The day of the wedding rolled around surprisingly quickly. Before Kate knew it, she was waking up to her mother throwing open the curtains of her room at Aubrey Hall, and a whole team of maids preparing the room for Kate to get ready.
As she sat in her bath, the enormity of what she was about to do gripped her. Was she cut out to be a viscountess? Did Anthony really love her or had he come to his senses by now and decided to find another diamond? Kate knew she was being irrational- Anthony had given her no reason to doubt his affections ever since he had proposed in the Featherington garden. But still, Kate couldn't stop the butterflies rushing through her stomach.
She knew what the boys had been up to last night. While she had stayed in and had a lovely meal with her sister, her mother, Lady Danbury and all the Bridgerton women, Anthony and his brothers, along with a few friends, had gone to a nearby pub, to "celebrate Anthony's final evening of bachelorhood," winked Colin as they were leaving. Anthony had given her a (very) affectionate goodbye beforehand, but she still found it difficult to concentrate on the laughter and stories of her own evening. What if one of his old flames was in attendance? Would he stray? Would he have drank so much that he would be barely even conscious for his own wedding?
Kate couldn't take the uncertainty any longer. She looked around to see Daphne, who was smoothing out Kate's wedding dress which was hanging gracefully on the door. "Daphne?" she called, trying her best to sound casual.
"Yes?" came Daphne's reply, as she stepped closer to her future sister-in-law.
"I don't suppose Simon mentioned how last night was, did he?"
"Oh, he said it was a fun night," Daphne said casually. "Colin and Benedict may have imbibed a little too much, which I'm sure my mother won't thank them for. As far as Simon was aware it was supposed to be a quiet evening with a few drinks and some card games. Next thing you know, there are women flocking the group and Mr Dorset somehow owes Anthony £100."
Kate's face had gone white when Daphne mentioned the women. The duchess noticed this and hastened to add "I do not know why you are so scared about Anthony straying. I know my brother, and I know that he adores you. According to Simon, Benedict almost had to physically restrain him so that he would stop trying to leave to come and see you," Daphne smiled, overjoyed that the couple were finally to be wed after all her insistence. "I know for a fact he has already tried to sneak up here at least once this morning, and it is barely even 9,"
Kate laughed, Daphne's words doing wonders to reassure her. "You're right," Kate sighed. "I'm being silly. I just find it difficult to imagine him loving me as much as I love him."
"Well imagine it," Daphne said abruptly. "And then finish washing your hair. We have a wedding to get you to."
—-
Downstairs, Anthony was eating breakfast with his brothers. Well, he was eating with Gregory at least. Benedict and Colin were both looking decidedly pale, and half asleep. Anthony smirked, glad he had had the sense not to overindulge the previous night. Despite his clear sobriety, however, he was still finding it difficult to have much of an appetite, and that was due to nerves.
He had a good time last night. It was fun to be out with his brothers and his friends. They made jokes and told stories and did not have to worry about propriety or anything wedding-related. It was only when a group of women entered the room that Anthony's mood shifted.
Only a few months ago, Anthony would have been very happy to see the new entrants to their evening. It was clear from their dress that these were women of the night. And that was how Anthony had always liked it: a simple business exchange, no responsibilities, no commitments. And now here he was, the day before the biggest commitment of his life.
He expected to feel panicked. But strangely, he was struck only with the desire to go and see Kate. He had seen her earlier that day, of course. But he wanted to know how her evening had been, and he wanted to tell her about his (particularly how he had ruined Mr Dorset in a game of cards, proving to her once again that he was superior).
He found that he could not even appreciate the beauty of the women. They were all attractive, of course, but one had very thin lips, not like Kate's, which were plump and always looked ready for kissing. One had dark hair, which on first glance looked like Kate's, but the longer Anthony looked the more he noticed that it did not have the highlights that Kate did when she turned her head in the light, and it looked decidedly less soft from where Anthony was standing. He looked around at all the women and easily found something in each with which to compare them to Kate, coming to the conclusion that he was about to marry the most beautiful woman in England.
On realising that, he turned to make his way towards the door. Everyone was having so much fun (and had drank so much) that he hoped he could escape undetected. Unfortunately, Simon had been placed under strict instructions from his wife to make sure Anthony did not try and seek out his fiancée.
"Bridgerton!" he called out. "Where are you off to?"
"I'm just rather tired. I think I'll call it a night. Wouldn't want to be exhausted tomorrow," he said, trying to sound as convincing as possible.
Simon merely laughed and guided him back to the table, sitting him down. "I'm afraid Daphne has her under strict supervision. But don't worry, only 24 more hours and then she'll be yours forever."
Anthony tried not to seem too excited at the prospect, and did his best to appear cheerful, and denied any wrongdoing each time he tried to escape and was thwarted by Benedict.
And now, at the breakfast table in the morning room at Aubrey Hall, he couldn't stop his knee from bouncing as he stared ruefully at his brothers. He put his fist down on the table suddenly, making a loud bang and successfully stirring Benedict and Colin.
"Brothers," he announced, instantly taking on his serious viscount persona. "Today is my wedding day. It is Kate's wedding day. And nothing will go wrong, do you understand me? It must be perfect for her. If either of you ruin it because you are incapable of controlling yourselves, I swear you will regret it for the rest of your lives. Is that clear?"
"Yes, brother," both boys mentioned, immediately sitting themselves up straighter.
"Good," Anthony said. "Then I am going to go and get ready. Don't take too long."
—-
Kate was stunned. She stood in front of the full-length mirror, trying to believe that the girl she saw staring back at her was in fact herself.
Her skin had been buffed to perfection, her hair brushed and styled into an elegant top knot on her head, a few loose tendrils framing her face. Her dress clung to her in all the right places, flowing gently down to the floor, where her feet were encased prettily in a pair of white heels.
Violet had just left, after trying to control her own tears as she placed a beautiful clip in Kate's hair. "Something old and borrowed and blue," she said, eyes gleaming with pride. "You look so beautiful. Anthony is very lucky, and I know the two of you will be so happy."
Kate squeezed her new mother's hands, trying not to cry herself.
Once Violet had left, Kate stood quietly trying to calm her breathing. It was a beautiful day, and the window was slightly open to allow in a cool breeze. Kate could hear the sounds of their guests milling around in the garden, waiting for the ceremony to start. Daphne had assured her that everything was running smoothly, and someone would be along to collect her when it was time.
Just as she was smoothing her skirt for the hundredth time, a small knock came on the door. "Come in," Kate called, before letting out a shriek and diving behind the changing screen.
"Anthony!" she cried, exasperated. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you," he said, chuckling. "Isn't that obvious?"
"Don't come any closer!" Kate cried, as she could hear his footsteps looming ever nearer. "Do you not know it's bad luck to see each other before the ceremony? How did you even find me?"
"This is my house, Kate," Anthony replied, casually. "Of course I'd know where you were. And as for that superstition, I don't like it. Do you know how many people I had to avoid to get up here? And let's face it, we both know that we are stuck with each other, and I don't think any amount of bad luck could change that fact. I would take my chances with fate to be able to kiss you just once before I have to leave."
Kate's heart melted. "You're insufferable," she muttered. She heard Anthony laugh.
"But you want to kiss me too, don't you?" he whispered, his voice lowering a few octaves.
"Fine," said Kate. "I can see you are too persistent to leave without getting what you desire. Close your eyes."
"What?"
"Do it!" Kate demanded. "I do not want you to see me before the ceremony, and I do not want to see you, so do as I say."
Anthony sighed, but resigned himself to his betrothed's orders. "Ok, they're closed," he announced.
"Do you promise?" she asked. "I swear, Anthony, if you are lying then I will not marry you."
Kate smirked his rakish grin. "I highly doubt that," he announced, thinking he could practically hear Kate's teeth grinding. "But I would not like to anger you right before we are married, so they are very firmly closed, I promise."
Kate moved slowly and cautiously out from behind her hiding place. She reached out, feeling her way to Anthony. When she caught hold of his lapels, she moved closer to him.
"Don't move," she whispered, her mouth so close to his he could feel her breath. "Don't move your hands, don't open your eyes, stay very still."
He would have come up with some witty remark, but at that moment her lips touched his, and all his energy went on trying not to touch her. Her hands were on his face, and her lips danced gently over his. He knew she was holding back, but she was in control and he knew they would make up for it later. Suddenly, she was gone, and when Anthony opened his eyes, still slightly dazed, she had returned behind the screen.
"Will that suffice, my Lord?" she asked cheekily.
"For now," he smiled.
"Hey!" came a cry from Daphne, who had just entered the room. "What are you doing here? Are you incapable of following instructions for one morning? You would only have to wait another half an hour, but instead you have to barge in and ruin tradition and…"
"Until we meet again, my love," Anthony said, not able to feel guilty for disobeying Daphne after his kiss with Kate.
Kate merely laughed as she heard Daphne continue to berate her brother all the way down the hall.
—-
Not long after, Anthony stood nervously outside the chapel down in the village, greeting the guests as they arrived to take their seats. The weather was warm, and Anthony felt like the heat may become too much.
"Stop fidgeting," Benedict said. "You can't possibly be nervous?"
"Of course not," Anthony said. "I'm just anxious to see her in her dress."
It was a credit to the brothers' friendship that Benedict did not mock Anthony for this heartfelt declaration, instead just smiling and clapping him on the back.
"Lord Bridgerton!" Lady Danbury exclaimed, as she reached the front of the queue. "What a fine day to be marrying such a fine woman."
"Indeed, Lady Danbury," Anthony said, bowing his head graciously.
"I believe I was one of the last guests to leave, so the wedding party should be arriving soon," she said, moving into the church.
Sure enough, just a few minutes later, the first carriage arrived. Daphne, Simon and Eloise entered the church first, all looking elegant in their finery. Benedict then led Lady Mary inside, closely followed by Anthony and his mother.
"Oh, Anthony," she whispered, just outside the church door. "I am so proud of you. And your father would have been too,"
"I know," Anthony smiled, offering his arm to his mother, and walking down the aisle, nodding and smiling at the guests as they went. Once they reached the front, Violet kissed her son on the cheek before taking her place next to Daphne. Anthony stood at the front of the church, greeted the vicar, and felt his hands begin to shake as the orchestra started to play.
First down the aisle was Gregory, looking very suave in a tuxedo to match his brothers, carrying the wedding rings on a plush velvet cushion. Anthony smiled with pride and greeted his youngest brother with a clap on the shoulder as he reached the front and stood proudly next to Benedict.
Following Gregory were the bridesmaids. Francesca and Hyacinth looked a picture in their gowns, smiling prettily as they gracefully made their way down the aisle. Edwina followed shortly behind, looking stunning and clearly, Anthony noticed with joy, happy for her elder sister.
Once the bridesmaids had reached the front of the church, all heads turned back to the door in anticipation. Anthony tried to keep his eyes straight but found his curiosity too hard to deny his urge to look at her once he heard the gasps from the congregation.
She was an angel. Her white dress contrasted perfectly with her dark skin, and everything about emitted radiance and happiness and love. Anthony could barely even register everyone else in the room, as he stared at her, her eyes meeting his and a small smile playing on her face at his obvious shock. He had thought she was beautiful for a long time now, but this…this was something else entirely.
If he weren't so distracted by how she looked, he may have noticed how tight she was gripping on to Colin's arm. Seeing as though Kate had no father or brothers to give her away, she had decided to ask Colin, seeing as though he had been the one to introduce them, and had always been a keen champion for their relationship. Colin had tried to seem mildly flattered by this request, but Kate saw his eyes glistening as turned away from her in the garden to "check where the food had got to."
He was now holding her hand on his arm reassuringly, bouncing down the aisle with a huge grin on his face, looking every inch the proud brother. Once the pair reached the alter, Anthony quickly took Kate's hand in his own. "Thank you brother," he said to Colin, not once taking his eyes off his bride. "I can take it from here."
Colin gave Kate a kiss on the cheek before seating himself. Close up, Kate looked even more beautiful. He could see his own happiness reflected in her eyes, could smell the scent of lilies, which somehow seemed even more potent today, could see how her chest was rising and falling as she breathed heavily in anticipation. "You are perfect," he whispered softly.
Kate merely smiled. "You look rather nice yourself, my Lord."
With that, Anthony tore his eyes away from her to nod to the vicar, indicating he should start the proceedings. The ceremony went without a hitch. Eloise did a surprisingly beautiful reading about love being mainly about friendship and respect and equality. Gregory had to be shoved forward by Benedict when he forgot that he was, in fact, holding the rings, which were needed when the rings were to be exchanged. And Anthony had barely waited for the vicar to declare "You may kiss the bride," before his hands were on Kate's waist, pulling her closer until their lips met. Kate was so absorbed in the kiss that it wasn't until Colin let out a rather ungentlemanly-like wolf whistle that she remembered they were still in a church.
"Soon, husband," she smiled, touching his lips gently with her finger before turning to receive her flowers from Edwina. Anthony smirked at his new viscountess, knowing this would not be the last instance where she teased him to the point of insanity.