on him.”
Rosaline pressed a kiss to the side of Benedict’s arm through the material of his coat.
“You know what they say. Out of sight, out of mind. I think we ought to worry about not being crushed to death at our own wedding breakfast, before we worry about the whereabouts of Nicholas Parsons.”
Benedict looked down at her, a familiar, hungry expression springing into his eyes.
“Hm. Well, we could always retire early, if you like.”
