Page 67 of Her Ruse with the Wicked Duke
“I cannot wait to have you look at me like that for the rest of my life,” he finally said, leaning down. “Alice, I truly cannot put into words how sorry I am for leaving you. But it will never happen again. I won’t leave your side.”
“You can tell me all the ways you will make it up to me later, Your Grace. But a runaway bride is supposed torunaway,” she said quickly as she heard shuffling from behind the door, grasping his hand and pulling him down the steps to the courtyard.
Epilogue
Although the expenses for the “wedding that never was” were refunded, Richard was still not interested in assisting Alice any further after she ran out of the wedding that he practically hand-fed to her.
She could not blame him, though. It had been several days since Rowan had told her he would make all preparations and that she should relax, and she had been nervously awaiting her carriage’s arrival. She waited in her room at Mowbray House, pacing back and forth.
She held her elbows close to her body, attempting to calm herself. She knew deep down that he would not leave her after everything. She had talked to him and felt confident that he felt the same way as her, which brought a blush to her cheeks just to think about it.
He loves me. Rowan Salvator loves me, in spite of it all.
“Alice! Grace, where on Earth is my sister?” Richard could be heard on the stairs down the hall, and Alice felt her stomach churn, wondering what he could possibly want from her on a day like this.
“Alice! Are you in here?” he called from behind the door, knocking three times.
“Yes. Come in.” She sighed, standing and waiting for him to enter to curtsy. “What can I do for you?”
“I… I have something for you,” he said, quieter and more intense than she had ever heard him.
She watched as he fiddled around mindlessly with his hands behind his back, looking at the floor as if it were the most interesting thing in the room.
“What is it?” She finally broke the silence, curiosity, and nervousness taking over as she imagined what he might reveal.
When he finally pulled the mystery item out, it was a small black box, no bigger than his palm. She was unsure what she was looking at, and Richard opened it for her, to reveal a sparkling diamond necklace. She recognized it vaguely, but she could not place it where she had seen it before.
“Is this for me, Richard?”
“It was Mother’s. She got it from her mother on her wedding day, and I figured you should have it today.”
Alice peered in again, and the jewels twinkled back at her as they caught the light, telling her a story of the women in her family. Immediately, tears began to well up in her eyes, and she could not contain herself.
“Do not cry, please,” Richard groaned, but he was more considerate than usual. “You will wet the diamonds.”
“Why now? Why not with Lord Eaton?” she asked, confused.
“I knew you would not marry him, Alice. I am not stupid. I have always seen the way you and the Duke look at one another. It is nauseating.”
“You knew?” She peered up at him, his features softer than she remembered.
She had not gotten a close look at her brother in a long time, but now, she could see the resemblance between them. The shape of her nose matched his, and they had the same eye color.
“Of course, I knew. I just waited to see what would happen. I am glad you figured it out on your own.” He rolled his eyes. “Now, I believe there is a carriage outside awaiting us, so we must hurry.”
He sped out of the room, and Alice was left awestruck at the man she had just spoken to.
Was that her brother, or was she going mad?
* * *
“Relax. You are stressing me out,” Xander said to Rowan as he ran his fingers through his hair once more, standing at the altar, waiting for his bride. “She will be here.”
As if summoned by his words, the wedding song began to play, and the large doors opened slowly to reveal Alice in her white gown, walking slowly down the aisle, on her brother’s arm.
Rowan felt a pang of annoyance that he was here, giving her away, but the smile on Alice’s face melted away any worries he had for the day.
“You look absolutely radiant, Alice,” he said as she joined him.
