Page 70 of Always the Chaperone

The voice was timid, and Charlotte turned to smile at the nervous girl who had helped her into her gown. Lady Prudence Lennox smiled awkwardly.

Had it been three weeks since she had first met Prudence and been so unpardonably rude? How Charlotte regretted it, but she had the rest of her life to make it up to her.

“Thank you for helping me get ready this morning,” she said.

Prudence smiled. “You are to be my sister—something I have missed.”

Charlotte understood but would not allow sadness to overtake them. “I think I am ready,” she said hastily. “And if I am not mistaken, I think everyone else is, too.”

The sash window in her bedchamber was open, and along with a warm breeze, there came the peal of church bells.

Prudence nodded and picked up the posy of flowers and handed them to Charlotte. Bluebells and anemones picked in the garden at Stonehaven Lacey that morning. Charlotte felt the smoothness of the ribbon. She took a deep breath. This was no longer a fantasy!

As she stepped down the sweeping staircase, Matthews was standing there along with the entirety of the servants in a line, waiting to wish her well. A send-off for the daughter of the house of Axwick.

Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears. They were, in a way, as much her family as Richard was.

“Congratulations,” said Matthews quietly. “I know I speak for the whole household when I say we are all proud of you and pleased for you, my lady. Your Grace.”

Inclining her head in silent thanks, Charlotte squeezed Matthews’s hand and stepped through the front door. Sunshine poured onto her. There was not a cloud in the sky. It was a perfect day.

“There you are!” A deep voice boomed as her brother, Richard, strode forward with a top hat on his head and a scowl on his face. “I know it is tradition for the bride to be late, but Lotty…”

He stopped speaking as soon as he reached her, his eyes wide.

Charlotte felt the creep of concern tighten her shoulders. “Is there anything amiss? Do I have something in my teeth? Is my hair falling out already?”

Richard was staring as though he had never seen her before. “Lotty…you look beautiful.”

Charlotte laughed and looked at the flowers in her hands. “Goodness, Axwick, you are not going to get emotional, are you?”

Richard shook his head, but his eyes were brighter than normal. “No, no, it is…Mother would have been so proud of you today. As I am.”

She could have borne anything without tearing up, except that. The mention of their beloved mother stirred up many feelings. She felt her throat tighten.

“I know,” she murmured, quietly, taking his arm. “She would have been proud of both of us. Sheisproud of both of us, especially you, another Axwick on the way!”

“Halfway there,” he said breathlessly, clearing his throat. “But he’ll be here before we get to the church at this rate. Where’s that slip of a thing?”

Charlotte blinked. “Slip of a thing?”

“Ah, there she is—keep up, Pru!”

Trust her brother to be on familiar terms with her sister-in-law already. He never was one to stand on ceremony. She turned to see Prudence tripping down the steps to join them.

“My apologies, Lady Charlotte, Your Grace!”

“No need for apologies,” said Richard. Charlotte beamed, he always did have such a way with people, a charm she had never learned. “The church is only next door.”

As they walked around the corner, Charlotte saw the church decorated with festoons of flowers.

“Oh, beautiful!” she pulled away from Richard as she stepped toward the church, mouth open. “Axwick, did you know…”

“Wasn’t me,” he said hastily. “Matthews said the villagers came to ask him about it, whether we would mind, yesterday. Apparently, you are a popular person here in Stonehaven.”

Charlotte stared. It must have taken them hours to pick all the flowers to transform every inch of the church walls into a bower. Her heart swelled. There was so much goodness in the world.

“Come on, there are people waiting for you in there,” said Richard good-naturedly, offering his arm once again. “One of them is most eager to see you.”