She nodded. “Duncan Patrick Slorach, would you do me the very great honor of becoming my husband?”
Baron made a noise, but Duncan didn’t care if he was shocked. He didn’t care that Lucy was proposing to him when he should have been the one bending a knee. “Lucy...”
“Elinor,” she prompted.
“Lucy Elinor Galloway, I accept.” He tugged her up and kissed her. Somewhere there came clapping and throat clearing and a million other things. But he didn’t care about any of it. Lucy was in his arms, and she loved him.
***
LUCY TOOK A DEEP BREATHand glanced in the cheval mirror one last time. In the reflection, her mother, who stood behind her, smiled. “You look beautiful,” she said.
“I look terrified,” Lucy said, pinching her cheeks so they wouldn’t be so pale. “Why did the queen have to marry in white? I look like a corpse.”
“Nonsense. I’ve seen a lot of corpses and you look very much alive. Besides, as soon as you see Duncan, the color will flood your face. You blush and light up every time you look at him.”
Lucy turned. “I do?”
“You do. That’s how your father and I knew he was the one for you.”
“Oh, really? If Papa thought he was right for me, then why did he try to kill him the other day?”
Her mother shook her head. “He was just testing his reflexes, dear. He wouldn’t have really shot him.”
Lucy rolled her eyes. It was a wonder Duncan hadn’t run screaming from her family. Perhaps he had. What if she walked into the chapel and he wasn’t waiting for her?
A tap sounded on the door and her father poked his head in, eyes closed. “Are we ready?”
“You can open your eyes, Adrian,” her mother said. “She’s ready. The question is, areyouready?”
“As I’ll ever be. Lucy, what’s wrong? Are you reconsidering? I can take you home.”
She shook her head and forced her lips into a smile. “I was just worried Duncan might not show up. You did try and shoot him the other day.”
“He’s here,” her father said. “But I can get rid of him, if you like.”
“No!”
Her mother took her by the shoulders and kissed both cheeks. “I’ll go down and take a seat. I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you too.”
When his wife had gone, her father looked at Lucy. “You can still change your mind.”
“I don’t want to change my mind.”
“You look like you want to change your mind.”
“I’ve just never been a bride before.”
He took a step back. “Your mother didn’t tell you about the wedding night? I can call her back—”
Lucy laughed. “That’s not what I mean. I mean, I’ve never had to stand up in front of God and my friends and relatives and vow to love one man the rest of my life. It’s daunting.” She took his arm and gestured toward the door that would lead them down a corridor and to the narthex.
“I know,” he said. “I didn’t sleep a minute the night before I married your mother.”
“That makes sense. You hardly knew each other.” They paused before the door to the sanctuary. Lucy looked up at him. “How did you get through it?”
“I just thought about all the cakes at the breakfast. And then I saw her and...well, I wasn’t thinking about the cakes anymore.”
