CHAPTER 26

Julia’s knees shook as she followed Quinn into the courthouse three days later. These were no ordinary wedding jitters that had beset her. These nerves took jitters to a whole new level. Was she really about to marry Quinn?

Inside the main door, she paused. Despite the intense July heat, she wore a heavy woolen shawl over her dress to conceal her expanding belly from anyone who might see them. The stuffy air inside the building offered no relief from the warm temperatures, and since she could see no windows save an enormous stained-glass one above a split staircase, she doubted the air would be any cooler inside.

Standing in the main hall, she removed the shawl and folded it on her arm in front of her.

Quinn turned and stared, scanning the length of her satin ivory dress. “You look beautiful, Julia.”

Heat rushed into her cheeks. “Mrs. Middleton gave me this gown and altered it to fit.” Her gaze slid to the ground. How could he not be mortified to be marrying an obviously pregnant woman? Though perhaps she was being overly sensitive, because the design of the dress did manage to disguise her condition to a great degree.

Julia had been surprised at Mrs. Middleton’s offer, since she had been a bit taken aback by Julia’s sudden wedding. However, she’d been relieved to find out that Julia intended to stay on in her employ for the foreseeable future while Quinn traveled to England and, of course, that such a marriage would offer Julia protection. And when Julia mentioned she had nothing to wear for the ceremony, the gruff woman insisted on giving Julia one of her gowns. Thanks to the woman’s skill with a needle, Mrs. Middleton was able to alter the garment to fit Julia’s ever-increasing middle and still allow her to breathe comfortably.

In the days leading up to the ceremony, Julia had been plagued with doubt and almost changed her mind several times. What if Quinn became too attached to her during this mock marriage? What if she became accustomed to having a husband and Quinn decided it had all been a colossal mistake? There were so many ways this could lead to disaster. Yet each time, with no other alternative in sight, she’d resigned herself to going through with their plan.

As though sensing her disquiet, Quinn gave her an encouraging smile and wrapped her hand through his arm. She wished she could be as poised as he appeared to be.

They made their way down several hallways to Courtroom B, where a justice of the peace would marry them.

Quinn paused outside the door. “Please try to relax, Julia. Even if the circumstances aren’t perfect, I’d like you to have some fond memories of our wedding day.” He bent and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

Instead of easing her nerves, her stomach knotted. She certainly didn’t deserve a man as fine as Quinn or the sacrifice he was making. Her hand fluttered over her belly. But then again, maybe this little one did.

Lord, I know I don’t deserve your favor, but please help me get through this. And if this is not the right thing for Quinn, please give me a sign and I’ll release him from his promise.

They entered the courtroom and waited for the official to call their names. When he did, they both moved toward the large desk at the front of the room.

A robed magistrate appeared and came to greet them. Quinn stepped forward and gave him their marriage license. Quinn had been concerned that since they weren’t Canadian, they might not qualify for a license, but he’d been relieved to learn they did.

The man scanned the document, then smiled at them. “Welcome. If you’re ready, let’s begin. Do you have any witnesses?”

“No, sir,” Quinn said. “We hoped you might have someone that could fulfill that duty.”

“Certainly.” The man turned to a woman near the side door. “Vivian, call Theresa in, please. We’ll need you both as witnesses.”

As soon as the two women returned, the official took his spot and nodded to them. “If you’re ready, please join hands.”

Julia inhaled and placed her hand in Quinn’s, hoping he wouldn’t notice its clamminess.

The official opened a book and began to read. “We have come here today to join—” he peered at the certificate—“Julia Holloway and Quinten Aspinall in marriage. Quinten and Julia, do you solemnly declare that you do not know of any lawful impediment why you may not be joined in matrimony?”

Quinn glanced at her and nodded. “We do,” they said in unison.

The magistrate looked at Quinn. “Quinten, do you take Julia to be your wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep only unto her so long as you both shall live?”

Quinn gazed deeply into her eyes. “I do.”

Julia swallowed, her hands trembling.

Quinn turned to the officiant. “I’d like to add something here, if I may.”

The man’s eyebrows rose. “Go ahead.”

Quinn turned back to Julia, his gray eyes darkened to pewter. “Julia, I know this is not exactly the wedding of your dreams. But I promise to be a good husband and give you the best possible life I can. For as long as you need me.”

Her throat tightened with the threat of tears. How like Quinn to make sure she knew that he would include her in every decision regarding their future. Blinking, she forced her lips into a smile. “And I will do my best to never let you regret this moment.”

Time seemed to stop as their gazes locked, and Julia wished that their circumstances could be different.

Then the official cleared his throat. “Let’s continue, shall we?” He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and led them through the rest of the vows. When they finished, he looked up. “Is there a ring?”

Julia opened her mouth to say no, when Quinn pulled one hand free and rifled in his jacket pocket. He pulled out a plain silver band.

“I got this yesterday. I hope you like it.”

Julia swallowed and nodded. She needed the visual proof that she was a married woman. It would go a long way to restoring her respectability in the eyes of society. How thoughtful of Quinn to think of it.

The magistrate pointed. “Place the ring on her finger and repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed.”

Quinn slid the ring onto Julia’s finger and repeated the line, his voice husky.

The officiant closed his book and rocked back on his heels. “Quinten and Julia, insomuch as the two of you have agreed to live together in matrimony and have given each other these vows, I now pronounce you to be husband and wife.”

The two witnesses murmured something inaudible.

Sudden tears burned at the back of Julia’s eyes. Despite the fact that they weren’t saying vows in a church, the solemnity of the occasion sank into the hollow spaces inside her, ones that had been empty for so long. She was married now. She belonged to someone.

That thought anchored her, steadied her, and gave a sense of peace she hadn’t felt in a very long time.

Quinn’s heart jackhammered in his chest as he stared into Julia’s beautiful eyes. She’d worn her hair up, a few pink flowers woven through the blond strands.

“If you wish to kiss your bride, you may do so.” The magistrate’s voice echoed in the room.

Quinn’s chest filled with so much emotion he feared it would burst. Julia was his wife. She and her child belonged to him. He gave a light laugh, the tight muscles in his shoulders loosening. “I would indeed, sir.”

He turned back to Julia and raised a brow, asking permission. Her cheeks reddened, but she nodded.

Then he bent toward her and sealed their union with a tender kiss. Though he would have liked to linger, he held himself in check, not wishing to distress her.

Once they had signed the register, the justice of the peace gathered the papers and smiled. “Congratulations. I wish you both the very best.”

“Thank you, sir.” Quinn pressed a few dollars into the man’s hand. A bit extra for making the ceremony go so smoothly.

Somewhat dazed, he took Julia by the hand and exited the courtroom. As they walked in silence down the wide corridor toward the main entrance, Julia seemed as unsettled as he felt. Perhaps she was struggling with their new status, trying to determine how they would go forward as a married couple. Even if it was in name only, they would have to give the pretense of being a legitimate couple.

“Where to now?” he asked. “Would you care to go out for dinner?” Quinn glanced at Julia, prepared to let her take the lead on this. He’d hoped she might enjoy some sort of celebration to mark the occasion and had made note of a nearby restaurant within walking distance in case she agreed.

“Mrs. Middleton gave me the rest of the day off, so I’m not needed there.” She smiled. “I’d love to have dinner with you.”

Satisfaction spread through Quinn’s system. For now, he would pretend that Julia actually loved him and that theirs was a real marriage with their whole lives ahead of them. Because if Quinn had his way, this marriage would one day turn into the real thing. In the meantime, he would be patient, show Julia the kind of man he was, and pray that God would allow her feelings to grow to match Quinn’s.

When they arrived at the restaurant around the corner, a rather fancy place with white tablecloths and candles, the savory aroma of beef and potatoes mingling with a hint of apple and cinnamon made Quinn’s mouth water. He realized in all the excitement over the wedding, he hadn’t eaten, and now his stomach complained rather loudly.

The maître d’ greeted them and escorted them inside.

Quinn ushered Julia to the table, which was fit for a feast with china plates, crystal goblets, and silverware. A vase of fresh flowers adorned the middle of the table, giving the room a lovely scent.

Quinn seated Julia and took a chair beside her. Since it was still fairly early for the dinner crowd, they had the dining room to themselves. A brief sojourn of privacy.

The waiter arrived with a bottle of sparkling cider, compliments of the maître d’, who had insisted on gifting them with the beverage once he learned of their marriage. With a flourish, the waiter poured two glasses and set the bottle on the table.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your order.” He bowed and scurried off to the kitchen.

Quinn lifted his glass. “To my lovely bride. May today be the beginning of a wonderful life ahead.”

Julia raised her glass to his, then took a sip, but didn’t return his smile as he’d hoped. Instead, shadows lurked in her eyes. “You don’t have to pretend this is real, Quinn.”

He set down his glass. “It’s as real as it gets, love. You and I are husband and wife. I think that deserves a celebration.” He boldly brushed a quick kiss over her lips, wishing that simple act could convince her that everything would be fine.

She stared at him, the hint of a smile softening her features.

“Now, let’s try to relax and enjoy our dinner. And not worry about anything else.”

She laughed then and nodded. “You’re right. This is our wedding day after all.”

With that, Quinn’s tense muscles loosened. Julia was nothing if not resilient. She just needed a little time to adjust to this new phase of her life. And Quinn would do everything in his power to ease the transition.

The meal passed in pleasant conversation. As if by mutual consent, they avoided any contentious subjects and spoke only of the good times they remembered from back home. Quinn did his best to regale her with humorous stories from his life as a valet, which kept her laughing through most of the meal. Several times he caught himself about to reach for her hand or kiss her but thought the better of it and held back. He didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable, constantly wearing his heart on his sleeve.

The engaging company and the good food soon had Quinn feeling lighter than he had in weeks. The daylight started to fade and the flicker of candles cast a homey glow around them. If only he could remain in this moment, he would be a very happy man.

Once the waiter had cleared the table, Julia rose from her seat. A grimace wrinkled her brow.

“Are you feeling all right?” Quinn asked.

She gave a slight shrug. “I get a wee bit uncomfortable sitting in the same position for too long. Would you mind if we head back to Mrs. Middleton’s?”

Though he hated to put an end to their evening, he nodded. “Of course. I’ll get us a taxi.” While Julia visited the ladies’ room, he paid the bill and asked to use the telephone.

Only then did he realize that it was his wedding night and he had no idea where he’d be sleeping.