One Enchanted Evening (Marriage by Fairytale Book 2) Read online

  Was it possible she had served her penance long enough? Was this a sign that she was forgiven from her past transgressions? She wasn’t sure if it meant any of that or not, but she loved Lewis so much that she couldn’t deny herself the opportunity to marry him. Regardless of the consequences, she was going to take it. And she would be good to him. She’d do everything possible to make him happy.

  She glanced at her journal. She’d never get the chance to write everything down while it was all fresh in her mind. By tomorrow morning, she would have forgotten the little details. But it didn’t matter. For the first time in a long time, she was going to start living again. Turning away from the journal, she hurried to get back into her gown.

  Chapter Eight

  “I thought you’d be happy that I found a wife,” Lewis told Stephen as the two stood by the gazebo the next afternoon.

  “You’ve never lived with very little money to your name,” Stephen replied. “I have. One of the reasons I took a loan in order to purchase this manor is because no one was interested in it. It was much cheaper than anything else I could find, and it was hard being alone here until I could afford servants. There were days when I had to hunt in order to have something to eat. I didn’t have a lover who gave me money like Eloise did.”

  “I’m aware that it’s not going to be easy to live on what little I have. I never said I expected all of my problems to be over when I chose Marcy. All I’m saying is that I’d rather spend my life with someone whose company I can enjoy. I had to make a choice last night, and I chose love.”

  “You hardly know her. Last night was the first time you shared more than a few sentences with her.”

  “Given your past, I don’t blame you for being skeptical. Eloise was far worse than anyone expected. But Marcy’s been Patricia’s lady’s maid. Patricia wouldn’t support this marriage if Marcy was like Eloise.”

  Stephen considered his words then sighed. “I’m not saying Marcy isn’t a good person. She is. Ever since she’s been under my employment, she’s never given me any reason to think ill of her. My concern is your financial situation. It takes a long time to build up wealth.”

  “I accept that. I’m not going to do anything stupid with the rest of my money. I’m going to follow your advice to the exact detail.”

  “What if you have a child? A child will require more money.”

  Understanding what Stephen was getting at, Lewis conceded, “You make a good point. It will mean I’ll have to invest less money if there is going to be a child, but I see no reason why that should stop me from marrying someone I want to be with. Do you really think I’d be better off marrying a wealthy lady if she’ll make me miserable like Eloise made you?”

  “You speak as if you can’t have one without the other.” When Lewis groaned, he added, “I’m not trying to be difficult. I just want you to be prepared. It’s not easy to go without money when you’re used to it.”

  “I’ll find a way to adjust.”

  Stephen stared at him for a moment, and it was at times like this that Lewis wished his friend didn’t wear a mask. It’d be much easier to figure out what he was thinking if he didn’t have it on.

  “I want you to be happy,” Stephen finally said. “I just worry the strain of not having much money will take its toll on you and Marcy.”

  “She’s a maid. She’s used to going without a lot. I don’t expect that to be a problem.”

  “Maybe you’re right. All I know is that having money makes everything else easier.”

  Lewis had already figured that out, but he caught sight of the vicar heading their way and decided to put the discussion aside. Stephen was his friend. He was only looking out for him. He couldn’t begrudge Stephen the right to voice his concerns.

  The vicar reached them and grinned. “So we’re doing another wedding at the gazebo.”

  “I thought it might bring good fortune,” Lewis admitted.

  Since Stephen had married Patricia here and had ended up happy, he was hoping marrying Marcy here would be the beginning of a happy marriage as well. Yes, it might be silly, and he didn’t fancy himself a superstitious person, but why not have the wedding in a place that had a good memory attached to it?

  “I see nothing wrong with having a wedding out here,” the vicar said. “It certainly is a lovely day for one.”

  “We’re glad you could make it on such short notice,” Stephen commented. “I wasn’t sure if you were going to be busy this afternoon.”

  “Things are quiet on my end,” the vicar replied. “Not a lot of people have much use for a vicar as young as I am. They prefer someone with more experience. Besides, you have the special license, correct?”

  Lewis nodded and pulled it out of his pocket to show to him. He had left the manor before the sun rose for the day so he could make the arrangements. He’d been so busy getting everything ready that he’d only seen Marcy for a few minutes. And when he did, he kissed her and told her he was looking forward to starting their life together. He could tell she was, too.

  It was funny how he hadn’t noticed the way she looked at him until Patricia had pointed out that she was in love with him. Now, he couldn’t help but notice it. What a wonderful thing it was to have a love match. He never thought such a good thing could happen to him, and here he was, getting ready to marry someone who loved him.

  “I’m not one for formalities,” Stephen told the vicar. “You not only presided over my own marriage, but you’ve been by a couple of times to see how things are going. Patricia especially appreciates the comforting words you’ve offered ever since she was chased into the maze by the gypsy. I’m starting to feel like you’re more of a friend than just a vicar. May we refer to you by your Christian name?”

  “My name is Julian,” the vicar said. Then, with a wry grin, he continued, “All of my brothers have a name that starts with the letter ‘J’.”

  “Do they?”

  Julian nodded. “The oldest is Jonah. The second is James. Then there’s me. Jonah is the Duke of Alwood.”

  “Do you have any sisters?”

  “No. It’s just me and my brothers.”

  “What made you decide to be a vicar?” Lewis asked. Granted, it was a bit off topic, but he couldn’t help but be curious why a gentleman who grew up in a noble family would choose to be a vicar.

  “I felt called to go into the service of the Lord,” Julian replied.

  “Hopefully, you won’t always have too much time on your hands,” Stephen said. “While it’s helpful in this situation, I know a vicar who doesn’t have a big enough congregation can have trouble meeting his financial obligations.”

  “If I needed something, my brother would help. I manage just fine in the parsonage.”

  Lewis had been to the gentleman’s parsonage. It was twenty minutes outside of London on horseback. In fact, his townhouse was closer to Stephen’s manor than it was to London. “You might get more people to join your congregation if you picked somewhere closer to London to live.”

  “I didn’t pick my location,” Julian said. “The Church did. But I have no complaints about it. It’s a nice spot, and though I don’t get many people on Sunday mornings, they’ve welcomed me as one of their own. The heart of the congregation is more important than its size.”

  When Julian put it that way, Lewis supposed he was in the right place after all.

  Julian glanced at the manor. “I see the bride is ready.”

  She was? Lewis had stopped checking the entrance to see if Marcy was ready as soon as Stephen started expressing his concern over Lewis’ financial situation. But now he could return his attention to what mattered: marrying Marcy.

  His gaze went to her as she and Patricia headed in their direction. Marcy was wearing a pretty yellow gown, and she was carrying a bouquet of flowers. Patricia, who was holding Susanna, was saying something to Marcy that made her laugh.

  His heartbeat picked up in anticipation. Before last night, he hadn’t believed he could get excite
d about getting married, and yet, when he woke up this morning, his first concern was marrying Marcy as soon as possible. Thankfully, everything had fallen into place so he could marry her today. It had to be fate. There was no other way to explain how neatly everything fell into place.

  “Lewis,” Stephen said.

  Lewis glanced over at his friend and realized Stephen was in the center of the gazebo with Julian. Stephen waved for him to join them. Face warm, he did as Stephen wished. He must look like a lovesick fool. To his relief, Stephen didn’t say anything.

  When Marcy and Patricia arrived at the gazebo, his gaze met Marcy’s. She offered him a shy smile. It was ironic that she’d been the one who needed to get him out of his shell last evening, and today, it was his job to do that for her. He reached for her hand and squeezed it. She returned the gesture.

  Julian exchanged a few pleasantries with Marcy and Patricia then he began the ceremony that would bind Lewis and Marcy together for the rest of their lives.

  ***

  “Everything was perfect,” Patricia told Marcy as Marcy finished packing her things. “It was warm and sunny out. The vicar gave a lovely ceremony. Lewis was so focused on you that I wonder if he was even aware the rest of us were there.”

  Marcy glanced over at her friend as she folded one of her dresses. “He was aware that you, Stephen, and Susanna were there.”

  Patricia bounced a happy Susanna on her knee from where she sat on Marcy’s bed. “He bumped into Stephen and had trouble remembering my name. He wasn’t thinking of anyone but you. If the vicar hadn’t been presiding over the ceremony, I think he would have forgotten all about him, too.”

  Marcy set her dress in the trunk and shook her head. “Lewis was just nervous. It’s not every day someone gets married.”

  “You were nervous. Lewis was excited. It was sweet to watch the way he looked at you. I never thought I’d see him in love. It’s obvious he’s eager to get you to his London townhouse so he can have you all to himself. It’s not nice of you to make him wait while you pack your trunk. I told you one of the other maids could have packed for you earlier today.”

  “I know, but I’m so used to doing things by myself that I don’t want someone else packing for me.”

  Marcy folded another dress then put it in the trunk. She hoped Patricia wouldn’t ask her why she’d waited so long to pack. She didn’t feel like telling Patricia the truth. All morning, she’d been afraid Lewis was going to change his mind. She was sure once the excitement from the previous evening dissipated, Lewis would come to his senses and admit he needed a wealthy wife. And she had waited patiently for him to pull her aside, apologize, and say he couldn’t marry her.

  But after he had returned from London with a special license, he’d headed right back on out to get the vicar. She was sure the vicar would talk him out of marrying a maid. But Lewis had returned and told her the vicar was willing to marry them in an hour. So then Patricia had whisked her off to help her get ready for the wedding. When it was time to marry him, he was waiting for her, and he’d taken her hand and pulled her closer to him as soon as she stepped into the gazebo.

  It was probably silly, but she was having a difficult time accepting that this was really happening. She’d wanted this—dreamt of this—for so long. She kept pinching herself, but she never woke up. It wasn’t possible for someone to get locked into a dream, was it?

  There was a knock on the bedroom door, and Marcy hurried to put the last dress into the trunk. Holding Susanna, Patricia got up from the bed and opened the door.

  “Is my bride ready?” Lewis asked.

  Marcy’s skin warmed. He was asking for his bride…and that bride was her. She took a deep breath and released it. Surely, this couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t be real. She turned from them and pinched the inside of her arm again. She was still here. And so was he.

  “I think Marcy wasn’t convinced you really wanted to marry her,” Patricia teased as she let him into the room. Her gaze went to Marcy. “I’ll get the butler to take your trunk to Lewis’ carriage. I’m not letting you do that yourself.” She left, closing the door behind her.

  “You didn’t think I was going to change my mind, did you?” Lewis asked.

  Sure she was blushing, Marcy cleared her throat and shut the trunk. “I wouldn’t have blamed you if you did. You could do better than me.”

  “That’s not true.” He waited until she secured the trunk before he took her by the hand and drew her to him. “I’ve seen gentlemen marry wealthy ladies, and while a few were happy, most weren’t. Wealth doesn’t make people happy. Yes, it can buy a lot of things, but it’ll never buy the things that really matter. You matter to me, Marcy. And I know I matter to you. That’s all we really need to start our life together.”

  She didn’t know why his words should bring tears to her eyes, but they did. She hurried to brush them away.

  “Did I say something to upset you?” he asked.

  “No. I… I know this is going to sound silly, but I keep thinking this is all a dream, and I’ll wake up and find out none of it’s real.” She let out a soft laugh. “Things like this aren’t supposed to happen to people like me.”

  He drew her into his arms and gave her a lingering kiss that let her know exactly how much he wanted her. He really and truly wanted her. This wasn’t a dream. It was all very real, and it was better than any fantasy she could have ever imagined.

  “I know all of this is happening fast,” he whispered as he caressed her cheek. “I just saw no reason to put off marrying you. I could have waited a couple of months and come by with tokens of my affection and spent hours talking to you. But I saw no point in waiting. When you’re with the right person, you have this sense of peace about you. My parents and my brother died early. I see no reason to waste the time we can have together.”

  “I hope we have a lifetime to be together.”

  He smiled then brought his mouth back to hers, and for the first time since he proposed, she gave herself permission to fully embrace her new life with him.

  Chapter Nine

  The carriage pulled up to the London townhouse a little after nine that evening. Marcy should probably have been exhausted. She’d barely had any sleep the night before, and she’d gotten up before dawn that morning. She’d spent her free time cleaning, only because she’d needed to do something with all the nervous energy going through her.

  But she was too excited to be tired. So much was happening in such a short time, and it was all better than she’d ever expected. Lewis was her husband. He had taken her to his townhouse. And now they were going to live happily ever after.

  “I have to warn you about the condition of my townhouse,” Lewis said, his voice low as they followed the coachman up the steps. “I had to let my butler and maid go when I lost most of my money to a bad investment. So it’s not as clean as Stephen’s place.”

  She wasn’t surprised he had to cut back on his expenses. That’s why Stephen and Patricia had hosted the masquerade ball. Lewis was supposed to marry a wealthy lady and bring her to a townhouse full of servants.

  “I only kept the coachman because I still need to get around London and to Stephen’s,” Lewis continued. “I want to keep up the appearance of having money to the others. Most gentlemen won’t talk to someone if they realize he’s almost destitute.”

  Her heart couldn’t help but ache for him. She was used to going without luxuries like having servants who did her bidding. He wasn’t. That was why he felt the need to warn her. He probably hadn’t gone without significant money until just recently. And yet, he was willing to go without many things so he could share his life with her. She recalled how difficult it’d been to adjust to her new life when she’d applied to be a maid at Stephen’s manor. It hadn’t been an easy period in her life. She’d had so much to learn.

  They reached the top of the steps, and the coachman opened the door for them. They went inside, and the coachman followed. He went to the table in the entry
way and lit the candelabra.

  “I’ll bring your things up to your bedchamber, my lord and lady,” the coachman told them.

  Lewis nodded and took the candelabra. Since it was already dark, Marcy couldn’t make out much of her surroundings. Most of the things around here were covered in shadows.

  Lewis took her by the arm and led her up the stairs. “I’ll give you a tour tomorrow. It’s too dark to see everything tonight. Besides, it’s been a long day. I’m sure you don’t feel up to going through the entire place right now.”

  “I think waiting until tomorrow is a good idea,” she replied. “It’s easier to see things in the daylight.”

  He paused on the steps. “On second thought, maybe I should show you the place tonight. Then you won’t be shocked by how much dust there is. I had no idea so much dust could accumulate in such a short time. The only rooms that are decent are my bedchamber and the drawing room. Those are the ones I’ve been keeping up with for the past few weeks.”

  She stopped him before he could turn back down the steps. “I was a maid. I’m aware of what dust looks like. I can wait until tomorrow to see it.”

  “It’s not a lot of dust. I don’t want you to think it piled up all over the place.”

  Noting the worried tone in his voice, she hurried to assure him, “I didn’t think you had everything covered under a blanket of dust. I just want you to know that I’m not going to get scared from a little dust. You sacrificed a lot to be with me. I can’t even begin to explain how much that means to me.”

  “You’re worth it, Marcy.” He placed his hand on her arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Love is worth any sacrifice.”

  Unable to resist the temptation to kiss him, she drew closer to him and brought her lips to his. Aware that the coachman would be coming up the stairs at any moment, she only let the kiss linger for a few seconds before she pulled away from him.