The Enigmatic Lady in the Ivory Tower

by Hazel Linwood

  “It does not matter. None of it matters. The only thing that matters is that now we can be together.”

  “What?” Diana asked confused.

  “If I am of noble blood, then there can be nothing to hinder us from marrying one another.”

  Diana took a breath, then froze as realization dawned.

  “We can be together?”

  Gabriel smiled and moved to take Diana’s hands in his own, blocking everyone else in the room out of his mind. “Lady Diana Bexley, will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?”

  Before Diana could answer him, a horrendous scream rent the air as the Dowager Marchioness suddenly sprang from her shocked silence and attacked Gabriel with the letter opener from her side table.

  “You should never have been born and I will not let you ruin everything that I have sacrificed to build!”

  The knife bit at Gabriel’s flesh, scraping down his arm as he turned to shelter Diana with his body from the Dowager’s wild blows. The motion caused a sharp pain in his wounded shoulder and it felt as if the skin ripped open from the stitches. Blood gushed forth in a crimson stain that leaked through his shirt and dripped onto Diana’s gown. The Dowager attempted to stab him again but was stopped by the Marquess.

  “It is over, Mother. It is done. Give me the blade.”

  The Marquess took the letter opener out of the Dowager’s grasp and handed it to the Earl of Kilgrave to dispose of. The Marquess led her back over to the chair and gestured for someone to pour her a sherry to calm her.

  “You have known all of this time,” she hissed to her son, the rage of accusation clear in every panting breath. “You not only knew but you protected him! Your father’s illegitimate spawn was right under my nose this entire time!” She turned her eyes back to Gabriel. “I would have killed you in your sleep had I known who you were.”

  “Then it would appear that my elder brother was right in his decision not to reveal my identity,” Gabriel answered, giving the Marquess a nod of understanding and forgiveness.

  “I will see to it that she never attempts to harm you again,” the Marquess promised.

  “How?” Diana demanded to know, eyeing the Marchioness warily. “Do you intend to lock her away somewhere?”

  “My mother will spend the rest of her days at Westwallow, away from all of you.”

  “And what of Gabriel and his family?” Diana pressed for answers.

  “To my younger brother Gabriel, I give the entirety of the family’s Welsh estate and all of its resources. If the Rowan family wishes to join him here, I will not protest.”

  “Truly?” Gabriel asked in disbelief. “You would grant me all of this?” he gestured around him with his good arm.

  “You are my brother. You deserve nothing less. To you, I also grant my blessing for a marriage with Lady Diana Bexley of Kilgrave and will begin dower negotiations on your behalf. If you are willing, of course, Kilgrave?”

  “I am, if it is what my daughter truly desires,” Diana’s father nodded his consent.

  Gabriel looked down into Diana’s eyes in question. “Marry me?” he whispered, his lips just above hers.

  “I will,” Diana whispered back, then their lips met in a passionate celebration of their love and the promise of the many tomorrows to come.

  Epilogue

  Three Months Later

  “Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by his presence and first miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and his Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among all people. The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God’s will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore, marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.”

  The Welsh minister peered at the happy couple before him and smiled at their obvious joy. “Into this holy union Charles Gabriel and Diana now come to be joined.” The minister paused to peer out over the attendees, daring any one of them to speak out against the couple, the look on his face making Diana giggle ever so slightly. “If any of you can show just cause why they may not lawfully be married, speak now; or else for ever hold your peace.”

  No one spoke a word to the great relief of the couple, so the minister went on as they stared lovingly into one another’s eyes. “I require and charge you both, here in the presence of God, that if either of you know any reason why you may not be united in marriage lawfully, and in accordance with God’s Word, you do now confess it.”

  They both shook their heads, grinning from ear to ear. They had beaten fate and the society and were elated beyond any earthly measure.

  “There is nothing,” Gabriel answered for them both, reaching out to caress Diana’s cheek.

  The minster smiled kindly at them both, then turned his eyes to Diana.

  “Diana, will you have this man to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”

  “I will.” Diana answered, strong, brave, and proud.

  “Charles Gabriel, will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?”

  “I will.” Gabriel took the slightest step closer to her, unable to keep the proper distance in his joy.

  Then, chuckling, the minister turned to the witnesses at either side of the couple.

  “Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?”

  “We will,” Lady Georgette and the Marquess of Westwallow answered in unison, smiling affectionately at one another.

  The officiate nodded his approval at this and laid his hands upon Gabriel and Diana’s joined hands.

  “The Lord be with you.”

  “And also, with you,” all those in attendance answered back in unison.

  “Let us pray.”

  As everyone else in the room bowed their heads in reverence, Gabriel and Diana held each other’s gaze in a steady promise of their blessed future.

  “O gracious and ever living God, you have created us male and female in your image: Look mercifully upon this man and this woman who come to you seeking your blessing, and assist them with your grace, that with true fidelity and steadfast love they may honor and keep the promises and vows they make; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

  “Amen,” the occupants of the crowded ballroom murmured in unison. Gabriel squeezed Diana’s hand in their own private amen.

  “Now repeat after me.” The minister instructed, meeting Gabriel’s eye for a moment to let him know that he would go first. Gabriel nodded. The minister recited the traditional vows for Gabriel to repeat to Diana.

  Gabriel smiled at hearing the words and he locked eyes with Diana’s tear-filled amber depths as he echoed them. “In the Name of God, I, Charles Gabriel, take you, Diana, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.”

  The minister turned to Diana.

  “Repeat after me, My Lady.” Diana nodded in understanding, tears of love, longing, and joy, slipping quietly down her cheeks.

&nbs
p; Diana met Gabriel’s eyes and repeated the words as instructed, her voice catching with the depth of her emotion.

  “In the Name of God, I, Diana, take you, Charles Gabriel, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.”

  “Do you have a ring for your bride, My Lord?”

  “I do,” Gabriel nodded and turned to take the most beautiful emerald-encrusted gold band from his brother. “This ring was once purchased as a gift from my father to the woman that he loved more than life itself upon the birth of their child, but he was never able to give it to her as she died before he ever had the opportunity,” he murmured, meeting her eyes with a mixture of love and sorrow that told her just how much the discovery of the ring had meant to him.

  “It is beautiful, Gabriel. Your mother would have greatly cherished it, I have no doubt.”

  Nodding, he handed the ring to the minister for it to be blessed. “Bless, O Lord, this ring to be a sign of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

  “Amen,” everyone in the room answered, followed by a quiet sense of awe that passed over the couple at the thought of the love that had brought them to where they now stood.

  “Now, My Lord, take the ring and place it on Her Ladyship’s finger and repeat after me.” The minister said the necessary words and Gabriel, taking the ring from the book, lovingly placed it upon Diana’s finger, repeating the necessary pledge.

  “Diana, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

  The minister smiled and took their joined hands in his once more. “Now that Charles Gabriel and Diana have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of a ring, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder. Amen.”

  “Amen.”

  The minster looked up at both of them, still holding their hands between his own, then turned his eyes up toward the sky. “Most gracious God, we give you thanks for your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to make the way of the cross to be the way of life. We thank you, also, for consecrating the union of man and woman in his Name. By the power of your Holy Spirit, pour out the abundance of your blessing upon this man and this woman.”

  “Defend them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads. Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death. Finally, in your mercy, bring them to that table where your saints feast for ever in your heavenly home; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.”

  “Amen.”

  “I now declare you, husband and wife. What God has joined together let no man put asunder. You, My Lord, may kiss your bride.”

  Cheers erupted across the room as Gabriel took Diana into his arms and kissed her passionately. Congratulatory hands pounded Gabriel on the back, while Georgette pulled her sister into an embrace.

  “You did it, Diana. You wed for love.”

  Diana smiled tears in her eyes as she returned her sister’s embrace. “I did. I married for love.” Diana looked over her shoulder at the brothers who stood watching them, grinning from ear to ear. “And so can you.” Diana gave her sister a gentle nudge toward the Marquess and slipped back into her new husband’s arms.

  “My Lady,” Gabriel whispered into her hair.

  “My Lord,” Diana whispered back, nestling her head against his newly healed shoulder.

  “I do not think that I will ever grow accustomed to hearing those words fall from your lips.”

  “We have the rest of eternity to find out.”

  “I love you, Lady Diana Jenson.”

  “As I love you, Lord Charles Gabriel Rowan Jenson, second son to the Marquess of Westwallow, and king of my heart.”

  The End?

  Extended Epilogue

  However Diana and Gabriel’s story doesn’t end here! Click below for a look into our loving couple’s future!

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  Trust me, you’ll thank me later!

  Also by Hazel Linwood

  Thank you for reading The Enigmatic Lady in the Ivory Tower!

  I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, may I ask you to please write a review HERE? It would mean the world to me. Your insightful comments and honest feedback help me get better!

  I am grateful for having you by my side! You’re a gem!

  Hazel Linwood

  About the Author

  Influenced by the extraordinary tales of Jane Austen and Maria Edgeworth, Hazel Linwood has always adored the fairy-tale like romances of the past. The youngest of four sisters, she has spent most of her youth lost in the classic historical romances of her favorite authors. Despite her parents’ efforts to persuade her to pursue a career in medicine, she found her heart's true calling in English Literature.

  After obtaining her degree, Hazel worked as an English teacher. That was until she met her husband and decided to indulge in her secret passion...writing! When she isn’t writing, Hazel enjoys spending time with her family, travelling or roaming the Texan countryside.

  Embark on this journey of desire, decorum and intense love of Regency England. Let Hazel transport you into an era of pure, sincere love and charming lords that will take your breath away!