Page 113 of Duchess Material

“Look, we can’t invite the Queen without it seeming ridiculous. No. We will stick to the script.”

Lucy and Winston entered the restaurant. It often boasted live music in its garden patio on Saturdays. They’d come down a few times for a meal and a drink since it was just around the corner. The listed and cosy venue was elegant without being stuffy. The floors were original, a bit scuffed, but well-maintained. Beautiful period chandeliers lit every room. It was perfect for them—a little different, somewhat offbeat, but nice. Winston asked for a guy named Larry. A man of five foot nothing with a loud checked tie greeted them.

“You were the man on the phone?” Larry looked at Lucy. “And this is the bride?”

“I’m Winston Ferguson. This is my fiancée, Lucy Chandler.”

Lucy nodded. “We have been here before but not on the wedding side.”

“She is charming,” the man said in the most flamboyant way possible. “And you’re alright getting married on a Thursday afternoon?”

“We are,” Lucy confirmed. “It’s… uh… nice. We’re fans of… small.”

The three climbed a spiralling staircase. “So, how many do you think you will have in total?”

Lucy had done the math. “Eight.”

“Eight. See, you told me four,” the man chuckled. “Well, alright. We have two spaces available. One is our conservatory. It’s larger but it could give you a much nicer look if you wanted both a ceremony and dinner space. We usually only hire it for Fridays and Saturdays but for an extra charge, we could make it work for you. Do you have a budget.”

“Yes,” Lucy replied as Winston gave an emphatic, “No!”

“Um, we have a budget. We should have a budget, Tony!”

“We don’t. I don’t think this affair will blow our budget, alright. You’re not planning a royal wedding. Calm down. What does it run?”

“There are different packages and—”

“Nicest package,” Winston was insisted. “Whatever includes the most stuff so that we can just delegate everything and she can enjoy the day. She is a planner. Logistics is her life. Her job is to get a literal princess from point A to point B every day. I want her to just be a bride and be happy. Whatever accomplishes that goal, that’s what I want.”

Larry nodded decisively. “Yes, sir.”

Lucy was impressed once more with Winston’s decisiveness. In the clutch, he always had her best interest in mind. He knew her all too well. She was starting to spin up a plan in her head. Winston was putting that to rest. Instead, now, Lucy would have to find a dress. She could manage that. She’d have to.

Winston agreed on the finer details. Lucy paid the deposit. She insisted. Winston dropped the rope because he knew arguing was pointless. Sometime soon, it would be moot. They’d be married. It would be their money. Lucy just didn’t want to feel like a leech. Somehow, Larry found this notable. They left after paying and finishing the paperwork.

Entering the car, Lucy said, “I love you, Winston.”

“I love you, too, Lucy,” Winston smiled. “You are delightful even when I don’t quite understand you.”

“I think you do understand me quite well. You knew I would find a way to stress myself out over money and logistics. You took that decision out of my hands. I recognise you are right.”

“The money doesn’t matter, Lucy. I know in your mind it does. However, in my world, it is not a concern. I’m not saying this to sound better or to brag. I simply want you to know that you will never need to worry about it. We will make decisions together, but please stop worrying about what things cost. I won’t hold it over your head. What is mine, is ours. What is yours, is ours. We’re a team, remember? Partners. 50-50?”

“I know. I just… it’s never been my way to accept any charity. I always felt weird about it with George. We weren’t married. That made it a bit odd, I guess. Still, this world that you live in is so new to me.”

“You work in a palace and stay in hotel suites most people could only dream of seeing photos of. You ride horses with Natalie that cost more than most people’s houses. You are invited to country homes of royals and stay in palaces. Lucy, you’re already in the club.”

“Mentally, I will always be the girl who grew up hand-to-mouth because her dad drank too much, and her mom never worked because they couldn’t afford a sitter. It colours your world, Winston. The idea that we could have children and their every want, need, and desire would be met in an instant is foreign to me. I may live like you now. You treat me as any member of your family, but I did not grow up like this. I can’t unlearn poverty.”

Winston pulled into the garage and closed the door before turning to Lucy. “I don’t know what that’s like, but I want you to stop worrying about it. I don’t want you to change who you are, but you don’t need to fret about money ever again. I want to support you because I know you will always support me. You make my life immeasurably better.”

Lucy leaned over and kissed him. Winston was so sweet. She couldn’t have ever explained how she felt in that moment—how his words were safety and security. Instead, she kissed him. She continued to until they both found a way into the backseat. The car had become an interesting hook-up spot. Lucy did not regret it.

* * *

“Do you have the run-of-show printouts, Brenda?”

Natalie heard Lucy in the hall outside her half-open office door.

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