Chapter 37 #2
He turned his attention to us and I struggled to look at him.
“Before we continue, I must ask the bride and groom, if you know of any reason why you may not be joined in marriage, you must speak it now.”
Teddy and I remained silent, his eyes warning me.
“Very well,” the priest chuckled. “Now, I ask those gathered here today, whether they know of any lawful reason why Isabelle and Theodore may not be joined in marriage.”
The church was eerily silent, as one would expect.
I was disappointed, hoping that maybe Ester would take it upon herself to cause a scene, to call me out publicly.
I dared to glance to her, her blurry face was sharp with anger, but she was still silent.
“Wonderful!” the priest declared. “I see you already hold one another’s hands so we can move on to vows.”
The congregation tittered.
“I ask you both, will you love and honour, comfort and strengthen one another and remain faithful to the other for all the days that God grants you?”
“I will,” Teddy called clearly.
“Yes,” I replied, quietly.
The priest fidgeted. “I will, Isabelle?” he prompted. “Someone is a little nervous,” he announced.
“I will,” I repeated.
“Repeat after me please, Theodore. Isabelle, I take you to be my wife, before God and these witnesses. I promise to love you, to cherish you, to protect you and to be faithful to you. To walk with you in the journey of our lives. I give you my heart.”
Teddy grinned handsomely. “Isabelle, I take you to be my wife, before God and these witnesses. I promise to love you, to cherish you, to protect you and to be faithful to you. To walk with you in the journey of our lives. I give you my heart.” He cupped my cheek on the final words, the congregation cooing at the display.
“Isabelle, please repeat after me. Theodore, I take you to be my husband, before God and these witnesses. I promise to love you, to cherish you, to protect you, to be faithful to you and to obey you. To walk with you in the journey of our lives. I give you my heart.”
“Theodore,” I started, slowly. “I take you to be my husband…” I trailed off, the words slipping from my mind.
“Before God and these witnesses,” the priest prompted.
“Before God and these witnesses,” I repeated. “I promise to love you–”
My words were cut short by the sound of crashing coming from the foyer, echoing loud through the vaulted church.
“My apologies!” The priest waved towards the direction of the noise and he raised his voice in an attempt to bring the attention back to the service, his face now glowing with embarrassment. “Please continue, Isabelle.”
I sought the words out, Teddy’s grip on my hands now punishing.
“I promise to love you, to cherish you, to protect you, to be faithful to you and to obey you.”
The doors to the foyer flew open and everyone twisted to look, me included. The motion made my head spin too fast, my vision refusing to settle on the figures that stood there, or maybe figure.
The faces of the people split and merged, my leg buckled beneath me. Teddy clutched me to him to prevent me falling.
“Stop!” the man called out. “I will speak with Edmund Blackthorne.”
The priest spluttered.
“Sir, this is not the time, you are interrupting a wedding!” he scolded. “Remove yourself from this room.”
More men appeared behind the man, or men, in the doorway, several others moving from positions at the back corner of the church to intercept them. There could have been a few or a dozen.
“But that’s exactly the point, sir,” the intruder replied. “I’d rather discuss this privately, with Edmund.”
My father stood at the second demand, clearing his throat. “I do not know you, and you are interrupting a private ceremony. Leave or be removed.”
The figure at the back of the room stepped forwards.
“Okay, I’ll gladly leave. If you’ll just allow me to collect my wife, then I’ll be on my way.” Footsteps approached, the voice clearing in my head.
“Alex?” I mumbled.
A low snarl rumbled in Teddy’s chest beneath where he clutched my head to him.
“Sebastian, please collect Isabelle.”
A dark figure strode towards me, his form crystallising into a body the closer he came, a swaying body, but a body, nonetheless.
“She is no-one’s wife, she is unwed.” My father was unmistakeably angry now.
Murmurs of confusion, mixed with entertainment, were breaking out across the church.
“Incorrect, she was wed to me less than a week ago,” Alex argued.
“Alex!” Sebastian was both stationary and fluid at the base of the steps below me. “We’ve got a problem.” His voice quietened. “Killer?”
I whimpered.
“Come here, honey,” Seb coaxed, reaching for me.
The sound of a scuffle at the entrance of the room had drawn almost all attention from where Teddy and I stood.
I pulled against Teddy’s hold, but he only tightened his grip.
“Teddy!” Sophie’s voice entered the fray.
The commotion ended with the thud of flesh on flesh, then footsteps pounding down the aisle towards us brought the huge frame and furious frown of Alex into my swimming vision.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” my father called out.
Alex ignored him. “Seb?” His concern was evident.
“I know, Alex, but I need trust-fund-Teddy to let go of her and I’m trying not to make anything worse,” Seb whispered fiercely. “Izzy, honey?”
He beckoned but I couldn’t move, Teddy’s grip too strong.
“Teddy,” I begged. “Please?”
“Shut up, Isabelle,” he snarled quietly before raising his voice. “You two, get the fuck out!”
“No!” I cried weakly, yanking fruitlessly against Teddy’s hold.
He dragged me away from Alex and Seb.
“That’s enough!” Alex bellowed. “You!” He stormed towards Teddy, climbing the steps. He towered over him. “Release her.”
Teddy scoffed before he stilled at the danger that rippled off Alex and the absence of back-up – all his groomsmen having scattered away.
“Who the hell are you?” Father roared.
My pulse began to thunder. Finally, I was coming back to life!
“I am Frederick Alexander Cavendish the Second.” Alex paused as the room broke out into murmuring. “And you…” Alex snarled as the noise dissipated, pointing from Teddy to my father. “You abducted my goddamned wife.”
Teddy’s arms slackened and I was torn from his hold, the sickening thud of Alex’s thrown fist the last thing I heard as I fell into Seb’s embrace.