Chapter 20
THE YEAR of three glorious weddings left Arielle thrilled about each one of them, but she was most ecstatic about her wedding day with the man of her dreams, her Darcy. It was hard for her to believe that this amazing man, this incredible immortal, was going to be her husband.
Eva wanted a late June wedding, Gabrielle had decided on a July date, and Arielle — of course — had to have the wedding in the month that she first set eyes on the man that fit the blueprint of her life’s quest, August. She was excited that the plans were going to work out well, making it possible for the three of them to be part of each other’s wedding without being stressed over the length of their honeymoons. This was extraordinary as they had been best friends and more like sisters all of their lives.
They made an agreement that they weren’t going to assign titles such as maid of honor or bridesmaids, because they couldn’t pick one over the other. The agreement was that the four of them, including Loren, were going to be involved and stand by each other on that special day, and that made them exceptionally happy.
School started again mid-January. Gabrielle and Ian had another six years to fulfill their dream of becoming successful surgeons. Eva had to wait for five or six years to fully qualify as an attorney-at-law. Paul and Arielle were in for two additional years to receive their MDs. Troy and Sebastian had decided to devote their time to the business and let them move on with their education.
Loren had decided to keep Paul happy, so she was going to put herself through more boring classes. The girl held several degrees and she certainly didn’t need any more education, but love conquered all. Arielle was happy to see Paul content, even though his father’s infidelities and their family secrets were now splashed all over the newspapers. Arielle was sure that if it weren’t for Loren, this span of time would have been dark for Paul.
Gabby, Eva, and Arielle were quite busy with homework and attending classes every day, but they took every spare moment they had and every weekend to work on their wedding plans, including the wedding dresses.
They made a list of items and decided to prioritize according to their importance and urgency. They placed a small box next to each item, planning to check it off as it was accomplished. Three items on the top of the list had already been checked off.
The first was the church, which was an easy choice. Their families had been linked to the parish for as long as they could remember. The second item was the reception location and their parents had arranged those to be held at their country club for the designated dates. The third item was the photographer, who was a family friend and had produced all the family portraits over the years, making that an easy selection as well.
Loren was always welcomed in their group segments as her input was faultless. Her taste in clothes was astounding and her family’s connections to the fashion world were like something out of a storybook. The four of them spent hours at a time visiting bookstores, selecting wedding books and bridal magazines, and trying to learn how to plan their weddings successfully.
All three decided on the same wedding planner that would provide them with professional advice on the menu, the flowers, and the cake that would complement their parents’ budgets. They would also coordinate the rehearsal and organize things the day of the wedding. All the other little things were going to be handled by them. Doing this together made it a whole lot easier and they didn’t feel overwhelmed with the planning process.
School was taking a lot of their time, but they were so excited that they didn’t stop meeting and planning every moment available. By March, they already had ordered elegant invitations.
Eva chose her invitations in ivory silk paper with a matching translucent wrap and script print. Gabrielle chose a romantic cupid graphic design on cream textured paper trimmed with a strip of luxurious satin ribbon, and Arielle chose an elegant sweeping filigree design in black on soft bone color silk paper inscribed in sixteenth century style calligraphy.
The guest wedding books were another item that they were very excited about. They were to be handmade from fine leather with their names engraved on the top left corner and the pages were off-white soft bond paper. They picked the same flower vendor, and they each made a list of the flowers they loved and the colors of their wedding themes.
The wedding gifts to each other would have to remain a secret in order to be a surprise for each one of them on their special day. They chose the music and they were not surprised that their taste was so similar. The menu and cake were chosen with their husbands-to-be, and that was a separate endeavor and quite a laughable matter since Sebastian, Troy, Ian, and Eva couldn't care less about food.
Arielle was extremely happy to hear that they all decided on writing their own vows. She knew she couldn’t wait to tell Sebastian how he changed her life and she was sure her friends felt exactly the same way about their future grooms.
The only thing that remained open was their wedding dress, and, God, that was going to be the hardest thing to decide on.
Loren told them that she already had manifested her wedding dress way before she met Paul. She had attended the wedding of Princess Sofia Magdalena of Denmark to King Gustaf III in 1771 and she fell in love with her dress. She manifested something similar to that, and one of these days, she was going to take them to the Dillon estate and let them see it. They could hardly wait, as it would have to be something magnificent. They were going to have their mothers involved with their wedding gowns but not just yet.
On a weekend, the girls decided to go shopping for wedding magazines; the guys spent the morning playing golf. When they returned, they found the men sprawled in the library watching sports on the telly. Sebastian, Troy, Ian, and Paul had become very close, and their friendship was a welcome gift to the four girls. They didn’t want to disturb them, so they gathered in the kitchen to go through the magazines and make plans. Completely absorbed on those beautiful designs, they were startled to hear Loren’s voice break the silence.
“Do you know how the custom of placing the wedding ring on the third finger of the left hand started?” They stared at her without having a clue.
“Do you?” Arielle asked inquisitively.
Loren chuckled softly and said, “In the ancient days, people believed that the third finger of the left hand had a special vein called vena amoris, the ‘vein of love,’ that ran from the finger directly to the heart. King Edward VI declared that the third finger of the left hand must be designated as the ‘official’ ring finger. In 1549, the Book of Common Prayer sealed the deal with the designation of the left hand as the marriage hand.”
“Oh, Loren, that’s a beautiful story…” said Eva, and they all gazed down at their stunning engagement rings. Christmas day, Paul had given a gorgeous ring to Loren, promising to love her for the rest of his life. She was now standing mesmerized along with her friends, watching her beautiful ring with a wide smile spread across her magnificent face.
“Eva, are you going to manifest your dress or are you going shopping with us?” Gabrielle asked.
“I have a specific vision of my dress, and it will not be cheap, so I know that I’ll have to manifest it if I’m going to have exactly what I want within my mother’s budget.” She laughed out loud, and they joined in. “I know that my mum has been waiting for the mother-daughter gown shopping day so eagerly, and I can’t disappoint her. I have decided to go through the motions with her. Later, after I cancel the order, I’ll tell her that I made a few changes to the design, and I know she’ll be happy.”
“Well…listen to you…you have it all planned out. I never thought of you as this sneaky,” Arielle said, laughing. Immediately, her face changed to a more thoughtful expression.
“I’ll have to be careful with the dress I pick,” she said, voice extremely serious. “I don’t want this dress to become a huge expense for my parents. I already know that the expenses for the wedding, like renting the country club for the night, the flowers, and the photographer, are
overwhelming. I’ll have to keep all that in mind while I make my selection.”
“Me, too…” Gabrielle agreed with a soft voice.
“Girls…” Loren said. “Eva and I can manifest your dresses at no expense,” she exclaimed, voice completely amused.
“No, Loren” Arielle said firmly. “I really appreciate your offer. However, I’d rather purchase my dress. I feel this will make the wedding seem more real, as marrying an incredible immortal seems to be so unbelievable.” Arielle chuckled under her breath and she saw Gabrielle nodding in agreement.
“You seem a little worried,” Loren went on.
“I’m not worried. I’m only trying to make good decisions,” Arielle said.
“Arielle, you’re my sister now, and you know that I can help,” Loren said again.
“Thank you, Loren, but no. I’m going to do this the human way.” She gave Loren a hug to show her that she loved her and appreciated her suggestion to help her with the dress.
Their attention now turned to Eva. They knew that Eva’s wedding would end up being just like a royal wedding since she and Ian could manifest everything they wanted and make it extraordinary.
It was late at night when they finally left the house and Arielle was exhausted. She jumped into the shower, and she wasn’t surprised that he was there ahead of her, waiting to hold her in his warm embrace. They let the hot water caress their bodies as his lips brushed her ear and slowly moved across her cheek down her throat, and she closed her eyes surrendering in his arms. She let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes.
“What is it, baby?”
“Nothing really. I’m just a little tired.”
His arms squeezed her tighter as his lips found hers and locked them into a fervent kiss. “I’m so happy to see you planning the wedding. I don’t think I have ever felt excitement like this before. I find myself unable to wait any longer.”
Arielle chuckled. She lifted her head up and gazed in his beautiful emerald eyes. He did actually appear completely jubilant.
“Are you sure you want to marry me?” she asked in a playful manner.
“Right now would be my preference,” he said with sparkling eyes.
They finished their shower and, slipping under the covers, became quite comfortable.
“How are you doing with your classes?” he asked.
“I’m actually doing a whole lot better than I thought I would.” She smiled softly.
“I’m not surprised; you’re very smart.”
Arielle smiled as she turned and pressed her lips at the hollow of his throat, and she heard him moan eagerly.
“Have you and your parents made a decision about the church?” he asked.
“Yes, that wasn’t something that took a lot of thought. My family as well as Gabrielle and Eva’s have been members of the same parish for as far back as I can remember. The vicar is a family friend at the Church of Saint Nicholas of Myra. It’s the oldest surviving building in Brighton and the original parish.”
“It sounds very intriguing.”
“It’s a gorgeous church with a lot of history behind it.”
“What type of history?” he asked inquisitively.
“Well, this church has ten bells, and what’s pretty interesting about that is that they were established a very long time ago to ring when important visitors such as monarchs or other members of the Royal Family came to the town; a series of tablets preserved at the base of the ringing chamber give details of each ‘special occasion’ on which the bells were rung.”
“It sound like it will be a beautiful church for the wedding,” he murmured. He pulled her closer and brushed his lips across her shoulder.
“There’s also a very heartwarming love story that has been documented, and it’s linked to this church,”
“Oh…a love story? I would love to hear it,” he whispered. He snuggled up closer to her body, turned the light off, and encircled her in his warm embrace.
Arielle turned to face him and waited a couple moments while her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She could clearly see the outline of his face but not the detail of his beautiful features. She leaned in and kissed him softly with a long deep sigh. “This story is a factual love story,” she said, keeping her lips on his.
“I can hardly wait,” he said.
“Phoebe Hessel, a famous eighteenth- and nineteenth-century resident of Brighton, is buried in the church cemetery. The story goes that she fell madly in love with a soldier, William Golding, at the age of fifteen. Against her family’s objections, she disguised herself as a man and enlisted alongside William in the British Army after he was sent overseas. They had vowed to be together until the day they died. She concealed her sex so effectively that she served for seventeen years until she voluntarily revealed the truth to her commanding officer's wife, and she was discharged. She was not discovered even after she suffered a wounded arm at the Battle of Fontenoy in 1745 and was treated at an army hospital.
“They loved each other so very much that they would do absolutely anything just to be by each other’s side. She became a well-known figure after moving to Brighton following the death of Golding in 1762 and lived to be one hundred and eight years old. Prince Regent granted her a special pension and she was invited by him to be part of the parade during his coronation as King George IV.”
“That’s an amazing story, but I don’t think William loved her half as much as I love you,” he whispered. His lips brushed against her ear making her shiver.
“Sebastian, I’ve never asked you about your religion. Do you want to talk about it?”
“I was raised Catholic, but I’m not really a good Catholic.” He chuckled.
“Oh…but how interesting is that? I’m Catholic, too,” she said, and he laughed, quite amused.
“I’d love you no matter what you are,” he said, pulling her closer, and his mouth landed on hers in pure hunger. His next statement left her totally stunned.
“How would you like to fly to Paris to select your wedding gown?”
“What?” She was taken aback.
“I’d love to have you visit some of the designer studios in Paris and see all their gowns and decide on what you’d like to wear on our wedding day.” He emphasized the word our.
“Are you serious?”
“Absolutely, I’ve been a guest along with my mother and Loren at many big designer’s fashion shows, and they have become very good friends of the family. They provide an exquisite and unexpected mix of designs that would give you a large amount to choose from.”
“But…um…that sounds amazing, but I don’t think I should do that,” she said feeling uneasy.
“Why not?”
“Sebastian, my parents have a set budget for the wedding, and I’m sure those gowns are extremely expensive. Therefore, I don’t want to create an uncomfortable situation for them.”
“Arielle, please listen to me.”
She rolled over and stared at him in clear wonder. “What?”
He held her affectionately and went on. “I know that I’ve made a point of never talking about money with you. I find it necessary that we discuss this issue now. I want to take care of you, because I’m a very wealthy man. I want you to have the wedding of your dreams and I’m not going to accept any push back from you. I already stopped by your parent’s house and we had a long talk about this wedding. I explained to them how I feel about this whole thing and that I want to be part of it. I don’t care about what the traditions are and who is to pay for what. I want you to have everything you want without worrying about money.”
Arielle was in utter shock. She sat up, and reaching over, she turned the light on. She wanted to be able to gaze in his eyes. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“What did they say?” she asked, after a short pause.
“Well, my suggestion was strongly rejected by your father several times, but I think I tired him down with my persistence, and so he gave in. You mother was too shocked to talk.”
He chuckled softly. Arielle pushed her hair away from her face and remained silent. “I love you, Arielle. You’re everything to me,” he said, watching her carefully.
“You discussed the wedding expenses with my parents and they are okay with you paying for my dress?” she asked, a little loudly this time. She was now shaking her head in pure disbelief.
“I didn’t say they were okay with it. What I said was that I convinced them that my desire to give you what you want would mean the world to me. They weren’t easy to persuade, but they finally gave up because I wasn’t going to leave their house without their approval. Your father knows how much I love you and how much this means to me, so they both agreed, and now I want you to say yes.”
Arielle was speechless. She felt moisture in her eyes, completely moved by his offer. “But why?” She was still shocked with his amazing generosity.
“Because it makes me happy to make you happy,” he said.
Arielle raised her hands and wiped her eyes, fighting the urge to cry openly. She reached over and stroked his face and ran her finger around his beautiful lip line. His lips curved up to that immortal magical smile that he always kept just for her, and she fell apart. God! He is so gorgeous. She still couldn’t believe he was going to be her husband. She turned the light off and lay back down, remaining silent.
“I love you, baby,” he murmured. “Will you accept my present?” He pulled her close to him and held her tightly.
“You make it very difficult to refuse.” She barely finished her sentence before he crushed her lips beneath his in a fevered kiss.
“Say yes,” he whispered without leaving the kiss.
“Yes,” she said and closed her eyes in pure contentment.
“Tomorrow you’re taking a short trip with me,” he said as he pulled back from the kiss gasping for air.
“Where?”
“Paris,” he said and kissed her again. He held her softly as he closed his eyes and smiled in sheer bliss.
Arielle Immortal Struggle (The Immortal Rapture Series Book 7) Page 23
