He stood at the altar, looking impossibly handsome in his suit, his eyes shining with love and anticipation.
As soon as she was close enough to him, Verity reached out to hold his hands. Surrounded by close friends and family, a glow of warmth spread through her. She could feel the intensity of the love in the air between herself and Philip which only made her grin much wider.
I am the luckiest woman alive, she thought to herself as her brain flickered back through all of her memories with Philip. I will always be so very happy.
Dancing at balls, talking over flowers, sharing looks… it was always leading up to this beautiful moment. All the hardships were worth it, to be here now.
“We are gathered here today,” the wedding officiant began. “To celebrate the union between Lord Philip Easton, the Marquess of Eilendale, and Lady Verity Sinclair.”
Those words… they filled Verity with such joy. The title she did not care about, it had never been about that for her. Even if this man had nothing, she would have still fallen very much in love with him.
As they recited their vows and exchanged rings, Verity truly felt like her heart might explode with love and joy. She could notstop the tears from cascading down her cheeks, but these were happy tears. This was a feeling that she never wanted to end.
Once the ceremony was over, it was time to head back to Verity’s mother’s home where the wedding breakfast was to be held.
Elizabeth was incredibly excited to hold this for her daughter. Verity could see that her mother had been just as excited about this as she was. She could hardly keep the smile off her face. But the best part of all of it was being able to freely hold Philip’s hand all the time. She no longer had to worry about gossip and the scandal sheets.
They could no longer say anything about her that would upset her and ruin her whole day again. She had finally found her place in the world, and it felt wonderful.
The well wishes and congratulations from everyone in attendance came thick and fast, and Verity was grateful to receive them. She knew that this could have been a very different story, if both her and Philip were forced to marry people that they did not love, which only made her appreciate this even more.
“What is going on?” she whispered to Philip as she noticed a kerfuffle by Georgina after the breakfast was consumed. “Do you think that there is more news in the air?”
Philip paused and watched the same scene as her, curiosity filling his expression. “I am not sure. Shall we find out?”
Verity nodded excitedly, hoping that there was more excitement for the day ahead. She was basking in the gorgeous glow of love and truly hoped that could spread further. Now that she had Philip on her arm, she could enjoy anything that anyone else had to say to her.
“Georgina,” Philip asked gently as he touched his sister’s arm. “What is happening?”
Verity was delighted to see a bright smile on her new sister in law’s face. There was a sparkle in her eyes that Verity recognized all too well. She was quite sure that she was wearing the same sparkle herself.
Georgina had been nothing but kind to her. Nothing but sweet and lovely, so Verity wanted her to be as happy as she felt.
“Lord Darlington,” she declared happily. “He has asked me to be his wife.”
It seemed like their own love story had blossomed in the wake of Verity and Philip’s happiness, which was such wonderful news. Philip embraced Georgina first, before Verity.
“You should make the announcement now,” she whispered to her sister-in-law.
“Oh no, I would not like to take any attention away from you today.”
Verity pulled back and stared at Georgina, both of them beaming with joy. “Oh no, you absolutely must announce it. Join in with our celebration, I would absolutely love that.”
Georgina giggled. “Are you sure? Oh, Verity, you really are wonderful. I am so grateful that my brother was smart enough to marry you. That might be the best decision he has ever made.”
A warm glow radiated through Verity. It had been a long time since she’d had someone, she could consider a friend. Of course she had Faye, but she would love the idea of widening her social circle some more. But she had been closed off because of what Daphne had done to her. But Georgina was a genuine sweet soul, and Verity was happy to build a friendship with her. This was someone she wanted in her life because she knew that she would bring nothing but light and joy.
She nodded and stepped back, pulling Philip back with her, so Georgina and Lord Darlington could make their announcement to the crowd surrounding them. It was veryobvious to Verity that the pair of them were very much in love and going to have a wonderful happy marriage.
The room buzzed with excitement as Georgina and Lord Darlington stepped forward. The guests, already elated from the wedding festivities, turned their attention to the couple, eager to hear what news was about to be shared. Georgina’s cheeks were flushed with happiness as she took a deep breath, her eyes meeting Lord Darlington’s.
“Everyone,” she began, her voice trembling slightly with emotion, “I have some wonderful news to share. Lord Darlington has asked me to be his wife, and I have accepted!”
A chorus of delighted gasps and applause erupted from the crowd. The guests were thrilled to witness yet another union forged in love. Verity squeezed Philip’s hand, her heart swelling with joy for his sister. Philip leaned in, his voice low and filled with pride, “It seems love is truly in the air today. It’s lovely to see, is it not? I feel like everyone is getting swept away in it.”
Verity nodded, her eyes glistening with tears of happiness. “Indeed, it is. I could not be happier for them.”
Georgina and Lord Darlington shared a tender kiss, sealing their engagement with the promise of a future filled with love and happiness. As the crowd congratulated the newly engaged couple, Verity and Philip stepped back to give them their moment in the spotlight.
