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Enlightenment dawned when they reached the entrance to the old Roman baths. ‘I don’t believe he managed to organise this.’
‘They’re open to the public during the day, so the only time you can get married here is half past eight in the morning,’ Saskia explained. ‘Which is how come you had to be up at the crack of dawn.’
‘I … Oh, Lord.’ Isobel was lost for words.
‘Smile,’ Saskia directed, ‘or my brother will scalp me.’
‘We could’ve walked here, but Alex wanted to string it out to the last possible second,’ Marcia said. She laughed. ‘You know my son. He always takes things further than anyone else.’
‘You can say that again,’ Isobel said fervently.
The torches around the great pool were lit and the steam was rising. The water was pure aqua—the same colour as the bowl her colleagues had bought them. And that, Isobel thought, was probably no coincidence.
And then she saw Alex.
She’d known he was teasing her when he’d threatened to wear his battered Akubra or a toga. But she really hadn’t expected this. He was wearing a morning suit: a black tailcoat and pinstriped trousers with a white wing-collar shirt and a gold waistcoat. And his cravat matched her stole exactly. The rest of the wedding party were dressed in similar style, and they all had a lily as their buttonhole.
For a moment, she could believe that she and Alex really were getting married for love. He looked absolutely stunning and, when he walked towards her, smiling, her heart felt as if it had done a weird kind of flip.
‘That dress is perfect. Simple and classic and letting your beauty shine through. The gloves are pretty sexy, too. You look amazing,’ he said softly.
‘You look pretty stunning yourself.’
He smiled. ‘Note—no toga, and no hat.’
She indicated her stole. ‘And I’ve got the flame-coloured veil you asked for. Sort of.’
He laughed. ‘I like it. And I like your hair up like that.’ He leaned forward and whispered, ‘And I’m really looking forward to taking it down later tonight.’
A shiver of pure desire rippled through her. ‘Later.’ She glanced round at the registrar and their family, sitting there with such love and such joy on their faces.
And Alex had been the one to make this all happen.
‘Thank you, Alex, for doing this. It’s just …’ She could feel tears welling up.
He looked alarmed. ‘Don’t cry, Bel.’
‘They’re happy tears,’ she hastened to reassure him.
‘Even so.’ He took her hand, raised it to his mouth and kissed it. ‘Let’s go and get married.’
‘I can’t believe we’re getting married on a two-thousand-year-old warm pavement.’
He smiled. ‘I told you it was going to be different.’
‘It’s perfect, Alex.’
She walked with him over to the table where the registrar was sitting; Alex held her hand very, very tightly as the registrar welcomed them all.
‘I declare I know of no legal reason why I, Alexander Tobias Richardson, may not be joined in marriage to Isobel Anna Martin,’ Alex said at the registrar’s prompting.
She repeated his declaration.
Then he turned to her. Held both hands. Looked her straight in the eye. ‘I, Alexander, take you, Isobel, to be my lawful wedded wife.’
She swallowed hard. ‘I, Isobel, take you, Alexander, to be my lawful wedded husband.’
Then Saskia came to the front, carrying Flora, who was holding a basket containing the wedding rings.
Alex took the smaller one and slid it onto her finger. ‘With my heart, I pledge to you all that I am. With this ring I marry you and join my life to yours.’
And even though he didn’t mention love in his vows, she knew he meant what he said.
Just as she meant it when she took the other ring and slid it onto his ring finger. ‘With my heart, I pledge to you all that I am. With this ring I marry you and join my life to yours.’
She barely heard the registrar’s speech; the only thing that she could focus on was Alex’s wide smile when the registrar said, ‘You may kiss the bride.’
He did.
When they’d signed the register, it was time for photographs. Then they went back to the hotel, where there were more photographs in the garden and Alex’s nephews took great delight in throwing rose petals over them—and then brunch, which Alex had arranged in a private dining room.
‘So where are the speeches?’ Polly asked.
‘We’re not doing any. We’re together, we’re married, we’re happy. End of story.’ Alex gestured to his nephews, who were busily playing with the train set he’d had put in the room earlier. ‘And the kids won’t want to sit through long speeches.’
‘They won’t mind. They’re quite happy playing, thanks to their genius uncle,’ Helen said.
Alex laughed. ‘I can remember sitting through weddings at their age and being bored out of my mind. I thought they’d like something a bit more interesting to do.’
‘They love it,’ Poppy confirmed.
‘Come on. Don’t cheat us,’ Helen wheedled. ‘Speech.’
‘No need.’ Alex gave her his most charming smile. ‘As I said. We’re together, we’re married, we’re happy. Everyone knows how we met—and everyone knows everything about both of us. So there’s nothing more to say.’
‘Actually, as the father of the bride, I’d like to say something,’ Stuart said diffidently. ‘I found this lovely blessing on the internet. I’m sorry it’s not Roman—it’s Apache—but I thought the words were lovely.’
‘Go on, Dad,’ Isobel said.
Stuart stood up, took a piece of paper from the inside pocket of his jacket, and unfolded it. With a tender look at Isobel, he said:
‘May the sun bring you new happiness by day;
May the moon softly restore you by night;
May the rain wash away your worries
And the breeze blow new strength into your being,
And all the days of your life
May you walk gently through the world and know its beauty.
Now you will feel no rain,
For each of you will be the shelter for each other.
Now you will feel no cold,
For each of you will be the warmth for the other.
Now you are two persons,
But there is only one life before.
Go now to your dwelling place to enter
Into the days of your life together.
And may your days be good and long upon the earth’
Everyone clapped loudly.
‘Hear, hear,’ Marcia said. ‘Stuart, that’s so lovely.’
Isobel had a lump in her throat. She glanced at Alex, who tightened his fingers round hers.
‘Thank you, Stuart,’ Alex said.
Even his eyes were smiling, Isobel thought. As if he’d married her for real.
Well, it was legally real. Just not the great love match everyone believed it was.
Tom stood up, next. ‘I’m more of a figures man than a words man,’ he said ruefully, ‘so I can’t come up with anything anywhere near as pretty as Stuart. So I’m going just to keep it short and sweet. Welcome to the family, Bel—though we’ve thought of you as part of our family for years anyway, we’re so pleased that you’re officially ours now. And may you both be very happy. I’d like everyone to join me in raising their glasses in a toast. Bel and Alex.’
‘Bel and Alex,’ everyone echoed, raising their glasses of champagne.
In response, Alex kissed Isobel. Very, very thoroughly.
CHAPTER TEN (#ulink_b47ce51b-9af1-5708-a820-f26807978109)
‘SEEING as our dads have made such nice speeches,’ Alex said, ‘maybe I will say a few words.’
‘About time, too,’ Helen teased.
‘I just want to thank you all for being here. For sharing our special day—and for all the help beforehand, especially from our mums and Saskia. I know it’s traditional for the bride and groom to give gifts to their parents and ring-bearer and what have you—but I loathe giving gifts in public,’ Alex said, ‘so you’ll find our thanks to you back in your respective hotel rooms. And the train set is for the boys to keep, by the way,’ he added to his middle sisters. ‘There should be enough track and trains for it to be a decent set each when split in two.’
‘Alex, that’s so sweet of you.’ Polly smiled at him. ‘Thank you.’
‘And as everyone was up at the crack of dawn,’ Alex continued, ‘I suggest an afternoon nap before the reception this evening. You’re welcome to stay here for more champagne or coffee, but I want some quiet time alone with my bride before tonight.’
‘Quiet time alone,’ Saskia said, rolling her eyes. ‘Yeah. We all know what that means.’
Alex laughed. ‘I said quiet time, not wedding night.’ He raised his glass. ‘To you all. Because Bel and I are lucky to have the best family in the world.’
‘Oh, you charmer,’ Saskia said, but she was looking misty-eyed. And Isobel had too big a lump in her throat to speak.
Alex had a quick word with the butler, then whisked Isobel off to the garden and found a quiet table and chairs beneath a tree. ‘We’re going to do a very English thing, now, and have tea in the garden.’
‘That’s fine by me.’ She smiled at him. ‘You’ve made it the perfect day.’ And very different from her first marriage. He’d made it so much easier for her, because there were no points of comparison. ‘And this ring is beautiful.’ A layer of white gold sandwiched between yellow gold.
‘I’m glad you like it.’
Something in his eyes made her wonder. ‘What aren’t you telling me?’
He gave her an enigmatic smile. ‘Doesn’t matter. Bel, you look amazing in that dress. Especially with the, ahem, orange veil.’
‘It’s a stole, and you know it,’ she corrected with a grin. ‘You look pretty amazing yourself. I thought you hated wearing suits.’
‘I do.’ He shrugged. ‘But you nixed the toga and my normal clothes just aren’t appropriate today.’ He reached over to run his thumb along her lower lip. ‘I did think about taking you for a spa this afternoon—but I didn’t want to mess up your hair or your make-up before this evening.’
‘I don’t know if I dare ask what you’ve planned for this evening.’
He laughed. ‘It’s a surprise. But one I think you’ll like.’
‘Continuing the Roman theme?’
‘Might be.’ He raised an eyebrow. ‘Just think yourself lucky they throw confetti rather than walnuts at the bride and groom nowadays.’
‘You’ve gone to so much trouble, Alex.’
‘You’re worth it,’ he said simply.
For a moment, Isobel thought he was going to tell her he loved her.
But she knew that Alex didn’t believe in love.
And she didn’t, either. She wasn’t going to let her heart be broken again. He was absolutely right to be practical about this. Deep friendship and spectacular sex were a good basis for a marriage. Something that wouldn’t crumble—unlike love. And if they couldn’t have a family … he’d still be there for her. He wouldn’t walk away.
‘This,’ Alex said after the waitress had brought their tea, ‘is the life.’
Isobel scoffed. ‘You’d far rather be pottering around ruins with a camera and someone who’d talk to you about the history of the place.’
‘Well, yes,’ he admitted. ‘But that’s hardly an option today.’
‘What time do we have to be at the reception?’
He raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you worrying again?’
