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A month later at Stony Cross Manor, Teagan prepared for her wedding. Since they had decided to make their home in London, they purchased a lovely townhouse not far from the Seabrook family home. Both she and Sebastian had accepted a gracious offer from Emma and Wentworth to hold their wedding at the small chapel on the grounds of their country estate. A chapel she was happy to learn was the place where Emma and Wentworth, Amelia and Bridgton, and Bella and Myles spoke their wedding vows. She could not think of a better place to pledge her love to Sebastian.
Teagan had chosen a lovely pale, yellow silk gown for her wedding dress. Her hair was swept up high on her head with curls cascading over one shoulder. Tiny yellow roses from the manor’s rose garden were tucked here and there into her hair making her look like a garden fairie. The butterflies making their home in the rose garden were also present inside her stomach as she anticipated the day to come. Finally, she would marry the man she loved. Become part of his family, which she could naught ever ask for a better family to belong to.
The only sadness she experienced today was tomorrow morning Lachlan and her uncle would travel back to Scotland. She worried overmuch for Lachlan, but Uncle Bruce eased her concerns by stating he would be staying at Murray Castle for an extended period of time. She suspected he didn’t relish hurrying back to the Lothian coast since Grandfather and Uncle Fergus were dead. Bruce had never taken a wife. So besides Fergus’s wife, their two sons, and several grand-nieces and nephews, he had no family left except for Lachlan and her.
Deep down inside, she was ecstatic Uncle Bruce would be staying with Lachlan. She would still worry overmuch for him, but at least he would not be alone. And perhaps soon he would take a wife. They had already discussed it with him that if by the upcoming London Season, he had not met anyone suitable to become his duchess, he would travel to London. Surely there would be some young debutant to catch his eye. Perhaps even Uncle Bruce might find himself a nice widow and marry. Now that she’d found love, she wanted Lachlan and Bruce to find it as well. Nothing made you more alive and intuitive to your surroundings than love. Colors were more vivid, flowers fragrances more aromatic, birds chirping more melodious. Everything changed for the better.
“Are you ready, my dear,” the dowager said as she entered the room and smiled brightly. “You look lovely. I believe my son will lose the ability to speak when his eyes fall upon you.”
“Thank ye. And aye, ah’m ready.”
“Lachlan is outside ready to escort you to the chapel. Besides Wentworth, Emma and I, everyone else has left.”
True to the dowager’s word, her brother stood outside her chamber looking pale.
“Is all well with ye?”
“Aye, why do ye ask?”
“Ye look pale.”
“Just anxious, happy and sad at the same time,” he replied with a crooked grin.
“Has something happened?” Her insides knotted up tight.
“Nay. Well, actually, there is something. Ah hate tae tell ye this on yer wedding day, but ye need tae ken.”
“Ken what?” More knots.
“Ian is dead. He died in Newgate in his cell awaiting trial.”
“Oh.” She moved a hand to her stomach and waited to decipher how she felt about his death. Sad, glad, but mostly sad and angry. The man who raised them made Ian into the monster he had become and for that she was angry. Sad because he never had a chance to be a good man, like his brother Lachlan.
“Half of me wants tae yell with joy and the other half wants tae fall tae my knees and cry for the little boy who dinnae have a prayer in the world of being a good mon, thanks tae that mon.”
“Ah ken. Ah feel the same way. But also ah feel guilty for being the elder brother and nae doing something tae help him be a better mon.”
“Ye did try, many times ah heard ye trying.”
“Aye, ah did.
“Let us nae think of Ian again on this day of my wedding. Ah want today tae be a happy occasion as ah wed the mon ah love.”
“Agreed. Now ah’ll finish what ah started tae say earlier. Ah could nae have asked for a better husband for ye than Sebastian. But ah’m sad because ah’m going tae miss ye.”
“Ah promise tae visit often.”
“Ye better. Now let us be off before yer intended thinks ye deserted him.”
***
As Teagan made her way down the narrow, short chapel aisle on her brother’s arm, she could not take her eyes off her husband-to-be. Dressed in black formal wear, he stood staring back at her with love shining from his eyes and a smile on his lips. Her insides quivered and her knees weakened. “Look at him,” she whispered to Lachlan. “Is he nae the most beautiful mon ye have ever seen?”
Her brother chuckled. “Ah cannot say, lass, as ah never thought of mon as beautiful.”
She giggled. “Ye ken what ah mean.”
“Ah do. And ah am so happy for ye. Sebastian will never cause ye a moment of worry, nor will he ever be unkind tae ye, and for that, ah am forever indebted tae him. He will spoil ye rotten, as ye deserve tae be.”
As they approach the altar, Lachlan kissed both her cheeks and placed her hand in Sebastian’s. They faced the vicar united as one.
When he pronounced them man and wife, Teagan could hardly believe it. She’d been in a daze staring into Sebastian’s soft blue eyes the entire time and didn’t recall speaking her vows. Although she must have, as they were married and walking down the aisle with his family and what there was left of hers congratulating them.
As their wedding feast changed from course to course, Teagan smiled so much her cheeks ached. Once again, the Seabrook family made her comfortable with their informal banter and laughs as they enjoyed the delicious banquet before them. Whenever her new husband looked her way with smoldering eyes, heat pooled down below and she wondered how long they were expected to stay. She didn’t have to wait long, as the occupants of the table clinked their wine glasses.
Wentworth stood. “I would like to welcome Teagan into our family. The moment I met you, I knew you were the love of my brother’s life and he yours. To Lachlan and Bruce.” He turned and looked at each of them. “She will forever be cherished, loved, and safe within our family.” He turned back to her. “Welcome into the fold of the Seabrook’s.” Then he held up his wine glass even higher and bellowed, “To the bride and groom.”
Cheers broke out and Sebastian leaned over and kissed her, causing her to blush more than she already had been.
Lachlan stood next and tears pooled in her eyes. “Due tae recent events, ye and Uncle Bruce are the only family ah have left in this world. That is, until ah met the Seabrook family, who have graciously opened their arms tae me as weel. Ah feel blessed. Ah wish ye and Sebastian a world of happiness, many bairns, and a long life.”
Cheers broke out around the table again. Before she knew it, she was strolling around the table—her hand in Sebastian’s saying their farewells. Bridgeton and Amelie had offered them their estate, which bordered Stony Cross Manor, for their wedding night.
Sitting in the Wentworth’s carriage, on Sebastian’s lap, had her giving thanks for all the good in her life. A mere three months ago life looked bleak and hopeless. And now, the future beheld more than she could ever imagine all thanks to the man cradling her lovingly in his lap.
“Ah’m thankful we made love already, so ah dinnae have tae be nervous on our wedding night, and ah can enjoy ye having yer wicked way with me.”
Sebastian chuckled. “My wicked way with you? Don’t you mean you’ll have your wicked way with me?”
“That tae,” she said as she kissed him, wiggled on his lap, and moaned when his erection pushed against her bottom.
“See.” He groaned. “There you go being wicked.”
She shifted her body, pulled her skirts up around her waist, and straddled her husband’s lap. Her anxious fingers undid his pants, freeing his engorged cock into her waiting hands. She lowered her body, taking him inside her all the way to the hilt, and let out a breathy sigh. “Ah never get tired of having ye inside me. Does that make me a wicked person?
Her husband’s laughter caused both their bodies to shake. She ground her hips deep against him and his laughter died, replaced by a loud moan and her lips curled up into a smile right before he crushed her mouth with his and the blissful ride began.
