The knock grew louder and more insistent until finally Christian told Kessen to go hide while he opened the door.
He walked slowly to the door, making sure he looked presentable, then opened it a slight crack.
Kessen couldn't hear anything but was more than shocked when Christian turned around with a silly grin on his face and walked out of the room.
She came out of her hiding spot, extremely confused, but the confusion didn't last long as her father walked through the door with arms wide open. “I should punish you for being alone with that young man, but it was my dearest wish you would marry a Brit!”
Good to know her father’s moral compass only pointed true when the man wasn't of his same heritage. It made a girl feel good.
A little mortified to be caught in any man’s room by her father, she hung her head and slowly walked over to him. He pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her forehead.
“I couldn't have planned it better myself, you know,” he said into her hair.
“What do you mean?”
He chuckled. “Oh, nothing—just that the duke and I have been discussing for some while about how to get you two settled down. It only made sense to throw you at one another and see if any interest came out of it. Of course…” he cleared his throat, “I knew he would be interested in you, but I've never thought any of the boys you dated were good enough for you.”
All two of them, Kessen thought, suddenly glad Nick wasn't there to laugh in her face. How odd that her own father noticed she needed help in the dating department. It suddenly seemed her and Christian’s suspicions were right.
They had been set up.
Well played. Well played. Both parents made it seem like it was an accident that they were caught in the garden. It made her wonder if they had been spying on them all night, just hoping and waiting for an opportunity to sell them out to the press. She made a mental note to ask her grandmother for more clarification after the wedding … and after her grandmother had downed at least two glasses of wine.
She choked back the escaping laughter.
“What’s so funny?” Her father pushed the hair from her face.
“Just excited you are here.” She hugged him tighter and closed her eyes.
“Me too, me too.”
****
As weddings go, this one was turning out to be far from perfect.
First of all, the harpist was an hour late. Then it started raining, which shouldn't have been a surprise to anyone since they were in England, but people still grumbled. Luckily, Kessen’s grandmother had had enough foresight to order tents for the outdoor reception. Though Kessen was thankful that the ceremony would take place in the family’s old chapel on the estate.
Kessen was trying not to be a bundle of nerves, but was failing miserably when she caught her reflection in the mirror. She was wearing a dress straight out of Cinderella’s dreams.
It was strapless with a perfectly tight bodice that went out to her hips. The bodice had hundreds of crystals sewn into it and was, by all accounts, gorgeous. The rest of the dress flared out low on her hips into small waves of taffeta elegance. The material gathered at the back and went into a two-foot long train.
Her grandmother told her it was customary for the ladies of their families to wear tiaras, which on the inside made Kessen leap for joy, but on the outside she pretended to be indifferent.
It was a beautiful family heirloom, which delicately fit on the top of her head amidst the giant curls of her bright blonde hair.
Not that she needed any reminding, but her grandmother was doing a perfect job of making sure Kessen knew just how important this ceremony was.
“You are no longer the daughter of Lord Newberry, but the wife of the future Duke of Vandenbrook. As the future duchess, you must hold your head high like one.” Lady Newberry showed Kessen how to walk and lift her head high above the crowd.
Kessen wasn't listening.
She was only thinking about Christian and the fact she would be his wife in less than an hour. A warm fluttering had tormented her stomach ever since she woke up that morning. She hadn't seen him all day. Even though it was bad luck, she kept praying he would stop by her room to reassure her.
And then a knock came at the door.
It was Duncan and Nick with a blindfolded Christian in tow.
“What’s this?” she asked, breathless with delight.
Nick tightened the blindfold and shrugged. “He kept complaining about wanting to see you, but Duncan said it was bad luck, so we blindfolded him.”
Duncan looked beyond pleased with himself as he put his fingers through his suspenders and nodded his head in agreement. “You have five minutes, Christian. Then we are coming back to escort you to the ceremony. Do try to behave yourself until we return.”
Christian shook his head and tilted it towards the sky as if to say, “I can't believe they did this to me.”
Kessen suddenly felt nervous as she looked at her future husband. His suit had obviously been made for his chiseled body. He looked every bit the aristocratic man he was. The only thing that gave him away was the ecstatic grin spread across his face.
“So….” Kessen said, approaching him. Her dress swished around her ankles as she walked. “What brings you to my chamber?”
Christian swallowed then opened his mouth to speak; it was then Kessen, in all her bravery, stole a kiss. And not just any kiss, but a kiss that came from deep in her soul. She grabbed the back of Christian’s head and pulled it towards her, leaving him no way to escape her grasp.
Not that he appeared to mind, considering his hands began roaming all over her dress in the most inappropriate fashion.
“You're beautiful,” he said against her lips.
“What? You’re blindfolded! How would you even know?”
His hands were on her hips as he pulled his head away. He began slowly running them across the bodice, up her sides then back down again, then he pulled his hands down her hips and felt the material as it pooled at her legs. “Just beautiful,” he whispered.
Kessen wanted to melt right at his feet.
Christian stood up to face her, blindfold still firmly attached, and put his hands on her face. “I can't wait to marry you.” His voice was husky and stretched; his limit had been reached already.
“Okay!” Nick said, entering the room.
Duncan followed close behind. “It’s time to get you two married!”
“Finally!” Christian bellowed, turning to the two men.
Kessen held back her laughter and watched them leave the room.
****
Christian had always thought himself a man in control, a man who knew himself, who knew what his limits were. Yet after having his hands on Kessen’s body and feeling her dress, he wanted nothing more than to push Duncan and Nick down the stairs and lock himself in the room with Kessen.