"The duchess," he and Lady Camilla and Mrs. Collins said at once.
"Oh dear," Adrienne smothered a giggle with her hand. "I would love to have heard that conversation."
"I don't think so," the duke said. "It was not pretty." He offered her his arm. "Now, if you are ready, shall we take you to your rather anxious bridegroom?"
Lady Camilla stood and handed Adrienne the delicate beribboned and lace-bound bouquet of hibiscus and orchids. The Earl of Framlingwood had sent for the flowers native to Martinique from the extensive orangery at his country estate. He had been wonderful and she came to realize they had healed each other in many ways during their years together. He had his flaws and foibles, but he was a good man. And she'd gained her Grosvenor Street sisters as well.
Sisters!
"What about my special guests, Your Grace?" she asked as the left the bedchamber and walked down the corridor to the curved marble staircase the led to the first floor.
"Taken care of,' Mrs. Collins assured her as she, Lady Camilla, and the duchess followed closely behind them.
"How?" She tried to concentrate on not sliding down the stairs in her new slippers.
"There is a balcony across the back wall of our library," the duke said. "My clever wife has had a rather large, tall framed mirror from her club placed across the front length of that balcony. A one-way mirror. Your friends will have a perfect view of the entire wedding and Framlingham won't have the slightest idea they are there."
"Are you certain Framlingwood won't know. Who is going to keep him from wandering up there at some point?" She glanced over her shoulder at Mrs. Collins, who oddly enough was blushing.
"Mrs. Collins will take care of the earl," Lady Camilla said with a smile far too devilish for a woman of her years. "Not to worry. Your secret is safe. For now."
Adrienne had no time to ponder that last cryptic phrase. They'd come to the towering white and gold double doors into the library. Mrs. Collins flustered around her, patting her hair into place and making little adjustments to Adrienne's dress.
"Be happy," the housekeeper said softly. The normally staid and withdrawn woman kissed Adrienne's cheek before she joined Lady Camilla and the duchess and slipped into the library. Two footmen stood at the ready to open the doors for the bride and her escort to enter. She glanced at the footmen and shook her head. Looking far more buttoned-up and neat than they ever had on Grosvenor Street, Young Rutherford and Tall Rutherford each gave her a wink as they opened the doors.
"El thought you'd be more comfortable with some familiar faces nearby," the duke whispered as they began to walk down the aisle set up between rows of Chippendale chairs that held the small group of wedding guests.
Her heat warmed at the kindness she'd found in this madcap group of friends who had suddenly become family. Speaking of which, her two new-found brothers sat on the front row beamingat her. Tears pricked her eyes. And then she saw Obadiah, and everything else disappeared.
He gazed at her the way she'd seen him gaze at sunsets on Martinique, on sunrises onboard one of Captain El's ships, and on her after they made love. An entire sonnet was contained in his eyes though he spoke not a word. He was dressed in a dark blue coat of superfine with dark blue knee breeches, but his waistcoat was the same blue as her dress, though it was embroidered with symbols she recognized from his tattoos. His white shirt and neckcloth shone blindingly against the golden-brown hue of his skin.
"You look good enough to eat," Obadiah murmured as the duke placed her hand in his.
"Later," she shot back as the duke broke into a coughing fit before he took his seat next to his duchess.
The vicar cleared his throat. Adrienne glanced up at the mirrored balcony and smiled. She thought she saw the mirror shake and imagined her friends squealing silently with happiness for her. As the vicar began to speak Adrienne fixed her gaze on Obadiah, and suddenly the entire room disappeared. In her mind they were children again, standing on the shores of Martinique and vowing to love and watch over each other forever.
As they spoke their vows and Obadiah placed the ring on her finger she realized that no matter where their lives had led them, this was where they belonged. Together against whatever life had in store for them. With the help of friends, former lovers, people like the Rutherfords and people like the Duke and Duchess of Chelmsford. This was their reward for enduring and holding on to their love for each other through it all.
She blinked away tears. The vicar had just pronounced them man and wife and dared anyone to put them asunder. Her fierce warrior, her bodyguard, her passionate lover and friend lookedas if he was ready to beat the life out of anyone who tried. Adrienne could not help it. She laughed. And after a moment Obadiah joined her. Then suddenly he snatched her into his arms, bent her over backwards and kissed her with the fiery passion that was his alone. Until he shared it with her.
They likely would have kissed forever or done far more save for the presence of the vicar and the raucous whistling from the rest of the livery clad Rutherfords scattered about the room.
"Can we at least enjoy the wedding breakfast first?" a familiar, somewhat bored voice intoned. "Charpentier has outdone himself and I'd like to taste some of it before Ashworth eats it all as if he has not eaten in a week. Honoria, how do you afford to feed this man?" Stephen Forsythe, the barrister who had been such a help to them, winced as his wife, Lady Jane, elbowed him in the side.
Obadiah raised her upright but kept a protective arm around her. The Duke of Chelmsford invited everyone across the corridor where a magnificent wedding breakfast had been laid on by his servants after being prepared and supervised by Nathaniel Charpentier, perhaps the most sought-after chef in London.
"How did our lives come to this?" she asked her husband.Her husband.She had to be grinning like the village idiot her face hurt so.
"Good living?" Archer Colwyn suggested as he and his soon-to-be wife, Charlotte, came to offer their congratulations. "My God, these crab cakes are delicious." He stuffed the entire thing into his mouth and offered his plate to Obadiah, who took one and disposed of it the same way. She and Charlotte rolled their eyes.
"Good living?" Charlotte said. "Where's the fun in that? Speaking of fun, any idea what is going on over there?" Shenodded to where Mrs. Collins and Framlingwood sat at a little table in intense conversation.
"I have no idea," Adrienne said as she leaned closer to the chess mistress. "Perhaps you and the Runner could stroll over and find out?"
"That was wicked," Obadiah said as the Runner and the chess mistress made their way across the room.
"Not as wicked as I'd like to be," she fairly purred as she ran her hand down his silk breech-clad buttocks.
