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Emma broke out of her reverie. “No, of course not. I love Alex, you know. I don’t know if I ever told you, but I do.”
“I knew that you did!”
“I only wish that my father could give me away. I do miss him. And now I’ll be living so far away.”
Belle patted Emma’s hand consolingly. “I know. But you have us, after all. And Ashbourne’s family adores you. And your father will visit you. I know he will. But don’t tell my father how much you’re missing Uncle John. He’s practically bursting with pride at the thought of giving you away.”
A knock on the door sounded, and Sophie entered the room, still in her dressing gown. “I intercepted the maid on the stairs and had her go back to the kitchen for extra chocolate,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind. She should be up shortly.”
“Of course not,” Emma said with a smile. “The more the merrier.”
“I cannot believe the sheer amount of activity in this house,” Sophie continued. “Have either of you been downstairs yet?”
Both Emma and Belle shook their heads.
“It’s a madhouse. I was nearly run over by a footman. And the guests have already started to arrive!”
“You’re joking!” Belle replied. “They must have gotten up at four in the morning to get here now.”
“Well, Alex was positively beastly when Mama suggested that we invite everyone to spend the night. Only a very select few were allowed to come last night, and he insisted that absolutely everyone vacate the premises by tonight.”
Emma blushed. “Have you seen him yet?”
“No,” Sophie said, taking a cup of chocolate from the maid who had silently entered the room. “But Dunford was up and about. He said Alex is almost climbing the walls. I imagine he’s rather anxious to have this entire wedding over and done with.”
“Yes, well, he’s not the only one,” Emma murmured, wondering when her stomach was going to stop turning cartwheels.
The wedding was scheduled to start promptly at noon, and at eleven-thirty Emma peeked out the window at the spectacle that was growing on Westonbirt’s south lawn. “Good Lord,” she gasped. “There must be two hundred people out there.”
“Closer to four, I would guess,” Belle said, joining her cousin at the window. “Mama would have liked a guest list of six hundred, but—”
“But there wasn’t enough time,” Emma finished. “I know.” Still gazing out at the lawn, she shook her head at the grandness of the affair. Gaily striped tents dotted the lawn, shielding the swarms of guests from the early July sun. As Alex had promised, there were more bouquets of flowers than Emma could count.
“Oh my,” Emma breathed. “I should never have allowed Aunt Caroline to let this get so big. I don’t know half of those people.”
“But they know you!” Sophie pointed out enthusiastically.
“Can you believe that you’re going to be a duchess?” Belle asked.
“No, I really can’t,” Emma said weakly.
And then, before she knew it, it was noon and she was standing just outside the entrance to the tent, so nervous that she could barely hear the strains of the string quartet playing her favorite Mozart piece.
“Good luck,” Sophie said just before she headed down the aisle. “Sister.”
Belle followed Sophie a few moments later, but not before she gave Emma’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “I love you, Emma Dunster.”
“That’s the last time anyone will ever say that to me,” Emma whispered.
“Emma Ridgely sounds just fine to me,” Henry said, taking her arm. “Especially when it has Duchess of Ashbourne tacked on to the end of it.”
Emma smiled nervously.
“You’ll do just fine,” Henry said. And then he added softly, “I know that you’ll be very happy.”
Emma nodded, blinking back tears. “Thank you so much, Uncle Henry. For everything. I do love you, you know.”
Henry touched her cheek. “I know,” he said, his voice rough with emotion. “Shall we be on our way? I think your duke is going to march up the aisle and drag you back to the altar if we don’t get there soon.”
Taking a deep breath, Emma took that first step into the aisle. And when she saw Alex waiting for her at the altar, all her fears and anxieties slowly began to melt away. With each step, the joy within her grew, and she didn’t even notice the hundreds of people who had turned in their seats to watch the radiant bride process down the aisle.
Alex’s breath caught in his throat the first moment she stepped into the tent. She looked so lovely, he didn’t know how to describe it. It was as if her beauty had accumulated inside of her and was shining out through every pore. Everything about her seemed to glow, from the satin creaminess of her skin to her soft violet eyes to the fiery highlights of her hair, which shone brightly even underneath her delicate veil.
Finally, Henry and Emma reached Alex, and Emma could not help but smile as her uncle placed her hand in that of her future husband. Looking up into Alex’s green eyes, she found an undeniable warmth in his gaze, along with hunger, possessiveness, and, yes, love. He might never have said the words, but Emma saw it clear as day in his eyes. He loved her.
He loved her, and suddenly her life seemed twice as bright as it had just moments earlier.
The rest of the ceremony passed so quickly that later Emma could remember only the barest snatches of it. Charlie standing so proudly as he held the rings on a small pillow, the warmth of Alex’s hands as he slipped the ring on her finger, Dunford’s and Ned’s cocky smiles as they watched Alex kiss her a little too passionately when the vicar finally pronounced them man and wife, and then finally, the sight of Caroline’s wet cheeks as the newly married couple breezed back up the aisle when the ceremony was over.