Sir Jacob took a step, and she followed his lead step by step between the rows of guests. In the back of her mind, she felt the hundreds of admiring gazes upon her and heard the quiet whispers of approval. But she was only aware of her father’s steady steps and Theo’s smile.
His eyes were damp when he met her at the end of the aisle.
“I give you my daughter,” said Sir Jacob formally. He enfolded Lily’s right hand in both of his own before gently placing her hand in Theo’s.
“I will cherish her,” replied Theo. He bowed deeply to Sir Jacob.
Sir Jacob gave them each a slight bow and sat beside Lady Hathaway in the front row.
Theo’s hand was warm on hers. He turned toward the priest, and she followed his lead.
The priest spoke about the sacred bond of marriage, of what it meant to love sacrificially, and of how delighted he was to join the scion of an illustrious and beloved family to his betrothed in holy matrimony.
Lily’s heart fluttered with joy. The light glinted on Theo’s copper eyelashes, on tears of joy not yet fallen, and she trembled in wonder and awe.
They faced each other, and his hands trembled nearly as much as hers did.
Theo’s gaze did not leave Lily’s face as he repeated the words of his vow after the priest. His warm hazel eyes met hers, and he smiled, shy and delighted and overwhelmed.
Her voice shook as she vowed before God and king to honor, serve, and love Theo until her last breath. The vow had weight, and she welcomed it, for it would be a delight to love him always.
It was impossible to be nervous now, despite how many people watched. His hands were strong and gentle on hers, and his eyes danced with solemn delight. She could not look away from him, and she did not want to.
For a moment, the priest had them face the congregation again.
“Honored guests, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Overton, IV. You may kiss your bride.”
Theo turned to Lily and squeezed her hands. His eyes held hers, and he leaned down to kiss her on the lips ever so gently.
The tender touch sent a spark through her whole body. She trembled, and he did too, then he kissed her more hungrily.
Nearly incandescent with joy, he looked out at the crowd, and then looked back at her, unable to focus on anything else. His eyes remained on her as they descended the steps.
At the bottom of the steps, he kissed her again, one hand still holding hers, and the other arm wrapped around her waist. He murmured, “Thank you, Lily, for you have made me the happiest man in the world.”
Her cheeks were glowing when he pulled away. The two of them were so full of love and joy they nearly floated down the aisle.
Theo helped her into the waiting phaeton, then climbed up beside her. The phaeton was a light, open carriage, and Theo had chosen this one to best show off the joy of the newlyweds. Many were made for only two people, but this one included a driver’s seat. Anselm beamed with pride as he clucked to the horses.
Theo and Lily waved to their guests as they set off. They headed directly to the Overton estate, where Sir Theodore and Lady Overton and, nominally, Sir Jacob and Lady Hathaway, would host an exquisite outdoor reception.
Theo couldn’t keep his eyes off Lily for the drive. He turned to her and said quietly, “I do hope you are as happy as I am, my love.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, holding her gaze. His eyes danced at her blush, and he kissed her again. And again, with great fervor.
Lily felt that the phaeton was quite unnecessary, for she could have floated all the way to the Overton estate in a cloud of joy. She discovered that, when Theo kissed her, she did not want to keep her hands demurely folded. She wanted… well, what she wanted was not fit to be carried out in an open phaeton, that was sure.
At the Overton estate, they stationed themselves at the entrance to the gardens and received well-wishes from hundreds of noble and wealthy families. The bank of pink roses behind them was in riotous bloom. The Hathaways greeted the guests first, then the Overtons, and finally Theo and Lily, before the guests moved off toward a spacious patio prepared for dancing.
The crown prince was one of the first guests to arrive in a gold-trimmed carriage drawn by two white horses. He bowed before Theo and Lily, murmuring polite greetings and congratulations. He leaned closer to murmur something in Theo’s ear.
“Really.” Theo blinked. “My joy today is utterly unassailable, even by him.”
“As it should be,” agreed the prince. “Nevertheless, I thought you should know.”
Theo bowed his thanks and turned to kiss Lily again before accepting the congratulations of Lord and Lady Hastings.
While the newlyweds and their parents greeted the guests, the musicians played quietly. Once all the guests had been welcomed, Theo said, “Would you honor me with the first dance, my love?”
“I would be delighted.” She smiled up at him, admiring the elegance of his cheekbones, the quick intelligence in his eyes, and the kindness of his smile.
He escorted her to the patio with exquisite courtesy. His eyes never left hers, and he smiled with perfect happiness that matched her own joy. She barely heard the music swelling around them, lost as she was in the joy of this beautiful moment.
As the song ended, Theo pulled her scandalously close. Her cheeks flushed, and he murmured, “Do let me demonstrate how ardently I love you, dearest Lily,” before kissing her again.
Breathless with the kiss and the desire that had arisen within her, Lily could only nod helplessly and kiss him back, in full view of several hundred people.
It was really was quite shocking, she thought distantly, but she couldn’t bring herself to regret any of it, because Theo was sparkling at her with such transcendent joy, as if she were the cause of that brightness in his eyes.
Chapter 20
The Reception
Lord Willowvale arrived in a graceful black carriage drawn by two bay horses, which he drove himself. He jumped out and strode toward the garden with all the confidence of a Fair lord on his own estate.
Theo noticed his arrival, but ignoring the Fair lord took little effort, for he was entirely focused on Lily’s beautiful eyes and her gentle smile, which filled him with an all-consuming joy.
Out of the corner of his eye, Theo saw Lord Willowvale make the bare minimum of socially acceptable pleasantries to his parents and the elder Hathaways, as the joint hosts of the event. Then he turned to Oliver and Theo lost sight of him, focused for a moment more on his new wife, who looked at him with adoring eyes.
Lord Willowvale then made a beeline for the prince, and Theo said reluctantly, “My love, I hate to say it, but I must excuse myself for a moment. Lord Willowvale has invited himself to the celebration and is attempting to tease some information from His Royal Highness. Duty calls.”
Lily said, “May I come with you? What is to be done?”
Theo smiled down at her in surprised pleasure. “Merely to distract him. His Royal Highness is both kind and good, but not always adept at seeing the implications of the questions he answers, and it inclines him to more openness than His Majesty prefers.”
A moment later they reached the prince and Lord Willowvale. Theo bowed to each of them, and Lily curtsied beside him.
“Congratulations,” Lord Willowvale said to Theo. “It seems at least one person believes you have at least one redeeming quality. I assume it is your money.”
Theo blinked and laughed lightly. “Well, I certainly hope she likes more than my money, but I will allow that it might have given me an early edge in the competition. What prospects do you have, my lord? You are, I understand, rather fetching by Fair standards, and with both wealth and a noble title besides. Are those qualities not enough to entice even a desperate Fair maiden to overlook your personality?”
Lord Willowvale snarled, “I would that I could wish your new wife well, but I fear there is no happiness to be had in the company of such a simpleton.” He looked toward Lily and said, “Instead, I
offer my most sincere condolences, Mrs. Overton.”
Lily curtsied again. “I am grieved by your misjudgment of my situation, my lord. I am quite sincerely joyful, and I wish you such joy in the future. Perhaps if you understood a little of joy, you would be able to see it when it is before you.”
Lord Willowvale curled his lip and began to turn away, then looked back at her. “Mrs. Overton, I would be honored if you might save me a dance later.” His voice was low and cold.
“Yes, my lord,” she said reluctantly.
The prince shuddered as the fairy stepped back and bowed stiffly to the little group.
“Thank you, Theo,” the prince murmured.
Lily looked at him and realized he was even younger than she’d thought upon their first meeting. His extravagant clothing, resplendent with jewels and lavish silk embroidery at the cuffs and down the front of his jacket, had lent him an air of sophistication that had overawed Lily at first. Now she saw the youthful curve of his cheek and the way he tried not to wring his hands nervously as the fairy moved away. He could not have been more than eighteen, at most.
She murmured to Theo, “How did you and His Royal Highness become friends?”
He smiled down at her and answered in a way that included the prince. “My father and the king became friends, so I was fortunate to be invited along on several hunting trips when His Royal Highness was a child and I was only a youth. As the second youngest of the party, it fell to me to entertain His Royal Highness while we waited for things to get interesting.”
The prince said seriously, “Theo offered me honesty when everyone else flattered me. It was a gift, and I have always been grateful.”
“What did he tell you?” asked Lily, interested.
“That I was spoiled. Not in so many words, of course.”
Theo said with a laugh, “It wasn’t quite like that.”
Oliver hovered at Lily’s shoulder, and when she turned to him, he said, “May I have this dance, little sister?”
She curtsied to the prince and her husband, who took the opportunity to bow over her hand and kiss it with most surprising fervor.
Oliver whirled her onto the portion of the patio which was currently being used as a dance floor.
“Yet another person telling you how lucky you are?” Oliver said with a smile.
“I shall never grow tired of hearing of my husband’s many charming qualities.”
“You’re glowing with happiness, Lily. It’s beautiful to see.” Oliver grinned at her.
“Thank you.” She beamed at him. “I hope you find a similar love, Oliver. I don’t think you’ll have to look far.”
His cheeks flushed. “Did you know, Lily, that it is quite a bit more frightening for a gentleman to ask a beautiful girl to dance than it is for said girl to accept or refuse?”
“I can only imagine,” she said gently. “Yet how are you to dance with her if you do not ask? She certainly cannot ask you.”
He groaned. “I know. And if I do not ask, she will dance with some other man who is more courageous than I, and that is intolerable.”
“You’ve already called upon her, and you’ve known her for years. You’ve danced with her before!” Lily smiled up at her brother. “You know she will be delighted to dance with you.”
“I shall have to be courageous, I suppose.”
The song came to an end, and he began to lead her back toward Theo.
Lord Willowvale suddenly appeared before them. “I would like to claim my promised dance now.”
Oliver glanced at Lily, who said, “As you wish, my lord.” She smiled reassuringly at her brother.
Lord Willowvale smiled coolly and took her hand, every motion proper and courteous. He led her back out to the dance floor.
“You do seem happy,” he said. His voice was not filled with snide disdain, but rather a sort of surprised confusion.
She glanced up at him. “I am.”
“I did not think you were the type to marry for money, no matter how convenient. How did he convince you?”
She licked her lips. The fairy’s expression looked as though he felt bereft, but did not want to admit it, and her tender heart went out to him.
“He was kind to me,” she said, “when there was no particular reason to be so. Also, it is difficult indeed to resist a man who is utterly delighted to be in your presence and makes himself delightful to be around.”
Lord Willowvale did not seem entirely satisfied by this answer. “Does it not bother you that there is so little logic in that? What motive would he have for such behavior?”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean by that.” She frowned at him.
The fairy frowned back, silvery blue eyes searching her face with an unusually earnest expression. “Do you not fear that you will be pulled into something you were not prepared for?”
“Like what?” She didn’t try to keep her irritation out of her voice. “I think your accusations rather beyond the pale, and I wonder that you dare make them at our very wedding reception!”
Lord Willowvale said coolly, “Then I am to understand that you are aware of the Fair magic woven through this garden?”
Lily blinked.
“Your new husband has secrets, Mrs. Overton. Deception is not a promising start to a marriage,” Lord Willowvale said.
“I’m sure he has reasons,” Lily said carefully.
“Oh, I’m sure. I just wonder what they are.” Lord Willowvale smiled. “It’s probably nothing; he’s too stupid to be up to anything nefarious. I wonder if it is Sir Theodore’s doing, rather than your idiot husband’s. Perhaps you should ask him.”
Lily forced a smile. “I will. Perhaps it is one of your people. Are you the only envoy your king sent to Valestria?”
Lord Willowvale stopped dead in the middle of the dance, his gaze locked on something over her shoulder. He dropped her hand.
“Who is that?” He pointed.
She turned and looked.
“Where?”
“There,” he insisted, and finally she saw a youth standing on the far side of the pond, nearly hidden behind a bank of purple rhododendrons. His clothes were green and almost disappeared behind the leaves. His hair and skin were fair, and he seemed to be smiling, though it was difficult to discern any nuance in his expression at this distance. Behind him was another man, both older and taller, with dark hair.
“I don’t know,” she said. Neither of them had greeted her and Theo when they arrived, and in fact she was reasonably confident she had never seen them before.
“Excuse me,” Lord Willowvale murmured, and set off with purpose in his steps.
The young man and his companion did not notice immediately, but when they did, they disappeared into the garden. Lord Willowvale broke into a sprint. He hurdled a rose bush without slowing and careened around a hedge, lost from sight.
“What is going on?”
Theo’s question startled Lily. She answered, “He saw someone. Two someones, I suppose.”
Theo said, “What did you tell him?”
“He asked who they were, and I said I didn’t know.” Lily hesitated, looking up at Theo. Her new husband, always so bright and carefree, looked a little strained. “He also said there was Fair magic woven through the whole garden.” She swallowed, watching Theo’s expression.
Everyone knew fairies couldn’t exactly lie. They could twist words into knots, but they could not flat out lie. If Lord Willowvale had said there was Fair magic in the garden, then there must be Fair magic in the garden.
When Theo glanced down at her, his eyes had the faintest hint of guardedness, and her heart twisted inside her. Why would he be guarded? What was he hiding?
“Excuse me,” Theo murmured. “I’ll be back in a few moments.”
He strode off in the direction Lord Willowvale had taken, though at a slightly more sedate pace.
It was more than a few moments before he and Lord Willowvale returned together, the tension palpable between t
hem. The mysterious youth and his companion were nowhere to be seen, and Lord Willowvale had the air of a wolf that had missed its intended kill.
Theo smiled cheerily at Lily and whirled her into the next dance, while Lord Willowvale stood with his arms crossed looking out into the garden, as if he expected to see his quarry again at any moment.
“What happened?” Lily murmured to Theo when they were out of earshot.
“Nothing whatsoever.” Theo smiled, and Lily knew that he knew exactly what had happened. Or perhaps he was just delighted at the prospect of Lord Willowvale being thwarted, regardless of the Fair lord’s purpose.
Lily felt a twinge of dismay, not at Lord Willowvale’s angry presence, but at the distinct feeling that she did not know what was going on. “What about the Fair magic in the garden?” she asked cautiously.
Theo glanced over her shoulder, then focused on her again. “Pray let us not discuss this now, my love.”
She nodded, quashing the sense of injustice for the moment. The day was too beautiful and full of joy to let one little niggling worry steal a moment of happiness.
Theo leaned closer to murmur in her ear, “What might I do to see your smile again, dear Lily?”
She looked up at him, at the warmth in his eyes, and smiled. “I am only worried, Theo, for I feel that there is something I ought to understand and I do not.”
He pressed a kiss to the tender skin just beside her ear and breathed, “Please trust me.”
Then the song was done, and although it would have been entirely proper for her to dance with her husband again, for it was her wedding day, the prince asked so courteously for the next dance that Theo smiled his assent, and she accepted.
The young prince was as chivalrous as all of Theo’s friends, and he complimented both her dancing and her husband several times before the song ended.
Then Lord Selby asked her to dance, and she accepted with a smile.
“You are quite lovely, Mrs. Overton. Theo has been even more fortunate than usual.”
The Wraith and the Rose Page 16
