"I'm ready to talk about the letter."
Mary places her granola and yoghurt down onto the bedside table before making herself comfortable on the bed as he sinks down onto his side, his lip caught between his teeth. "You can tell me anything."
He hands her the letter. "Remember when I said my Italian song was really dark and heartbreaking?"
"Mhm," she hums.
"Well, it was about a girl I was involved with... Amelie," he says tightly. "I loved her or thought I did. She's the one who got me into the bad stuff and one day... We were in France, driving to her parents'. She was driving and I didn't know it then but she was under the influence."
Mary shifts closer to him. "Go on."
Francis swallows hard, bowing his head. "The car crashed. She died. I pulled her out because I thought I could save her and when the police came, they thought I did it. It was quickly proved that I was innocent but her parents didn't stop hounding me and my family, taunting me, threatening me, blaming me... They thought their daughter was a perfect angel but she was anything but and I paid for it. I wanted everyone to forget about it so moved to England for a fresh start."
"I'm so sorry," Mary breathes out, pulling him in for a hug. "So the letter?"
"Is just thanking you for helping me find something real and not destructive for me," Francis says, hugging her tightly. "I love you so much and I'm grateful for you every day..."
Mary smiles widely, sniffling. "I love you so much too, Francis." She rubs his back. "I'm happy you trusted me enough to tell me that."
Francis nods. "I had a nightmare about it when we were apart for the bachelor and bachelorette parties and I got thinking and had to write something. You're the best thing to ever happen to me."
Mary pulls away and kisses him. "You are the best thing to ever happen to me too."
He nuzzles his nose against hers, slipping her hair behind her ear as he kisses her cheeks and nose. "Are you tired?"
Mary shakes her head. "No. The dress fitting isn't until two anyway and we can leave packing until tomorrow evening. Why?"
Francis pushes her onto the bed and attacks her skin with kisses which have her gasping and moaning and he starts taking her clothes off. "Because I want to make love to you."
Mary blushes, looking up at him shyly. "Okay... Have your way with me."
...
"Mary...!" The girls breathe out. It's just Lola, Greer and Kenna as Leeza, Margot and Claude couldn't make the journey to England.
"You look so beautiful," Lola gushes tearfully.
Even Greer sniffles as she wipes her cheeks. "Francis will be so taken away. So breathless, so proud, so lucky."
Kenna nods. "Your mother was right," she says. "This dress really does suit you. You look great."
Mary turns back to the mirrors, seeing the dress from as many angles as she can as her eyes spring with tears. Her mother already got emotional when she put the loose dress on at first but now that it fits her perfectly and she can get a real feel of how she'll look on her wedding day, she feels overjoyed.
Her arms fit the beautiful lace sleeves perfectly and there are little lace 'v's and finger hooks on her middle fingers, linking her hands to the sleeves. Even her breasts look elegant with the heart-shaped bodice, making her long neck more desirable.
"You should have your hair down," Lola suggests. "Wavy and flowy. Like an Autumn princess."
Mary blushes and ponders it. The dress is a slightly cream with age so it's not too Wintery but perfect for an Autumn wedding. "Maybe for the reception for a more laidback look. For the ceremony, I'd like it in an elegant bun," she starts fiddling with her hair as the shop assistant presents her with a tiara. "Oh, I love this!"
"That will look perfect," Greer gushes, standing to help her fit it on. "Maybe with a veil. Behind your hair instead of covering your face. I'm sure Francis would love to see your eyes as you walk down the aisle."
Mary nods. "Yeah," she says. Her friends know her best. "Maybe a simpler tiara. This one is too intricate, I'm not a royal princess."
The shop assistant chuckles, heading to collect the collection of tiaras for Mary to look over. "These are our other options, ma'am."
She purses her lips, Greer placing the tiara from Mary's head back into its spot in the collection box. Mary finally chooses a shorter tiara but it has more intricate detailing to match her dress.
"How about this one, ladies?"
"Stunning," Kenna says happily as Greer helps the bride-to-be put it on. "There we go. You look like a princess, as Lola said."
Mary beams happily and turns to the assistant. "I'll take it," she says.
"Very well, ma'am. You can look at our selection of jewellery-"
"We have that sorted," Mary says softly. She and Francis have already booked a private viewing at a jeweller's thanks to his parents. Their gift to the couple.
"I will box your tiara for you as well as your dress," the shop assistant says as Mary steps off the pedestal to head to the changing rooms.
She stops and turns to the shop assistant. "Do you also do rose crowns?"
"We do."
She beams happily. "Okay, I'd like one of those too. I'll go get out of this dress," she says, heading into a changing room.
Everything is so perfect.
...
"I think this," Francis starts, brushing Mary's hair away from her neck to clasp a necklace around it. "Would look perfect on you."
Mary gasps at the jewels on the necklace. They're huge, the size of her ring fingernail and the gems are garnets, the birthstone of her birthday month. "Francis!"
"Do you like it?" He asks, sharing a nervous glance with the store manager of the jewellers. "I wanted it to be a surprise-"
"I love it," she breathes out, looking down at the matching earrings and bracelet. "This is too much."
Her fiancé shakes his head, kissing the back of her hand. "Anything for you, Mary, I'll give it to you. I can't wait to see you on our wedding day."
She eyes him with watery eyes and admires the necklace even more through the table mirror. It's a deep red, the theme of the wedding and the chain is silver. She requests to take it off before it can get ruined and Francis chuckles that it won't under her vigilant care.
"We'll keep it guarded at all times," he says casually.
"What? Why?"
"Mary, how much do you think this all is worth?"
Mary's eyes widen and she hits his shoulder. "Francis!"
"Don't worry about it," he says, kissing her cheek. "It's my mother's jewellery." Then his eyes gloss over a little. "Well, my Nonna's. My Nonno gave it to her for their ruby anniversary, forty years of marriage... Then they gave it to my mother when they celebrated their golden anniversary. Now, my mum would be nothing but happy if you wore it at our wedding considering the colour scheme."
Mary beams and she nods. "I'd be honoured," she told him. "I'm sorry your Nonno was diagnosed with dementia..."
It's a recent diagnosis and it hurts Francis but he shakes his head and kisses her cheek. "Even if he doesn't remember me, I'd still want him at our wedding. My mother is looking into getting him to Scotland."
"I see," she says softly. "No matter what, everything is going to be perfect, okay?"
He nods. "Okay."
"Now, let's see what they have for you and then we can go home and pack for our holiday in Scotland," she says excitedly.
In terms of their wedding, I'd like you guys to imagine the dresses Mary wore on their wedding day on the show. Or similar to that at least. Adelaide always rocks in red, something so sophisticated and elegant about her when she wears red. Next chapter, we'll see Frary in Scotland where Francis visits the country for the first-ever time.