Chapter 16 - Till Death Do Us Part
Aidan had faced battles with steadier nerves than the moment he stepped into the Butler chapel.
The chapel smelled faintly of cool stone, the scent of the candles saturating the the air. Morning light filtered through the narrow windows, painting pale ribbons across the pews.
The guests had already gathered, their quiet murmurs filling the high stone room. Lord Butler stood near the altar, Lady Butler standing at a polite distance beside him.
Catherine was not there yet.
A slow exhale.
She had not replied. Mamó Murphy had arrived with Catherine’s dowry two days earlier — but she had carried no letter.
The hinges creaked softly as the doors opened. Aidan found himself staring at them like a condemned man awaiting the verdict.
Catherine moved down the aisle with slow, measured grace. Her ivory robe was set off with pale lavender, the soft rustle of silk accompanied each elegant step. Aidan found he had ample time to study the intricate embroidery of the fabric. His bride did not glance his way even once.
She held herself like a queen — but even as she took her place at his side, her eyes flickered to her mother only once before settling on the Reverend with telling intensity.
In contrast, Aidan could not take his eyes off her.
Not even as the Reverend cleared his throat and opened the book of prayers. The pages crackled gently, then he spoke the ritual welcomings before the words Aidan had awaited fell.
“Join hands.”
Catherine did not hesitate. Her arm moved, a gloved hand lifting for him to take.
His heart kicked once in surprise. Irritation followed a moment later.
Not even now.
She refused to look at him — as if the ceremony might disappear if she ignored him hard enough.
He took her hand, forcing himself to match the formality of her gesture. So she wanted to play the noble martyr beneath impeccable manners? Two people could play this game.
Fabric brushed against fabric as their fingers touched. The faint rasp of glove against glove sounded louder than it should have. A faint tremor ran through her hand. He could tell the moment she noticed it — her muscles twitched, then her arm was perfectly steady again.
Aidan swallowed. Once.
She still believed he had made sport of her.
She could have destroyed him.
Instead she was marrying him — and behaving as if he had wronged her beyond forgiveness.
He closed his eyes briefly, battling the urge to strangle her. Or kiss her. Anything better than the farce he was taking part in right now.
The Reverend was moving through the ceremony with agonizing slowness, yet the moment of truth came too fast.
“Aidan, will you have this Woman as your wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep yourself only for her, so long as you both shall live?”
For the first time today Aidan took the time to simply look at his bride without any expectations toward her. He simply studied her — the fierce, utterly stubborn, smart woman that she was. He exhaled, forcing his chest to widen when it threatened to clench tight, realising he wasn’t lying.
“I will,” he simply replied.
The Reverend turned to her instead. The ritual words rang loud in Aidan’s ears.
“Catherine, will you have this Man as your wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Will you obey him, and serve him, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other, keep yourself for him, so long as you both shall live?”
The hand still resting upon Aidan’s violently shook through the entire recitation. Something heavy settled upon his chest when he noticed how she had to feel right now. She was truly convinced she was marrying not only a traitor and criminal, but also the person who’d taken joy in humiliating her.
His irritation at her dissolved, leaving an ache in his chest exactly where his heart was beating. The hand in his stilled. Her shoulders squared. Catherine’s voice rang out clear, but this time Aidan understood the brief hesitation — the moment of hoarseness before she cleared her voice.
She wasn’t just angry.
She was afraid of having to spend her life with him.
The thought gutted him.
His own hand strained as he took the ring from the Reverend’s bible. He slid it over Catherine’s finger and then, without thinking about it, gently closed her hand to a fist around it, covering it with his own. His thumb vibrated against her knuckles before he could stop the motion.
----
Catherine had been determined not to let the ceremony get to her.
She’d be forever tied to the man who mocked her.
He won. There was no other way to look at it.
But at least she didn’t need to give him the satisfaction of seeing her pain.
Her eyes stayed fixed on the priest the entire time. Her ears didn’t pick up any of his words — until it was time for the vows.
Aidan’s part rushed past in a hurry, her heart speeding up with every word that fell from the Reverend’s lips next.
“Will you obey him, and serve him, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in health…”
She pressed her lips together briefly. Her jaw clenched so hard that her teeth started to hurt.
Obey him.
Serve him.
Whether she wanted to or not — she had to speak the vows.
Catherine could feel her mother’s eyes upon her, piercing through her struggle. She could almost feel the weight of the gaze between her shoulder blades. The motherly advice about marriages still stung.
The bitterness in her mouth changed when Catherine suddenly understood that she’d be his.
Sentenced to follow his will.
For life.
It took all the resolve she could muster to stop her hand from shaking while she braced herself for the reality of what was happening. Her own voice sounded unfamiliar when she spoke the words.
“I will.”
It didn’t mean she had to like it after all.
She didn’t promise to be happy about it.
Just that she would.
Aidan’s fingers were cool even through the layers of fabric separating their skin when he pushed the ring down her finger. Suddenly his hand closed around hers. The motion was so unexpected that her breath caught.
Too stiff.
Too impulsive.
Both at the same time somehow, and something almost like a caress touched against her knuckles.
Before she could stop herself her eyes flickered up to meet his face.
She wished she had not.
He looked almost shocked — as if the consequences of the vows had only just reached him.
As if he had just now understood that this wasn’t a game.
Cold contempt spread from her stomach.
Too late.
At least she wasn’t the only one despising this connection.
When the ceremony was over and Aidan had led her down the aisle, she withdrew her hand the moment propriety allowed her to do so.
She was welcomed by a sea of moved faces and a wave of murmured congratulations rose around her. Tears of joy were streaking down Maisie’s face when her former chaperone took both of her hands and gently squeezed.
“Oh my dear, dear Lady Catherine! My heartfelt congratulations. Such a beautiful pair you make!”
Catherine stared at her blankly, desperately trying to swallow the laugh that threatened to break free from her throat.
“Thank you.”
She gazed back over her shoulder, seeing Aidan guided towards the buffet by a small crowd of men.
Something sharp sparkled in Catherine’s eyes briefly. Her voice was bone dry when she returned the squeeze and then let go of Maisie’s hands.
“Everybody gets what they deserve, isn’t that the saying?”
Across the room Aidan laughed at something one of the gentlemen had said. To everyone watching, the marriage of the O’Donells had begun most happily.