One True Love by Lisa Follett Page B

confused at first and looked at him as if he must have recently bumped his head. The realization that she was now the wife of a nobleman, and not just a vicar's daughter, must have dawned on her. She screwed up her face a bit, then relaxed and nodded towards Katie. "I am pleased to meet you."
     
    William kissed his wife's cheek and left her in Katie's care. "I will see you at dinner. Try to get some rest." He turned and left while aching for the night to come.
     
    ***
     
    Cassie sat and stared at the emerald and diamond wedding ring for so long her eyes began to glaze over from the sparkling blur. The day was a surreal dream and she was on the edge of awakening. She spent her wedding going through the motions, moving from one action to another with little conscious thought. Did she really speak vows promising to love, honor, and obey this man as her husband before God and her family?
     
    She remembered eating, drinking, laughing, and dancing. Why did it feel as if the events of the day came from a fictional book? It was all so real, and she had a difficult time coming to terms with it. Over the last two days, she had not had time to think, to digest her new lot in life, or to consider her future. The days were filled by the imposing Prescott women, and her nights were filled by one imposing Prescott man.
     
    Now this man was her husband. This man would come to her room tonight and demand his husbandly rights. The man who kissed her senseless in the carriage and made her body ache for more.
     
    Her future plans went topsy-turvy in such a short time. She had her life figured out for weeks now, ever since Mr. Parker proposed. By now, she was supposed to be Mrs. Parker, the future Lady Winnington, not Lady William. She tried to decide how she felt about that and struggled between what she thought should be while being honest with herself. None of it mattered now, not while sitting in her new room, in her new home, with her new name.
     
    She wiped away the escaping moisture from her eyes and looked at her new surroundings. The room was to her liking, decorated in striped peaches and cream walls, billowing ivory curtains framed in velvet peach, and centered with an elegant four-poster mahogany bed.
     
    Cassie sat on a small sofa grouped with chairs and tables in the corner of the room. Who would have thought of such a thing? A writing desk faced away from the window, and a dressing table complete with mirror sat on the opposite side of the room. Despite the large interior the room was comfortable.
     
    Her lady's maid –something else she would have to become accustomed to, Katie helped her out of her traveling gown and into a day gown, then brought her a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits before she left her to her own devices. The quiet suited her perfectly. She refilled her tea cup, and noticed that the china was Sevres. The quality of expensive furnishing, plush carpet, and fine linens in the sumptuous room spoke of elegance and plenty of blunt.
     
    Cassie's father had negotiated the marriage agreement. She trusted him in this way, knew he would see she was cared for. However, she was surprised to learn her pin money in a quarter year would amount to more than her father's salary in a decade. Her new husband not only provided for her, but settled a large amount on her parents to ensure their comfortable retirement. In addition, he added a significant amount of money to Jocelyn's small dowry. Her father told her about these generous arrangements only yesterday evening. Lord William offered more to her family than Mr. Parker even considered.
     
    Cassie knew the Prescotts were one of the wealthiest, most powerful families in all of England, but until now, she had no idea the extent of their wealth. She still did not know exactly, but for the second son to possess such wealth certainly said something about the family. This was an unusual fate for a simple vicar's daughter, and one she willingly accepted when she said yes