His Perfect Bride(49)

Brianna's eyes widened as her jaw went slack. She could not believe  Richard had been so set on marrying her that he confided in his sister.  It gave her hope that his feelings extended further than obligation. A  sudden movement brought her eyes to the door. She sucked in her breath  as her heart pounded erratically.         

     



 

Richard stood in the doorway more handsome than ever. It had been too  long since she had last seen him, and she felt her stomach doing flips  due to his proximity. Her eyes drank him in as he greeted her parents  and Lord Winsler. When he turned to her, his smile was easy, but his  eyes were intense.

"Good evening, ladies." Richard greeted them with a slight bow.

"Good evening, Richard," Elizabeth answered brightly. "Thank you for giving Lord Winsler and I your blessing."

"I was pleased to bestow it. Lord Winsler is a decent sort, and I suspect he is determined to make you happy."

"I believe so as well. Now, if you will excuse me, I must go see him."  Elizabeth's smile took on a dreamy quality. Then she rushed off to her  betrothed, whose face appeared to be as love-stricken as hers. Richard  simply shook his head and sat down beside Brianna.

"How have you been?" he asked.

"Quite well, thank you."

"I would like to apologize for my recent absence." Richard looked into her eyes with a breathtaking half-smile.

"We understand completely. There is no reason to apologize." Brianna  shrugged. "Mother was pleased to not have any distractions, considering  all the wedding preparations we have been attending to."

"What about you? Did you miss me?"

The question, especially asked in such a husky voice, sent a shiver down  her spine. She suppressed her reaction, desperate for him not to  discover how much his absence had affected her.

"We were much too busy to miss anyone."



"I'm sorry to hear that. Although I too was engaged with my duties, I did miss you."

"Then why did you not pay me a call?" she demanded, ruining her emotionless façade.

"I didn't have the time to spare before now, but if I had known what my absence was doing to you, I would have come sooner."

"What do you mean?"

"I spoke with Jonathan today. He is worried about you. Although he would  not say what the two of you spoke about, his concern was unmistakable."

"Is that why you are here tonight?"

"Partially. I was anxious to see you long before Jonathan paid me a visit."

"In that case, I'm glad you came," she assured, beaming a smile up at  him. The warmth of his body pressed against her side made it difficult  to not become swept up with him and get lost in the moment.

"Why? I thought you said you didn't miss me."

"As I said, I didn't have time to miss you, but I may have been a tad anxious to be in your company as well."

She turned her face, feeling her cheeks heating. She didn't realize how  much she missed him until now. Her melancholy was gone, but for some  reason she felt nervous and awkward around him. The past two weeks put  distance between them, and she had no idea how to breach it.

"After tomorrow we will no longer experience this problem. You shall  have me to call upon both day and night." His voice lowered to a  whisper, and his eyes grew dark as sin.

Brianna could feel her body reacting to him, and anticipation ran  through her, leaving her aching. Tomorrow he would be hers, and she  would no longer have to endure this unfulfilled yearning for him.

Knowing she would have new problems to encounter helped a little to  contain her amorous state. She would have to fight against him to uphold  the position of the Marchioness of Stonemede as she saw fit, regardless  of his demands. The sulking would no longer do, she was strong, and she  would ensure he knew it.



Tomorrow and the days following were going to prove to be more difficult than she had ever imagined.





Chapter 16



The sun was shining, bringing a pleasant glow to the room. Although the  windows were closed, the bird's sweet song could easily be heard, and  the bold scent of the flowers permeated the room. Overall, the type of  day every woman wished would occur for her wedding, but Brianna was not  aware of any of it.

She paced back and forth in the vestry of the church. Her walk took her  from the tiny window to the looking glass and back again. Although she  didn't wish for her anxiety to show, she could not refrain from watching  the numerous guests filing into St. George's.

Moving back to the looking glass, she studied her reflection. The light  green wedding gown picked up the green notes in her eyes quite well. She  stroked her hands over the intricate lace covering the bodice before  reaching up to contain another loose strand of hair.

Martha had outdone herself today, teasing Brianna's hair into a  fashionable coiffure. Unfortunately, her hair lacked the ability to stay  in place for long. Regardless, the style was more elaborate than she  needed, but her mother had insisted she dress up for her new station in  life. She only hoped Richard would be pleased.         

     



 

The knock at the door forced Brianna's heart into her throat, and she  lost the ability to breathe. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on  allowing calm to flow through her body. After slowly crossing the room,  she opened the door and saw her father waiting for her.

"You look ravishing, my dear," he complimented. "Everything is prepared for your arrival. Are you ready?"



Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded and took his arm. Her breath  returned, but it seemed to be increasing with each step she took closer  toward the doors. As they were pulled open, she gasped at the beautiful  sight before her. Her nerves forgotten, she allowed her artistic eyes to  take over.

Flowers of every color brightened up the normally dark pews. She inhaled  deeply, enjoying their scent as much as their beauty. The flowers were  not the only decoration she was drawn to, but the guests themselves were  something to behold. They provided a myriad of colors and textures all  lined up for her to examine.

Smiling, she scanned the remainder of the room until her eyes fell upon  Richard. His face was alight with pleasure, and the very sight of him  made her breath catch in her throat. Everything in the church paled in  comparison to his brilliance. She no longer had any desire to look upon  anything but him.

Once arriving at his side, she forced her gaze away from him to the  minister in front of her. Although she could no longer see Richard, she  could feel the warmth of his body beside her, smell the clean scent of  his soap, and hear his gentle breathing. Every part of her was well  aware of his presence.

The minister's words washed over her without registering. Too  preoccupied with pleasant thoughts, she could not shift her focus.  Richard's strong confident voice answered the questions that tied him to  her and prompted her to make the necessary responses as well.

Before long, it was over. As she and Richard signed the marriage  license, she realized she was Lady Brianna Carrack, Marchioness of  Stonemede. Richard turned and offered his arm. Her heart hammered in her  chest as she allowed him to turn her to face their guests. The happy  faces cascaded past them as her husband escorted her down the aisle.

The cheers outside St. Georges' were heartening, and she smiled, pleased  to see her marriage gained the approval of London. Richard lifted her  in the carriage before tossing a few coins to the crowd.



She looked at him and felt the muscles in her face involuntarily turn up  to smile. He was hers now. She married the dreaded marquis that she  spent the majority of the Season trying to avoid. Although not in her  original plan, the new direction of her life delighted her. With her  love for Richard guiding her, she felt her heart swell in her chest  simply at the thought of him.

"How are you feeling, Lady Stonemede?" Richard asked her as he climbed into the carriage and sat down.

"Honestly, I believe I'm in shock. Everything seemed to move more quickly than I anticipated, and I'm a little overwhelmed."

"We could continue on to the townhouse now if you would like?" The  crease in his brow, combined with his understanding eyes, told her he  was serious.

"The guests would be insulted if we didn't attend our own wedding luncheon. Not to mention what they would be saying about us."

"I don't care what they think. As soon as you have determined you have endured enough celebrations, tell me, and we will leave."

Her eyes widened as she watched him cross the short distance between  them. After settling himself beside her, he gently took her hand and  removed her glove. The feel of his soft lips touching her skin made her  wish she had told him to take her home.

The carriage coming to a stop pulled her from her fantasies. She quickly  slid her glove back into place, thankful she didn't have any other  clothes askew. Pasting on a smile, she allowed Richard to assist her  down and into the house full of people.