“May I see that please?” Matthew asks. “Since no one is here to act on your behalf, Miss. I will act in their place.” He reads over the contract and adds an extra zero to the end of Declan's original number. He then signs the document, and London moves forward to sign.
“Dillon?” Glancing at her friends, she sees them both smiling and nodding.
“God’s hand is in this,” Dillon whispers and nods.
London stares at her friend, then Matthew and feels oddly peaceful.
The minister moves forward and signs his name as a witness. “Now, I will need some time to change the names on the marriage certificate.”
“I need a drink,” Declan snarls and glares at his grandfather.
“Surely, we can send the guests home. I can't marry you in front of a ballroom full of people wearing this,” London suggests hoarsely.
Declan is beyond reason, and he turns with a wicked grin. He looks at his grandfather, “My Grandfather wanted a spectacle, so I insist we give him one. If you insist, you have time to change,” he snaps without looking at her.
“I can help,” Dillon grins and guides her from the backroom to the hallway and into a suite on the first floor. “Don't worry about a thing.”
“This is crazy, you have to get me out of here, Dillon!” London jerks off her spectacles and wig and tosses them into a bin.
“It’s unorthodox, but you will never have to work as a maid again, London.” She opens the door and pushes her inside the room. London turns and stares at three maids waiting against the far wall.
On the door near the sunroom hangs a gorgeous blush pink ballgown with tulle, seed beads, and crystals. She gasps, and her hand covers her mouth.
“Why is this here? How did you know?” Suspicion raises, and she glares at her friend.
“I thought I was going to the wedding of the year. I had a few dresses brought over to choose from.”
“Oh,” she chews her lip and looks at the dress. “It will never fit me, Dillon, your three inches shorter than me!”
“Don't be ridiculous. It will only need minor alterations, and I brought a team to handle that. Now, let's get you dressed.”
“I don’t understand,” she murmurs as the women descend on London. They are shocked when London strips out of her costume, revealing her true size. Dillon promptly picks up the costume and tosses it into the bin. “Say goodbye to the Mouse!” She giggles while they work.
London sits while she is washed, dressed, and trussed. They finish her hair, and Elliot knocks on the door. “Dillon asked me to look at your wounds,” he moves quietly over to her and stares in delight.
“You are going to knock his socks off! He’s never going to see this coming,” Elliot looks down at her trembling hand and flips it over. His smile fades when he sees the condition of her hand. “What happened?”
“Someone squeezed it,” she murmurs and stares while he grabs a bag and digs out his cream. “Am I crazy for doing this, Elliot?” she asks.
Dillon walks over, holding her train and smiles at her husband. “No. Sometimes, we have to accept that God's plan and our plan aren't the same. Trust him as you always have.”
“It doesn’t seem fair to Lord Sheridan. What will he think when he sees me?” she frowns and chews her fingernail.
“He will fall to his knees and thank the Lord for sending you his way,” Dillon snaps. She secures the train and stands back to look at her best friend. “You look beautiful, London.”
Chapter 14
“Do you trust me, Declan?” Matthew asks.
“Of course,” he sips a second whiskey and avoids looking at him. “You can always change your mind,” he says hopefully,
“No. I need you to have an open mind and, more importantly, an open heart.” Matthew smiles when the knock comes.
“It’s time.” The minister says from the doorway.
Matthew walks out and whispers to the minister. He points down the hall, and Matthew turns to his Grandson. “I'll see you in the ballroom.”
Declan shoots back the rest of his whiskey and straightens his cravat before he walks out into the ballroom and smiles at the excited chatter of the guests. Today he found out that his stockholders have dumped their shares, and he's marrying a maid. “Perfect,” he grumbles.
The music starts, and at the end of the aisle between the rows of chairs stands his grandfather with a vision in soft pink. He walks with his cane and whispers something to the young lady he's guiding, and Declan looks around in confusion. Where's the Mouse? This woman is no one's maid. She is tall, elegant, and lovely, from what he can see. They move up the aisle towards him, stopping, and he hears the minister ask.
“Who gives this young woman to this man?”
“I do,” Matthew says clearly and proudly. He lifts the veil and kisses her cheek before placing her gloved hand on top of Declan’s and smiles through tears. “You’ve made me very happy today,” Matthew says. He turns and walks to the from aisle to sit next to Elliot and Dillon.
Declan only has eyes for the young woman in front of him. “You?”
London stares at him and smiles at the look of confusion on his face. She leans forward and whispers, “I will explain everything later.”
He straightens and nods, “I can’t wait.”
The ballroom has gone silent as they exchange rings, and she finds her hand is trembling as she slides the gold ring on his finger.
Declan removes her glove slowly, and the satin trails over her skin, leaving a path of goosebumps up her arm. London goes through
