Chapter Thirty-Two
“Oh, Lizzy! Do anything rather than marry without affection.”
MONROE
“IS THIS CRAZY? ARE WE doing this too soon?” I asked my dad as I held on to him tightly and looked around the incredible, although masculine, bathroom with dark wood and stone tile. Within a few hours, I could officially call it my own, and it definitely needed a feminine touch—although the clawfoot tub was to die for. I didn’t feel like Fitz and I were rushing, but some would disagree—mainly Mum B. She still hated it when I called her that.
Dad, in his tux, chuckled and squeezed me tight. “Honey, you would be crazy not to get married so soon. Take it from a man who lost the love of his life: Seize these moments and cherish them, and each other. You two kids have loved each other for so long, it only seems right.”
He always knew the right thing to say. Not that I was having any doubts about Fitz, but I was nervous about taking on the title of the Duchess of Blackthorne and being daughter-in-law to a woman who refused to come to our wedding. The only thing I was doing right in her estimation was trying to keep the wedding a secret from the press. It embarrassed her to think that soon I would be part of her family.
“Thank you, Dad. I love you. So much.” I kissed his cheek.
“Right back at ya, kiddo.” Dad leaned away, grabbed my hands, and gave me a good once-over in my simple but elegant A-line wedding gown. His eyes filled with tears. “You look so much like your mother. She is smiling down from heaven today. You were her world.”
My eyes filled with moisture. I’d thought of her so often these past couple of months, especially as I talked to my therapist. She’d been helping me work through the trauma of watching my mom die. And she’d helped me to realize I don’t need to save the world. Not that she thinks it’s bad that I help others, but she’s trying to help me be, let’s say, more selective. Sadly, there haven’t been any new reasons to wear a bonnet in public. Maybe someday.
“I miss her,” I managed to say through the lump in my throat. “Especially today. Although, you do good hair.” Dad had gone to a hairstylist after Mom died and had her teach him how to do my hair. He was truly the best dad ever. Today, he’d done a great chignon.
Dad chuckled. “You look beautiful. You’re simply glowing.”
I did feel all lit up from the inside out. I took that as a sign that I was doing the right thing. “You’re not so bad yourself.” I straightened Dad’s bow tie. “Should we do this?”
Dad offered me his arm. “Let’s get this party started.”
I strung my arm through Dad’s, and we strode through the bathroom door to find Fitz in his room, looking oh so fine. No cravat, but dang, could he rock a tux. And his taut jawline was perfectly stubbly, just the way I loved it.
“Fitz, it’s bad luck for you to see me,” I teased.
Fitz’s eyes roved over me from head to toe. I could tell he was doing his best not to look too salaciously at me with my dad there. “I couldn’t wait any longer to see you, my bride,” the words got caught in his throat.
That was it, I was going to have to redo my makeup at this rate. Tears trickled down my cheeks.
“I’ll give you two a moment.” Dad kissed my head and skedaddled.
Fitz was to me in no time, wrapping me in his arms.
We held on to each other tightly.
“My beautiful best friend,” Fitz whispered.
“I thought we were lovers.” I giggled through my happy tears.
“We are much more than that.” Fitz leaned away just enough to gaze into my eyes.
We were definitely more than that. I wasn’t sure there was a word to explain it other than that he was my person and I was his. It had been that way since the day we met. I reached up and lightly danced my fingers across Fitz’s cheeks, wishing I could find the words to tell him how much he meant to me. They didn’t come, yet somehow he understood.
“I know,” he said. “Me too.”
“Look at us, speaking telepathically.”
Fitz smiled his dashing smile. “I love you, Monroe.”
“I love you more.”
“Impossible.” His lips brushed mine so reverently.
I let him have that one. “All right, almost husband, let’s go get hitched.”
Fitz grinned. “First, I have a surprise for you.” He took my hand.
“I love surprises.”
“Yes, I know.” He tugged me along through his bedroom and out into the hall that literally had a knight in shining armor, a medieval piece that Fitz’s family had passed down through generations. It was kind of creepy, but I hadn’t mentioned it yet.
As we passed Beatrix’s suite, I pulled Fitz’s hand and stopped. “Maybe we should give her one more chance to say no to us.” I’d been trying to get her to come for days now, knowing it would mean a lot to Fitz.
“Darling, don’t waste your breath.”
“It’s not wasted. I know you want her there.”
Fitz ran a finger down my cheek. “You are amazing.”
“So are you.” I nudged him with my hip before I knocked on Beatrix’s door. “Mum B.,” I called. “We are heading for the chapel. We’d love it if you came with us.” That was mostly true. “It’s not every day you get to see a brand-new duchess come to life.” I had to needle her a little. She’d been awful to me and had gone so far as to say I was an American abomination and I was besmirching the name of Fitzroy.
Unexpectedly, she threw open the door. This was progress—normally she just ignored me. Her beady eyes immediately landed on me, scrutinizing everything about me. Consternation filled her features as if she couldn’t find anything wrong with my dress or the way I looked.
“Well, you at least don’t look horrid.”
“Wow. How kind of you to say,” I said playfully, because I knew she wanted me to be offended. But honestly, that’s one of the nicest things she’d ever said to me.
Her face pinched, folding in on itself. “You’re still not getting the ring.”
I patted Fitz’s chest. “Fine by me. This guy is all I want.”
“Ugh,” she spat. “Be off, and don’t embarrass us.”
“No guarantees there.” I winked.
Fitz chuckled, earning him a scathing scowl from his mother before she slammed the door on us.
“That went better than I thought it would. I think I’m wearing her down.”
Fitz shook his head and grinned. “Only you would think so.”
“I’ll keep trying.”
“For that, I love you. Now, come see your surprise.”
I followed Fitz down the expansive hall until we made it to the stairs. Down below were more people than I expected. We’d kept the ceremony small on purpose, hoping it would remain a private affair.
“Fitz,” I cried when I saw not only Dad and Grams and Anna and Kingston, who were standing up for us as maid of honor and best man. But there was also Laila and Davis Gray, Macey, Zane, Calliope, Carla, and Ava, my Pride and Prejudice Park family. I’d kept in touch with everyone, feeling oddly connected to them in ways I couldn’t explain. Although I knew my dream had been just that—a dream—I still couldn’t help but feel as if each person smiling up at me had helped me remember who I was and led me to this place, here with Fitz.
“I knew you’d want them here.” Fitz kissed my cheek.
“I love you,” I said, blazing down the stairs as fast as my gown would let me to reach my “pretend” family.
Laila and Davis rushed forward to wrap their arms around me as soon as my feet hit the landing. “Our beautiful daughter ,” they said in unison, making me smile. “Looks like you figured it all out,” Davis said mysteriously.
I leaned away from him, tilting my head. Sometimes I swore he knew about the dream, but that couldn’t be. Just for fun I said, “Yes, Mr. Bennet.”
He gave me a wink and my sisters greeted me next.
“Thank you for being here,” I gushed as I hugged each one.
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Macey beamed with that new-love glow. Of course, I knew all about her and Zane figuring out they belonged together, but it was fun to see her so happy.
“Look at you lookin’ like a duchess.” Carla flicked her head at me.
“You look very pretty,” Ava added.
“Yes, she does.” Fitz took my side. “Thank you all for being here,” Fitz said regally. “If you all wouldn’t mind following Kingston to the cars.”
We watched our family and guests leave. I made to follow, but Fitz held me back.
“Just a moment, please.” He stared lovingly into my eyes. “Monroe,” he whispered. “Your love has ‘fixed’ me in ways I can’t enumerate. You may have fallen in front of me, but it was I who truly fell.”
I wanted to melt into a puddle of goo right there. “I love when you talk duke to me.”
“I can’t wait for you to talk duchess to me,” he groaned.
“Well then, let’s go make me a duchess, because you areexactly the man who, in disposition and talents, most suits me.”
“You had to throw a little Pride and Prejudice in there,” he teased.
If it weren’t for Pride and Prejudice , I didn’t know if we would be here.