Page 36 of A Duchess to Unravel
“Thank you,” she whispered, smiling back.
“If you are ready, it is time,” he told her, offering her his arm.
Theo took her brother’s arm and then looked back at her friends. She gave them a single nod, and they walked in line out the door in front of her.
“I am ready,” she replied.
Tristan’s face tightened with worry as he took one last look at her.
“Are you sure this is what you wish?” he asked.
“I am,” she said, realizing that it was true. “Take me to Alistair.”
Tristan gave a resigned nod, placed a delicate kiss on her cheek, and the two of them made their way to the service room. For a moment, as the dozens of guests rose for her, Theo felt a flutter in her heart. She tried to look at all the faces, wondering who it was that Alistair had deemed worthy enough to attend their wedding, but all she saw were blurred features. Her attention, she realized, was drawn to the specific details of one person. Her future husband.
Alistair stood, tall and impressive in his black tailored tux at the end of the aisle, and like her, his eyes were only focused on one person. Her. Though she did not know why or where it came from, Theo found herself smiling at him as Tristan led her closer. The moment Alistair saw it, his dark blue eyes burst with light and she watched the corners of his mouth twitch up as he shifted on his feet and reached a hand toward her.
Tristan moved Theo’s hand toward Alistair’s but stopped at the last minute.
“Take care of her,” he commanded, his tone so low only Alistair and Theo could hear him.
Theo looked at him, startled that he’d do such a thing with an audience, but Alistair appeared unfazed as he gave a single nod of his head.
“I swear it,” he stated, looking Tristan directly in the eyes.
Theo waited, her heart beginning to pound even faster as the three of them remained still. And then Tristan gently placed her hand in Alistair’s. The moment his large hand wrapped gently around her much smaller one, Theo felt a wave of relief crash over her, far more intense than she’d ever felt. She thought she’d be nervous. Frightened, even. Instead, just the feel of his hand around hers made her relax.
She looked up into his eyes again, and this time Alistair winked. She nearly laughed at it, and though she had no idea why, she suddenly felt that perhaps, despite it all, things could work out well between them. Together they turned toward the priest, and the ceremony began.
“Who are you looking for, dearest?” Alistair asked, his tone laced with sarcasm as he said the pet name.
Theo turned her head left again. Then right. Her brows dipped into an ever so slight frown as she once again scanned their reception.
“No one,” she murmured softly, then looked around again.
Alistair’s humor faded as he watched her grow more tense by the second. Theo had been fine during the ceremony. Watching her come down the aisle toward him had been like watching an angel take flight for the first time. He had already found her attractive, but in her wedding dress, she was downright ethereal in her beauty. And the little smile she’d given him? It had pleased him to no end, to his own surprise. Neither were particularly excited about the idea of marriage but when she’d smiled like that, he’d gotten the strangest sensation that perhaps their companionship could be fulfilling somehow.
Now, though, she was lying to him. It wasn’t just that she was continuously looking over her shoulder. There was tension in her stance. An air of apprehension. And Alistair knew why. There was someone she was looking for; she just did not know which face could be that of the stalker.
He had been careful with the guest list. Only invited just enough of society to make it easy for rumors of the lavish ceremony to spread through the many small cliques of theton.He’d vetted them all, too. Researched their backgrounds thoroughly so that the likelihood of inviting a member of Masquerade was small. Still, there was always a risk. A risk that was now also his.
“Come,” he commanded, reaching for her chin. With great care he turned her face to look at his, and his gut clenched as he saw her panic. “Ye keep moving ye head like that it’ll spin right off ye neck.”
Theo blushed as her eyes dipped downward.
“I cannot help it,” she murmured, “What if he is here?”
The helplessness in her voice sparked a rage within Alistair. He was a man of control, of perception. Yet in this circumstance he could not control or see the danger. He could, however, remove her from it.
“We have entertained this charade long enough,” he stated gruffly, letting go of her chin only to slip his fingers around her left hand. “It is time for us to go.”
Theo’s eyes snapped up to his alarmingly.
“We cannot leave yet!” She whispered loudly. “The reception has barely begun!”
Alistair raised an amused brow as he chortled.
“We are wed now,” he replied, “We can do whatever wish. Besides, I have grown weary of being gawked at. I am taking you home.”
