Chapter 17
“I do love a double wedding!” Lord Hector exclaimed on the steps of St Paul’s as they waited to make their entrance with Lady Juliet and her brother Lord Ajax. Lady Juliet and Lord Ajax stood together a few steps away, laughing at some childhood memory.
Mercy’s heart warmed at the sight.
Hector clapped his big hands together. His dark hair shone like a crow’s wing in the morning sunlight, and his suit was cut excellently against his large frame.
“Are you ready?” he asked with a wink as he held out his elbow to Mercy.
He was a person of such effervescence, and people seemed to adore him. Ladies especially, apparently, and Mercy liked him well for his merry nature.
“You are very enthusiastic,” Mercy pointed out as she tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, “for a circumstance you are avoiding entirely.”
“Oh, yes, yes, yes, of course,” he proclaimed brightly. “I can love something and not want it for myself. At least, I do not want it immediately. My dear, soon to be sister, there are too many ladies left for me to enjoy. I cannot imagine how terrible it would be if I denied them the pleasure of my company because, once I wed, I shall only have that one lady and I’m not quite ready to only have one lady. Do you see?”
Mercy’s lips twitched at his reasoning. “I do see, Hector,” she said, “and it is very kind of you to give me away today. Thank you.”
Hector beamed down at her. “It is my pleasure. I knew you would become my sister. The moment I saw you, I knew it would happen.”
“Did you? Are you a prognosticator then?” she teased.
“Oh, yes,” he said, waggling his brows. “Most of us in this family are. We can see a match a mile away.” Hector let out a sigh of satisfaction. “Two excellent weddings in one day. Nothing could be better.”
She grinned. “Then surely we must find you a wife.”
He tsked dramatically. “Did you not hear what I said? Too many ladies. I could not cause so much suffering by taking myself off the market so quickly.”
She rolled her eyes, but just as she was about to tease him further, the organ music started and she jolted.
“Now, now,” he said, patting her hand with his gloved one. “Steady on and no running.”
“I wasn’t going to run,” she protested.
He looked down kindly at her. “You look a little bit like a deer during the hunt.”
“Well, none of this is exactly what I expected,” she said, looking about.
The street was a crush of onlookers, cheering and waving. St. Paul’s dome soared above and the whole arrangement was breathtaking, if not a trifle overwhelming.
Hector leaned down and whispered, “Isn’t it marvelous?”
“Marvelous?” she echoed shakily as the momentous nature of what she was doing began to truly strike home. “To go so entirely out of one’s plan?”
“Oh, yes,” Hector returned. “That is the very best part.”
She wasn’t sure, but perhaps he was right. Perhaps that was what life was for and about. Not to live vigilantly according to plan, but to allow things to happen to one that were new and exciting. Perhaps that was what made life vital.
She glanced over to Juliet and Ajax.
Just at that moment, Ajax turned to her and smiled. “Are we ready? Shall we go two by two?”
“We are not entering Noah’s ship,” Juliet teased.
“Even better,” Ajax sallied. “You’re getting married.”
Juliet beamed, full of delight and confidence.
How she admired her about-to-be sister-in-law and her beautiful heart.
Hector nodded down at her. “It’s time.”
Mercy gave a quick smile, forcing herself to take in slow breaths and let the big English lord lead her in.
The cathedral was a wonder, and as she walked down the nave, a wave of nerves crashed through her, but then…
Leander turned and she met his beautiful gaze, and it was full of love.
All her fear vanished.
The I dos were full of joy, and the ceremony was bright and swift. Leander had beamed the entire time, and then he had swept her back down the aisle and into his ducal coach that had been decked with flowers. Then he had kissed her senseless.
Soon after, they had arrived at Heron House for the wedding breakfast.
He’d immediately been absorbed by countless lords and dignitaries, who had come to give their respects and congratulations. Once she was on her own for a few moments, she spotted a face she’d so dearly hoped to see.
The first person she spotted was the perfect one indeed!
“A triumph, Your Grace! A complete and total triumph.” Lady Priscilla looked as if she was about to burst with happiness as she bustled forward in her frothy pink concoction of a gown and took Mercy’s hands.
Mercy loved how entirely different the two of them were in personality, and yet similar in so many ways. Mercy was rather staid on the outside—serious, in fact—whereas Lady Priscilla was a font of bubbling joy.
While neither of them had been born to the ton, they were both right in the thick of it.
“All of the ladies are absolutely beside themselves.” Lady Priscilla laughed.
And it was true.
Mercy looked out at the sea of people who had come to the wedding breakfast. It was positively packed. Heron House was so full that she did not know if anyone would be able to put their arms out and walk around without clobbering someone else. She could only imagine what it would’ve been like ten or fifteen years ago when skirts were six feet wide.
Now, oh my goodness! In all her life, she never would’ve dreamed that so many people would come to her wedding. Of course, it was Tobias’ and Juliet’s wedding too! There were even more people now than had been at St. Paul’s.
It was a complete and total crush. People promenaded back and forth, holding glasses of champagne and punch. Delectable morsels of food were being distributed, and the servants were all acting as if they were in an elaborate ballet.
The footmen were excellent, rotating back and forth, their silver trays overhead, their wigs powdered white, their livery beautifully pressed and ready to impress.
Everyone kept staring at her, of course, and whispering. Eyes were narrowed; some were wide with astonishment. Some were even wide with, dare she say, admiration. Apparently, they admired her skill for catching a duke. To her surprise, this was, she had to admit, rather fun.
She had entered society being disdained, and now she was certainly envied. There were certainly people who were angry at her ascent. But if she wished to do great things with this life, she was going to have to deal with people who disliked her, even people who hated her. It was simply the way of things.
Life was full of difficulties, after all. She did not mind it because the opportunities she was about to have? She could not deny them. Those opportunities would make all the disdainful looks and sniffs of superiority worth it.
She took Lady Priscilla’s hand in hers, squeezed it, and ushered her away from the crowded hall toward the balustrade that overlooked the garden.
“And you? How goes your search for a husband?”
Lady Priscilla shrugged. “My father has several people in mind,” she stated. “All of them are exceptionally powerful. Two earls, one viscount, and a baron,” she said.
“That’s wonderful, isn’t it?” Mercy ventured carefully.
“I suppose so.” Lady Priscilla gave a quick smile. “I’m certain one of them will do very nicely, and I don’t need to love the man I marry.”
“You don’t?” Mercy queried with surprise. “That seems to go against the fashion of the day.”
Lady Priscilla sighed before she admitted, “I’m not very interested in the fashion of the day. I just wish to find a friend, someone that I can live this life with and be peaceful. I think it’d be quite nice to go abroad and discover the world.”
Mercy blinked. She’d never considered such a thing. Coming from New York to England had seemed grand adventure enough to her.
Lady Priscilla’s face transformed with the light. “Oh, I should like that very much indeed, to take off into the world and never stop. How wonderful would that be?”
“I don’t know,” Mercy said honestly as she looked out across the crowded garden and spotted her husband at the center of a group of gentlemen, all vying for his attention. “I rather like doing what I do here.”
Priscilla grinned. “That’s because you are all about the printing press. Your work is to transport people to other worlds from where they are.”
“Shall we cheer for each other in our pursuit of the printing press and adventure about the globe, my friend?” Mercy asked before she paused, realizing she might be overeager. “I may call you a friend, may I not?” Mercy said.
Priscilla’s gaze warmed. “Oh, of course. I feel very fortunate that we discovered each other by the punch bowl that day with those silly young ladies staring at you.”
Mercy beamed. She’d gone from having just her brother to now being surrounded by good people. It was hard to believe.
Lady Priscilla leaned in and said, “Now, that husband of yours. He’s rather gorgeous, isn’t he?”
“He is,” Mercy agreed.
“How very lucky of you,” Priscilla returned merrily and without a hint of envy.
“Yes, yes, I am lucky,” Mercy agreed.
She was so very lucky. In fact, she could hardly believe it. And in that moment, she felt a sharp wave of fear.
So much had been taken from her over the years…
She shoved the thought away abruptly.
This time she would be safe. After all, he had promised.