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CHAPTER SIX

IT WAS TIME TO head down the aisle. Paulina took her first step through the doorway and looked around.

Quite a few people had gathered for her cousin's wedding.

Since it was a combination of family as well as their shared circle of friends from the ton , she recognized all of the guests save a few faces.

She imagined her own wedding one day would look quite similar to this.

She would have even picked the same flowers, pink roses and lavender.

Finding Philomena and Henry in the crowd, she gave a small wave. They were so happy together. Their love was so special. They had been close friends for a long time, and then they had finally realized they were in love.

But not everyone fell in love the same way.

She looked up the aisle to the place she was supposed to take.

Her breath caught.

There, waiting for her at the front of the church was Broderick. In the nicest looking tailcoat she had ever seen.

WELL, IF brODERICK HAD imagined it any other way, he wasn’t sure he could have envisioned his wife to be so beautiful.

All morning he had seen her helping guests and playing with children.

She had stopped to help the elderly and organized an incredible morning outdoors for the guests.

She had a heart of gold and a beauty to match.

He had been all wrong about her. Their time at the inn had hinted at that, but he hadn’t quite allowed himself to believe it.

It had been needling him all day yesterday and all morning. She was the one.

He had fought it. He tried to resist. But his heart would not be denied. It had fallen for the third type of woman: the outspoken, kind hearted, beauty.

And now that she was walking down the aisle to him (of course, not to him, but it sure felt that way), he didn’t even have to imagine how it would feel to take her as his wife. He had already walked through that door (literally yesterday) and now this morning in another way.

Sometimes the universe gave signs. Like Providence. She had taken his horse. The gall. But it only made him smile.

In his pocket, his fingers rubbed the note she had left for him. It was perfect. Right after the ceremony her was going to ask her to be his wife, and though he knew it might take some convincing he also knew he had a bargaining chip?—

Just then, the doors at the end of the hall crashed open and a commotion startled everyone. Audra, Freya’s eldest sister, was walking down the aisle. Far too quickly.

And then she did the most peculiar thing. She reached the front of the church and began to sing.

It was all so odd. This was clearly not part of the ceremony. But her voice was quite lovely. No one knew what to do. No one understood what was happening.

He caught sight of his friend, Lucas, who seemed to be quite intrigued by Audra’s voice.

Where was their friend, Tobias, though? He should have been here by now.

Broderick had hoped it wouldn’t have been too painful for Tobias to attend their friend’s wedding, but it seemed a likely probability given the fact that he wasn’t here.

It was an errant thought to worry about him considering what was going on, so Broderick tried to converse with Paulina through his eyes.

He knew she had seen him because the second she did, she had stutter stepped and gasped at the same time.

The shock went both ways, but he had experienced his earlier.

Currently, she was trying to avoid eye contact with him, but as continued to watch her she finally looked up.

She gave a half hearted attempt at a dismissive gesture, but he saw the smirk on her face. And the warmth in her eyes.

She wasn’t irate any longer. Interesting. Maybe he stood a better chance than he thought.

He mouthed the words at her, You owe me .

To which, she merely lifted her brows.

He patted his heart and pointed discreetly at her.

As discreetly as he could given that he was in front of hundreds of people.

His saving grace was that Audra was still singing which meant that no one was paying any attention to him, except Paulina.

And that was the only thing he needed, her attention.

Paulina gave him a questioning look, so he made a small kiss face at her. When she laughed, he thought he had his in. After the ceremony, they would talk.

Just then Audra finished singing. And everyone slowly started to clap. It was a smattering at first, and then the room decided it made the most sense to applaud her efforts. After all, she was a magnificent singer regardless of her unexpected time and place to demonstrate her skills.

So when she opened her mouth again, the crowd went silent thinking she might sing another song. Instead, she said, “I regret to inform everyone that Freya will not be getting married today.”

Gasps collectively dotted the air. Then everyone was whispering. Heads were turning, as if they might see something that they could relay to the people around them.

Audra tried to speak over everyone. “Thank you all for coming, but there will be no wedding today?—”

And then Broderick had his most impulsive idea yet.

He walked in front of Audra, whispered something to her and saw her eyes widen in disbelief. Then he sauntered over to Paulina and stuck out his hand, palm up.

“You know, I’ve been thinking.”

“Right now?” Paulina ground out through a tight smile.

“Since yesterday as a matter of fact. I never thought I’d say this to you, since you tried to buy my horse and then when I didn’t sell him to you, you stole him.”

“Borrowed.”

“Details.” He cleared his throat. “I was watching you today as you helped everyone. I think you might be the most enigmatic woman I’ve ever met.

You’re impulsive. Brazen. Yet kind hearted.

” He was already talking quietly to her, but he dropped his voice on the next word, “Wanton.” Then he smiled.

“And I like it. Actually,” he dropped to his knee and more gasps went up in the already low-on-oxygen-room. “I love it, and I love you.”

A single note of silence hung in the air.

“Will you do me the great and utter joy—and shock—of becoming my wife?”

She bit her bottom lip in thought. So he stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out her note. He held up the paper with her words which read, I owe you .

“Think about it. You’ll get the horse and me.”

She smirked. “If I say yes, it’s not about Providence. It’s about the fact that you’re you.”

“I know, I’m a duke.” He hung his head in mock shame.

“Well, yes, there’s that. But thankfully you seem to live on your own terms.”

“That I do.”

“And I’ll be able to do the same?”

“So long as you’re faithful to me.”

She nodded as tears started to form in her eyes. “I hear you help children with your winnings.”

“Don’t talk too loudly, please. I have a reputation to maintain.”

“Though I didn’t think so at first, you’re a good man,” she said to him.

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes.” She gave him her biggest smile and his heart melted.

“Then we’re doing this now before you can change your mind.” Broderick took her by the hand and led her to the front of the church. Oh. What was he thinking? He needed a special license, this whole gesture might be for?—

“Do you need this?” His friend, Lucas, stepped up with a paper in his hand.

“What’s that?”

“A blank special license.”

“Do I want to know why you have this?”

“Probably not.” Lucas slapped him on the back. “Just be grateful and take it. I’m sure I can secure another one when I tell the archbishop this story.”

Broderick turned to his bride and then the vows began. And while the vicar spoke, he realized he had just learned her name.