Page 41

Heads turned to face her. Beatrice wasn’t too proud to admit their pleasant reaction to her appearance was a soothing balm to her aching heart. If she was going to enter into this facade of a marriage, at least she looked good. Her sister Sarah would be proud to hear such thoughts.

Beatrice couldn’t help but look over her shoulder to the opened chapel door. She could see the back end of the hired hackney that sat in the courtyard. Her heart lurched at the wayward thought that Ezra was connected to it.

She sighed and shook her head. Once again, her mother’s voice rang throughout her head. You read too much, Beatrice.

Beatrice fixated her eyes on the man at the end of the aisle. He wasn’t Ezra, but he was a good man. Someone who understood her and would give her a life of laughter and companionship. Some didn’t even get that. She should feel lucky, she could have ended up with someone garish and undeserving.

She began her walk down the aisle, smiling at familiar and not so familiar faces. She tried looking for the mystery couple but she made it to the end of the aisle before she could locate them.

Amos smiled and extended his hand. She slipped her hand into his and felt the chapter close. This was it. She was going to be a married woman.

“Stop!”

The bellow came from the back of the church.

Women gasped, men stood, and she was pretty sure her mother threw her handkerchief up in surrender.

Amos and Beatrice turned, squinting at the light shining from behind the man who was now charging down the aisle.

Ezra .

“You can’t marry him. I won’t allow it.” Ezra’s voice echoed off the rafters.

Beatrice’s heart was beating so fast she brought her hand up to her chest in the off chance it beat right out of her body.

“Ezra. What are you doing?” Her whisper barely reached him.

“You can’t marry him.” Ezra demanded.

Beatrice looked to Amos who was silently standing off to the side. His hands clasped in front of him, intrigue and curiosity displayed on his face.

She tilted her head. Not the response one would expect from a man who was about to be left at the alter.

Left at the alter. Good God, what was she saying? Was this really happening?

“Ezra, you said-”

“I don’t care what I said. I was wrong. I was wrong about all of it.” Ezra stepped up to Beatrice and grabbed her hands and kissed them. His movements were frantic and frenzied as he laid kisses on the backs of her hands, on her palms.

“I tried to live without you. I tried convincing myself this was the way, but I was wrong.” He cast his eyes out into the pews to connect with someone in the congregation. “Frederic made me see that.”

Beatrice followed his eyes and they landed on the mystery couple. The man was Frederic, which meant, the woman next to him was Ezra’s sister, Harriet. The couple both stood with bright smiles on their faces.

Ezra took her head in his hands to bring her focus back to him. “Please, Beatrice. Give me another chance. Let me have you, I need more than that one night. I need all of your nights.”

His lips crashed down on hers to a cascade of gasps and murmurs from the congregation.

Ezra’s kiss forced her to rock back on her heels. Instinct took over and Beatrice reached up and held onto his shoulders to stable herself. Ezra deepened the kiss as her hands reached up and she ran her fingers through his hair.

A not so subtle cough sounded from her right.

“You know I’m really tired of having my daughter’s weddings interrupted by a third party.”

Charlotte stood next to her daughter with her eye brow raised. “I thought you said there would be no mystery man during your ceremony?”

Beatrice blushed as she looked up to Ezra. “He is no mystery man, Mama, just someone I thought was done with me.”

Ezra shook his head. “Never. I’ll never be done with you. I love you.”

Beatrice’s heart soared at his admission. She smiled as his lips captured hers again.

Charlotte took another step closer to the couple and looked directly at Ezra. “Forgive me for questioning you, Your Grace, but in case you have forgotten we are in the middle of a wedding ceremony and the woman you just pledged your love to is supposed to be marrying another man.”

Ezra turned to Amos who was still standing silently by, watching the situation unfold.

“You can’t marry her.”

Amos dipped his chin. “I see that.”

Beatrice looked out into the congregation of curious and surprised faces taking in the drama in front of them.

She shook her head to gather her thoughts. “This is insane. Ezra, can we do this? Is this really happening?”

Ezra pulled her to him. “This is happening, Mouse. You and me, no more lists, no more ‘should haves’ or ‘should nots,’ we’re doing this. Together we’ll write our own story, we’ll be our own heroes. We’ll have adventures, we’ll travel, we’ll have an entire floor of books, if that’s what you want.”

Beatrice couldn’t believe her eyes or ears. Finally someone had stood up and chose her for her. Someone who wanted to champion her, someone who would not only let her experience all life had to offer but wanted to experience it with her.

Her eyes drifted to Amos. He would have given that to her but Ezra could give her one thing Amos couldn’t. Deep, passionate, and never-ending love.

She looked into Ezra’s eyes and saw her future. For once in her life she was no longer apprehensive or nervous about what the future held.

Beatrice wrapped her arms around him and kissed him again.

“That’s what I want. I want all of that.”

Ezra’s face widened into a bright smile. “Then you shall have it all.”

“I love you, Ezra.” Her words brushed against his lips.

“I love you, Mouse.”