Page 82 of Without Pride and Prejudice
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 noto 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.”
