It was the morning after, of course, but Anne was not about to split hairs. Better late than never, her mother always used to say.
She laughed out loud as her soon-to-be husband carried her out of the room to hunt down the vicar.
Chapter Eighteen
Later that afternoon, Anne threw her head back in ecstasy as Garrett made love to her for the third time in the wedding chamber that had been prepared for them the day before.
Charlotte had placed rose petals between the sheets—clipped and stolen from the duke’s prized conservatory. It was a briefly distracting but pleasant surprise when they slipped naked into bed.
Now they lay together in the fading light, talking about the private ceremony in the chapel.
“The duke seemed well,” Anne said. “He was so happy for you, Garrett. How proud he looked when he shook your hand after the vicar pronounced us man and wife.”
“That was all I ever wanted from him,” Garrett replied. “Just a sign that he cared.”
“I saw it very clearly today,” she assured him, while she ran the tip of her finger across the smooth muscles of her husband’s chest and reveled in the wonderful notion that she was no longer a social outcast. She had been accepted into this powerful aristocratic family, and had spoken vows before God in their beautiful chapel.
“And he didn’t mention the curse,” she added. “Not once. Do you think he has forgotten about it, or will he imagine it again the next time it rains or snows?”
“I’m not sure.” Garrett gently stroked her shoulder and was quiet for a long time. “Do you ever wonder if he really is talking to ghosts?”
She sat up. “Why do you ask?”
He felt foolish bringing it up, but something his father said to him would not leave his mind. “After we found him in the catacombs last week, he told me that Brother Salvador said there was a reason I was not lost, and that it wasn’t time for me to leave. I cannot help but wonder what Brother Salvador knows about my future.”
Anne smiled tenderly at him. “I am sure time will tell all.”
Garrett sighed and continued to stroke her shoulder. “Yes. We simply have to live. Seek out our destinies. In the meantime, I feel very blessed. And inspired.”
She lifted her head and rested her chin on her hands. “About the future?”
“Yes. I know now that I want to enrol in Kings College to study medicine, if they will have me. I know it is not quite the proper thing for the son of a duke, but we must remember that I am actually the son of a doctor, and I feel compelled to follow in his footsteps. Perhaps that is my true destiny. I respect Dr. Thomas a great deal, Anne. He is a brilliant man.”
“And your mother loved him once, didn’t she.”
“I suspect she loves him still,” he replied, “but she will never again be unfaithful. I didn’t tell you every detail of our conversation that day, but I wish to tell you now. She said that marriage is sacred, and she prayed that none of her children would ever feel a need to stray from their spouses—that we would marry the true mates of our souls and love each other until the end of time.”
Anne thought about the duchess. “How sad that she did not marry the true mate of her soul.”
Garrett pulled her closer into the warmth of his embrace. “I believe she has come to accept that sometimes, things happen for a reason—even difficult things. I also believe that despite everything, she loves her husband, and he loves her very much in return. Time has tempered the turmoil of their early years, and after almost losing her, he did become a better husband. But first and foremost, she is devoted to this family, each and every one of us.”
“But poor Dr. Thomas,” Anne said.
Garrett was quiet for a moment. “There is no doubt in my mind that he still loves my mother and always will. I believe he would walk through fire for her. He is a very honorable gentleman, selfless in every way.”
Anne gazed lovingly into Garrett’s eyes. “I would walk through fire for you as well. And I will have no problem living up to your mother’s expectations of loving you selflessly, until the end of time. I will be very proud if you become a medical man. I cannot imagine a higher calling.”
“Higher callings aside,” he said with a flirtatious smile as he leaned up on an elbow, rolled her over onto her back, and kissed her collarbone. “We will no doubt need the money.”
A knock sounded at the door. They both lifted their heads.
“Who in the world would be interrupting us now?” Garrett said.
“It must be important,” Anne suggested.
Garrett laid a quick kiss on her breast. “Don’t move. Do not leave this bed. I will be back in an instant.”