Chapter 4

A few days later…

Aaron held his breath as Marina appeared at the doors of the chapel. She looked like a vision in her white dress with gold trimmings.

She looks so pure.

A pang of guilt hit the pit of his stomach when she took the few first steps onto the aisle. Her long blonde hair had been pinned to the back of her head in an elaborate bun that boasted hundreds of tiny pearls. The money he had given to her family to replace the dress she had worn before, seemed to have gone to good use as the bright afternoon light lit up the veil that traveled behind her.

Tearing his gaze away from the serenity in her face, Aaron berated himself for forcing such a beautiful woman to be his wife. He was not even sure what had driven him to the decision. She had shown up in his home, and the next thing he knew, he was asking her to be his wife.

"Dearly beloved, we have gathered here today…" The vicar's voice brought his attention back to the present as Aaron looked up to see that Marina had stopped beside him at the altar.

The sheer veil that covered her face did little to hide the fact that her eyes remained fixed on the vicar.

She cannot even stand to look at me…

Bitter feelings of self-resentment filled his chest as his body stiffened beside her.

Well, no matter. She is to be my wife now.

The few people attending the wedding shifted in their seats, creating a distraction from the turmoil in his mind.

"The bonds between a husband and wife are a blessing from God, gifted to us with love, and should not be taken lightly. If there is anyone present who knows of any lawful reason why these two individuals should not be joined in Holy Matrimony, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." The vicar narrowed his beady eyes at the crowd, looking over Aaron and Marina's heads.

The moment of silence that ensued made his palms sweat as Aaron's hand twitched at his side.

Am I a monster for forcing her to do this?

His throat suddenly felt dry as he envisioned the life she would lead at his side. People would stare in curiosity and poke fun at the woman who married the beast. He was forcing her into a life of ridicule and scorn.

The vicar continued before Arron could respond. "Do you, Miss Marina Wallace, take Aaron Marner, the Duke of Harper, to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and obey, till death do you part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give him your troth?"

The moment seemed to drag on forever before Marina ran her tongue over her lips and responded. "I do."

The guests seemed to heave a sigh of relief as Aaron let out a breath. He had half expected her to say no. Yet he knew in the back of his mind that she needed the marriage to help her family.

"And do you, Aaron Marner, the Duke of Harper, take this woman, Marina Wallace, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and obey, till death, do you part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto, give her your troth?" The Vicar proceeded immediately and turned to Aaron.

I should not.

Aaron held his breath as Marina glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. The tender look of pleading tore at his heart when he suddenly realized that leaving her at the altar would only cause her family more harm than good.

"I do," he uttered the words firmly, swallowing hard when a look of relief flashed in her eyes.

The vicar nodded and took a step back. "By the power invested in me by God, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Aaron turned to Marina, watching carefully as her lips parted with a gentle breath. He lifted the veil as her eyes fluttered shut, giving him a moment to admire the beauty of her naturally long lashes. His heart fluttered in his chest as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers, savoring the moment as the softest sigh escaped her.

He was about to pull back when Marina responded, her lips tenderly pressing into his as they parted ever so slightly.

"Wonderful." A high-pitched woman's voice broke them apart.

Marina drew back, her eyelids fluttering as if she had been in a daze.

"I am so happy for you." Johanna Marner came forward, clasping her hands in front of her chest. Her pale cheeks flushed with a hint of color.

"Thank you, Mama," Marina cleared her throat and turned to her mother with a smile. "I think it is only right that I formally introduce my husband. His visit the other evening was quite brief. May I present, the Duke of Harper, my husband." Her face suddenly stiffened as she said the words.

"It is an honor and a privilege, Your Grace. May I also thank you personally for the kindness you showed to me and my youngest daughter? The house you have provided is more than I ever could have asked for or imagined." Marina's mother curtsied respectfully, coming up with a warm smile as her youngest daughter came to her side.

The irate look of anger and distaste in the young girl's green, doe-like eyes, caught him off guard. "It is a pleasure, Lady Wallace, and this must be Miss Prudence Wallace?" He forced a smile and hoped that his scar would not scare her.

"Prudence, remember your manners." Johanna Wallace bumped her daughter in the side, forcing a polite smile as she laughed nervously.

Prudence narrowed her eyes, glaring at Aaron as she set her jaw. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Your Grace. I hope to see you sometime for tea. The frogs should be spawning sometime soon if I am not mistaken." She barely curtsied before gripping her mother's arm.

"Prudence!" Johanna elbowed her youngest daughter in the side while Marina bit on her lips.

Aaron was not sure what the girl meant with her comment about frogs, but he was certain from her mother's reaction that it could not have been good.

"Well, I think we had better get going. I am sorry that there will be no wedding feast, but I did want to keep things as small as possible," Marina addressed her mother and sister, looping her arm into Aaron's in an unexpected gesture.

Her action caught him off guard, but Aaron reminded himself of the fact that she had chosen a private wedding with just her family.

"Never mind all of that, your sister and I will be having tea in our new parlor. You go and settle into your new home; we will have you over for tea once you are settled." Johanna cupped her daughter's cheek and smiled, making the guilt in the pit of his stomach, rise to his chest.

I have made her marry a monster.

Marina glanced at the duke from the corner of her eyes, noting the way he kept avoiding her gaze. She had been hurt by his cool manner when she reached the altar, he had never so much as glanced in her direction.

Does he regret asking me to marry him?

Her heart beat furiously from images of the night that lay ahead. Her mother had prepared her in such a manner that she could not bring herself to look at him. Would he be tender with her, or would be rough and demanding, oozing the danger that he had shown her in the parlor and study? Her stomach knotted painfully again when she recalled the feeling of his lips against hers.

"At what time will we have dinner?" Marina broke the silence that seemed to linger on for far too long.

The duke turned to her with a puzzled expression, his voice and face once again cool. "There will be no dinner."

"No dinner? Do you intend on starving me, Your Grace?"

"I will not starve you, wife. I only meant that we are not to have dinner together. Your dinner shall be served in your private parlor as soon as we arrive."

The gruffness in his tone sent shivers down her spine. "Will we not be dining together, Your Grace?"

He shook his head dismissively. "The staff will be at your beck and call whenever you need them. There will be no need for the two of us to communicate regularly." He turned back to the window, hiding the side of his face with the scar.

"I do not understand, is your plan to treat me like a brooding mare after all? I insist on having dinner with my husband, at least on our wedding night. If I am to sire an heir for you, then I wish to know you better beforehand." She cocked her head to the side in a challenge, defying his cool dismissal.

Aaron looked back at her with an angry scowl. "I will not be told what to do in my own home, remember that." His voice dropped to a dangerously low growl as he narrowed his eyes.

Marina's heart thudded furiously as she realized that she would need to hold her tongue when it came to the duke. He was not a man to be trifled with, even if she felt as if he was already trifling with her heart.