Page 31 of Kilgannon #1

W HILE WE HAD PLANNED TO MARRY IN A SIMPLE CEREMONY at Mountgarden, but Louisa would have none of it, and though the time was short she planned an elaborate wedding in St. Rosemary’s, followed by a lavish celebration at her home.

Randolph, to my surprise, threw himself headlong into the preparations and beamed at me constantly.

When I tried to thank him for all his generosity, he stopped my words with a wave, explaining that neither he nor Louisa had any children, that I’d become like a daughter to him, and that he’D grown fond of Alex.

I kissed his cheek and hugged him and pretended not to notice that his eyes were suspiciously damp as I thanked him again.

He patted my back and strode quickly away.

Louisa was in her element, planning every detail with her effortless skill, while I trailed along behind her.

We talked constantly, and sometimes I caught her misty-eyed and I realized how much I would miss her.

And how much we both missed my mother. Will was wonderful, doing whatever was needed.

Betty was no help, of course, drifting in and out of rooms, leaving all the work to the rest of us, but I didn’t mind, for we were not without assistance.

Becca’s mother came often to aid Louisa and took credit for seeing the good in Alex before anyone else.

The Duchess, who was also with us constantly, argued that she was the only one in London who had seen what a fine man the Earl of Kilgannon was. They debated the point constantly.

A week before the wedding Alex and his family arrived.

Malcolm, Angus, Matthew, and nine other men accompanied Alex.

His Aunt Deirdre had stayed behind to take care of the details of our second wedding but had sent me a letter in which she graciously welcomed me into the MacGannon family.

Nor did Alex bring his sons. When I asked him why, he said that this would be the only time we’D really be together, just us, and that he was anxious for our wedding night.

My cheeks had flamed at his teasing. “Which willna be long, lass,” he’D said, “depending upon which of our weddings ye’ll consider to be our real marriage. ”

“We’ll be together as soon as we’re married here, won’t we?”

He deliberately misunderstood me. “No, that would be rude,” he said. “We should wait until after the meal. Yer aunt and uncle have gone to a great expense and effort, ye ken. We must visit with them and the guests a bit.” He ignored my exclamation. “We must, Mary. It’s only polite.” I laughed.

At last we finalized our plans. After the wedding we would leave London.

The MacGannons would sail to Bristol and wait for us there, while we spent the five days of our wedding trip in the Dower House of one of the Duchess’s properties, this one in Wiltshire.

She and the Duke had insisted that we stay there as part of their wedding gift, and we had gratefully accepted.

From Wiltshire we would travel to meet my family and Gannon’s Lady in Bristol before sailing north.

The Kilgannon wedding would be held the day after we arrived, on a Wednesday for luck.

Matthew was enthusiastic, joining in the work so often that we all began to rely upon him.

He and Will joked as though they’D known each other for years, and he listened to Randolph’s stories with a respectful manner that endeared him to Louisa.

Malcolm watched us with a patronizing air, looking always slightly bored.

He’D not had one pleasant or encouraging thing to say.

I ignored him most of the time and kept my thoughts to myself.

Angus refused to be drawn into the plans as well, but he was courteous.

Occasionally, though, I caught him watching me with a serious expression.

He was Alex’s shadow, apparently content to while away the hours as he waited, and when he was not with us, Matthew was.

The rest of the MacGannons were unfailingly polite but rarely left Alex’s side, often hovering near us when we talked.

When my family commented on it to Alex, he shrugged and laughed, telling them he was a very important man.

Our wedding day dawned bright and clear.

In the morning Louisa and I had one last wonderful conversation and cried as we talked about my mother.

She gave me a pin my grandmother had worn on her wedding day, and I thanked her for all of her kindnesses over the years.

She hushed me, but I knew she was pleased.

I wore my mother’s silk-and-lace wedding dress.

The dress had had to be lengthened since I was much taller than my mother had been, but it was a beautiful gown and it brought a bit of her with me.

I needed to believe she would have blessed this marriage, and I hoped ours would be as happy as my parents’.

And as Becca’s seemed to be. She and Lawrence had recently returned from the Continent, glowing with contentment.

I was grateful to have her with me, for she was cheerful and reassuring, telling me I would love married life and laughing at my fears that I would prove inadequate as a wife.

At the church we were shown to the bride’s suite of rooms overlooking the street below.

I was much calmer than I would have imagined, or so I thought as I was dressed and my hair arranged with the advice of all in the room.

But when Becca, who was sitting by the window, gestured for me to join her and see something, I nearly tripped over the hem of my gown, and my decorum was tilted even more when I saw what she was looking at.

Alex, in the midst of the dozen MacGannons, was walking toward the church.

He was the only one in English dress,, but he had a MacGannon plaid over his shoulder and his bonnet on his head.

We had had much discussion about what he would wear.

Alex said it did not matter. I wanted him in Highland dress, but Randolph and Louisa thought he should wear English clothes.

In the end it was Matthew who had decided.

“When in Rome …” he’d said with a shrug, and that settled it.

Alex stood below now, about to become my husband, wearing a gray velvet frock coat and breeches and a snow-white shirt.

I could hear the bagpipes plainly and stood transfixed as the Scots approached the church, then stopped below us.

Alex stood in the midst of the men, laughing.

With Rebecca at my side I watched the men, the crowd around them curious but well behaved. Becca sighed.

“He is so handsome, Mary,” she whispered, looking over her shoulder at her mother and my aunt.

I agreed, thinking of her Lawrence, who was a wonderful man but very ordinary.

There was nothing ordinary about Alex. “You do love the man and not just the handsome exterior?” She had asked me this a thousand times, and I answered as I had a thousand times, that I loved everything about him.

The church glowed with candles and I walked up the aisle on Randolph’s arm in a dream, seeing only Alex waiting for me and my handsome brother with him.

Dear Will, I thought. He had been adamant that he would stand with Alex to show all of London my family’s support for this marriage.

It was a gesture Alex had appreciated, and it made having Malcolm stand next to Alex bearable for me.

Alex watched me reach him, his eyes dark and his expression intent, then took my hand with a nod to Randolph, and the ceremony began.

Standing next to him at the altar, I was overwhelmed by the step I was taking.

I do not remember the details of our marriage, only a church crowded with well-wishers and Alex by my side.

I stole a look at him, wondering if he were as nervous as I.

I will spend the rest of my life with this stronger , I thought, as he answered the priest’s questions in a clear voice that carried.

His expression was serene when he turned to look at me, and when our eyes met, he smiled and held my hand even tighter.

I felt the knot inside me loosen and I smiled at him in return, able now to answer the priest’s questions without falter.

Alex put the ring that had been his mother’s and grandmother’s on my finger and kissed me. I was a married woman.

The reception at Louisa’s was full of laughter.

I was pleased that so many of London’s elite had come to wish us well.

Even my uncle Harry attended and seemed to enjoy himself very much, mingling with the crowd with ease, his laughter ringing above theirs.

He spent much of his time with Alex’s family, and I wondered how I had ever thought this amiable man strange.

Harry commented that London seemed to approve of our match, and that did seem so.

Louisa’s invitations were rarely declined, and many came to the wedding because of her popularity.

The merely curious came to see the ceremony and my dress and behavior, or to gape at Alex and his family, who did not disappoint.

Taller than most of the other men, the twelve Scotsmen drew many glances.

Alex was by far the handsomest, but Meg, now married herself, was very taken with Donald, Alex’s cousin of some degree, a huge man, even bigger than Angus.

So of course they called him wee Donald.