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One Year Later
Isolde shook out her skirt one last time as she and Thomas waited to go down the aisle.
“Don’t worry, you look perfect,” he whispered to her.
“Like that portrait of Mother that hangs in the study.”
Isolde felt tears welling up. She batted her eyes to stop them and squeezed Thomas’s arm tightly.
“Thank you,” she whispered back, and then, because she was happy to be here, at this moment, with the brother she loved – so far from that miserable conversation they’d had just over a year ago, when he broke the news of her engagement to her – she leaned over and kissed his cheek.
“And thank you for walking me down the aisle at my wedding.”
He puffed up his chest and smiled.
“Of course! I’d never have let anyone else do it.”
Finally, it was time to start walking. Isolde was so nervous she couldn’t look at anyone and instead looked down at the bouquet clasped in her hand. It was forget-me-nots, which had been her mother’s favorite. She sent a silent prayer then, one she fervently hoped would be heard and made true.
Please, may my father have found peace. May he be happy now, reunited with my mother in heaven. May the three of us go on to lead lives that would make them proud.
Prayer finished, she took a deep breath and looked down the aisle to where Thaddeus was waiting. She nearly gasped.
A ray of sunlight coming through one of the church windows had fallen around him, lining him with gold. But the most radiant thing about him was the look on his face. He was beaming, and his eyes were on her alone. They were only halfway down the aisle, but she could feel the love emanating from him and landing on her.
She smiled back at him, hoping that her own love was reaching him in the same way. Judging by the way he gripped her hand when they finally met and the look in his eyes, it was.
Isolde barely heard anything the pastor said during the ceremony. She could only focus on the way Thaddeus was looking at her, the feel of her hand in his, and the beating of her heart.
Finally, the time came to make their marriage vows. Thaddeus’s voice trembled as he said them, and Isolde just barely stopped herself from reaching up to lay a comforting hand on his cheek. She reminded herself that she only needed to wait a little longer, and then she would be his wife and allowed to spend the rest of her life comforting him.
When it was her turn, she spoke her vows clearly in a strong voice, all the nerves from before the aisle gone. She realized that perhaps it was not that she had been nervous, but that she had just been anxious to get here, to this moment. It was more than just her marriage, though she was ecstatic to be officially becoming Thaddeus’s wife.
She felt as though for the past year she had been slowly waking from a long, dark dream. Thomas had gotten their family estate out of trouble and was working on making it profitable again. She was hoping he might soon find someone to share that with him, someone to thrill his heart and support his doings as Thaddeus did for her.
Cornelia had become fast friends with Tatiana, and the two were ready to squeeze every drop of joy and fun out of this year’s season. Isolde’s days of sitting at home, scared and stressed as she waited for the next consequence of her father’s actions to hit, were gone for good. And today was the final step of the journey that had brought them to this point. It had begun with a careless bet but was ending in happiness for the people she loved most. So she beamed at Thaddeus, and her voice was clear and strong.
Afterward, he kissed her just a little longer than was proper and then whispered in her ear that he wished everyone were gone so he could kiss her as long as he wanted.
She felt a thrill run through her and stood on her tiptoes to whisper, “Soon,” in his ear. This earned her a smile with a smoldering promise behind it.
***
During the wedding breakfast, she was making the rounds when Lady Hartington pulled her aside and embraced her.
“Welcome to the family, officially.” Then she held Isolde at arm’s length and said, “I am truly sorry, my dear, for how I treated you when we first met.”
“Lady Hartington, you already apologized for that long ago!” Isolde protested. “You and I have grown so close over this past year. Surely you don’t still worry about that.”
Lady Hartington smiled affectionately at her.
“It is because we’ve grown so close that I felt compelled to say something. I am amazed at myself, that I almost missed what a precious and good woman you are. I am sorrier now than I was then, because now I know much more how wrong I was. And as it’s your wedding, it is the right time to say such things.”
Isolde could only embrace the older woman, tears in her eyes. When they pulled apart, she took Lady Hartington’s hand.
“As you say, it is my wedding. And so you must do as I say. I accept your apology and let us lay the matter to rest. We shall have a fresh start.” Then she added, shyly, “A fresh start as mother and daughter, if it pleases you.”
“Yes, my dear,” Lady Hartington replied. “You are my daughter now, by law and by heart, and it pleases me very much.”
They embraced again, holding each other for a long moment until Thaddeus appeared and coaxed her out onto the dance floor with him.
“Forgive me, Mother, but I cannot wait one more moment to dance with my beautiful bride. I know you love her, but not as much as I do.”
Thaddeus led her out on the floor and took her in his arms. Isolde felt like she was floating. She smiled up at him, and he shook his head.
“You must not smile at me like that if you wish me to be able to continue dancing with you,” he teasingly scolded. “I cannot dance if I am dizzy, and your smile makes me very dizzy indeed.”
“You are one to talk,” she retorted, and reveled in how his eyes danced as she teased him back. “When I saw you in the church earlier, I thought I might swoon from how handsome you looked.”
“What a pair we make,” he said, laughing. “Do you think we will ever get used to being in love with one another?”
“I hope not,” Isolde said. And she meant that with every fiber of her being.
She hoped she got used to many things – to being a marchioness, still an intimidating prospect; to being a wife, in the day-to-day way of learning how marriage worked; to laughing as much as she did with Thaddeus these days; to feeling safe in his arms. She hoped all these things went on for so long that they became commonplace, and she struggled to remember her life without them. But she hoped she never got used to having Thaddeus look at her the way he was now, making her stomach swoop and her cheeks flush. She hoped a glance from him would give her butterflies in her stomach for the rest of her life.
As they twirled around, a pair of familiar faces caught her eye. Across the floor, Henry and Annora were dancing together. After Isolde and Thaddeus had announced their engagement, Isolde had spoken to Annora once again about Henry. Annora had agreed that since all was resolved between Thaddeus and Isolde, nothing was stopping her from pursuing a romantic relationship with Henry.
She’d promised she would talk to Henry, and that she’d no longer avoid him for Isolde’s sake. For months, Isolde had hoped to hear of their engagement, but the announcement had not come. And then she had gotten swept up in the preparations for her own wedding and for her new life with Thaddeus, and had barely had a moment for herself, let alone for meddling in her cousin’s love affairs.
But now, watching them dance together, she felt certain that whatever was happening, those two would end up together. Annora lit up when she was near Henry, and Henry looked at Annora like she hung the moon. No couple was more perfect.
Isolde smiled to herself, pleased at the idea of more love in the world, especially for Annora.
“What has you smiling like you’ve got a secret?” Thaddeus asked, bringing her out of her reverie.
“It’s no secret,” she replied. “In fact, it’s rather obvious.” She nodded her head toward where Henry and Annora were dancing. Thaddeus turned to look.
“Ah my brother and your cousin?”
Isolde nodded, and Thaddeus turned back to her, brow wrinkled in confusion.
“What should be so obviously amusing about them?”
“I’m not amused, really. I’m only smiling because I’m so happy for them.”
Thaddeus gave her a blank look.
“About what?”
Isolde nearly laughed.
“Why, they’re sure to be next!”
“To get married?” Thaddeus asked. He seemed stunned, and then Isolde could not help laughing, just a little.
“Yes, of course. Don’t you see how much they care for each other?”
Thaddeus craned his neck to watch the couple as they danced.
“Isolde,” he said, looking back down at her, and she was still not used to hearing him say her name like that – it made a delicious thrill run down her spine.
“I believe you’re right,” he continued, sounding amazed.
“Why, Henry looks smitten with her!”
Isolde laughed again.
“You really never noticed all this time?” she asked. He shook his head.
“Thaddeus,” – and saying his name was as good as hearing him say hers, possibly better – “my dear, how is that possible?”
Thaddeus looked down at her, the gleam suddenly back in his eyes, and pulled her close.
“Well, sweetheart, I’m afraid I was very distracted. From the day I came to your house to discuss the details of our … arrangement, you were all I could see.”
He leaned closer and pulled her tighter against him, a little too tight to be quite modest at such a gathering, but she could not bring herself to care.
“Really?” she asked, feeling breathless.
“Even from then, when all I was to you was a girl trapped by a terrible bet?”
He put his cheek against hers, his lips near her ear.
“Sweetheart,” he murmured, “you were never just a bet to me.”
Isolde clung to him, letting the feelings of love wash over her. They danced quietly for a moment, enjoying being in one another’s arms. Isolde found her thoughts wandering in an odd direction. She tilted her head up, taking in Thaddeus’s face contemplatively.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“It’s just funny,” Isolde said.
“For years, my father’s gambling was the bane of my existence, a source of fear and distress. He was careless – with our money, and with my future. And yet …”
“And yet, if he had never made that bet …” Thaddeus stared down at her tenderly, love lighting up his eyes.
“I wish I could have spared you any sadness or distress in your life,” he said softly, “but I cannot bring myself to regret that night.”
“It might have turned out very differently,” Isolde replied, “had it not been for you. Because of you, I shall never regret it, either.” She smiled and felt a sudden urge to tease him again.
“Lord Hartington, I hope all your future bets will pay off as well.”
“Lady Hartington,” he said, drawing her close again, “I am holding the first and last bet I will ever make.” And he bent to give her another kiss.
OFFER: A BRAND NEW SERIES AND 2 FREEBIES FOR YOU!
Grab my new series, "Secrets and Passions of High Society", and get 2 FREE novels as a gift! Have a look here!
Hello my dears, I hope you enjoyed the book and the Extended Epilogue! I will be waiting for your comments here. Thank you 🙂
I almost gave up on the book. It was another story of a weak aristocrat who allowed everyone to push him around and run his life. Add to that a indecisive female bride to be a conniving widow and her relative to aid her and it was just another wishy washy story. I did stick with it, but can only hope for the best for the characters. This book was not as good as I expected.
Thank you so much for sticking with the story and for sharing your honest thoughts, Susan! I completely understand your initial frustration; those early dynamics can feel cliché and even discouraging. I truly appreciate you giving the characters a chance, despite it all. Your feedback means a great deal and helps shape future stories—thank you for reading!
True to traditional regency romances, this book has a romance filled with misunderstandings, mis communication, several villains and is loads of fun to read. Just when I thought everything would work out, the unexpected occurs. Of course, there is a happily ever after, and, as with all good things, the journey is so enjoyable. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful and generous review, Paula! I’m delighted you enjoyed the classic Regency elements—the twists, misunderstandings, and surprises—and that they kept you entertained all the way to the happily ever after. Your recommendation truly means a great deal!
I wasn’t sure if I would finish this book. I did finish it as I really enjoy a happy ending. I know that in life a friend can betray you but I liked one of the main character’s friend and was hoping he would own up to his deceit and that they could have remained friends. Thank you for the happy ending.
Thank you for your honest feedback, dear Janiece! I do understand your irritation…Sometimes we need a book to be more uplifting than real life, and characters owning up to their deceit is key to that. Happy the HEA made up for it, though!