Becoming Countess Dumont (15 page)

He’s furious—his jaw clenches in rage. “Crystal clear. But let’s get one thing straight. I don’t give a rat’s arse about proving anything to Father. As of earlier, I thought we’d come to an agreement, you and I, that had nothing to do with him. What I do care about is your hurting Edith. She’s the best damned thing that’s happened to our family. So you, brother, watch your head, because if you break her heart, it will be yours floating down the river.”

I sling my hand toward him, and he flinches as if I’ll hit him. “Deal. Make the deal, brother. I won’t hurt my wife and you never speak of what Nicolette has done. I’m not at all interested in that maniac of a woman. And I want father to release her of her duties to our estate in the morning. I won’t have her meddling in my affairs and pining after me when I very clearly have a wife I love and adore.”

Alcott scowls but slams his palm into mine. “You know what a deal means to the Dumonts. Don’t betray me.”

“Likewise, brother.”

I scan the guests who have all taken their seats on the lawn of our estate and are facing myself and the officiant as we wait for Edith to emerge from the house. When I see an older man and young, blond woman seated beside Jasper and Elisabeth, I smile. The other surprise I planned for my Edith has come through. After the vow renewal ceremony, I’ll properly introduce myself to her father and youngest sister. I had sent for them because I wanted her family to be a part of her big day.

On the other side of the aisle is my family. Father remains stoic beside Mother, their hands threaded together tightly. I may despise him most days, but his fierce love for her has always been his most endearing quality. Mother, even though confined to her seat most of the day, still managed to pull off one of the most stunning events of this family’s history. She catches my eye and smiles broadly at me. With a grin of my own, I nod back my thanks. Of course without us saying anything, she understands our nonverbal conversation well.

My attention is drawn from the crowd to the back door of our estate when it opens and the string quartet begins playing a lovely song. Edith emerges and my eyes widen at how beautiful she seems to grow with each passing second. The moment my wife fully steps onto the porch and the late afternoon sun catches the beads and stones on her gown, my breathing ceases.

I’ve never seen her more stunning and elegant during our entire time of knowing one another. When her eyes lock with mine, she flashes me a smile full of love and promise. It baffles me how this woman was just as lonely and lost as I was six months ago.

And now?

Now, we’re each other’s everything.

My attention should be drawn to the distractions all around us. Sounds. People. Smells.

But it all fades into the background. All that remains is her.

A gentle breeze lifts her veil as she comes toward me, sending it trailing off to the side beside her. She’s an image of what dreams are made of. And as soon as she is close enough for me to touch her, I reach my hand out, and she takes it without hesitation.

After hauling her to me, I capture her lips with mine and ignore the chuckles from Jasper and Alcott and the gasps of shock from the elders in attendance. They can all keep their mouths shut, because this woman is mine and I shall kiss her whenever I damn well please.

“You’re so naughty,” she murmurs against my lips with an equally naughty grin of her own.

“You’re no angel,” I tease. Then I steal one more peck before turning my head to the officiant, who appears to be irritated by my bending the traditional ceremonial rules.

He clears his throat and begins his sermon, but I’m not listening. All I can do is stare into her wide, brown eyes and attempt to somehow thread our hearts together eternally.

Another clearing of the officiant’s throat startles me, and I blab out that I will. She agrees, and then we’re once again lost in each other’s gaze. Finally, he asks for our vows.

“Vows?” I turn my head over to him and glare. Nobody told me that we had to create any of our own. And it’s in this moment that I notice the folded slip of paper wrapped around her bundle of flowers.

“It’s okay,” Edith murmurs as her cheeks redden.

She’s excusing me for not having them. For not loving her enough to have come up with some. Which is not fucking acceptable.

I wink at her. “I memorized them.”

A sweet smile spreads over her face, and I smile back. I may not have any written vows, but it does not mean I don’t have any from my heart.

“Dearest wife, thank you for standing by my side these past few months. We might not have always seen eye to eye or slept in the same bed for that matter, but know that I always cared for your wellbeing. I was deeply jealous of any fool who looked your way even though, at times, I had a funny way of showing it. If I could take back the early days of our marriage, I would. I would replace them with countless moments of affection. Hours of kissing and cuddling. I would have showered you with the finest of gifts.”

She mouths at me to stop. I know that it was all part of our agreement in the beginning, but now, all I feel is that I wasted that time with her. She could have been all mine and I squandered that opportunity. I won’t waste another second though. Every moment of every day shall start and end with her.

“Edith, you have been a partner. A friend and confidant. And the most amazing lover a man could ever want. You’re my everything, and I vow to forever prove to you just how important you are to me. Please promise to love me forever, because forever, I’ll promise to love you.”

This time, her eyes shine with unshed tears. Seeing her so vulnerable breaks something inside me, and I need to hold her. Once again ignoring the babbling from the crowd, I draw her to me and kiss her gently.

“I love you, Edith Dumont. My Countess.”

At the moment I feel she’s been properly comforted, I release her and flick a gaze over at the aggravated officiant before indicating that he may proceed. This causes Edith to giggle, and I flash her a wicked grin.

“Countess?” he interrupts.

She lifts her eyes to mine and smiles. Her words too, it would seem, are from the heart, because she isn’t reading from her paper. “Alexander, thank you for choosing me to be your wife. Although you could have had anyone on this Earth, for some reason, you chose me. I’m thankful for that opportunity and grateful that our feelings only grew and intensified for one another over time. I’m not the woman you married anymore. I’m someone better, and I have you to thank for that. Thank you for loving me when nobody else could. I will love you forever too, Alexander.”

This time, the officiant gives his blessings for us to kiss. And boy, do we kiss. It’s almost too sinful to display in front of all of these people, but we do it anyway.

Edith kisses me back as if we’re the only two souls standing upon the lawn. But she also kisses me proudly in a way that tells people watching that she’ll always be mine.

Together, we kiss until Mother calls out that it’s time to cut the cake.

And then we kiss once more.

I’M FLOATING ON A CLOUD.

A lemon-scented cloud.

And I’m in love.

We’ve been enjoying our reception for several hours now. Alexander keeps getting pulled in the direction of old friends and family members who are all vying for his attention to wish him well on his marriage. I keep hugging my sisters and father or swatting at Alcott for his ridiculous jokes. The very idea that Alexander surprised me with bringing my entire family together with his to witness our joyous renewal of our vows was incredibly surprising. The man is revealing a sweet part of himself that I am quite fond of. I’ll reward him later this evening in a way that he’ll most certainly appreciate.

My mind drifts to wicked thoughts and that’s when I meet the heated stare of my husband. Even though we’ve spent most of the evening apart, our eyes always find the other’s. Each time, Alexander flashes me a grin or winks in a way that promises me pleasure the moment we’re alone. His looks are addicting, and I find myself blushing each time our gazes meet. This time, he must recognize the glint in my eyes because his jaw clenches in that angry way that I now know equates to pure, animalistic want.

“I love you,” he mouths from across the room.

My heart patters about at his words. Only spoken a few hours ago, his first proclamation of his love to me shattered what was left of the blackened part of my soul, and I felt as if I were whole again. For once in my life since Mother died, I felt as if she would be proud of me.

“I love you too,” I mouth back to him.

“Were you talking to me?” a deep voice questions.

Turning my head, I meet Alcott’s twinkling, brown eyes. “No, you loon. I was talking to my husband. You’re a mess. Don’t you have some other woman to bother?” I tease.

He slings an arm over my shoulder and brings his lips to my ear. “I’d like to bother your baby sister, Ella, but for some reason, I don’t think you’d like that.”

I shove him, and he stumbles away chuckling.

“Damn, woman, I was teasing. She’s far too innocent for the likes of me.” He winks at me.

I roll my eyes at him. “
Far
too innocent. Alcott, God would strike you down from Heaven if you were even to look at her in a lustful way. Stay away from her, pretty boy, or I’ll break your kneecaps.” I say this with a sickeningly sweet smile and a giggle, but we both know there is truth to my words.

“Yes, sister.” He bows dramatically before he saunters off toward Ella.

That man just goes looking for trouble.

Speaking of trouble . . .

I’m finally free of anyone’s conversation, so I clutch my dress and make my way through the crowd, toward the last place I saw my husband. When I arrive at the other side of the room and still don’t see him, I nearly give up. But then I hear his voice down the corridor.

Figuring he must be calling for me, I steal off down the hallway and hope we might be able to sneak away from these people and make love.

“Nicolette.” Alexander says her name in a deep growl on the other side of a door. Just the sound of her name sends unease crawling up my spine.

“Tell her it’s off. Tell her you want to be with me,” she says tearfully.

Rage blooms in my heart, and my palm curls around the handle as I prepare to enter the room and stake claim over my husband. But then he murmurs something I can’t hear and she begins shouting.

“I saw the way you appreciated my naked flesh earlier! If your brother hadn’t walked in, we’d have already made love countless times! It’s not too late, Alexander.”

Her words rip a hole in my heart. He saw her naked? They were going to make love?

I don’t understand.

“Edith?” Alcott questions beside me.

I whip my head in his direction, and tears well in my eyes. “You knew? Nicolette and Alexander? Together?”

He drops his eyes to the floor in shame, and the smile falls from his lips.

No!

“How could you let me go on and make a fool of myself?” I hiss. “I trusted you, Alcott!”

“Edith,” he rushes out, “it’s not what you think.”

So it is true.

He reaches for me, but I shove past him and run for the nearest door that will allow me my escape from the stifling home and give me fresh air. The moment I push through the door, I swallow in deep, cool breaths. Tonight, the cicadas are loud, but they can’t drown out the screams of despair inside my head.