Page 64 of The Meaning of Love
“And don’t forget the grandchildren,” her mother added.
Everyone laughed and drank while the youngest trio looked on wide-eyed.
Noticing that the noise and movement had brought Ulysses out to investigate, Melissa held out her barely sipped glass to Jolene and said to the maid, “Thank you for all your help, and please don’t forget to take Ulysses down to the kitchens and lock him in.”
Beaming, Jolene took the glass. “Don’t you worry about that scrap of fur. I won’t let him wander. And I’ll be there later, at the back of the chapel, to see you wed, miss—my lady.” Jolene’s grin widened. “I’m going to have to get used to calling you that now, aren’t I?”
Melissa smiled, then Mandy clapped and called, “Form up, everyone. It’s time we went down!”
Under Mandy’s and her grandmother’s direction, the bridal party scurried into line. Genevieve hurriedly brought Melissa her bouquet of white roses with cornflowers mixed in, then handed smaller bouquets to Mandy and Lottie and took one up herself.
Amid all the flutter, Melissa’s mother and grandmother went ahead, then the procession started off, with Lottie and Christopher herding the three younger ones as the advance guard.
“No, Barton!” Lottie caught the little boy’s hand. “Not yet, remember? You have to wait until we get to the churchy place—thenyou can start throwing petals on the ground.”
Mandy gently lifted the front of the veil over Melissa’s head and drew it down so that it screened her face. “There!” Mandy sighed. “Lottie was right—you truly are the perfect bride for this time and place.”
Melissa smiled back, then Genevieve called, “Here I go!” and set off behind Lottie and Christopher.
Mandy squeezed Melissa’s hand and, with a last smile, stepped out in Genevieve’s wake.
Jolene had already slipped out, carrying a whining Ulysses toward the servants’ stairs.
That left Melissa and her father.
He smiled, walked to her side, and offered his arm. “Well, my girl, it’s finally just us. And can I say how happy I am that the others have gone ahead? So much flutter and fuss all morning isn’t good for the digestion.”
She laughed and, resting her hand on his sleeve, allowed him to lead her out of her chamber and along the corridor behind Mandy.
Lottie and Christopher performed a minor miracle and managed to slow the children so that the bridal party progressed in suitably stately fashion down the corridor to the gallery around the head of the main stairs. From there onward, Melissa was touched to see that their way was lined with staff, all smiling in delight at the sight of her.
She and her father paused at the top of the stairs, then once Mandy was halfway down, started down themselves. Melissa found she was smiling with genuine happiness as, with stately tread, their procession reached the front hall, then veered around into the corridor that ultimately ended in the chapel.
There were quite a few male guests lining the walls outside the chapel doors. Plainly, the chapel was packed to its limit, and the gentlemen intended to close about the doorway once the bridal party had passed and view the ceremony from there.
Everyone was smiling; there wasn’t a serious or even impassive expression to be seen.
As the advance guard—the three children and Lottie and Christopher—filled the chapel’s entrance, the organ swelled, and a march rang out.
The children—freed at last to fling petals willy-nilly—managed not to go too fast. All the guests turned or craned their heads to watch them with universal expressions of amused delight.
As soon as the group reached the end of the aisle, Genevieve raised her head and stepped out in a measured walk, and when she was halfway down the short aisle, Mandy fell in behind her.
Melissa drew in a slow, deep breath and finally allowed herself to look past her sister and focus on the gentleman standing straight and tall at the end of the aisle, waiting for her to join him.
He looked…exactly as she’d imagined he would in her youthful dreams. In form, in attire, he was elegance personified. His near-black hair was burnished by the light streaming through the rose window above the altar, while his gaze, steady and sure, rested unwaveringly on her.
She realized she’d forgotten to breathe again and quickly rectified the fault.
Her father patted her hand. “Well, my girl, now it’s your turn. Are you ready?”
Without taking her eyes from Julian, she whispered, “Yes.”
And started walking.
Julian couldn’t look away as, in time with the stately music, Melissa walked down the aisle of his family’s chapel and to his side.
This was a moment of triumph and of promise. And of immense relief.
