“We should probably go inside so we can get the ceremony taken care of,” Livy said.
As he offered her his arm, he asked, “Nervous?”
“No, not at all. I’m too incredibly happy to be nervous.”
It was as they were going up the steps that a movement to the side of the building caught Jack’s attention. “I forgot something. I’ll catch up with you in a bit. If you don’t mind, go on and see that things are ready.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Yes. Just a small matter I need to attend to.” He gave her a quick buss on her lips. “I’ll be right in.”
When the door closed behind them all, Jack went back down the steps and walked around the corner of the church.
“Hey, me dodger. I’ve got a present for ye,” his old mentor cackled. Leaning on his cane, Feagan held out his gnarled hand and there in his palm rested Jack’s locket.
With a tightening in his chest, Jack took the precious offering, opened it, and studied his mother’s portrait. How young she looked, much younger than Olivia was now, he suspected. A girl really. Still, it would be as though she were with him during the ceremony. “Thank you, Feagan. But I don’t have the money I owe you with me.”
He waved his hand in the air. “Awk. Don’t worry ’bout it. Next time yer in the rookeries, bring me a bottle of gin.”
“How did you know I’d be here today?”
“I pick up things along the way.”
“You should come inside.”
“Nah, me and God, we never got along once ’e took the love of me life. Wouldn’t want ’im thinkin’ I’ve fergiven ’im, ’cuz I ’avn’t.”
“Frannie told me once she thought you were her father.”
“Wot’d ye tell her?”
“Nothing.”
“Ye was always me best at keepin’ secrets.”
“Because I learned from the best.”
Feagan cackled. “That ye did, me boy, that ye did. Best wishes to ye and the new mizzus.” He turned to go.
Jack called out to him. “Feagan, at least let me have my carriage take you back to the rookeries.”
“Nah, I loikes to walk.” Feagan winked. “Never know wot useful things I’ll pick up along the way.”
Jack watched him ambling off, crooked and bent, a man who’d been a father to him in many ways.
Jack could only hope he’d do as well by Henry.
The wedding had not been as grand as Olivia’s first one, but as she brushed her hair at her vanity, she found no fault with it. Henry had stood beside Jack as his best man. Following the ceremony, the sight of the two of them, heads bent, conspiring about something, had brought tears to her eyes. Jack gave Henry far more attention than Lovingdon ever did.
A small part of her couldn’t help but mourn what she and Lovingdon had never had. She wasn’t certain why, but she thought he’d be happy for her, would approve her marrying Jack. Since he’d named Jack guardian and given him so much, he obviously thought well of the man. She thought it might have gone better all the way around, though, if Lovingdon had shared with her the weaknesses his cousins possessed.
She realized it was sometimes impossible to know everything about a person, but she had faith Jack would not keep harmful secrets from her and that their marriage would be very different from her first.
As she stood up, she couldn’t help but smile at her gossamer nightgown. It left very little to the imagination. She walked across her bedchamber, opened the dressing room door, and screeched at the sight of Jack standing there.
“I was coming to get you,” he said. “I’d grown tired of waiting.” He angled his head. “But I can see now it was worth the wait.”
He lifted her into his arms, and she laughed joyously. She wondered if these walls had ever heard so much laughter. “I’m perfectly capable of walking.”
“I prefer to carry you, so I can judge your weight.”
“How romantic.”
“You need more weight on you. It’ll keep you healthier, and I want you to be healthy for a very long time.”
“I’ll have to purchase new gowns.”
“You’ll need to do that anyway. I finally found your clothes in my ledger.”
She laughed again. “You did not.”
“I did. I’m taking them away from you so you’ll have to be naked all the time.”
“Have you forgotten that we have servants and a child in the residence?”
“Damn.”
She burrowed her face into his neck. “But I promise to be completely nude when it’s only the two of us.”
“I suppose I can live with that.”
He laid her on the bed. She scrambled up to her knees and began unfastening the buttons on his shirt. “And what about you?” she asked. “Are you going to make me work for what I so enjoy gazing on?”
With all the buttons undone, he pulled his shirt over his head. “No. I promise to be naked as well.”
He was out of his clothes in short order. Then he took a few moments to appreciate her nightgown before working quickly to add it to the pile of clothes. She didn’t know why she’d bothered to try to be enticing, but she found joy in knowing he was so eager to get her undressed.
“Let’s dispense with the two bedchambers,” he said as his mouth took a slow journey across her shoulders. “We have plenty of room in here for your vanity and anything else you want. Rearrange the whole blasted house.”