“Louisa, you and James must decide on a date before he leaves, so I may send a letter by courier to my brother immediately,” Georgina declared. “I can’t wait to tell Charlotte of our plans. She will jump at the chance to take her family to Gordon Castle.”
After dinner, Louisa took James into the library. She paced to the window and then turned to face him. “I’m sorry you’ve been coerced into marrying me.”
He closed the distance between them and looked down at her. “I’m not the kind of man who can be forced into things, Lu. I’ve always wanted to marry you.” He took her hand in his and squeezed it.
“What about this Gordon Castle idea? Wouldn’t you just rather postpone it?”
“Your mother made the suggestion to accommodate my mother. Your family is exceedingly generous. Mother’s health is precarious, and since I want her to see us marry, I don’t think postponing it is a good idea.”
“James, I’m so sorry. We’d better set a date.” She picked up a calendar from her father’s desk. “How about the first Friday in June?”
“Perfect. That way we can spend the whole summer in Ireland.”
Louisa’s heart began to hammer. It’s really going to happen! Her knees turned to water. I’m not cut out to be a wife. If you marry me, Abercorn, it will be the disappointment of a lifetime.
Lady Louisa’s wedding finery and trousseau were packed for Scotland. The rest of her clothes and most cherished personal belongings were put into trunks and transported to Barons Court in Ireland.
While the Duke of Bedford and the Marquis of Abercorn remained in London so they could vote in the House of Lords on the reform bill, the duchess accompanied the bride-to-be and the rest of her children to Gordon Castle. Lady Bedford’s sister Charlotte, the Dowager Duchess of Richmond, and her three youngest daughters traveled with them. In all, five carriages and two baggage wagons were needed to transport the wedding party. Once they arrived, it took two full weeks to prepare for the nuptials.
Chapter Twenty-One
“I’ve been on tenterhooks. Where on earth have you been? You do realize our daughter’s wedding is the day after tomorrow?” Georgina was weak with relief.
“I could hardly leave before the reform bill was passed. We celebrated with Johnny, then set out the next day.”
“Father, I’m so happy that Parliament is to be reformed.” Louisa kissed his cheek. “You and Johnny must be jubilant after all these years.”
“The whole country is celebrating. There were fireworks displays everywhere.”
“Congratulations, darling. I’m so proud of Johnny.” Georgina glanced through the window. “Where on earth is James? We cannot have a wedding without a groom.”
“He’s staying at Haddo House tonight. He will accompany his mother here tomorrow. Do stop worrying, darling.”
“Oh good. We’ve prepared a suite with a fireplace for the Earl and Countess of Aberdeen. I’m so thankful my father spared no expense when he had the castle rebuilt.”
“It has a Georgian elegance not seen in many castles. The drainage system alone must have cost a king’s ransom, not to mention the manicured lawns.”
“John, welcome to our humble home,” George Gordon jested. “The deer park is full of green plover, and the salmon are running in the Spey.”
His wife, Elizabeth, came forward to greet Bedford. “Welcome, John. It is such a delight to have all the children here.”
John embraced her warmly. “I suspect you are being kind. They are young savages. It is so good of you both to give my daughter this splendid wedding.”
“It is our pleasure. Georgina and Charlotte have done all the work. No detail has been overlooked. The turreted tower has been turned into the bridal chamber.”
He saw the blush on Louisa’s cheek and smiled at his favorite daughter. “It sounds like it’s going to be the perfect fairy-tale wedding.”
Lord help me get through this fairy-tale wedding without disappointing my family.
The following afternoon the bridegroom arrived accompanied by his brother Claud, his mother, and his stepfather. The Earl and Countess of Aberdeen were warmly welcomed by the bride’s mother and her uncle, the Duke of Gordon. James made the introductions to all the Russells and their extended family.
“This is Louisa,” he said simply as he introduced his wife-to-be to his mother.
Louisa curtsied gracefully. She looks so frail; my heart goes out to her. “I am most happy to meet you, Lady Aberdeen.”
“Please call me Harriet. James told me you were lovely, but your beauty takes my breath away.”
The mother of the bride stepped forward. “We mustn’t keep you standing here. Let me take you up to the suite the Duchess of Gordon has had especially prepared for you. You’ll need a sanctuary away from the noise of the Russell siblings. I’ll order you some tea. Please don’t hesitate to ask for anything that will make your stay more comfortable.”
“Thank you. You are most thoughtful.” Harriet glanced across the room and saw her husband in conversation with their host, the Duke of Gordon, and the bride’s father.
“Don’t worry about Aberdeen,” Georgina advised, as she saw George pour the earl a dram of Scotch. “Men much prefer talk of horses, hunting, and fishing. They pretend that wedding details bore them to death, but in reality I warrant it is fear of commitment that paralyzes them.”
Harriet smiled at Louisa and then glanced up at James. “Please bring her up in a little while so we can get to know each other.”
“I will, Mother. Let’s take you up and get you settled first.”
James shows such tender concern for her. Louisa sighed at the gentle way he placed a powerful arm at the small of her back and led her toward the grand staircase.
“I hope my brother knows how lucky he is.”
Louisa turned and smiled at Claud. “Welcome to Gordon Castle.”
“Are you ready to take on the Irish devil?” he teased.
“Oh Lord, I don’t know. It has all happened so quickly.”
“Quickly?” Claud laughed. “James has been extolling your virtues for a decade.”
Virtues? Louisa inwardly shuddered at his choice of words.
“Everything comes to the one who waits.”
“Yes . . . everything,” she said faintly.
Georgy came up and took Claud’s arm in a possessive gesture. “Lu, must you monopolize all the attractive men? Isn’t one Hamilton enough for you?”
“More than enough,” she murmured apprehensively.
“Claud, let me give you a tour of the castle. I never did find the dungeons—perhaps we can discover them together. The thought of instruments of torture makes me want to scream with excitement,” Georgy said suggestively.
Claud waggled his eyebrows at Louisa and allowed Georgy to lead him away.
Louisa stared after them with a sense of dismay. I hope she behaves herself. Luckily she was distracted from her thoughts by James.
“Mother is looking forward to a visit with you, while you can both be private.”
“Let’s go up now.” Louisa took his arm.
James escorted her upstairs and opened the door to his mother’s suite. “I’ll leave you alone together, but I’ll be back to collect you in half an hour.”
“Louisa, my dear, do come and sit down.” Harriet reclined on a chaise longue before the fire, and her daughter- to-be took a chair close to her.
“My lady, it means so much to James to have you at our wedding. The rigors of the journey to Gordon Castle are bound to take their toll, and it is most generous-hearted of you to make the sacrifice.”
“ ’Tis easy to see you consider others before yourself. James is fortunate that he will have such a caring wife. Meeting you reassures me that all my hopes and dreams will come true. Your marriage will be a happy one because you are in love.”
“I will try my best to make it so.” Louisa tried to give her a convincing smile, though on the inside she felt anything but confident about t
heir future happiness.
“My first marriage was a love match. I suppose bliss like that only comes along once in a lifetime.” Harriet sighed. “James was witness only to my marriage to Aberdeen. That’s the reason he is determined to have a joyful marriage. I know he will do all in his power to make you happy.”
Louisa chose her words carefully. “It’s obvious you love him very much.”
“You will delight in Barons Court. It is a magical place. I envy you your summer. My time there was all too short. Promise me you will enjoy every single day.”
“I am looking forward to Barons Court. I have never been to Ireland.” At least that is no lie.
When James tapped on the door and opened it, Louisa was relieved. The last thing she wanted was to say something that would hint at her and James’s strained relationship.
Harriet had suffered enough unhappiness and ill health, and Lu didn’t want to add to her burden. “Dinner is at seven, but if you would prefer it, I can bring you up a tray.”
“Thank you, that’s most thoughtful. But I will come down. I want to spend time with both of you. Just seeing you together gives me pleasure.”
As they descended the stairs, James said, “Thank you for making her happy. ’Tis obvious Mother approves of you.”
Louisa was aware of the irony in his words. “She is a lovely lady. She gives me her approval unstintingly.”
James changed the subject. “You still have to sign the marriage contract. Your father and I agreed on the terms weeks ago, and the attorneys have duly witnessed it. Your signature is only a formality, of course. Shall we go to the library and take care of it before dinner?”
“Yes, if you like.” She walked passively beside him down the long hallway that led to Gordon Castle’s library. Louisa, always sensitive to the emotions of others, could feel the cold anger that emanated from Abercorn. His polite manner emphasized rather than masked his true inner feelings.
In the library, the document sat on the huge black oak desk, which was illuminated by a pair of silver stag- horn lamps. Louisa sat down at the desk and pulled the crackling contract toward her. “I think this is a mistake. My marriage portion is five thousand pounds, not twelve.”
“There is no mistake.” James walked over and closed the library door before he came back to the desk. “I negotiated a dowry of twelve thousand, and a personal allowance for you of one thousand per annum.”
Louisa sprang to her feet. Her passivity vanished in a flash. “My father agreed to pay you twelve thousand?” she demanded incredulously. “He bought you for me! This is nothing short of a bribe!” Green fire flashed in her eyes, as she smote the desk with her fist. “You Irish swine! The insult to me is intolerable. I have never been so humiliated in my life!”
“Keep your voice down, mistress.”
“Give me no orders, Abercorn. My family is buying me a husband. The exorbitant price you have demanded is more than double my dowry, and you expect me to keep my voice down? The wedding is off! I’ll be no bartered bride.”
He stepped close and towered above her. “That is the most selfish thing I’ve ever heard—selfish, cruel, and thoughtless. Your family adores you. They want only your happiness. For evidence, look at all the planning they have put into this wedding. To thank them you want to fling it in their face and refuse to go through with it.”
Louisa was incensed to be called selfish. The accusation was totally, completely false. “It’s a mockery!”
“If I am willing, you should be able to swallow your self-righteous pride.”
Louisa gasped at his insult.
“You may not care how much you hurt your mother, but I will not permit you to hurt mine. We will be married tomorrow, Lady Lu.”
A picture of Harriet came full-blown into her mind. She knew James’s mother was dying. How could she hurt her? For that matter, how can I hurt my own family? Pride came to her rescue. She raised her chin defiantly. “My father has bought your name. ’Tis the only thing I want from you. I agree to become Lady Abercorn, tomorrow. But the marriage will be in name only.”
“An excellent arrangement. Your wishes mirror mine exactly.” He picked up the pen and handed it to her.
She plucked it from his fingers with a smile, and in exquisite penmanship signed: Louisa Jane Russell. Then she deliberately shook the pen and marred the legal document with myriad, ugly inkblots.
“They look like angels,” Louisa whispered to her father, as her young attendants walked down the aisle of the castle chapel. Little Rachel was paired with Alexander; her brothers Henry, Cosmo, and Jack accompanied her female cousins. Claud, who was his brother’s grooms-man, escorted Georgy, her maid of honor.
John Russell squeezed his daughter’s hand and led her toward the altar where James Hamilton awaited his bride.
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony,” the minister solemnly intoned.
Louisa did not glance up at the groom but kept her eyes straight ahead. The altar was draped in purple velvet embroidered with gold. Tall scented tapers in silver candlesticks flickered beside alabaster vases filled with white lilies and roses. Through her veil she could see that in the bouquet she carried, white heather was tucked between the other flowers. White heather was traditional at Scottish weddings. It was a symbol of good fortune and assured the bride that all her wishes would come true. It brought a lump to her throat.
Her mind wandered back to last night’s dinner. Both she and James had balanced precariously on the knife edge of disaster. Not by word or look did they convey to their families that aught was amiss between them. By unspoken, mutual consent they played the role of a loving couple.
“I will.”
Abercorn’s deep voice brought her thoughts back to the present and she realized the minister had asked him if he would take her to be his wedded wife. She gave her full attention to the Scots clergyman.
“Louisa Jane, wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Wilt thou obey him, and serve him, love, honor, and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”
“I will.” You are always the consummate actress, Louisa.
“Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?”
“I do.” Her father took her hand and gave it to James Hamilton.
You giveth twelve thousand pounds for this woman to be married to this man! Louisa examined her emotions and, here in the sight of God, knew she could not lie. Though the amount of her dowry was exorbitant, the real reason she had declared their marriage would be in name only was because she was afraid. It would be her shield and buckler against intimacy with the devastatingly attractive Irishman.
They pledged their troth to each other, and then James slipped the wedding ring on her finger and the minister pronounced them man and wife. Louisa raised her veil and lowered her lashes as her husband bent his head and gave her a chaste kiss.
Ethereal voices of the choir in the gallery floated above the congregation as Louisa turned from the altar. She saw the beaming faces of her young attendants and the smiles of her family in the front row. The ancient chapel was filled to overflowing by the Duke of Gordon’s neighbors and the entire castle staff, all wearing white favors.
When the music of the wedding march began, James took her arm and led her down the aisle. As they emerged from the chapel, a flag went up, and the crowd that had gathered outside began to cheer. A piper led the wedding party back to the castle.
Amid the festive air the bride and groom were soon separated. Every guest embraced Louisa and wished her happiness. James was congratulated by the males and kissed by the females.
Long buffet tables groaned under huge platters of Spey salmon, roast beef, venison, and lamb. Stuffed game birds, running the gamut from grouse and plover to heron an
d swan, tempted every palate. Dishes of vegetables vied for space with salvers of shellfish and trays of fruit such as figs and peaches imported from warmer climes. Ale, port, claret, and Scotch whiskey flowed aplenty to wash down the copious amounts of food.
All the Gordon staff and tenants were invited to join the aristocratic guests and partake of the food, drink, and Scottish dancing. After a particularly boisterous reel, Claud told his brother, “The members of this family certainly know how to enjoy themselves. You are a lucky dog, James.”
When it was full dark, a towering seven-tiered wedding cake was rolled into the ballroom. On top sat a sugared replica of the chapel, with the figures of the bride and groom and their wedding attendants standing before the altar.
Louisa and James made the first cut of the cake with an ancient Gordon sword. The wedding cake was served with champagne. The toasts began and lasted for two hours, before the Highland dancing resumed.
At midnight, all who could still walk made their way outside to watch a brilliant fireworks display. Georgina took her daughter by the hand and led her to James. “Now is your chance to escape. Hurry, before I start to cry.”
Abercorn gave his mother-in-law a quick embrace. “Thank you for everything.” He took his bride’s hand and they made a dash for the stairs.
Only when the bridal chamber door closed did they feel free to drop their pretense.
“Allow me to compliment you on your performance. You made everyone happy today.” James removed his formal coat and silk neck cloth.
“Thank heaven it’s over.” Louisa removed her headdress. But it isn’t over; it has only just begun. She stared at the wide bed that some romantic had strewn with white rose petals. She glanced up as James walked across the spacious tower room to the far window, ostensibly to watch the fireworks.
He’s being civilized, giving me privacy to undress. She removed her wedding gown and undergarments then slipped on the white silk nightdress that lay across her pillow. She stared at her husband’s back and realized that the gulf between them was far greater than the distance across the room.