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Edward appeared in the doorway, looking devastatingly handsome in his dinner jacket and somehow managing to appear both excited and nervous about leaving the babies for three whole hours.
"Are you certain you'll be alright?" he asked Victoria for the dozenth time. "We have Dr. Harrison on speed dial, and the staff know to call if—"
"Edward," Victoria interrupted with amused exasperation, "I managed to keep you and Daphne alive for several decades. I believe I can handle two babies for an evening. Besides, all the night staff will be here if needed. "
"Yes, but that was different—"
"That was when I was young and foolish and thought I knew everything," she said, settling Charlotte in her arms with practiced ease. "Now I'm old and wise and actually do know everything. They'll be perfectly safe."
I kissed both babies goodbye, inhaling their perfect baby scent and trying not to feel guilty about wanting a few hours alone with my fiancé.
"Call if you need anything," I said, though I was already fairly certain Victoria would handle whatever came up with more grace than Edward and I managed on our best days.
As we headed toward the door, I heard Victoria's voice floating from the nursery.
"Now then, shall GrandMother tell you about the time your Father tried to reorganize the library by legal precedent when he was eight years old?"
Edward groaned. "She's going to fill their heads with embarrassing stories about me."
"Honey," I said, linking my arm through his as we stepped into our new life, "I think that's what grandMothers are for."
As we stepped into the London evening, I could hear the faint sound of Victoria's voice through the windows, probably regaling Henry and Charlotte with stories about their daddy's childhood adventures.
For the first time since this whole crazy journey began, everything felt exactly as it should be—messy and unpredictable and absolutely perfect.
Behind us, Victoria's laughter mixed with the babies' contented sounds, and I realized that sometimes the most beautiful chaos comes from love growing in directions you never expected—messier and more complicated than any plan, but infinitely more wonderful than anything you could have controlled.
CHAPTER 25
Edward
Standing at the altar of St. Margaret's Westminster, watching two radiant brides process down the aisle simultaneously, I reflected that perhaps the most compelling legal argument I'd ever constructed had been my systematic dismantling of precedent to justify a double wedding.
Not in court, of course, but in the drawing room of Grosvenor Manor, where I'd methodically dismantled Mother's objections to what she'd initially termed "an unprecedented breach of matrimonial protocol."
The ancient stones of Westminster were worn smooth by centuries of footsteps and witness to countless royal ceremonies. The air was thick with the scent of centuries-old wood polish and fresh lilies, while afternoon light painted rainbow patterns through stained glass windows that had watched over England's history unfold.
Lili moved toward me in a gown that somehow managed to be both timeless and uniquely her—vintage-inspired lace that reminded me of wildflowers, with a train that whispered against the ancient stones.
My chest tightened with the sort of overwhelming gratitude that made breathing difficult. This remarkable woman—whohad somehow seen past every defense I'd constructed and chosen to love what she'd found underneath—was about to become my wife.
The boy who had once dismantled grandFather clocks to understand time had finally learned that some moments were meant to be experienced, not analyzed.
Beside her, Daphne practically floated in silk that caught the afternoon light streaming through stained glass windows. James stood to my right, both of us rendered speechless by the vision of our respective futures walking toward us through centuries of British history.
The sight of them—my brilliant, stubborn Texan and my beloved sister—sharing this moment felt like the completion of an equation I hadn't realized I'd been trying to solve my entire life.
Behind us, the ancient pews were filled with an extraordinary gathering. Prince Charles and Catherine sat in the front row alongside Mother and Rose, while the congregation included everyone from Texas ranchers to British peers.
I caught sight of Cece in the third row, already dabbing at her eyes with what appeared to be an entire packet of tissues.”
Good Lord," James murmured under his breath, his characteristic eloquence momentarily deserting him.
"Indeed," I replied, my own voice slightly rough with emotion as Lili's eyes met mine across the remaining distance between us.
The transformation of my professional life had been as unexpected as everything else that had followed Lili's arrival in my carefully ordered existence. Six months after the merger,Pemberton& Associates had evolved into something I'd never imagined when I'd first walked through those oak doors as an ambitious young barrister.
"The Melbourne expansion is exceeding all projections," I'd told Malcolm during our quarterly review just last week. "Lili's media expertise has opened markets we never could have accessed through traditional legal channels."