15. 24 September, 1826

Home of the Duke and Duchess of Chelmsford

Adrienne stared into the full-length, gilt-framed mirror and blinked. The image remained the same. She"d half expected to see the little barefoot girl in the flowered dress who ran down the beaches of Martinique. Or perhaps the erotically clothed and coiffed mistress of the Earl of Framlingham in her Grosvenor Street boudoir.

She hardly recognized the woman reflected in the expensive glass with the elegant bedchamber done in pinks and greens behind her.

"You are a vision, my dear. The poor man won"t last through the wedding ceremony when he sees you like that." Lady Camilla Bowles Attington Carrington Whitby (How did anyone accumulate a name like that?) sat in one of the flowered chintz chairs next to the hearth and inspected the delicate bridal posey of flowers and ribbons Adrienne was to carry.

Bridal posey.

Today was her wedding day. Never in her wildest dreams did she ever believe she"d marry the love of her life, her Obadiah. Let alone marry him in the library of a duke"s town mansion being given away by said duke. Captain Eleanor Whitcombe, now the Duchess of Chelmsford stood next to her and squeezed her shoulder.

"Believe it," she murmured. "Sometimes our lost love comes back to us. I know. Believe it and hold on tight."

"I will," Adrienne whispered. She ran her hands down the front of the blue silk gown she wore. The fabric was the blue color of the seas that kissed the shores of Martinique, shot through with the gold of the sun glinting on those waters. She"d bought the fabric long ago, not knowing why, until the time came to choose her dress for this day she thought would never come. Even her slippers were covered in the same vibrant blue silk. She wiggled her toes inside them and smiled.

"May I come in?" Mrs. Collins peered around the bedchamber door. "Oh, Adrienne, you look beautiful."

"So do you," Adrienne said as she gave the Grosvenor Street housekeeper and up-and-down inspection. "That shade of green suits you."

"Thank you." She curtsied and they all laughed. "I could hardly appear at your wedding dressed as a dowdy housekeeper, not in a duke"s home."

Captain El snorted. "Don"t let all of this fool you." She swept her arm around the beautifully and expensively decorated room. "Percy and I are just as noisy and messy and ridiculous as any other married couple. We simply have more servants."

Adrienne started at the sharp rap on the door.

"Come in, Percy," Captain El said with a put-upon sigh. "I"d know that knock anywhere."

Adrienne had to admit that Percival Whitcombe, the Duke of Chelmsford, still intimidated her a bit. Tall, handsome, always perfectly turned out, especially today. If he was dressed so finely, what had they wrestled Obadiah into for his wedding? At the vision of her muscled, wild lover being dressed by a duke"s valet she could not suppress a smirk.

"Miss Godet, Obadiah Lassen is a very fortunate man. You are truly lovely."

"Thank you, Your Grace." Adrienne curtsied. "And thank you for giving me away. I am truly--"

The duke raised his hand. "The honor is mine. And once we explained the...inappropriateness of Framlingwood performing this honor he understood completely."

"We?"

"The duchess," he and Lady Camilla and Mrs. Collins said at once.

"Oh dear," Adrienne smothered a giggle with her hand. "I would love to have heard that conversation."

"I don"t think so," the duke said. "It was not pretty." He offered her his arm. "Now, if you are ready, shall we take you to your rather anxious bridegroom?"

Lady Camilla stood and handed Adrienne the delicate beribboned and lace-bound bouquet of hibiscus and orchids. The Earl of Framlingwood had sent for the flowers native to Martinique from the extensive orangery at his country estate. He had been wonderful and she came to realize they had healed each other in many ways during their years together. He had his flaws and foibles, but he was a good man. And she"d gained her Grosvenor Street sisters as well.

Sisters!

"What about my special guests, Your Grace?" she asked as the left the bedchamber and walked down the corridor to the curved marble staircase the led to the first floor.

"Taken care of," Mrs. Collins assured her as she, Lady Camilla, and the duchess followed closely behind them.

"How?" She tried to concentrate on not sliding down the stairs in her new slippers.

"There is a balcony across the back wall of our library," the duke said. "My clever wife has had a rather large, tall framed mirror from her club placed across the front length of that balcony. A one-way mirror. Your friends will have a perfect view of the entire wedding and Framlingham won"t have the slightest idea they are there."

"Are you certain Framlingwood won"t know. Who is going to keep him from wandering up there at some point?" She glanced over her shoulder at Mrs. Collins, who oddly enough was blushing.

"Mrs. Collins will take care of the earl," Lady Camilla said with a smile far too devilish for a woman of her years. "Not to worry. Your secret is safe. For now."

Adrienne had no time to ponder that last cryptic phrase. They"d come to the towering white and gold double doors into the library. Mrs. Collins flustered around her, patting her hair into place and making little adjustments to Adrienne"s dress.

"Be happy," the housekeeper said softly. The normally staid and withdrawn woman kissed Adrienne"s cheek before she joined Lady Camilla and the duchess and slipped into the library. Two footmen stood at the ready to open the doors for the bride and her escort to enter. She glanced at the footmen and shook her head. Looking far more buttoned-up and neat than they ever had on Grosvenor Street, Young Rutherford and Tall Rutherford each gave her a wink as they opened the doors.

"El thought you"d be more comfortable with some familiar faces nearby," the duke whispered as they began to walk down the aisle set up between rows of Chippendale chairs that held the small group of wedding guests.

Her heat warmed at the kindness she"d found in this madcap group of friends who had suddenly become family. Speaking of which, her two new-found brothers sat on the front row beaming at her. Tears pricked her eyes. And then she saw Obadiah, and everything else disappeared.

He gazed at her the way she"d seen him gaze at sunsets on Martinique, on sunrises onboard one of Captain El"s ships, and on her after they made love. An entire sonnet was contained in his eyes though he spoke not a word. He was dressed in a dark blue coat of superfine with dark blue knee breeches, but his waistcoat was the same blue as her dress, though it was embroidered with symbols she recognized from his tattoos. His white shirt and neckcloth shone blindingly against the golden-brown hue of his skin.

"You look good enough to eat," Obadiah murmured as the duke placed her hand in his.

"Later," she shot back as the duke broke into a coughing fit before he took his seat next to his duchess.

The vicar cleared his throat. Adrienne glanced up at the mirrored balcony and smiled. She thought she saw the mirror shake and imagined her friends squealing silently with happiness for her. As the vicar began to speak Adrienne fixed her gaze on Obadiah, and suddenly the entire room disappeared. In her mind they were children again, standing on the shores of Martinique and vowing to love and watch over each other forever.

As they spoke their vows and Obadiah placed the ring on her finger she realized that no matter where their lives had led them, this was where they belonged. Together against whatever life had in store for them. With the help of friends, former lovers, people like the Rutherfords and people like the Duke and Duchess of Chelmsford. This was their reward for enduring and holding on to their love for each other through it all.

She blinked away tears. The vicar had just pronounced them man and wife and dared anyone to put them asunder. Her fierce warrior, her bodyguard, her passionate lover and friend looked as if he was ready to beat the life out of anyone who tried. Adrienne could not help it. She laughed. And after a moment Obadiah joined her. Then suddenly he snatched her into his arms, bent her over backwards and kissed her with the fiery passion that was his alone. Until he shared it with her.

They likely would have kissed forever or done far more save for the presence of the vicar and the raucous whistling from the rest of the livery clad Rutherfords scattered about the room.

"Can we at least enjoy the wedding breakfast first?" a familiar, somewhat bored voice intoned. "Charpentier has outdone himself and I"d like to taste some of it before Ashworth eats it all as if he has not eaten in a week. Honoria, how do you afford to feed this man?" Stephen Forsythe, the barrister who had been such a help to them, winced as his wife, Lady Jane, elbowed him in the side.

Obadiah raised her upright but kept a protective arm around her. The Duke of Chelmsford invited everyone across the corridor where a magnificent wedding breakfast had been laid on by his servants after being prepared and supervised by Nathaniel Charpentier, perhaps the most sought-after chef in London.

"How did our lives come to this?" she asked her husband. Her husband. She had to be grinning like the village idiot her face hurt so.

"Good living?" Archer Colwyn suggested as he and his soon-to-be wife, Charlotte, came to offer their congratulations. "My God, these crab cakes are delicious." He stuffed the entire thing into his mouth and offered his plate to Obadiah, who took one and disposed of it the same way. She and Charlotte rolled their eyes.

"Good living?" Charlotte said. "Where"s the fun in that? Speaking of fun, any idea what is going on over there?" She nodded to where Mrs. Collins and Framlingwood sat at a little table in intense conversation.

"I have no idea," Adrienne said as she leaned closer to the chess mistress. "Perhaps you and the Runner could stroll over and find out?"

"That was wicked," Obadiah said as the Runner and the chess mistress made their way across the room.

"Not as wicked as I"d like to be," she fairly purred as she ran her hand down his silk breech-clad buttocks.

"How soon can we make our escape?" he asked hoarsely.

"As soon as you wish," Lady Camilla"s gorgeous nephew, Lionel Carrington-Bowles said softly behind them.

Adrienne and Obadiah spun around to find him and his life"s companion, Nathaniel Charpentier standing behind them.

"Mister Charpentier, I cannot begin to tell you how lovely this breakfast is and how much I appreciate you sending the same foods to Grosvenor Street. Mrs. Collins told me you arranged for...everyone to have a taste of your wonderful food and that glorious cake." Adrienne glanced at Obadiah in the hope of him saying something but he"d just taken a huge bite of the aforementioned cake from the plate of Carrington-Bowles. He did manage to smile and nod vigorously in agreement.

"My name is Nathaniel, and the wedding breakfast is our gift to you. Not as generous as the townhouse Framlingwood gave you, but no less heartfelt. And my lips are sealed about the feast I sent over and who is enjoying it together at this very moment. We are all quite happy knowing something the earl doesn"t know. It is very entertaining."

"You"re wagering on when he will find out, aren"t you?" she asked, arms crossed and toe tapping.

"Dickie is running the wagers," Obadiah said as the other two men nodded solemnly. "Didn"t you say something about the two of us being able to leave soon?"

"We did," Carrington Bowles said. "And here comes the proof. We wish you both very happy." He took Nathaniel"s arm and drew him away to the table fairly groaning with food.

The Earl of Framlingwood came to them tugging at his neckcloth and looking somewhat chagrined. He cleared his throat a few times and shook his head.

"I have no idea what the appropriate thing for me to say might be," he finally said.

"Wish us happy?" Adrienne suggested softly.

"I do, Adrienne. I sincerely do. I want you to be happy." He turned to Obadiah. "Love her. And keep her safe. Yes?"

"That has been my intention since the moment I met her." Obadiah"s tone was pleasant enough, but his arm tightened around her waist.

"She hasn"t made it easy for you, has she?"

Obadiah let loose a bark of laughter. "No, she has not." Adrienne glared at him.

"It"s not supposed to be easy," Framlingwood said. "Not all the time at least. But with all you two have been through, I think it was meant to be." He extended his hand to Obadiah, who after a brief hesitation shook it. The earl pressed a gentle kiss to Adrienne"s cheek. "Thank you, my dear. For everything."

"Thank you. Derek. For everything." She took a breath. "What about...the other matter?" He and Obadiah indicated by an exchange of glances they knew she referred to the blackmailer.

"That is my mystery to unravel. You two have the rest of your lives to unravel the mystery of each other. My carriage is waiting at the door to take you to the Aphrodite for a little honeymoon sail along the coast. The Rutherfords have already stowed your bags onboard. Safe journey." He waved a hand in one last salute and walked away. For a moment Adrienne wanted to call him back. He looked so alone.

"How quickly can you say your goodbyes and meet me in the carriage?" Obadiah said and then nipped her earlobe. Her entire body was on fire in an instant.

She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the dining room, down the stairs, past the duke"s stunned butler and into the carriage waiting just outside the door. Only then did she realize she was barefoot.

"Oh no," she groaned as she watched Obadiah shrug out of his coat and untie his neckcloth. "I must go back. Captain El will think I am ungrateful for those lovely slippers and..."

Obadiah raised his hand to reveal her slippers dangling from his fingertips. She huffed, snatched them away and put them on.

"How much longer do you think you will have to keep finding my slippers?" she asked. He joined her on the forward-facing seat as the carriage glided into motion.

"For the rest of our lives, if I"m lucky." He began to unfasten the tapes and fasteners at the back of her dress. "I promise to make certain you never lose anything ever again." He kissed the side of her neck.

"The only thing I ever lost that I cared about was you."

"You never lost me. I was always there in your heart, just as you were always there in mine."

"Obadiah," she breathed as she straddled his lap and tried to wiggle out of her dress. She reached to remove her shoes.

"Leave them on," he said as he whisked her dress and undergarments over her head. "Being fucked by my wife wearing only her shoes promises to be a unique experience."

"Unique experience. I have a lifetime of unique experiences in store for you, husband."

"I am counting on it, wife. I am counting on it. Life with you will always be an adventure."

And it was.