Jacqueline's Dilemma - Part Twenty Five C - Happily Ever After?

"Cousin," Jacqueline said, smiling brightly as she looked at Celestine. The slightly older woman gave her a hug.

"Jacqueline, you can not imagine how happy I am for you." Jacqueline smiled at her cousin's obvious falsehood. There was no way Celestine would want her happiness, she quite clearly blamed her for Adéle's execution.

"Celestine, allow me to introduce you to my husband," she turned to Antoine who had gone white as a sheet.

"We have met already," Antoine murmured.

"Oh really," Jacqueline said smiling. She could sense trouble brewing, but she had to keep a smile on her face. This would not be a repeat of that day in court.

Henry, who was worried about what was happening before his eyes stepped forward to try and break some of the tension.

"Jacqueline would you do me the honour of introducing me to your relation?" Henry asked, desperate to stop this from going any further.

"Oh Your Highness, surely your remember me from this morning," Celestine said. Danielle looked at her husband, unsure of what was actually being said.

"Do not worry Your Highness," Celestine said to Danielle. "It is not as it sounds. I was going to find Antoine. I had left something in his room last night and..." She stopped suddenly, pretending that she had said something she did not mean to. She turned to look at Jacqueline with a look of mock horror on her face. "Jacqueline I... I did not want you to find out like this."

"Oh don't worry about it Celestine, what did you leave?"

"Pardon?"

"In Antoine's room, you said you left something."

"It was a... a... an earring," Celestine said, almost lost for words, not quite believing how her cousin was taking this revelation.

"I shall send a servant to go and get it for you when we return to the palace." She linked her arm through that of her husband's. "Darling I think we should be getting back to the palace, the guests will be wanting to start the banquet." The two of them began to walk back down the aisle, stopping occasionally to talk to somebody.

Outside they were met with a shower of wheat grains being thrown by local people who had turned out to wish the newly weds a happy marriage with lots of children. They almost ran towards the carriage just wanting to be alone. They stepped into the royal coach and the driver quickly pulled away from the cathedral.

Once they were out of sight of the crowds, Antoine looked over at his wife. That sounded so good. His wife. He was so happy that he almost forgot to be worried at what had just happened. Just because Jacqueline had taken it so well in front of everybody, did not mean that he was out of the woods.

He was about to broach the subject with her when he suddenly felt her lips on his. He accepted the kiss warmly, he would never deny her anything that she wanted. From now on he was hers to command.

"Jacqueline," he murmured in a half hearted attempt to break off from the kiss so that they may talk.

"Yes my love," she replied.

"What happened back there in church I..."

"I know what you're going to say."

"What?"

"Nothing happened between you. I know."

"Jacqueline you must believe me, I would never consciously..."

"No Antoine, really, I know. I know that she is lying."

"But how?"

"I received an interesting visit in the early hours of this morning which proves your innocence of the charges Celestine has laid at your feet."

"A visit," Antoine said, puzzled. "From whom?"

"From you my love. You were so drunk I knew that you would remember nothing. No doubt those guard friends of yours had been pouring ale down you throat all night. I do hope you won't be doing that any more my love. Anyway, you appeared below my window very late last night and proceeded to drunkenly serenade me. You were making such a din you were going to wake the whole palace so I had Lord Grey escort you to your chambers and make sure your attendant got you to bed. He then stayed outside your room all night, just in case you attempted to come back and disturb my sleep. When my aunt came to my room this morning claiming that you had been with her daughter last night, Lord Grey assured me that she must have been mistaken, you were alone in your room all night. So you see, I know that nothing happened." Antoine did not let her speak any more. He gathered her up in his arms and kissed her with a passion so forceful, neither of them had known it before.

This is how they spent their journey back to the palace. By the time they returned almost everyone was already there. Jacqueline had a suspicion that Henry or Danielle had ordered the coachmen to take a long route back to the palace so that they might be alone.

The outside of the palace was quiet. Everybody was waiting inside for the newly weds to arrive. As they stepped down from the carriage they're fingers were entwined. They had finally done it. They had no reason to worry about what obstacles the world would put in front of them now. They were married, they could face them together.

Jacqueline breathed deeply as she neared the front doors to the palace with her husband on her arm. She was about to face the court for the first time as Her Grace Duchess Jacqueline de Polignac and she felt wonderful for it. Finally she could stop being the youngest child despised by Rodmilla and start being loved by somebody she knew would cherish and protect her for the rest of her life and beyond.